Happy Mother’s Day tomorrow to all the moms out there! If you’re a son or daughter who has no idea what to do for your family’s matriarch, how about a watching a special movie marathon with her? We’ve compiled a list the 10 best movies to watch with your mom, ranging from the emotional to the empowering to the action-packed. So, without further ado, in no particular order, here are 10 movies for your Mother’s Day 2016 festivities!
The Kids are All Right
This 2010 film that won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy stars Annette Bening and Julianne Moore as a lesbian couple who find their lives changed when their kids reach out to their biological father, played by Mark Ruffalo. This film shows that being a loving mother doesn’t require being part of a conventional family.
Stories We Tell
A 2012 documentary, actor and director Sarah Polley examines her parents’ relationship as she interviews relatives and friends of the family for more insight on the two people she should know better than anyone. The film contains a shocking twist, made all the more emotional by the fact that it’s real.
Volver
Penelope Cruz reunites with Pedro Almodovar for this Spanish-language drama that tells the story of a woman whose parents have tragically died in a fire, only to reconnect with her mother three years later when she returns as a ghost. However, there is a lot of drama the two will have to deal with, including the truth about what really happened the night of the fire.
Stepmom
In this 1998 drama, Julia Roberts plays a woman marrying an older man and trying (and failing) to win over her future step-kids, who are fiercely loyal to their mother, played by Susan Sarandon. Despite some serious moments, the film also doubles as a comedy.
Mermaids
If your mom is anything some of our moms, she may be a fan of Cher. The singer stars in this film from 1990 about a family who constantly moves and the daughters learning to accept their mom for who she is as they hope their current location is a permanent one.
Chocolat
Based on the book of the same name, Chocolat stars Juliette Binoche as a woman who opens a chocolate shop in a small French town while trying to be a good mother to her illegitimate child and standing up to the rest of the town who disapprove of her unconventional lifestyle. The movie received five Academy Award nominations, including best picture and costars Johnny Depp.
Mamma Mia!
Your mom is sure to love this 2008 musical based on the Broadway musical. Based on songs by ABBA, she’s bound to keep humming at least one song to herself long after Mother’s Day is over.
The Blind Side
Another film based on a semi-autobiographical book, Sandra Bullock plays a woman who becomes the mother figure to real-life NFL star Michael Oher, who had a troubled youth. Much like how The Kids Are All Right shows that a mom can succeed outside the “nuclear family,” this movie shows that a child doesn’t have to be biologically yours for you to be a parent to them.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Yes, really. There’s no denying that Sarah Connor loved her son, John, and did her best to raise him right—a hard task given she knew he would grow up to lead the resistance against Skynet. She’s also one of the first leading women in the action genre, giving it just as good as she got it against the T-1000—and she does it not to be a hero, but to be a protective mother.
The Guilt Trip
A comedy starring the unlikely pair of Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen, the former plays the stereotypical overbearing mother getting too involved in her son’s life. However, by the end of the pair’s road trip, they have grown much closer and come to appreciate each other’s company—like any mother and child would hope to.
