The top 10 big-screen mothers of all time
They will do whatever it takes to protect their children — even if that means taking down an evil cyborg — so let’s show them some love. With Mother’s Day approaching, here are 10 of the best moms the film world has to offer, in no particular order.
1 Mrs. Gump (Sally Field in Forrest Gump, 1994)
It could be argued Sally Field is a good mom in every film she plays a mom in (Steel Magnolias, Mrs. Doubtfire, etc.), but arguably her most memorable is her role as the sweet Mrs. Gump, an Alabama “mama” whose love for her son, Forrest (Tom Hanks), is the very definition of unconditional. And you can’t beat her unforgettable advice — because life really is like a box of chocolates.
2
Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton in The Terminator, 1984, and Terminator 2, 1991)
Like many a mother protecting her child — in this case against a seemingly unstoppable killer cyborg — Sarah Connor rises to the occasion. From frightened party girl at the start of the first Terminator movie, she quickly becomes a resourceful and determined fighter. And by Terminator 2, she’s buffed up, honed her skills and become a gun-toting force to be reckoned with.
3 Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side, 2009)
Strong and stubborn Leigh Anne Tuohy is already juggling life as a mom, interior designer and wealthy businessman’s wife when “Big Mike” (Quinton Aaron) — a foster kid and frequent runaway — enters her life. She takes the troubled teen under her wing and helps him realize his talent as an offensive lineman on the football field, and his potential for a college scholarship — if only he could get his grades up. But of course she helps him with that too. The best part? The film is closely based on the true story of NFLer Michael Oher.
4 Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich, 2000)
Roberts won an Oscar for her role as this real-life single mom of three who battled the Pacific Gas and Electric Company on behalf of her fellow residents in Hinkley, Calif. She goes from unemployed to self-made lawyer fighting the good fight for those affected by some dangerous contaminated groundwater, all while juggling the many responsibilities of motherhood. In other words, she’s basically a superhero.
5
Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver in Aliens, 1986)
The mother in the original Alien (1979) is the alien itself (herself ), wanting to protect her eggs. In the 1986 sequel Aliens, Ripley becomes a surrogate mother to the surviving child Newt (Carrie Henn), facing off against the creature again with fierce protectiveness of her own.
6
Elaine Miller/Mildred (Frances McDormand in Almost Famous, 2000/Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, 2017)
The two-time Academy Award winner gets thumbs up for her mom roles in both Almost Famous and the more recent Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. As the overbearing Elaine Miller in Almost Famous, McDormand could’t wait to get her son back into the fold. As the grieving mom Mildred in Three Billboards, McDormand couldn’t do enough to revenge her daughter’s death.
7 Maria (Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, 1965)
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, Maria Von Trapp sure has us smitten. She might have failed as a nun, but as a nanny Maria introduced her charges to the joys of singing and wearing curtains as playwear. She even made crusty old Captain Von Trapp crack a smile — and she did it all while evading Nazis. Let’s hear it for the stepmoms!
8
Amy, Kiki and Carla (Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn in Bad Moms, 2016; A Bad Moms Christmas, 2017)
Sure, the movies’ titles say the moms are bad — and there’s an elaborate grocery store-trashing scene in the original to prove it. But deep down, these unlikely friends really care about their kids. They’re just fed up with all the rules and expectations modern moms often buckle under. And let’s face it — who isn’t in favour of bringing obviously store-bought baked goods to a PTA fundraiser?
9 Bambi’s mom (Paula Winslowe, voice, in Bambi, 1942)
Yes, she’s just a doe (a deer, a female deer ... Sorry, we’re still stuck on No. 7), but Bambi’s mom is the animated epitome of tender love. It’s no wonder some might say her little fawn was a bit of a mama’s boy. Well, until that very horrific winter day, where she finds herself on the wrong side of a hunter’s gun. Bambi is broken, but his dear mom’s lessons on foraging — and love — will live on forever.
10
Rusty Dennis (Cher in
Mask, 1985)
Despite her wild ways as a member of a motorcycle gang, Rusty (Cher) attempts to give her son Rocky — who has a massive facial skull deformity — as normal a life as possible. Along the way she takes down a school principal and brushes off doctors predicting Rocky’s demise. Cher and Eric Stoltz — who played Rocky — both won Golden Globes for their roles.