Framing Motherhood in Cinema | A Live Discussion with Galerie
- Film Probe
- May 8
- 6 min read
Hi, I’m Lydia and I am the creator behind Film Probe! Film Probe is a place for me to share my love of cinema, from reviews, curated film lists and in depth analysis. I live to share my passion for cinema and I thrive when diving deep into themes and character.
I created Film Probe in 2017 when I was experiencing a lot of change in my life, I wanted something as an outlet for my creativity and eventually I started to grow a community of film lovers just like me. Now, Film Probe is expanding every day and I hope to continue watching films, writing reviews and meeting more amazing people in the film & television industry.
When the theme of ‘Motherhood’ was mentioned to me, my brain couldn’t stop thinking of mothers within cinema. I had so many examples, too many really! For this list I wanted to showcase a variety of mothers in all forms and genres. This list includes mothers from horror, coming of age, drama, documentary and crime - each mother on this list is hit with life changing obstacles and endless heartache. I wanted to explore how mothers act under extreme and mundane circumstances. I tried to showcase a spectrum of mothers and their personal experience with motherhood in this selection.
1. The Florida Project
Released in 2017
Genre is Drama, Indie
Directed by Sean Baker
Played by Bria Vinaite. Halley is a young, 20-something single mother - resilient, hard working, feisty and protective over her daughter Moonee who is six years old. The pair live in a motel near Disneyland and spend their summers conning tourists as Halley struggles to provide and pay rent.
The film explores the struggles and resilience of their lives in a harsh environment, living on the edge of society Halley is one of the strongest mothers on this list. She fights, literally and metaphorically for her daughter’s happiness every day.
Halley, is a central character within Sean Baker’s indie feature. Halley is a hard working, out of luck mother who finds herself in difficult situations time and time again. Motivated by her daughter, Halley continues to make rash and unorthodox decisions to try and better their lives. Sadly, Halley makes one too many wrong decisions when it comes to her daughter and we watch her downwards spiral, unable to control the world crashing down on her life and motherhood.
2. Boyhood
Released in 2014
Genre is Coming of Age, Drama
Directed by Richard Linklater
Played by Patricia Arquette. Olivia is an intelligent mother who strives to put herself through school and provide for her children, she is a playful mother who devotes her whole life to giving her children a better one. After MJ's parents' divorce, they primarily live with their mother, Olivia. The film follows their lives and growth over a period of twelve years - Olivia is determined to give her children the best chance in life.
Olivia is a mother who never stops fighting for her children and working tirelessly to better herself to give them a better future. Olivia battles through being a single mother, juggling school, moving to Texas, an abusive new husband, divorce, financial burdens and eventually her children leaving the nest. Boyhood is a pure hearted depiction of motherhood and all of its struggles, motherhood is a life long commitment, it can be hard, it can be beautiful but the reminder within Boyhood is that once your job is over, what do you do then?
On the one hand, motherhood is never over, your children are your children forever and will always need you in one way or another but also, your role is to guide them into becoming adults. Adults who can take care of themselves, Boyhood shows this timeline beautifully.
3. Hereditary
Released in 2018, Hereditary is a horror, mystery directed by Ari Aster. The film follows a family who are somewhat estranged, they are distant from one another but grief accidentally brings them together. After her mother passes away, Annie and the rest of the family are grief-stricken. Soon, strange things start occurring and the horrifying truth about Annie's ancestry begins to come to light, taking over the family one by one.
Played by Toni Collette, Annie is a confused mother, she is filled with grief, disbelief, deep sadness and resentment. She cannot move on from the passing of her mother, instead she looks to her past for answers. Annie is thrown into situations that every mother dreads, loosing a child.
Annie could very well be the most complicated mother on this list, although horror is often a dramatised unrealistic version of life. Aster’s Hereditary dives into the complexities of motherhood through family, tradition and influence. Aster dissects the idea of mothers within this film and essentially, it is the core theme to the film. Annie and her actions as a mother to Peter and Charlie but also her mother’s influence on her; our mothers make us who we are, almost as though we are destined to become our mothers.
4. Little Girl
Released in 2020
Genre is Drama, Documentary
Directed by Sébastien Lifshitz
Eight-year-old Sasha questions her gender, she embarks on a journey of self discovery with the help from her family - particularly her mother. Sasha is able to grow, flourish and become comfortable with who she really is. Little Girl is a documentary, these people are real and so are their experiences. Karine, Sasha’s mother is utterly vulnerable, beautiful and endlessly supportive of her child’s decisions and feelings.
Little Girl gives us insights into Karine’s mind and her feelings towards Sasha’s position. Karine feels deeply responsible for her child’s unhappiness, she tortures herself, blames herself for her hardship and sadness.
Little Girl shines a light on the vulnerable mother. A mother who is loyal, supportive and loving towards her child but continues to find fault in herself. Commenting on the transgender experience and not only how it impacts 8 year old Sasha’s life but also her mother, Karine.
5. All About my Mother
Released in 1999
Genre is Drama
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar
Played by Cecilia Roth. Manuela is an example of a strong woman, she somehow finds it in herself to keep living after the loss of her son. She is a fighter, a lover and a loyal friend.
Following the tragic death of her son, Manuela travels from Madrid to Barcelona in an attempt to contact the long-estranged father the boy never knew. She reunites with old friends and befriends a troubled actress and a nun. Grief is one thing but watching your son get ripped away from you is another, this film explores the courage and loyalty of a mother. Manuela and her journey with loosing her son, regaining contact with her ex partner and navigating her new life. Finding the joy in heartache and searching for new meaning. The core theme of All About my Mother is solidarity, these women find one another and are able to identity with each other, care for each other and work through the heartache and sadness life has thrown at them.
6. Elena
Released in 2011
Genre is Crime, Drama
Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev
Played by Nadezhda Markina. Elena is an independent, strong mother who will stop at nothing to ensure her family is safe and taken care of.
Elena decides to take extreme measures when she learns that her husband plans on leaving her practically nothing after he passes. In fear that her son and his family will struggle, Elena takes it upon herself to provide for her family.
Elena will stop at nothing to ensure her son and his family are cared for and looked after. Elena is the representation of a fearless, head strong, loyal mother who is determined to support her family by any means necessary. Her character displays the animalistic instinct to protect your children, the undeniable love and passion to provide and look after your children - she will do everything she can to ensure their happiness and security.
Motherhood is not simple, we have clearly learnt this today. Motherhood on screen can only capture a glimpse into the reality of being a mother, I hope you learnt something new today and I hope I have inspired you or encouraged you to watch these incredible films.
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