6 Bold Movies About Strong Mothers That Are A Must Watch for Mother’s Day

Mothers with fierce maternal instincts, mothers who beat all the odds, mothers who fight against predators and get justice on their own terms, mothers with the ability to challenge the stereotypes of motherhood and boldly stand in their own values regardless of what society says, strong, resilient mothers who take charge when action are needed – we love them all. Here are six bold movies about strong mothers that will help you celebrate your own this Mother’s Day.

The Mother + Enough

These two movies about ferocious mothers both featuring Jennifer Lopez are even better watched as a double feature. Enough follows the powerful journey of abused wife and mother Slim, who trains in Krav Maga to fight back against her dangerous, narcissistic husband after she goes into hiding to protect herself and her daughter. As Slim empowers herself to pave a new life of freedom for herself and her daughter, she becomes one of the strongest mothers and women ever depicted in movie history, showcasing what it means to stand up for yourself and those you love. If you liked Enough, you may also love Jennifer Lopez’s other movie about a badass mother protecting her child, The Mother.  In The Mother, Lopez plays a military operative who becomes entangled in a love affair with two men involved in arms smuggling and child trafficking. Dubbed “The Mother,” she has a child with one of them, although it is not made clear who. After she becomes an FBI informant exposing both men, she is forced to fight for her own life and protect the life of her daughter, Zoe, who she teaches essential survival skills to – only for Zoe to save her own life. Similar to Enough, The Motheris a fierce movie about protecting your child at all costs, even if means making countless sacrifices.

Kill Bill

Uma Thurman plays Beatrix Kiddo, a powerful female assassin who wants to avenge the assumed death of her unborn baby, tracking down her former boss Bill and his deadly assassination squad. Throughout the film, we see how motherhood serves as a powerful driving force for Beatrix to stay resilient on her mission until she is (spoiler alert) reunited with her daughter once more. Beatrix goes down as one of the most powerful women ever featured on film, and a strong, determined mother to boot.

Bad Moms

If you’re looking for a lighter, hilarious comedy to enjoy with your mom on Mother’s Day, look no further than Bad Moms starring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn. This movie is an delightfully irreverent take on motherhood that depicts overworked, underappreciated moms finally having all the fun they deserve on an all-night bender.  Bad Moms challenges the expectations of what a mom “should” be as determined by society, shows us the different types of strong mothers and invites us to remember that mothers are multifaceted human beings, whose strength, desires, and vibrant personalities deserve to be honored and go beyond just their parenting skills.

Mama Mia

Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried shine in Mama Mia, a movie musical about a daughter and bride-to-be trying to find the identity of her biological father. Sophie Sheridan invites three potential “dads” to her wedding without telling her mother, Donna, who was disowned after she got pregnant, to better understand her mother’s history and figure out who her real dad is. Donna’s pride in her daughter and strength despite the initial circumstances surrounding her pregnancy and her touching relationship with her daughter is a truly inspirational watch perfect for Mother’s Day.

Peppermint

Peppermint is another powerful action thriller film that speaks to the power of a mother’s love in the face of incredible adversity. Jennifer Garner plays Riley North, a woman whose husband and ten-year-old daughter are attacked when her husband is framed for planning to rob Diego Garcia, a powerful drug lord. When Riley and her family are targeted, she is left with only her rage and grief – and channels this into her determination to get justice for her family on her own terms by training for five years as a vigilante assassin.

Panic Room

In Panic Room, Jodie Forster and Kristen Stewart play mother and daughter team Meg Altmann and Sarah, who are forced to put their survival skills to work when terrorized by three strangers in a home invasion. Forster’s captivating performance as a resourceful and clever mother who harnesses her intelligence and strength to protect her daughter and make contact with the outside world from the panic room is truly empowering and inspiring.