Rhemalogy

I’ve always been a sort of enthusiast when it comes to theme movies. Especially when the main character is a mother. Some of the movies we’ve watched make you think “How in the world did the writer come up with that?” Or “Wow, that’s just like what happened to me!” At any rate, I’ve gone through the archives and come up with what we consider to be the best Mother’s Day films we like to watch…Hope you enjoy it. Happy Mother’s Day to you!

1. The Guilt Trip – Before embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime road trip, Andy Brewster (Seth Rogen) pays a visit to his overbearing mother, Joyce (Barbra Streisand). That proves to be a big mistake; Andy caves in under pressure to take his mom along for the ride. Early on — as the miles roll by — Andy feels nothing but aggravation at her antics. Eventually, however, he comes to realize that they have more in common than he first thought and that Joyce’s wisdom might be just what he needs. 1hr 35 min|2012|PG-13. Dramedy. Can be seen from $2.99 on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play Movies, and Vudu.

2. Because I Said So – is a 2007 American romantic comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann and starring Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham, Piper Perabo, Gabriel Macht, Tom Everett Scott, and Stephen Collins. Daphne Wilder (Diane Keaton) is the proud mother of three women: Milly (Mandy Moore), Maggie (Lauren Graham), and Mae (Piper Perabo), and her love for her offspring knows no bounds. Because her youngest, always chooses the wrong man, she decides to take action to prevent Milly from repeating the mistakes of the past. Dating disaster ensues when Daphne tries to achieve her goal by placing an online personal ad for Milly. Although this film did not receive the greatest welcome at the box office, you will find it displaying the love of an overprotective mom, just desiring the best for the girls she loves. 1hr 42 min|2007|PG-13. (Parents strongly cautioned). It has sexual references and situations. Romantic Comedy. Can be seen from $3.99 on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play Movies, and Vudu.

3. Monster-In-Law – Charlotte (Jennifer Lopez) is smitten when she meets Dr. Kevin Fields. So when Kevin (Michael Vartan) pops the question after they start dating, Charlotte happily accepts. But she soon realizes that Kevin’s mom, Viola (Jane Fonda), is not quite thrilled to have a new family member. Viola, a newscaster, has just lost her job to someone younger, leading her to have a meltdown and attack a guest on-air. Loathing Charlie immediately, Viola becomes more distraught when Kevin proposes to her, fearing she will lose her son just as she lost her career, she regards Charlotte as her new competition. Viola moves in with her son and Charlie—making life very difficult for Charlie, who soon catches onto Viola’s plan and retaliates by destroying her bedroom and tampering with her anti-psychotic medication (which Viola had replaced with vitamin C tablets). Charlie eventually confronts her, forcing her to move out. Finding no way to stop the wedding, Viola tricks Charlie into eating nuts during the rehearsal dinner, causing an extreme allergic reaction, resulting in Charlie’s face swelling up. Luckily, it subsides by morning. 1hr 41min|2005|PG-13. Romantic Comedy. Can be seen on HBO Showtime and Netflix.

4. Bad Moms – Amy Mitchell (Mila Kunis) is a married woman living in the Chicago suburbs with two children, Jane (Oona Laurence) and Dylan (Emjay Anthony), who feels overworked and overcommitted. She works as a sales rep for a “hip” coffee company, prepares healthful, hand-packed lunches for her children, does most of their homework, goes to all of their extracurricular activities, and is active in her school’s PTA, run by the domineering Gwendolyn James (Christina Applegate) and her cronies, Stacy (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Vicky (Annie Mumolo). When she catches her husband Mike (David Walton) cheating on her with a camgirl, Amy kicks him out and attempts to keep everything together. 1hr 40min|2016|R. (Parents strongly cautioned. It has sexual references and situations.) Comedy. Can be seen from $3.99 on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play Movies, and Vudu. Sling and Hulu with a Premium Subscription.

5. Steel Magnolias  – This is a classic that is loved by many. The story is based on Robert Harling‘s real-life experience of the death of his sister, Susan Harling Robinson, in 1985 of complications from Type 1 diabetes. He changed his sister’s name in the story from Susan to Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie. The title suggests the main female characters can be both as delicate as the magnolia flower, and as tough as steel. M’Lynn (Sally Field) is the mother of bride-to-be Shelby Eatenton (Julia Roberts), and as friend Truvy Jones (Dolly Parton) fixes the women’s hair for the ceremony, they welcome a helping hand from aspiring beautician Annelle Dupuy Desoto (Daryl Hannah). Diabetic Shelby has a health scare, which is averted but doesn’t bode well for her hopes of having children. Time passes, and the women and their friends encounter tragedy and good fortune, growing stronger and closer in the process. 1989|1hr 57min|PG. Drama/Comedy. Can be seen from $3.99 on iTunes, Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play Movies, and from $2.99 on Vudu. Also on Sling, Amazon Prime Video, Starz, and Philo with a Premium Subscription.

