Cover Photo By Jillian Cu
Cover Photo By Jillian Cu.

Recs with context: Binge-watch with mom on Mothers’ Day


Aside from giving gifts to your beloved moms on this special day, have a good laugh or cry and binge-watch these films from our recommendations.


By Marinel Peroy, and Ralph Regis | Sunday, 9 May 2021

Truly, a mother isn’t just a forebear, a foster parent, or a loved one themself; they serve as sources of love and encouragement, ones who we hold dear to us. As we celebrate Mothers’ Day, spend a very special day of bonding time with your nanay, mama, or mommy. Their selfless value to raise and love an individual is incomparable to what you see on the reels.

 

From dramatic genres of reconciling with the past to coming-of-age scenes of learning and accepting change, enjoy these nostalgic cinematic moments with our film recommendations.

 

050921 Lady Bird

 

What can be considered a quintessential coming-of-age story in recent years, Lady Bird features a charming portrayal of a senior year student wanting to dream big and attend a prestigious college in the future.

 

Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) constantly confides with her mother Marion McPherson (Laurie Metcalf), however, both are caught in a complex mother-daughter relationship. With this, the film reminds us that not all mothers and daughters are perfect. 

 

A powerful scene in the film sees Marion telling her daughter, “I want you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be.” Christine thoroughly replies with, “What if this is the best version?” It’s definitely heartbreaking to see someone you love not being able to reach their fullest potential. Many mothers expect their daughters to be the best. However, the film reminds us that mothers should never fully control their children, instead allowing them to find themselves and grow up to be great.

 

0509 Blip   The Parent Trap Review

 

Directed by Nancy Meyers in her feature directorial debut, The Parent Trap is one of the feel-good films which many have fondly watched and grew up with. Revolving around the lives of identical twins who were separated at birth, reunited as they meet in a summer camp, Hallie Parker and Annie James (Lindsay Lohan) switch places to help rekindle the relationship of their divorced parents.

 

As the twins discover the truth of their parents’ relationship, the Disney remake of the 1961 film portrays the need of reassurance to the kids. Moreover, the film emanates a message: that truth must always prevail. To deceive family members for the sake of reconciliation results in a snowball effect of illusions that affect everyone in the family, especially the young ones. 

 

0509 Blip Mommy

 

In this enthralling coming-of-age drama from Canadian prodigy Xavier Dolan, we follow a dysfunctional relationship between a widow Diane Després (Anne Dorval) and her son Steve Després (Antoine Olivier Pilon), the latter having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). 

 

Diane, who struggles to raise her unpredictable and violent son, goes through several emotional trainwrecks, one after another. However, when their peculiar neighbor Kyla (Suzanne Clément) offers to help Diane, she ultimately becomes a second maternal figure to Steve. 

 

Dolan offers something new with how this kind of story is presented on screen, piecing together a horrifying depiction of a troubled mother-son relationship. Moreover, scenes of dysfunctionality and tension are showcased in a perfect 1:1 square ratio, expanding to the wider 1.85:1 aspect ratio during the hopeful moments in the story.

 

On a side note, you’ll be definitely jamming to English rock band Oasis’ “Wonderwall” after seeing this film.

 

050921 Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

 

Three-time Academy Award winner for “Best Actress” Frances McDormand embodies a fearsome Missouri mother Mildred Hayes who sets out to seek justice for the unsolved rape and murder of her daughter. By renting three abandoned billboards to call the attention of the authorities, the question still stands as to why haven’t there been any arrests after seven months.

 

Praised for the film’s screenplay and direction, this tragic crime drama amplifies the strong and empowering maternal figure of the main character, who demands justice and action from the Ebbing police department.

 

Calling for desperate measures, Hayes stopped at nothing to get the justice her daughter deserves. However, she wasn’t given the attention and action she needed, being a woman in a man’s world. She had to go the extra mile to exact her revenge. 

 

050921 [movie Review] Room1

 

At the 88th Academy Awards, Brie Larson was named “Best Actress” for her impressive performance as Joy in this emotional and intense drama, based on the 2010 novel of the same name by Irish-Canadian author Emma Donoghue.

 

Being held captive for seven long years in an isolated shed, Joy or “Ma” creates this universe for her five-year old son Jack (Jacob Tremblay), raising him like any other normal child. With their hard-earned freedom, Joy makes sure her son is happy and safe under her care and gives him the love and warmth a young child needs. However, Jack finds it difficult to adjust with the outside world and experience the life he was deprived from.

 

Here, we follow Larson portraying a mother who dreams to give her child the best life she could give him, despite their circumstances. As both Joy and Jack enter the vastness of the real world outside their little “room,” the saying “Mother knows best” surely is something to live by.

 

050921 Brave



If you haven’t seen this Disney-Pixar animated feature, all we can say is better late than never. Aside from the possibility that this may be your sister's go-to film, Brave is not your typical mother-daughter tale.

 

Deftly told in a commendable storyline and aided by computer-generated imagery (CGI), the plot itself leaves a mark on the hearts and minds of its audiences. Merida (Kelly Macdonald) isn’t your ordinary warrior-princess who goes beyond her comfort zone. Throughout the first part of the film, her mother was insistent to make her act like a "perfect princess," filled with elegance and poise. 

 

This fairy tale subverts from the typical princess story through ignoring romance. One of the highlights include Merida telling her mom, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), that she is not going to marry anyone. She is also a reflection of most stubborn teenage girls who usually fight with their mothers. 

 

To quote Merida, "Our fate lives within us; you only have to be brave enough to see it.” This proves that one may sometimes not conform to the stricken commands, as you aim with the arrow towards your own destiny.

 

Supplementary recommendations

  •  The Kids Are Alright - Romance, Drama
  • Mother’s Day - Comedy, Romance, Drama
  • 20th Century Women - Comedy-drama
  • Mamma Mia! - Jukebox musical, Romantic comedy
  • Freaky Friday - Fantasy, Comedy

 

Our mothers’ real sacrifices, portrayed or not, must be appreciated. Their tedious, 24/7 jobs often go thankless and unappreciated, especially those who juggle motherhood with their respective careers. This is a day to celebrate their enduring sacrifice and unconditional love for their children. 

To all mothers out there: Happy Mothers' Day!

 

Last updated: Sunday, 9 May 2021