Five movies to watch with your mom this Mother's Day

If a movie marathon is on your to-do list this Mother's Day, then we've got you covered with the ultimate list of films that celebrate the incredible women who shaped our lives.

Be it laugh-out-loud comedies, or tearjerker Disney films, mothers have always had a special place in the best of cinema, offering the support our favorite characters very much need, and being their biggest cheerleader. So grab some popcorn, curl up on the couch, and prepare yourself for a full day of watching the champions that these women are. Here is your guide to a Mother's Day film fest.

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Five movies for a Mother's Day marathon with mom

Brave (2012)

Brave is a wonderful way to begin your Mother's Day movie marathon- with a bow and arrow, and a ton of heart. In this Pixar classic, our heroine is Merida- a bold, red-headed princess living in the magical, misty hills of Scotland. She feels burdened with the royal duties put on her, and she craves freedom and a chance to prove her own worth.

But that's not the best part about Brave. The film, at its core isn't about Merida's quest for independence. It's about her relationship with her mother, Queen Elinor, a poised, polished, confused woman and a maternal figure just trying to understand her rebellious, adventurous daughter.

Both of the characters collide in a perfect storm, until a magical accident causes them to relate to each other in ways they might never have thought possible. At the core of it all, Brave is groundbreaking because it does not flinch at showing the messy, annoying, and hilarious truths of being a mother-daughter duo. It depicts it with honesty, emotion and realness, even with enchantment spells and sword fights.

Warmly funny, authentically fierce, and beautifully emotional, Brave is an exquisitely animated love letter to uniquely complicated, utterly powerful, and utterly unforgettable moms and daughters everywhere.

Where to watch: Disney+

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Lady Bird (2017)

Lady Bird is the coming-of-age comfort film that feels like a warm (and slightly chaotic) hug from your teenage self. Written and directed by Greta Gerwig as her debut, this indie favorite follows Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson, a determined high school senior in Sacramento trying to get away from the Catholic school, her hometown, and above all, her mother's smothering love.

Saoirse Ronan is effortlessly wonderful as Lady Bird, finding just the right amount of angst, charm, and vulnerability. But it’s Laurie Metcalf as her mother, Marion, who steals just as many scenes. Their relationship is messy, loud, deeply loving, and painfully real. They argue in thrift stores, bond in cars, and say everything except what they really mean.

What makes Lady Bird so perfect for Mother’s Day is how it captures the quiet heartbreak and hilarity of growing up, of growing apart, and of eventually coming home- emotionally, if not physically. It’s for every mom who’s ever struggled to let go, and every daughter who’s ever pretended she didn’t care.

Spoiler: she did. And she always will.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

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Lion (2016)

Lion is the kind of movie that lingers in your memory well after the credits have rolled- and it’s a perfect choice for Mother’s Day, if you want to sob into your popcorn. Based on a true story, the film details how Saroo, a young boy in India, is sadly separated from his family, and subsequently adopted by an Australian family. Years later, armed with Google Earth and a very stubborn heart, adult Saroo (played by Dev Patel) sets out to return to the home and mother he lost.

But Lion is about more than a single mother; there are two mothers. There is Saroo's birth mother, Kamla, who never stops believing her son is alive, and Saroo's adoptive mother, Sue, who loves him with a quiet sense of strength, resolve, and perhaps remorse. Both women are amazing in their own right and the film covers their stories with so much tenderness it almost breaks your heart.

The beauty of Lion is its ability to illustrate that love transcends borders and languages and even decades. And the best part? It's a real-life story.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

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Freaky Friday (2003)

Freaky Friday is the ultimate chaotic mother-daughter movie, and truly a perfect must-watch on Mother's Day if you're looking for laughs, life lessons and some Lindsay Lohan magic.

In the 2003 version, we have Jamie Lee Curtis as Dr. Tess Coleman, a workaholic therapist trying to hold her blended family together, and Lindsay Lohan as Anna, a rebellious teen just trying to survive high school and the seemingly never ending rules her mother sets. When a mysterious fortune cookie sends them into each other’s lives- literally-they’re forced to walk a mile (or several awkward hours) in each other’s shoes. Cue the guitar solos, PTA meetings, and one very cringey wedding rehearsal speech.

What makes Freaky Friday so much fun is how it turns frustration into empathy. Underneath the body-swap comedy is a genuinely sweet story about understanding, forgiveness, and learning to actually listen to each other. It’s goofy, heartfelt, and way more insightful than you might remember.

Where to watch: Disney+

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Mamma Mia! (2008)

Mamma Mia! is the sparkly, feel-good musical event that practically screams Mother's Day viewing party. Set on wonderfully beautiful Greek island, and with a fabulous ABBA soundtrack, this film is a celebration of love, identity and the often chaotic mother-daughter relationship.

The action follows Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), a young bride-to-be who invites three men to her wedding because she wants to find out which one is her father. She, however, does not tell her fiercely-independent mother, Donna (Meryl Streep), that she's bringing back three former lovers, just days before the wedding.

Beyond the infectious songs, the beaches, and the stellar visuals, Mamma Mia! is a must-watch for its celebration of single motherhood, independence, and the beautiful mess that is family. Donna is chaotic, nurturing, strong, vulnerable and to watch them reconnect over their messy history is surprisingly emotional. Get ready for a cry-fest when they both launch into an emotional rendition of Slipping Through My Fingers.

Where to watch: Prime Video, Disney+