6. The Blind Side – Based on a true story, Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), a homeless black teen, has drifted in and out of the school system for years. Then Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) and her husband, Sean (Tim McGraw), take him in. The Tuohys eventually become Michael’s legal guardians, transforming both his life and theirs. Michael’s tremendous size and protective instincts make him a formidable force on the gridiron, and with help from his new family and devoted tutor, he realizes his potential as a student and football player. This is one of Bullock’s best films. As Leigh Ann Tuohy, you see her dedication and love for Michael that is genuine and convincing. Who would go to a public housing facility and threaten the boys about their son? 2009|2hrs 9min|PG 13. Can be seen from $3.99 on iTunes, YouTube, Google Play Movies, and Vudu. Also on HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video with a Subscription.

7. Cruella – A 2021 American crime comedy film based on the character Cruella de Vil from Dodie Smith‘s 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians. Emma Stone stars as the title character, with Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Emily Beecham, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Mark Strong in supporting roles. Set in London during the punk rock movement of the 1970s, the film revolves around Estella Miller (Emma Stone), an aspiring fashion designer, as she explores the path that will lead her to become a notorious up-and-coming fashion designer known as Cruella de Vil. Estella is a young and clever grifter who’s determined to make a name for herself in the fashion world. She soon meets a pair of thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they build a life for themselves on the streets of London. However, when Estella befriends fashion legend, Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson), she embraces her wicked side to become the raucous and revenge-bent Cruella. What will become of Estella? 2021|2hr 14min|PG-13. Can be seen on Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video for $4 or buy it for $20.

8. Freaky Friday – Anna Coleman is an aspiring teenage musician who lives with her widowed therapist mother, Tess, and younger brother, Harry (Ryan Malgarini). Tess is about to marry her fiancé, Ryan (Mark Harmon), whom Anna has not entirely accepted due to her own father’s death three years earlier.- Single mother Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her teenage daughter Anna (Lindsay Lohan) couldn’t be more different, and it is driving them both insane. After receiving cryptic fortunes at a Chinese restaurant, the two wake up the next day to discover that they have somehow switched bodies. Unable to switch back, they are forced to masquerade as one another until a solution can be found. 2003|1hr 37min|PG. Comedy/Family/Fantasy. Can be seen from $3.99 on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play Movies, and $2.99 on iTunes,

9. Mrs. Doubtfire – No list would be complete without Robin Williams posing as the incomparable Mrs. Doubtfire, his children’s nanny. Troubled that he has little access to his children, divorced Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) hatches an elaborate plan. With help from his creative brother Frank (Harvey Fierstein), he dresses as an older British woman and convinces his ex-wife, Miranda (Sally Field), to hire him as a nanny. “Mrs. Doubtfire” wins over the children and helps Daniel become a better parent — but when both Daniel and his nanny persona must meet different parties at the same restaurant, his secrets may be exposed. 1993|2hrs 4min|PG-13. Comedy/Drama/Family. Can be seen from $3.99 on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play Movies, and Vudu. Sling, Freeform, and Hulu with a Premium Subscription.

10. Mother – Successful science fiction writer John Henderson (Albert Brooks) is finalizing his second divorce. Perplexed by his issues with women, realizing that none of them supported or encouraged him, John decides to initiate an experiment that will help him understand what went wrong in his relationships: he moves back in with his widowed mother Beatrice (Debbie Reynolds), occupying the same bedroom he had as a child. His sports agent brother Jeff (Rob Morrow) thinks John is oversensitive to their mother’s criticisms, while John believes that their mother favors Jeff. 1996|1hr 44 min|PG-13. Comedy/Drama/Family. Can be seen on The Roku Channel, SHOWTIME, Spectrum TV, Showtime Anytime, Prime Video, VUDU, Vudu Movie & TV Store, Redbox. or Apple TV on your Roku device.

We hope you enjoy something on this list and have a Happy Mothers Day! Until next week…Blessings and Peace.