Another Mother’s Day has passed (I hope you had a good one) but luckily for you the Top 10 Movie Moms are available all year round - here’s the final Top 10 - including 2 new ones not yet profiled! Keep in mind these Moms may not be the most typical (they’re all actually pretty unique) , but they are definitely the most dynamic and interesting to watch on the screen.
10. Carol White in Todd Haynes’ Safe
A disturbing and eeery portrait of a California housewife and step-mom that suddenly turns sick from the chemicals in the air is in part an attack of suburban culture and in part a more general metaphor for the AIDS epidemic. But these social critiques aside, Julianne Moore’s turn as Carol White is a fascinating look at a woman who wants more that to run a house. The scene of Carol at a pals baby shower, when a young child is sitting on her lap as she starts to experience an attack will sit with you for some time… As will the last moment of the film. It’s a true testament to the side our mother’s keep to themselves…
And even though Carol may have had other problems, 
to ensure we all have clean air to breathe!
Katie Halper:
Nicole Hughes: 
Andy Kondrat: 
Jon Popham: 
Giulia Rozzi:
Gina Telaroli: 
She is definitely one of cinemas worst moms (in a conventional sense) but the scene where Antione Doinel tells his teacher that his mother is dead is without a doubt one of the most memorable in cinema history. The 400 Blows wouldn’t be the same without it’s antagonist and if you’re a Truffaut and French New Wave lover, you probably can’t help but think that if Truffaut’s mother (who he based Gilbrete Doinel on) wasn’t so awful, that he might not have needed to escape into the cinema.. And that would have been a terrible thing.
While she won’t win any mother of the year awards, Mabel Longhetti is one of my all time favorite movie characters. Gena Rowlands gives the performance of a life time as a mother at her wits end, a free spirit that can no longer deal with the responsibilities of everyday life. How her family deals with her “outbursts” and unique personality makes for a great movie (as does Peter Falk, who will appear on my favorite movie dads list).
The ultimate in mother movies, Bergman takes his namesake, Ingrid Bergman and makes her a mother you can’t soon forget. Ingrid’s Charlotte is a woman who gave up her family in order to have a music career and Liv Ullman plays her oldest daughter. When Charlotte pays a visit to Ullman’s house, the two share a night of emotional revelation that is amazing yet emotionally draining to watch. Combined with the striking visuals and colors of the film, Autumn Sonata will stay with you for some time.
The most worthwhile thing I could say about this film is see it! Akerman’s film showcases the routine and daily life of a widow who takes care of her young adult son. The film is not about plot, it’s a character study of the highest order. Watching 
Fassbinder’s film about a German women whose husband kills his boss at the factory where he works before killing himself is filled with ideas of motherhood. After the death of her husband, Frau Kusters has to contend not only with the media but also with how her children respond to the media (not so well it turns out, 1 of her adult children leaves, while the other uses the situation to become famous). Not to mention that her search for meaning related to her husband’s death leads her straight to the Communist Party. Also, nobody beats Brigitte Mira!
A coming of age story that could only be French, Malle’s Murmur tells the story of Laurent, a young boy dealing with adolescence and a mother that likes to smother. The two get to spend some quality time together when she him for a rest-cure for his heart murmur at a very conventional spa. There Laurent deals with how to lose his virginity and not how one might expect. Happy Mother’s Day indeed.