best movies mother's day - joy luck club
Cover Bond with your mum on her special day by watching one of these entertaining movies (Photo: "Joy Luck Club")

We’ve rounded up a variety of movies with memorable mothers, whether you’re in the mood for a tear jerker, a thriller or a comedy skewering societal expectations

Mother’s Day is May 8, 2022, which is just around the corner. While a thoughtful gift is always appreciated, we say that quality family time is the ultimate treat (that means no squabbling). You could bond over trying a new activity together; pamper yourselves with a staycation; or spend a leisurely afternoon curled up on the couch for a movie marathon. 

For those keeping it cosy at home, here are our picks for the best movies to watch with your mom—or in her honour—for Mother’s Day 2022, including coming-of-age tales and lighthearted flicks that family members of all ages can enjoy.

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1. Lady Bird

Directed by Greta Gerwig and set in her native Sacramento, California, Lady Bird follows a high school senior (Saoirse Ronan) as she navigates a turbulent but loving relationship with her mum (Laurie Metcalf), who works tirelessly as a nurse to maintain the family’s livelihood after her husband loses his job. Documenting the highs and lows of growing up, this movie may make you reflect on your own adolescence and relationships.   

Watch on Netflix

2. The Joy Luck Club

Based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Amy Tan, Joy Luck Club is a thought-provoking exploration of mother-daughter relationships centred around two generations of women from polarised cultural backgrounds.

Offering a candid portrayal of the conflicts between four Chinese immigrant mothers and their U.S.-born daughters, the movie is full of tender moments that illustrate how important and emotionally rewarding family relationships can be. 

Watch on Disney+

3. Room

In this suspenseful movie based on the novel of the same name by Emma Donoghue, Brie Larson plays a selfless mother who dedicates herself to taking good care of her son in a confined space, where the two have been kidnapped and imprisoned for years. Everything changes when she devises a plan to escape in the hope of returning back to everyday life.

It’s a beautiful, emotional exploration of the intimate bond between parents and children. 

Watch on Netflix

4. Freaky Friday (2003)

Let your mum decompress with this heartwarming fantasy-comedy. Freaky Friday follows single mother Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her teenage daughter Anna (Lindsay Lohan) as they swap bodies—and lives—after cracking open magical fortune cookies. The two then develop a new respect for each other, strengthening their relationship in the process.  

Watch on Disney+

5. Tully

Tully is a comedy-drama that tackles some of the challenging realities of motherhood through the story of Marlo, who has wrestled with postpartum depression. After giving birth to an unplanned third child, Marlo finds herself isolated and worried as her husband remains clueless about the unrealistic expectations of motherhood he puts on her. She hires a night nanny called Tully to look after the newborn and the two women form a close bond. 

Don't miss: Destigmatising Postpartum Depression: Women Share Their Stories and Advice

6. Dumplin'

A light-hearted comedy based on Julie Murphy’s teen novel, Dumplin’ follows Willowdean, a plus-size teenage girl as she signs up for a pageant competition to protest against her ex-beauty queen mum. As well as offering important lessons on self-love, body positivity and resilience, the movie will also delight viewers with some toe-tapping tunes along the way.

Don't miss: 5 Asian Women on Beauty, Wellbeing and Loving the Skin You're In

7. The Kids Are All Right

In The Kids Are All Right, lesbian couple Nic and Jules are raising two children conceived through artificial insemination. The kids have grown curious about their heritage and end up connecting with Paul, the anonymous sperm donor who fathered them. Along the way, there are bittersweet coming-of-age moments, as well as some meaningful lessons on sexuality and gender roles in the family.  

8. Minari

Set in the early 1980s, Lee Isaac Chung’s semi-autobiographical feature, Minari, revolves around a Korean American family relocating to an Arkansas farm in pursuit of the American dream. The family navigate their new life as they struggle to earn and live, and question what makes a place a true home along the way.

The realistic portrayal of family relationships is accompanied by notions of womanhood and marriage and was nominated for six Academy Awards in 2021, with Youn Yuh-jung winning the Best Supporting Actress award for her portrayal of the grandmother. 

9. Brave

In this beloved Disney movie, Princess Merida, the courageous daughter of Scottish King Fergus and Queen Elinor, wants to escape parental expectations and live out her life. Refusing to obey customs and accept an arranged marriage, Merida gets help from a mysterious witch who accidentally turns her mother into a bear. Will she be able to undo the curse? Watch to find out. 

Don't miss: From Cinderella to Encanto: Have Children's Films Evolved to Empower the Youth?

Watch on Disney+

10. Bad Moms

Following the lives of three mothers who are living a seemingly perfect life with a great marriage, talented kids and a career, Bad Moms tells the stories of the over-stressed women as they set out on a quest to free themselves from conventional responsibilities for some overdue self-indulgence.

Taking a hilarious look at stereotypes of motherhood, this movie has got plenty of comedic moments to keep the whole family entertained. 

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