In honor of everyone’s most favorite woman, we give you a rundown of flicks – both lighthearted and sappy ones – that celebrate every mother in the world.
1. Bata, Bata Paano ka Ginawa?
Based on a novel of the same name by Lualhati Bautista, Chito Roño’s Bata, Bata Paano Ka Ginawa tells the story of Lea Bustamante, mother of Ojie and Maya who have different fathers. Things are going smoothly between Lea and her current husband, Ding, but this changes when her first husband, Raffy, comes back to persuade Ojie to come with him to the States. As things get even more complicated with the two fathers, Lea faces the fear of losing both of her children. The film stars Vilma Santos, Albert Martinez, Ariel Rivera, Carlo Aquino, and Serena Dalrymple.
Directed by Mark Waters, Freak Friday revolves around a mother and her daughter who do not really go along with each other. When the two switch bodies on one “Freaky Friday,” they are forced to live the lives of each other, something that made them realize and understand why they are the way they are. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan.
3. Anak
A film by Rory Quintos, Anak is about Josie, an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) forced to leave the country and her family to look for a better-paying job in another country. When she comes back home, she learns her husband has died, and is left with the hatred her children felt towards her. She struggles to rebuild her relationship with her children, particularly with the eldest daughter who starts to rebel against Josie in an attempt to challenge her authority. The film stars Vilma Santos, Claudine Barreto, and Baron Geisler.
4. Mamma Mia
For the moms who love musicals, Abba, and Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia is about Donna, a single-mother who does her best to raise her daughter, Sophie. After she finds a journal containing names of three men who could possibly be her father, Sophie invites these men to her wedding, hoping that her mom would recognize the one who would walk her down the aisle. The film stars Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgard, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth.
Ang Tanging Ina is a comedy film by Wenn Deramas, telling the life and the struggles of Ina Montecillo, a single mother who raises and keeps up with the lives of her 10 (yes, TEN!) children who each has a different issue their own. With jokes that make you laugh and scenes that make you cry, this film is something that would warm the hearts of its audience. This film stars Aiai Delas Alas, Eugene Domingo, Marvin Agustin, and more.
In Life As We Know It, Holly and Eric are two people who went on a date but have nothing in common except for their hatred towards each other and their affection towards their goddaughter, Sophie, who is the daughter of their best friends. When their best friends die in an accident, they have no choice but to be the caretakers of the child, alternating between their career, social life, and the “family life” they ought to have with the little girl. The film stars Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel.
7. Caregiver
Directed by Chito Roño, Caregiver is another film highlighting the life of an OFW. Sarah Gonzales is a former grade school teacher who had to work as a caregiver in London to fend for her family. The film documents how Sarah’s character transitions from being a submissive wife to someone who could stand up for herself and for what she believes in. The film stars Sharon Cuneta, John Estrada, and John Manalo.
8. Stepmom
Stepmom is a film by Chris Columbus which revolves around Jackie and Luke, a divorced couple who has to help their children cope with the new lifestyle. Finding that his ex-husband is dating Isabel, a photographer younger than her, the two women began to have issues with each other. When they learn something that could change their lives drastically, Isabel and Jackie learns how to cope and to acknowledge each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
