Mom in modern family

Corliss discusses movie mothers through different genres and eras with special attention paid to the evolution of the mother in film An interesting read some rare images movie stills included from rare collections and the added bonus of write ups on famous popular movie moms by the likes of Jane Powell Tippi Hedren and Eva Marie Saint 1476738262 Great overview of Moms in the movies from Mother Ma Mama and Mommie to Auntie Nanny Mammy and Good choices good photos and good writing including a few wince inducing puns tip of the nice berg A fun stroll down memory lane with some lesser known films to add to my To Watch list Well done 1476738262 This was a fascinating overview of the history of movies looking specifically at moms and their role in the cinema It spanned from early silent films to recent hits such as Man of Steel It looked at how mothers were portrayed in various genres It compared the good mothers to the bad Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was that included not just birth mothers but mother figures Women who took on the role of mother for a child in need I thought it interesting to read about all the times though out movie history that another woman became a mother because need demanded it If you enjoy movies or movie history this is a fascinating book There is some content that is not quite child friendly such as pictures from Psycho and descriptions of other horror films But overall I thought it was an enjoyable and informative read 1476738262 This is a wonderful book if you are a fan of the movies I really enjoyed the mix of classic modern moms who doesn t love Ma Bailey Anne Hilton Mrs Miniver I also enjoyed the fact that Corliss acknowledges nannies mammies aunts as having an important role in film in life Auntie Mame Mammy Queenie Another element Corliss includes are the moms that nobody wants two wordsJoan Crawford There are lovely stills included from many films this book inspired me to view some films that I haven t seen before A real treat 1476738262 Mostly looked at the pictures 1476738262 Turner Classic Movies and film historian Richard Corliss present Mom in the The Iconic Screen Mothers You Love and a Few You Love to Hate the definitive fully illustrated book that shares the many ways Hollywood has celebrated vilified and otherwise memorialized dear old Mom With a foreword written by Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher and sidebar essays by Eva Marie Saint Illeana Douglas Jane Powell Sam Robards and Tippi Hedren this book is packed with an incredible collection of photographs and film stills Mom in the Movies makes a great gift for any mom and for anyone with a mother who oughta be in pictures Here you will meet the Criminal Moms like Shelley Winters in Bloody Mama and the eccentric Showbiz Moms including those from Gypsy and Postcards from the Edge You ll also find Great American Moms as warm and nourishing as apple pie in movies such as I Remember Mama and Places in the Heart along with Surrogate Moms like Ginger Rogers in Bachelor Mother Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame Dianne Wiest in Edward Scissorhands and Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side And who can forget the baddest mothers of all No book on movie moms would be complete without Angela Lansbury in The Manchurian Candidate From the cozy All American mom to the terrifying Mommie Dearest or the protective Sigourney Weaver in Aliens when it comes to mothers on the silver screen it takes all kinds With Mom in the Movies Richard Corliss and Turner Classic Movies bring those many moms vividly to life in words and pictures Mom in the Movies The Iconic Screen Mothers You Love and a Few You Love to Hate I must admit that while I enjoyed this book I had somewhat ambivalent feelings about it This book is obviously written by someone who has a great love of classic movies and who has an agenda about supporting family dramas a type of movie that was popular in the past than at present My own feeling about family dramas are as one might imagine somewhat complicated by my own life 1 I must admit as well that I have not been in the habit of watching old movies to the extent that say my roommate is In fact I would venture to say that he would probably enjoy this book much than I would because he has likely seen far of the movies spoken about in it than I have What for me was a somewhat distant but mildly entertaining read would be far relevant to someone who has watched movies and has less ambivalent views about the relationship of motherhood in the movies to motherhood in life and the increasing distance between family concerns and most contemporary films that are not either Oscar bait or Tyler Perry melodramas. Mom in meeting full form This book of a bit than 200 large pages is divided into several chapters that deal with different periods and different types of portrayals of mothers on the silver screen through the course of movie history Opening with a forward by the late mother and daughter acting duo of Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher the film begins with an introduction and a gallery of golden age moms After that comes a discussion of silent era mothers like Mary Pickford the mother martyrs of the pre Hayes Code era of film in the early 1930 s the Great American Moms from the golden age of cinema after that There is a look at mothers from the serial movies that were on the lesser rank of doubleheaders as well as a look at mother characters from movies that are remade over and over again A discussion of aunts mammies and nannies and surrogate mothers comes after this The book then takes a darker turn at generational conflicts between mums and kids bad seeds malevolent moms and mothers in crime and horror movies The book then ends on a optimistic note in looking at sci fi moms showbiz moms and modern moms in contemporary movies along with a look at why mother roles will endure in Hollywood. Mom in the maritimes There is a lot to like about this book For one the chapters are broken up with occasional short discussions from various Hollywood figures about their families and their feelings about the portrayal of motherhood in films In addition the book is full of gorgeous still images of films some of which are rather obscure and at least one of which The Magnificent Ambersons no longer exists in its complete director s cut because of studio folly I found much to criticize in terms of the way that the author seemed to buy into so much of the sentimental nonsense that movies have often had trying to justify illegal or immoral behavior on the part of many film mothers for the children but we can at least agree that it is a negative thing that there are so few good roles for older women and that movies about families have been made rare in an age of escapism and catering to violent movies about immature people who simply refuse to grow up even if such films certainly appeal to a wide demographic Those who like classic films and don t mind reading what amounts to an extended pitch for offerings by Turner Classic Movies will find much to enjoy here 1 See for example 1476738262 I liked the organization of this book The author discusses movie mothers by themes such as Serial Moms 1476738262 A really nice coffee table book Most of the movies are from very early on in movie history with only a handful made after 1990 but I now have a list of older movies I must get my hands on Plus they mention Mommy Dearest Woot 1476738262 Really great cocktail book about mothers 1476738262 Good as a coffee table book but did not feel as comprehensive as it could have been 1476738262