"Steel Magnolias" (1989)
In Steel Magnolias, a group of women — M’Lynn (Sally Field), Truvy (Dolly Parton), Ouiser (Shirley MacLaine), Clairee (Olympia Dukakis), Annelle (Daryl Hannah), and Shelby (Julia Roberts) — in a small Southern town weather life’s ups and downs together. The Herbert Ross-directed film was nominated for one Oscar and will make you laugh, cry, and want to call your mom all at the same time.
"The Joy Luck Club" (1993)
A multigenerational story based on Amy Tan’s best-selling novel of the same name, The Joy Luck Club follows four Asian women who moved to America and their four daughters who were raised there. The Wayne Wang-directed movie gives us insight into the cultural differences between these characters and how, despite coming from different worlds, they both have an impact upon the other.
"Soul Food" (1997)
George Tillman Jr.'s Soul Food follows the lives of a Black family from Chicago who gather together every Sunday to share a meal. When the matriarch of the family (played by Irma P. Hall) falls ill, a feud between sisters Teri (Vanessa Williams) and Maxine (Vivica A. Fox) breaks out, and fractures the bond of this tight-knit crew. That is until Big Mama Joe’s grandson, Ahmad, comes up with a plan to fix things.
"Stepmom" (1998)
Though they are initially at odds with one another, unforeseen circumstances bring two women — one a biological mom to two kids and the other their new, well, stepmom — closer, examining what it means to be a mother in the process. Both Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon shine in this 1998 classic from director Chris Columbus. Consider this a warning: Stepmom will make you shed a few tears.
"The Kids Are All Right" (2010)
In The Kids Are All Right, two children (played by Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) conceived by artificial insemination decide to find their biological father (played by Mark Ruffalo). By doing this, they send a shockwave through their non-traditional family, made up of two moms (played by Annette Bening and Julianne Moore). The 2010 film, directed by Lisa Cholodenko, was nominated for four Oscars.
"Bad Moms" (2016)
Forget being a good mom, Bad Moms follows three women — Amy (Mila Kunis), Carla (Kathryn Hahn), and Kiki (Kristen Bell) — who feel as though they’re not appreciated, and who decide to ditch their responsibilities and let loose. The movie, directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, is a wild ride and one that's relatable to moms all around the world. Check out the 2017 sequel A Bad Moms Christmas, too.
"Lady Bird" (2017)
A 2017 tour de force directed by Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird gives us a complicated and realistic mother-daughter relationship between 17-year-old Lady Bird McPherson (played by Saoirse Ronan) and her mom, Marion McPherson (played Laurie Metcalf). The five-time Oscar nominated film follows the artistically inclined Lady Bird as she is coming of age, including both ups and downs, in Sacramento, California.
