Portraits of Modern Motherhood

There are a million ways to celebrate your mom on Mother’s Day this May 11. Here are four films that explore the complexity of motherhood and honor the myriad ways that mothers exist in the world today.

Dìdi (弟弟)

In Dìdi (弟弟), writer-director Sean Wang brings a joyful authenticity to his coming-of-age tale of 13-year-old Chris Wang (Izaac Wang). Living with his devoted mother (Joan Chen), older sister (Shirley Chen), and grandmother (Chang Li Hua) in Fremont, California, Chris struggles to fit in, be it on Myspace, at the mall, or with his mother. Wang told ELLE that the film “was really inspired by the relationship I had with my mom.” On set Chen chatted daily with Wang’s mom, both to understand the character and know the woman. Associated Press writes, “At the core of this story of a young boy wanting to fit in, navigating his first crush and feeling the ebbs and flows of young friendships is his mother, the only person who sees him for who he is.” Unbeknownst to her, Wang dedicated the film to his mother, a surprise he sprang on her during the film’s premiere at Sundance. In his exclusive FocusFeatures.com interview, Wang said, “She saw the dedication in a crowded theater with everyone saying, ‘Aww!’”

Watch Dìdi (弟弟) now!

Housekeeping for Beginners

In Housekeeping for Beginners, writer-director Goran Stolevski weaves together a multi-character story about the love that binds a family. When Dita (Anamaria Marinca) suddenly has the job of raising her girlfriend’s two children—an impish little girl (Dzada Selim) and a rebellious teen (Mia Mustafi)—everyone in her crowded home helps out. From friends who hang out at the house to Dita’s roommate (Vladimir Tintor) and his new boyfriend (Samson Selim), a complicated, comic, and caring family fill the home with love. While Dita may not be the two girls’ biological mom, Rolling Stone writes, “She truly is mother, in every sense of the phrase.” As she rises to the occasion to hold her charmingly messy family together, the film shows us, Little White Lies writes, “Love, within Dita’s crowded household, manifests itself in many ways."

Watch Housekeeping for Beginners now!

A Thousand and One

A.V. Rockwell’s A Thousand and One won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for its devastating portrayal of a mother (Teyana Taylor) raising her son in New York City in the 1990s and 2000s. After Inez (Taylor) is released from prison, she moves to Harlem to raise her son, Terry, on her own. Taylor borrowed from her own experience as a mother to make her character real and unforgettable. “I think her being a mother in real life really shines through in her portrayal,” Rockwell told Cinema Daily. Never shying away from exploring the complex realities facing African American mothers in America, Taylor’s portrayal is inspiring and eye opening. The Washington Post writes, “This is a tough, beautiful, honest and bracingly hopeful movie about mutual care and unconditional love, with a transformative and indelible performance at its core.”

Watch A Thousand and One on Apple TV or Amazon.

Let Him Go

In Let Him Go, filmmaker Thomas Bezucha shakes up the American Western by making mothers the central characters. Still mourning the death of their only son, retired sheriff George Blackledge (Kevin Costner) and his wife Margaret (Diane Lane) have their lives upended when their daughter-in-law and her new husband whisk their only grandson off to live in North Dakota. There, the family matriarch, Blanche Weboy (Lesley Manville), rules with an iron fist. After the Blackledges travel hundreds of miles to bring their grandson home, the mothers find themselves in a bitter battle for the boy’s future. “The film has two mothers of steel, squaring up to each other, and two formidable actresses, of radically different styles, face to face,” wrote The New Yorker.

Watch Let Him Go on Apple TV or Amazon.