GoodTrash Media

Mother’s Day is near! And as you prepare to line the pockets of Hallmark with more green, we at GoodTrash wanted to take a look at some of the best movies to watch with Mom on this Mother’s Day.

A Mother’s Day Movie Marathon

Now, much like with Father’s Day, we know that there are those who may not have had a mom in the picture. But, there may have been a stepmom, and older sister, an aunt or cousin, grandma, teacher, neighbor, or other figure that may have held that role for you. And remember, that on Mother’s Day, you can reach out to those individuals as well and let them know how you feel and that you appreciated their impact. In fact, you could even sit down with them and watch a movie and spend quality time with them in that way.

In this list, I’m highlighting five movies to watch with Mom. These choices have been influenced mostly by the watching habits I gained from my own mom. She claims her favorite movie is Blade Runner, but she love’s the classics with Hepburn and Tracy. We once ordered Hannibal on Pay-Per-View, so we could keep up with the further adventures of that wacky cannibal. So, that will probably give you some idea that these Mother’s Day picks are nontraditional. But, this is my list and, as always, I do what I want.

Four Brothers

My story is a bit different, I never knew my birth mom. My dad brought me to Oklahoma as a toddler, and then he met my adopted mom. They married, she filed the paperwork and it was official. Four Brothers tells the story of four siblings-by-adoption, led by Mark Wahlberg, who must avenge the mysterious death of their adoptive mother. It’s been a long time since I’ve actually seen Four Brothers. But, I remember enjoying the story—I’m a sucker for crime films of most varieties. Plus, I like Wahlberg, a lot. So, it was one of the first to come to mind when I thought about putting this list together. It is a story about family, about putting aside differences, and coming together—to get sweet revenge.

The Addams Family

I feel like the Addams Family jingle is one of the first things I memorized. That probably sums up a lot about my interests, and the impact of my mom’s own pop culture love on me. I also feel like, at least in regards to my mom, the Addams family is a bit of a reflection of my own family. I remember getting a knife when I was very young as a gift, I developed a morbid curiosity for horror, folklore and true crime, and my Mom allowed me to make decisions for myself. Bizarre as they are, Morticia and Gomez did a lot of things right as parents. Plus, both movies are actually a lot of fun.

Casablanca

My mother introduced me to a laundry list of films and genres. One of my earliest film memories is watching Silence of the Lambs, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Godfather. She allowed me to sample a plethora of different styles and stories. Her own journey with pop culture was important to her development. And it is in that influence that she showed me as many of the important films that she could, though I don’t always remember them well (looking at you 2001).

Casablanca is one of those films. It is one of the greatest American films of all time. It is a perfect storm of a movie, and it should never have worked the way it does. But, it does. As a Mother’s Day movie it works, because you have Bogie, who is equal parts sexy and tragic. You have Ingrid Bergman, you have Rick’s Café American, and you have a movie with so much depth and value that it still resonates to this day. Rising up and making a decision in the face of fascism is vital, and Rick does what he does for the greater good. It’s about sacrifice and love and doing what’s right. It’s perfect.

T2: Judgment Day

I saw T2 not long after it came out on VHS. My dad was an Arnie fan, my mom is a sci-fi fan, so it happened. I loved T2, I had the toys, I played the video game, and I enjoyed every moment of the movie. It is still viscerally in my brain. When we revisited it for GTGC, I was reminded of how good it is, but even before that so many moments in that film are branded in my mind. It’s a great movie, with a great cast. Linda Hamilton is fantastic as the tough-as-nails Sarah Connor. And the relationship between her and her son is fascinating to watch play out as there is a lot of emotional and mental factors at play. James Cameron crafts an intriguing story into arguably the best action film of the 90s.

Psycho

It makes sense for a lot of reasons. Obviously, the narrative of the film focuses on mothers, for better and for worse. But my mom introduced me to Hitch at an early age, and played me the hits. The Birds, Vertigo, Rear Window, but none had a greater impact on my interest in film more than Psycho. There is that emotional connection to my mom, much in the same way that I have an emotional connection to my dad when I watch The Fugitive. Additionally, Psycho is a masterpiece that gets better with every re-watch. For me, it is a near perfect movie. I also think it is a perfect movie for Mother’s Day, at least, in my house.

And remember, a boy’s best friend is his mother.