May 7, 2021
OK, after a week off, I’m back with a manifesto on how to fix the Oscars. Just kidding – yikes, I needed a week off after that debacle. Look, I get it – the ceremony has grown stale and in a year when the movies available were below the quality and quantity of years past, you might need to shake things up. And I am a fan of director Steven Soderbergh, who produced the telecast, but this was a big miss. While I liked the “cocktail lounge” vibe of the setting, was happy with the music selections from DJ Questlove, and didn’t miss the musical performances, there was a big problem. Two words: FILM CLIPS!!!!
Guess what? The movie industry has been teetering on some problems even before the pandemic, and after a terrible year, the Oscars ceremony was the perfect opportunity to remind people why movies are great. With theaters reopening and an upcoming release schedule that is absolutely loaded over the next nine months, we should have been flooded with clips from all sorts of genres to give us those goosebumps moments and make everyone say, “Hell yeah, I need to get back to a theater and see a movie!” That was the big problem for me. Too much talking, and not enough reminders of why movies have been a great escape vehicle for over 100 years. Oh, and the silly idea of moving Best Actor to the last award in an ill-advised orchestrated attempt to end the telecast with Chadwick Boseman being honored. The lackluster ending of Joaquin Phoenix mumbling the surprise announcement of Anthony Hopkins (comfortably asleep at his home in Wales) as the winner certainly proved that no one but the accountants knows the winners ahead of time. OK, last time we need to talk about the Oscars for many months. Let’s move on.
It’s Mother’s Day!
That’s right – this weekend, we honor all of the special Moms in our lives. And what better way to add to that celebration than by looking at some of the best movie moms we’ve seen on screen. There is probably a long list of the best mom performances I could have included here, but these are the ones that have stayed with me the longest for different reasons. Let’s jump in by taking a trip back to the early 2000s and see what the high-school kids were up to.
The “Cool Mom” – Amy Poehler – Mean Girls
We’re starting with a supporting character here, but one who makes the most of her time on screen. Poehler plays the mom of Regina George (Rachel McAdams), the leader of The Plastics, the bullying group of mean girls terrorizing their fellow high-school students. Throughout the film, as The Plastics plan their misdeeds and add to their “Burn Book”, they frequently gather at Regina’s house. And that is where Poehler shines, desperately trying to cling to her youth with her outfits (pink tracksuit – chef’s kiss!), offering up alcohol to teenagers, or delivering killer lines with deadpan seriousness (“What’s the hot gossip?” “What are the cool jams?” and her trademark – “I’m not a regular mom. I’m the cool mom.”) Poehler’s friend and frequent collaborator, Tina Fey (who also co-stars in Mean Girls) wrote the script for this one and delivered a fantastic role to her friend that she certainly capitalized on.
The “Uncool Mom” – Frances McDormand – Almost Famous
I’ve written many times about my love for this movie, but this is a new angle. Recognizing that every film needs some sort of conflict and therefore a protagonist and antagonist, the role of the latter falls to the great Frances McDormand. She plays Elaine Miller, the mother of our main character William (who is based on the film’s writer-director Cameron Crowe), the teenage wannabe writer who goes on the road with a local band to document the lives of traveling musicians. Almost Famous takes place in the 1970s, a time when parents were a lot less protective than they are now, but Elaine was still very wary about her son going on the road and experiencing God-knows-what. On the one hand, you can argue that the character is a bit of a wet blanket and doesn’t qualify as a “Best Mom,” but McDormand delivers yet another fantastic performance as a mother who simply loves her son and just wants him to be safe. William is allowed to go on the road with Stillwater, the fictional band, and deliver his story to Rolling Stone. But first, we need to take a slight detour. There is a deleted scene here from the film that takes place right before Elaine tells William he can go. He is trying to get her to understand his love of music by playing her one of his favorite songs, Stairway to Heaven, by Led Zeppelin. In its entirety. Ultimately Crowe felt the scene was too long to include (he’s right – the song is 8 minutes long for God’s sake), but it’s still pretty cool. Who among us can relate to trying to convince someone that a band or song is incredible? Oh, that’s just me? OK, moving on. Elaine keeps tabs on William through phone calls to his hotels (often resulting in hilarious exchanges with band members and groupies – sorry, “band-aids.”). And ultimately, he has the experience of a lifetime. While Elaine can be a bit of a downer, the reunion with her estranged daughter at the end of the film shows us she is truly a loving, caring mom, even if she doesn’t get rock ‘n roll.
