Mother’s Day is upon us once more, what do you have planned? Flowers? Breakfast in bed, maybe brunch? Why not add a movie date onto that list?
Because really, there are some truly excellent films to watch on this particular holiday. The bond between a mother and her kid(s) is unique and powerful, and has been brought to life in countless beautiful ways over the years. That said, some movies are definitely better than others. So allow us to offer some recommendations.
You’ll find the 11 best movies to watch for Mother’s Day below.
Mother’s Day
Let’s just get the obvious out of the way, because any Mother’s Day movie list that doesn’t include a film literally called “Mother’s Day” isn’t doing its job.
This movie was widely panned upon its release, which is especially a bummer considering it was the last film of director Garry Marshall’s career. Admittedly, it’s not exactly cinema, or even quite close to it. It’s one of those movies that crammed a bunch of actors you know, and your mom probably knows (though you may have to help out every now and again) and makes a bunch of seemingly unconnected storylines connect.
It’s mostly just … fine, and on brand for the holiday.
You can stream “Mother’s Day” right now on Netflix, Paramount+, YouTube and Tubi.
Freaky Friday
If you don’t get chills when Jamie Lee Curtis plays a guitar solo to help bail out her character who is actually in Lindsay Lohan’s body at that point, I’m not sure you can be trusted.
“Freaky Friday” is all about a mother and daughter learning to see through the other’s eyes by literally switching lives and bodies for a day. Not only is the story heartfelt, but it’s also perfectly cast. Curtis is clearly having the time of her life pretending to be a teenager, and actually-teenaged-Lohan keeps right up with her pretending to be an adult.
It’s silly, it’s sweet, it’s perhaps the perfect Mother’s Day movie, whether you’re best friends with your mom or maybe need a little of her perspective.
You can stream “Freaky Friday” now on Disney+.
The Family Stone
So, this one comes with a few caveats, chief among them being that you have to be willing to watch a Christmas movie outside of Christmastime. You also have to be fully aware of how sad this movie ends up being, specifically because of the mother. But!
If you can push all that aside, “The Family Stone” could be a great Mother’s Day watch. As is, it’s the perfect reminder of how important a good matriarch is to a family, and of course that matriarch is played by the brilliant, forever-missed Diane Keaton. Throughout the film she is fierce, protective, funny — all the things she’s great at.
“The Family Stone” is all about how the Stone family comes together for Christmas, only to learn that Sybil (Keaton) has cancer. Unfortunately, it’s advanced, and it becomes clear that this will be her last Christmas. One of the best scenes in the film comes when the family is gifted a photo of their mother pregnant with Amy (Rachel McAdams), and fully come to terms with the reality of it all.
Admittedly, this would be a brave choice of film for Mother’s Day, but it could work. You can stream “The Family Stone” now on Prime Video.
Because I Said So
Now, if you want Diane Keaton as an on-screen mom who doesn’t die, “Because I Said So” might be the better move. Here, she’s more of an overbearing mom character, to the point that it does get frustrating at times, but the movie is still legitimately sweet.
The story centers mostly on Milly Wilder (Mandy Moore), the last single woman in her immediate family. Her mother Daphne (Keaton) puts out a personal ad trying to find a husband for her daughter, but doesn’t actually tell her about it, and instead lets her think that she met the man organically. Keaton is excellent as always, even if her character is … not so excellent.
This movie is maybe not ideal if you have this kind of mother, but if you unknowingly are this kind of mother, it could be an eye-opening experience. Either way, you’ll have fun.
You can stream “Because I Said So” on Prime Video.
Bad Moms
Being a mom is hard. Plain and simple, it’s just hard. But that’s okay, and “Bad Moms” wants you to know that.
Starring Kathryn Hahn, Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell — and the chemistry between this trio is electric — it tells the story of three moms who become unlikely friends when Kunis’ character decides to just stop trying to do it all. She resigns herself to being a “bad mom,” which in actuality, is just a mom who doesn’t handle every little thing for her kids.
Instead, she chooses to cultivate her friendships, take time off work, and do more for herself. It’s what all moms deserve, and there are some truly excellent laughs along the way.
“Bad Moms” is currently streaming on Hulu.
Instant Family
Not all moms become moms by giving birth, and they deserve just as much recognition. Without many of the foster moms of the world, children would be undoubtedly worse off.
