This Mash-Up Of 50 Movie Moms Is So Intense

Just in time for Mother's Day, Chicago-based digital filmmaker Nelson Carvajal has compiled a video essay of 50 iconic movie moms. Will it make you cry? Let me put it this way: The whole things is shown over a melancholy piano piece and Bambi's mother is one of the first characters you see. *sigh* I thought I wanted flowers and breakfast in bed this Mother's Day, but I guess I'm just going to be crying thinking about Bambi's mom. Thanks a lot, dude.

Mothers in film often fall into two distinct camps: "strong and noble sainted angel" and "domineering, soul-crushing succubus", an unfair (but cinematically enjoyable) dichotomy that is basically reflected in the video. Repping Team Good Mom you have the likes of Sally Field as Betty Mahmoody (Not Without My Daughter) and Mrs. Gump, Cinderella's Fairy Godmother, and Greer Garson as Mrs. Miniver. The bad girls come out a bit stronger with Carrie's mom, Mrs. Bates, Mo'Nique's "Mary" (Precious), and, of course, the Queen of All Nightmare mothers, whose very name summons images of maternal mayhem: Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest.

Personally, I like to think we moms are a bit more nuanced than movies generally give us credit for (and you do have some more complex moms in this lineup, such as Bonnie Grape from What's Eating Gilbert Grape and Helen Parr from The Incredibles), but I guess that's ultimately for our children to decide. Still, let it not be said that this girl here doesn't revel in watching bad moms. Like, I actually taught my toddler how to say "No wire hangers!" Which... maybe puts me in the "Bad Moms" category? Whatever. They're much more fun to watch.

But then, the good moms are always there to pull on our heartstrings and inspire us to believe that love is bigger than we ever possibly imagined. I could watch Mrs. Jumbo snuggle Dumbo all damn day... and I think I will...

Holy crap. They love each other so much. All the feels, dudes.

For even more of the feels, behold all 50 mamas—good, bad, and everything in-between.

Images: Vimeo; Giphy