Looking For Hope In A Cynical World – Renee Zellweger – Jerry Maguire
Maybe Cameron Crowe just knows how to write great moms into his movies. Jerry Maguire showcased yet another star performance from Tom Cruise and delivered an Oscar for Cuba Gooding, Jr. (speaking of the Oscars, check out this video I just saw with the behind the scenes direction during Gooding’s win – this director is an ANIMAL). But more importantly, this movie put future two-time Oscar winner Renee Zellweger on the map. From the opening portion of Jerry Maguire, where she laments air travel (“First class used to be a better seat. Now it’s a better life.”) to the panic / relief of losing, then finding her son Ray riding the luggage carousel and pleading with him to never scare her like that again, we quickly see that Dorothy Boyd just wants a good life and will do anything for her son. She is so inspired by Maguire’s memo (sorry, mission statement) about the future of sports agents that she joins him at his new firm after he is fired in disgrace (after committing to showing Gooding the money, in an all-time movie moment). While Dorothy truly believes in her new boss, even if he doesn’t always believe in himself, she demonstrates the hope that we all look for in life – that there is something better on the horizon – a better job, a better partner, a better life for her and her son. We see her fall hard for Maguire after their first date, and see her heart melt when we see the connection he has with her son. Through the ups and downs of their relationship, she never compromises who she is as a woman and as a mother, representing the best of the movie moms. And she gets bonus points from me for being an accountant.
OK, Hear Me Out – Ellen Burstyn – The Exorcist
I may spend the rest of my days convinced that this is the scariest movie of all-time. It’s not the bloodiest or the goriest, but it damn sure is the creepiest. Every time I rewatch The Exorcist, or read anything about the film (or even similar films about possession), I can’t imagine the horror that the possessed child is experiencing. I recently watched The Conjuring 2 (based on a true story in England) and had the exact same reaction. But I started thinking about another angle. Yes, the child is being tortured physically and mentally in an unimaginable way. But how about the mother? Can you imagine having to watch your child going through an experience like this and feeling the absolute peak of helplessness in not knowing what to do? And knowing that you can’t just run away from the problem? In The Exorcist, the mom is Chris MacNeil, played by Ellen Burstyn, who slowly watches her daughter succumb to the possession of something not of this world. From being thrown around the room by her possessed daughter, to screaming in desperation at the room full of doctors who can’t solve her daughter’s problem, to the pleading (behind sunglasses to hide the black eye her daughter gave her) to Father Karras, Burstyn delivers an incredible range of anger, terror, and sympathy to the role, allowing us to feel her every emotion. There’s going the extra mile for your children and then there is Chris MacNeil in The Exorcist.
Speaking Of Scary Kids – Toni Collette – The Sixth Sense
After more than 20 years since its release, most of the focus of The Sixth Sense has been on the incredible surprise ending, the wonderful performance of Haley Joel Osment, and the creepy jump-scares. But let’s not forget the performance of Toni Collette, who played Lynn, the mother to Osment’s Cole, the boy who has a unique…. talent? skill? curse? Yeah, let’s go with that. Lynn desperately tries to get through to her son and help him solve a problem that is clearly torturing him. She thinks it is just difficulty making friends, dealing with bullies at school, and acting out for attention. He can’t bring himself to admit to her what he is experiencing, instead choosing to talk with a child psychologist, played by Bruce Willis. When he is finally able to come out of his shell and admit what is happening, the scene is truly heartbreaking. While waiting for traffic to clear from a bicycle accident, he convinces her that he can communicate with dead people by sharing a story that Lynn’s dead mother told him. Collette plays the scene (and the whole movie, for that matter) in a wonderful combination of empathy and caring, demonstrating that a mother’s love is truly unconditional.