“Instant Family” tells the story of Pete and Ellie, who are determined to become parents. They decide to foster, taking in a teenage girl and her two younger siblings. Naturally, chaos ensues, and the couple wonders if they can even do it. Things get extra tricky when the kids’ birth mom comes back into the picture. But, they persevere
In the end though, things turn out as they should, and the movie employs a near-perfect use of “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.” Rose Byrne is firing on all cylinders in this, and it’s not hard to imagine her later becoming an Oscar nominee. It’s worth watching this Mother’s Day.
You can stream “Instant Family” now on Paramount+.
Everything Everywhere All At Once
This one is inarguably the most complicated movie on the list, so if your mom is the type to ask a million questions before waiting for something to actually play out onscreen, maybe don’t make “Everything Everywhere All at Once” your first choice.
On the other hand, if your mom loves truly great cinema, multiversal stories and just a bit of silliness, absolutely watch this one this weekend. Because really, it all boils down to the bond of a mother and daughter, complicated though it may be. There’s a reason Michelle Yeoh won an Oscar for this film and Stephanie Hsu was nominated. It’s really, really good.
Unfortunately, it’s bit hard to explain, but the simplest version is that it’s about a woman who discovers while being audited by the IRS that she has to connect with parallel universe versions of herself to stop a mysterious, powerful being from destroying the multiverse. Funnily enough, Jamie Lee Curtis is in this recommendation too, but in a very different role.
You can stream it now on HBO Max.
Mamma Mia!
For the sake of not recommending two movies for Mother’s Day where the mother actually dies, we’re going to stick strictly to the first “Mamma Mia!” here. Unless your mom isn’t a fan of musicals, in which case, pick literally any other movie on this list.
But assuming she does like breaking into song, it’s got to be “Mamma Mia!” While the actors who made this movie cringe a little every time they see clips of this film, they also talk regularly about how fun it was to make, and you can see that proven onscreen.
The mother/daughter dynamic between Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried is top tier, and who wouldn’t want to be stuck in a paternity quadrangle with Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgård?
You can stream “Mamma Mia!” now on Prime Video.
Brave
In so many Disney and Pixar films, the parents are the first characters to go. But don’t worry, both mom and dad are alive and well in “Brave.” Well, maybe not “well,” considering mom briefly turns into a bear, but it’s fine.
Like “Freak Friday,” this movie is about a mother and a daughter who struggle to see eye to eye. Merida has no interest in getting married for the sake of her kingdom. Instead, she wants to just run things herself, like the strong, independent warrior she is. To avoid being forced by her mother to marry, she accidentally turns the woman into a bear, with the help of a witch’s spell.
To change her back, Merida and her mother must mend the rift between them (both literally and figuratively, but that’s a slight spoiler, sorry). As an added bonus, it takes place in the Scottish Highlands, which might inspire a family trip.
You can stream “Brave” now on. Disney+
The Princess Diaries
Just as important as the moms of the world are the grandmas of the world, and “The Princess Diaries” has great examples of both (even if the grandmother gets more screentime in this case).
One of the movies that put Anne Hathaway on Hollywood’s map, “The Princess Diaries” adapts Meg Cabot’s book of the same name, and tells the story of Mia Thermopolis (Hathaway), who discovers that she’s actually a princess — one who’s next in line for the throne, in fact. Reasonably, she freaks out at this.
Her mother, though admittedly at fault for never telling Mia that her father was a prince, immediately supports her, making it clear that she doesn’t have to become a princess if she doesn’t want to. So, to decide, Mia takes princess lessons from her Queen Grandmother, Julie Andrews (an impressive get, considering she was semi-retired from acting at the time). The irony is, Andrews became a real-life Dame just a year earlier.
“The Princess Diaries” is a multigenerational story. Don’t skip it this mother’s day.
You can stream “The Princess Diaries” now on Disney+.
Corrina, Corrina
The “found family” trope is one of my favorites, so yes, I’m going to suggest “Corrina, Corrina” too. Families come together in all kinds of ways.
In this case, it happens when Corrina (Whoopi Goldberg) takes a job nannying a little girl who’s effectively gone mute since her mother died. Her father, played by Ray Liotta, is a jingle writer, and needs to get back to work to continue supporting his family. Slowly but surely, Corrina pulls the little girl out of her shell, developing an adorable friendship with her.
Yes, you can see the romance storyline coming from a mile away, and looking at this objectively, “Corrina, Corrina” doesn’t handle the interracial relationship aspect of the film as well and as deeply as it could (it’s important to note the story takes place in the 1950s, where this element absolutely matters).
But all in all, it’s a sweet little film. “Corrina, Corrina” is now streaming on Tubi.
