As much as we love awards season, it is now time to step away from that fabulous time of year and move forward. We plan to find new, fun ways to discuss not only new movies but also old favorites. One of the ways we can do that is to pick out timely themes for movie discussions, and what luck! Mother’s Day is right around the corner.
Who doesn’t love watching a movie with mom? Maybe your family has a regular movie night at home or you and mom sneak to the theater occasionally. Moms often introduce their children to the movie viewing experience and even help them formulate their movie tastes throughout the rest of their lives.
So in order to honor moms AND movies, we decided to have some fun with our own mothers. We reflected on movie-viewing with our moms and talked to them about some of their favorites. Lo and behold, our moms had some pretty eclectic movie tastes!
Our favorite movie viewing experience(s) with our mom.
Bridget: I’m not even sure if I can call this a ‘viewing experience’ since I don’t think it equates to my mom actually watching a movie, but it’s pretty amusing. My mother, Anne Nordquist of Lake City, SD, has a strong sense of justice. I mean, she wouldn’t even let us sneak a little soda from a fountain machine when we just asked for a water glass at McDonalds as kids. She would insist on paying for a soda after the fact. This sense of right and wrong translated occasionally to the movie theater, where she was sometimes the ‘movie police.’ I still recall more than once my mom seat-hopping throughout the large theater in Britton, SD, tapping people on the shoulders, telling them to quit talking, sit still, stop running around, etc. This was especially mortifying when the offenders included kids in my class. Yet, years later I wish there was more of that in theaters, especially with cell phones these days. Way to go mom!
Rob: Most of my childhood viewing experiences with my family involve renting from a since-shuttered store in Storm Lake called Mr. Movies. I’m still not sure how, but the one we ended up watching more than any other is “Legally Blonde,” the Reese Witherspoon comedy about a southern California sorority girl who gets dumped by her boyfriend and decides to go to Harvard Law School—where he’s also attending—to get back at him. We definitely stuck mostly within the romantic comedy genre at home, so any of the films of that era, which all seemed to star Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Hugh Grant, J-Lo or some combination of those four, put me right back on the couch with some of dad’s stove-popped popcorn and a virgin daiquiri.
My other memory, from when we were very young and still living in eastern Iowa, was seeing “Space Jam” at the Highway 61 drive-in theater about five miles from our house. Even as a fan of his basketball talents, I’m already cringing thinking about how bad LeBron James is probably going to botch the upcoming sequel and demanding that Pepe Le Pew be reinstated.
We talk movies with our moms.
What are some of your favorite movies?
Anne (Bridget’s mom): “Sound of Music,” “The Fugitive,” “Pollyanna,” “While You Were Sleeping,” “Pride and Prejudice” and “Hidden Figures.”
Robin (Rob’s mom): “A League of Their Own,” “Mamma Mia,” “White Christmas,” “A Star is Born (Streisand/Kristofferson version),” “Beaches,” “Forrest Gump” and “The Way We Were.”
What makes a good movie in your opinion?
Anne: I like a good storyline. I also like movies that are action-packed with something always happening, which is why I like “The Fugitive.” I’ve seen that movie more than 15 times. A movie like that sucks you in and you can’t quit watching. I’m not one for scary or dark movies.
Robin: A good storyline. I prefer not a lot of violence, killing or gore. Nowadays, I actually like movies that have a historical or cultural message to them. Some of the sports ones that someone in this room (my husband, Fred) likes to watch aren’t necessarily at the top of my list, but if it’s entertaining and enjoyable, I’m pretty easy to please.
Who is your favorite mom in a movie?
Anne: The mom from “Pride and Prejudice”…. because she makes the rest of us moms look good! (Mrs. Bennett from P&P is a neurotic, over-bearing woman prone to fits of ‘nerves’ and whose main goal is to marry off her daughters to the wealthiest bachelors in the area.)
Robin: Donna Sheridan-Carmichael, played by Meryl Streep, in the 2008 film version of “Mamma Mia!” I love her energy, the way she tries to protect her daughter as well as being independent and running her inn. She’s got good girlfriends, too.
Who’s your all-time movie actor crush?
Anne: Sylvester Stallone…I went to “Rocky” in the theater 8 times on dollar night in college!
Robin: Robert Redford or Tom Selleck.
Memorable movie viewing experiences as a kid?
Anne: When I was young, our neighbor girl took a bunch of kids to the drive-in movie to see “Godzilla vs. King Kong.” She said we were all so transfixed that not a kid made a sound during the movie and we all just sat there with gaping mouths.
Robin: I remember watching Disney movies like “101 Dalmatians.” I was in high school when a movie was filmed in Duluth (Minnesota, my hometown) in the Glensheen Mansion, called “You’ll Like My Mother” starring Patty Duke. It was a horror thriller in the vein of “Rosemary’s Baby,” which isn’t normally my type of movie, but I saw it anyway. A lot of people in Duluth did.
Memorable movie viewing experiences with YOUR KIDS?
Anne: I remember when you were little kids and I rented “An American Tail” for you all to watch so I could get things done around the house. Well, I ended up watching with you and getting nothing done because you were all so distressed at Fievel Mousekewitz losing his family in America that all the kids ended up bawling and needed to be held. I also remember refusing to rent an R-rated movie for your slumber party. Instead, I rented “Jaws!” (actually rated PG).
Robin: Watching “The Lion King” and “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” with Robert and Emily over, and over, and over and then watching them re-enact the parts and assign each other roles.
What’s your ideal way to spend Mother’s Day?
Anne: I like to go out for a meal and just generally be with family. I usually feel too busy to sit for an hour and half and watch a movie, so if I have a relaxing day, I’d like to do that too!
Robin: With my family, either going out to eat or hanging around and having a meal together at home. Maybe grilling.
