“I’m A Film Writer And These Are My Favourite Films About Mothers”

Motherhood and parenting are a great source of drama (and comedy), so given it’s Mother’s Day this weekend, we’ve put together a list of some of the best films about mums. Whether you watch them with your mum, an influential woman in your life, or solo dolo, is up to you.

Lady Bird

Greta Gerwig’s acclaimed debut directing effort, Ladybird, stars Saoirse Ronan in an Oscar-nominated turn as the titular Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson. Lady Bird is a high-school senior growing up in Sacramento in the early 2000s who dreams of escaping her hometown and attending college on the East Coast. But, she has a difficult relationship with her strong-willed mother, Marion (played by Laurie Metcalf) and the two clash endlessly. Marion deploys tough love and constant criticism, which she believes is beneficial to her daughter, but often drives them further apart.

As Lady Bird navigates friendships, first romances and the looming reality of adulthood, the tension between the pair grows, even though it’s clear they care deeply about one another. Two other standout early roles are Timothée Chalamet and Lucas Hedges, who play different love interests of Lady Bird. It’s a classic coming-of-age story, but it also highlights poignantly how mother-daughter relationships can be hard.

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If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

One of the most talked-about films of 2025, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is a darkly comic dramaedy about a mother pushed to the brink by the chaos of everyday life. Rose Byrne stars in a career-best performance as Linda, a therapist trying to keep everything together while juggling a demanding job, a crumbling home and the constant pressures of caring for her young daughter, who has an undefined problem with eating. The therapist has her own therapist, played in a rare serious role by a comedian (and this year’s Oscar host), Conan O’Brien.

Things begin to spiral when a huge hole suddenly opens in the ceiling of Linda’s apartment and floods, forcing her into temporary accommodation while repairs are made. It’s a more surreal film than some on this list, but Byrne’s performance (which is up for an Oscar) captures the frantic exhaustion of a parent who’s trying desperately to stay composed while everything falls apart.

Watch on MUBI

The Lost Daughter

Oscar-nominated The Lost Daughter was one of the best films from 2021, and stars Olivia Colman as Leda, an English teacher who takes herself on holiday to one of the Greek islands (it was filmed in Spetses). She longs to sit on the beach, watching the sea and immersing herself in books and note-taking, which she promptly does. But her peaceful time in the sun is disrupted when a large family arrives and turns the shoreline into a noisy nightmare.

Things go awry when Nina’s (Dakota Johnson) daughter suddenly disappears, and the family group flies into a panic, and Leda helps search for the child. Internally, however, she is experiencing an unsettling sense of déjà vu, as flashbacks reveal her younger self (played here by Jessie Buckley) struggling with motherhood years earlier. The psychological drama is the directorial debut of The Dark Knight star Maggie Gyllenhaal, whose film The Bride!, also starring Buckley, is now in cinemas.

The psychological drama is the directorial debut of The Dark Knight star Maggie Gyllenhaal, whose film The Bride!, also starring Buckley, is now in cinemas.

Watch on Netflix

The Farewell

The Farewell became a critical darling when it was released in 2019, due to its well-written exploration of family and cultural tradition, but it somewhat flew under the radar. Crazy Rich Asians star Awkwafina plays Billi, a Chinese American writer living in New York who learns that her beloved grandmother Nai Nai has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

However, rather than telling Nai Nai the truth, the family instead decides to follow a cultural custom and keep the diagnosis from her. Instead, they stage a fake wedding as an excuse for everyone to travel to China and say their goodbyes. But Billi is unhappy with the deception and wrestles with having to keep her grandmother’s illness hidden from her, taking solace in rediscovering her family roots. Based loosely on director Lulu Wang’s actual experiences, The Farewell’s strength is in its portrayal of mothers and grandmothers as well as ageing.

Watch on Amazon Prime

Postcards From The Edge

Carrie Fisher might be most famous for playing Princess Leia, but her humorous writings are part of what made her a beloved figure. Based on her semi-autobiographical 1987 novel, Postcards from the Edge is a drama that mixes Fisher’s signature biting humour with a heartfelt mother-daughter story. Meryl Streep stars in the central role of Suzanne Vale, a troubled actress who is trying to rebuild her career after a stint in rehab for drug addiction.

At the insistence of her mother and as part of her recovery, Suzanne is forced to move back in with her flamboyant and larger-than-life mother, Doris, who’s played by Shirley MacLaine. Doris is a former movie star who still wishes she could be in the spotlight, and these big personalities quickly begin clashing over everything from Suzanne’s career choices to her personal life. Directed by Mike Nichols, the film offers sharp commentary on fame and family dynamics, with Streep and MacLaine delivering memorable performances that take inspiration from Fisher’s own relationship with her film star mother, Debbie Reynolds.

Watch on Apple TV

Terms of Endearment

A big Oscar winner and a well-known tear-jerker, Terms of Endearment remains a popular mother-daughter drama and has been widely imitated. Shirley MacLaine again appears here playing Aurora Greenway, an overprotective and strong-willed mother whose relationship with her daughter Emma (Debra Winger) evolves across decades. The plot focus is generally on Emma herself, including her husband, Flap Horton, played by a young Jeff Daniels.

The story follows Emma as she grows up, marries and raises a family of her own, while Aurora navigates her own romantic life, most notably including a memorable relationship with retired astronaut Garrett, played by Jack Nicholson (which saw him win his second Oscar). As the years pass, the pair experience both joy and heartbreak, culminating in a very emotional final act- some might criticise the ending as a bit too much of a melodrama, but it’s never dull. Blending humour with matter-of-fact drama about life, the film is one to watch if you want a cry.

Blending humour with matter-of-fact drama about life, the film is one to watch if you want a cry.

Watch on Amazon Prime