My film recommendations to binge-watch this Mothers’ Day

Celebrating Mother’s Day? Today is the one day per year when mothers have a day for themselves. Usually and traditionally, they are the ones who give us love and care. It is either by preparing us food at home or providing money to buy food. Sometimes, both.

Mothers come in different shapes and forms, different roles and obligations. We have those that stay at home, those that work at the office, and we have fathers who also serve as one. Mothers are either biological or those who we treat as such. No matter what they mean to us, we have always loved them and will continue to love them forever. Even those who are no longer with us.

That’s why if you are with them right now, you can give them a hug or a kiss, especially during Mother’s Day! Just to show them and make them feel that they are loved and appreciated. Yes, this is usually said and suggested, but do you do it anyway?

Mother’s Day is dedicated to them, why don’t you let them relax?

Hence, I created this list of films that you can binge-watch this Mothers’ Day.

Pop a popcorn, eat a salad, create a sandwich, or munch on some chocolates. Let them enjoy Mother’s Day with you and feel these films.

1. Terms of Endearment (1983)

Synopsis: Widow Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) and her daughter, Emma (Debra Winger), have a strong bond, but Emma marries teacher Flap Horton (Jeff Daniels) against her mother’s wishes. When the marriage grows sour due to Flap’s cheating, Emma eventually splits from him, returning to her mother, who is involved with a former astronaut (Jack Nicholson). Soon, Emma learns that she has terminal cancer. In the hospital, supported by Aurora, she tries to make peace with Flap and her children.

We’ll open with one of the classics—Terms of Endearment. This movie is a tearjerker. It will not try to manipulate your feelings, but instead, let you dwell on them and make you realize a lot of things. Especially, during Mother’s Day! It is emotional and very compelling. The actors and the script are superb. Be sure to prepare a box of tissue, because you and your mom will probably need it.

2. Parent Trap (1998)

Synopsis: In this update of a 1961 film, twins Annie and Hallie (Lindsay Lohan) are strangers until happenstance unites them. The preteen girls’ divorced parents, Nick (Dennis Quaid) and Elizabeth (Natasha Richardson) are living on opposite sides of the Atlantic, each with one child. After meeting at camp, American Hallie and British-raised Annie engineer an identity swap, giving both the chance to spend time with the parent they’ve missed. If the scheme works, it might just make the family whole again.

Oh, boy! This film is a part of the core of my childhood. I own a VCD tape of this as a kid and it is still in my collection to this day. I enjoyed this so much that I can perfectly recite some of the lines. The persons who watch or rewatches this with me usually get irritated because of that.

Lindsay Lohan is a phenomenal actress since she was a child. Most of her earlier works are my favorites. I even refer to her as my most favorite actress when I was a kid and a teenager. This film is no exception. As an 11-year-old, she definitely gave depth to two of the main characters—twins Annie and Hallie. It is very fun, enjoyable, emotional, and happy. It will give you the best feelings and emotions, I attest to that.

If you haven’t watched this and want to be happy, please do so; and if you already did, probably when you were a kid as well, rewatch it with your mom to feel nostalgic.

3. Freaky Friday (2003)

Synopsis: An overworked mother (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her daughter (Lindsay Lohan) do not get along. When they switch bodies, each is forced to adapt to the other’s life for one freaky Friday.

This is another LiLo (Lindsay Lohan) and Walt Disney movie that I enjoyed as a child. I also have a VCD copy of this and still in my collection to this day. I have watched this a dozen times as well and I couldn’t get enough of it, just like The Parent Trap. It’s entertaining. The performance of Lindsay Lohan here is enjoyable, of course, and Jamie Lee Curtis as her mom is perfect. You’ll laugh and be touched by this comedy gold brought to you again by the House of Mouse.

4. Mamma Mia (2008)

Synopsis: Donna (Meryl Streep), an independent hotelier in the Greek islands, is preparing for her daughter’s wedding with the help of two old friends. Meanwhile, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), the spirited bride, has a plan. She secretly invites three men from her mother’s past in hope of meeting her real father and having him escort her down the aisle on her big day.

Perfect for Mother’s Day, this is another classic like Freaky Friday. It is beautifully made—it is fun and enjoyable. The cast is amazing. The best part of it is, if you are a musical geek like myself, are the songs. It has produced several of the best songs of its time, such as The Winner Takes It All, Dancing Queen, and of course, Mamma Mia. I’m pretty sure your mom knows a lot of these and will probably sing along.

5. Brave (2012)

Synopsis: Merida (Kelly Macdonald), the impetuous but courageous daughter of Scottish King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), is a skilled archer who wants to carve out her own path in life. Her defiance of an age-old tradition angers the Highland lords and leads to chaos in the kingdom. Merida seeks help from an eccentric witch (Julie Walters), who grants her an ill-fated wish. Now, Merida must discover the true meaning of courage and undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.

Another movie from the House of Mouse is this—Brave. Of course, what studio could produce more family-friendly films than Disney? Merida is part of the famous Disney Princess lineup. She’s also one of the few who still has both of her parents alive. That’s why this film is good. It tackled the difficult relationship she had with her mother. It is one of the films with the plot of wishing something then regretting it. It is action-packed and magical. I can say that it is quite emotional too.

6. Bad Moms (2016)

Synopsis: Amy (Mila Kunis) has a great husband, overachieving children, a beautiful home, and a successful career. Unfortunately, she’s also overworked, exhausted, and ready to snap. Fed up, she joins forces with two other stressed-out mothers (Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn) to get away from daily life and conventional responsibilities. As the gals go wild with their newfound freedom, they set themselves up for the ultimate showdown with PTA queen bee Gwendolyn and her clique of seemingly perfect moms.

Bad Moms is a movie for mothers that doesn’t take itself seriously. Well, it’s a comedy after all. It shows the side of the mothers who aren’t really considered the “perfect mom”. For me, this movie is a rare representation. I think its message is about giving moms a break from the stereotype that they should be selfless and very soft. This movie will show you that they can have fun too, make mistakes, and still be a good mom.

I’m pretty sure it will make you and your mom reminisce some good funny stuff that you have experienced or done together.

7. Mother! (2017)

Synopsis: A young woman spends her days renovating the Victorian mansion that she lives in with her husband in the countryside. When a stranger knocks on the door one night, he becomes an unexpected guest in their home. Later, his wife and two children also arrive to make themselves welcome. Terror soon strikes when the beleaguered wife tries to figure out why her husband is so seemingly friendly and accommodating to everyone but her.

Yes, Mother!—with the exclamation point. It is a choice of the director, Darren Aronofsky. This movie is not for everyone, I can say that. If you are looking for a film that is touching or fun, this isn’t the one for you. Personally, I enjoyed it. I like films that are bizarre and will provoke my thought process. I like ones that are an allegory of things, and this is definitely one.

Aronofsky is actually one of the directors that I admire so much. I like his vision. He is best known for the Academy Award-winning Black Swan (2010), which if you know, gives you an idea of how this movie will be. It will confuse you in many ways. I bet in some part of the movie, especially the climax and ending, it will make you say, “What the fuck am I watching?”

If you and your mom like intense stuff together; if you like to think, you should definitely watch this.

8. Wonder (2017)

Synopsis: Born with facial differences that, up until now, have prevented him from going to a mainstream school, Auggie Pullman becomes the most unlikely of heroes when he enters the local fifth grade. As his family, his new classmates, and the larger community all struggle to discover their compassion and acceptance, Auggie’s extraordinary journey will unite them and prove you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.

Now, if you’re looking for another film that will make you emotional, look no further than Wonder. It is very heartwarming. It will give you a different outlook on life. The movie will make you reflect on the world we live in. I can say that despite its premise, it is very enjoyable to watch. Yes, it is sad, but it is also comforting because of how good the dynamic of their family was. It is heartwarming. Julia Roberts as the mom and Jacob Tremblay as the kid gave phenomenal performances here. It will definitely touch your hearts.

9. Dumplin’ (2018)

Synopsis: The plus-size, teenage daughter of a former beauty queen signs up for her mom’s pageant as a protest that escalates when other contestants follow in her footsteps, revolutionizing the pageant and their small Texas town.

One word that I can use to describe this movie is “cute”. It is an adaptation of a novel of the same name. I like the premise of this because it showed the effect of being insecure about your own mother. It is not that much done in movies today. It is a typical Young-Adult film, so if you like that, you will definitely enjoy this.

The performance of Danielle McDonald here is good. She really projected the feeling of being insecure and emotional, really well. Of course, everyone’s favorite actress, Jennifer Aniston is also here who also gave a nice portrayal of her beauty queen mother. If you have a similar kind of feeling, you can watch this with your mother and open up to her; or even if you just want to have a good time.

10. Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

Synopsis: Rachel Chu is happy to accompany her longtime boyfriend, Nick, to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. She’s also surprised to learn that Nick’s family is extremely wealthy and he’s considered one of the country’s most eligible bachelors. Thrust into the spotlight, Rachel must now contend with jealous socialites, quirky relatives, and something far, far worse — Nick’s disapproving mother.

One of the best Romantic-Comedy that I have watched is Crazy Rich Asians. I like how they portrayed Asian culture. The representation is great and the actors are superb. Constance Wu gave a really strong performance as the lead. You will really believe how worried and intimidated she is about the whole setup, but also gave that strong independent woman vibes. And of course, Michelle Yeoh is also amazing, of course. She is very admirable because of her portrayal of Nick’s controlling mom.

Yes, it is a love story, but it also tackled family a lot as well. Like how the relationship of Rachel Chu and her mom is very loving and warm, but still very encouraging. On the other hand, Nick Young and his mom have that strong connection too, but it is very stiff and controlling. It showed the contrast of how Asian families are depicted (and usually is in real life) and the portrayal of Western families.

This movie is enjoyable and touching in so many ways. It probably will leave a smile on your face when you watch it.

11. Soul (2020)

Synopsis: Joe is a middle-school band teacher whose life hasn’t quite gone the way he expected. His true passion is jazz — and he’s good. But when he travels to another realm to help someone find their passion, he soon discovers what it means to have a soul.

Thus list that I made is chronological and arranged sequentially based on their release dates. However, it seems like the most recent movie was also the best. A good closing to this film recommendations.

Soul will go down as one of the best and impactful films  I have watched in my entire life. That is no exaggeration. I think this movie is perfect in so many ways and it seems like critics agree. It has highly positive reviews and it even had two Academy Awards—Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score. It is also dubbed as the “most ambitiously existential” film, because of its portrayal of the idea of living.

It will make you cherish and appreciate every second of your life here on Earth. I can even assure you that it will make you reflect on so many things—the decisions you made and the path you took. People who struggle with an existential crisis will definitely find comfort in this because I did.

It tackled one’s idea of dreams and aspirations perfectly but also gave meaning to it. As with one’s relationship with your mother, especially about feeling intense pressure from them to do good, it did a marvelous job.

This movie is a ten out of ten. I’m pretty sure this film is for everyone—from kids to grandparents.

That’s all of it. I hope you enjoyed and try most of the films here, even all. I wanna greet everyone a Happy Mothers’ Day! Especially to my Mom, Wheng Garcia, I love you so much! And my boo’s mom, Tita Nolita. You are amazing!

Enjoy and seize this day, everyone!