The Post-Apocalyptic Badass – Emily Blunt – A Quiet Place
Just in time for the sequel coming out later this month, let’s revisit this amazing performance of a mom who is put to the ultimate test. Living in a post-apocalyptic world overrun with monsters who are blind, but have hypersensitive hearing, Emily Blunt plays the mother of two children, who must protect her family from being killed if they make the slightest sound. The family, which includes John Krasinski (Blunt’s husband in real-life and the film’s director) have adapted to their world, but must manage through life’s little tasks that could create the smallest of sounds – like getting supplies from a local store, walking back to their house, or having a baby. Oh yeah, Blunt’s character is pregnant in the movie and let’s just say that the scene where she has to deliver the baby without making a sound because a monster is lurking in the house is one of the most terrifying scenes you will see on screen. This was a great movie, Blunt’s a badass, and I can’t wait for the sequel.
Let’s Lighten This Up A Bit – Rose Byrne – Neighbors
It’s hard to find a good comedy from the last several years that features a funny mom. I checked out 2016’s Bad Moms with Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell, in hopes that it could be a part of this blog post. I have to say, though, other than a very funny performance by Kathryn Hahn in a supporting role, I found it very bland, and not that good. Instead, we’re going to cover 2014’s Neighbors, the excellent comedy about a couple (played by Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) adjusting to life as new parents when their world is turned upside down by the college frat who moves in next door. Initially thinking that they can handle it because they’re still cool and can hang out and party, they quickly realize that they are too old for this shit. After a call to the police one night, the frat boys get pissed, and suddenly, things aren’t so “neighborly.” This movie features many funny moments throughout, capitalizing on a good combination of “getting old” jokes and the “slob humor” of frat parties. While the focus might be on Rogen and Zac Efron (who plays the head of the frat), the highlight to me is Rose Byrne, a very talented actress who has done everything from slapstick comedy (Bridesmaids, in addition to Neighbors) to legal drama television (Damages with Glenn Close). While I wouldn’t necessarily consider her a “good” mom, considering some of her behavior in Neighbors (the pump and dump scene is an all-timer), she is definitely one of the funnier moms we’ve seen on screen in recent years, particularly her awkwardness of trying to be cool (but not pulling it off) and her great chemistry with Rogen.
The Queen – Debbie Reynolds – Mother
It takes a special kind of director to convince a legendary actress to star in a movie after she had not played a major role in over twenty years. That director was Albert Brooks, one of the great comedic minds of the last forty years and who has written, directed, and acted in some wonderful films over the years. His supporting role in Broadcast News is probably my favorite. In 1996, Brooks convinced Debbie Reynolds to co-star in his film about a man who moves back in with his mother after entering a mid-life crisis following his divorce. His theory is that he can learn why his relationships with women always fail, and maybe he can reconnect with his mother in the process. Everyone around him, particularly his mother, are completely baffled as to what he is doing with his life, but he pushes forward. What ensues is a delightful comedy of a man searching for purpose in his life, and a mother who is just wondering what the heck is going on. Reynolds (always a favorite of mine, going back to Singin’ in the Rain) is a perfect combination of sweetness, with the little dagger of backhanded compliments, bringing a new definition to passive-aggressiveness. These are usually followed by an eyeroll or exasperated sigh from Brooks. Ultimately, the two learn to coexist under the same roof, learn something about themselves and each other, and the film ends in a nice, heartwarming way.
That’s all for this week. I hope you enjoyed a look at some of my favorite movie moms. If you have any other good ones that I missed, let me know in the comments. I’ll be back next week for a look at the work of one of my all-time favorite actors, the great Edward Norton. Thanks for reading and if you’d like to be notified of future posts, you can subscribe here.