Top 5 Cinematic Moms

My mom recently found my personal blog. She isn’t a fan of my “potty mouth.” So just in case she wants to take some pot shots at Dear Jesus, here is a list of some of my favorite movie moms!

5. Mrs. Bucket (Diana Sowle) in Willy Wanka and the Chocolate Factory – Yes, her song is the most boring part of the entire movie. Yes, she spends most of her time stirring (cabbage soup, gray laundry, etc). But Mrs. Bucket doesn’t get enough credit. She’s widowed, has to look after four bed-sore covered invalid old people, and she gets overjoyed at the sight of a loaf of bread. Life is hard for Mrs. Bucket, but she still manages to pull together a few pennies to get her sona  chocolate bar.

4. Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter) in The Piano – However compassionate, Mrs. Bucket is probably one of the most boring movie moms ever. On the other end of the spectrum is Ada McGrath. She’s mute but strong, and she goes after what she wants. At the same time, she manages to look after her kid in some pretty harsh conditions.

3. The Queen Mother in Aliens – Maybe not the most sympathetic portrayal of a mother. But you can’t deny that this mom would do anything to keep her children safe.

2. Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) in Rosemary’s Baby – Even before Rosemary gets pregnant she does everything with her baby in mind, including moving to her new, gorgeous and roomy apartment. Ok, so in hindsight maybe that move wasn’t the best choice, but Rosemary makes the best of it – eating raw meat, drinking stinky shakes, and putting up with the company of her annoying old neighbors. Even when she finds out she’s birthed the devil’s seed, Rosemary commits to her new baby. Now that’s a hardcore mom.

2. The Bride, aka. Beatrix Kiddo, aka. Black Mamba (Uma Thurman) in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 – The Bride is dead set on revenge for herself, and for the lost childhood of her daughter. Perhaps her actions are, at first, selfish, but when she discovers that her kid is still alive, Beatrix Kiddo is able to immediately switch gears, doing what she feels is right for her daughter.

Runner ups: Ed McDunnough in Raising Arizona, Lynn Sear in The Sixth Sense, Annie Johnson in Imitation of Life, Etheline Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums