The 6 Best Movies About Motherhood

Motherhood is experienced in a particular way by each person. Here are six interesting and diverse movies about motherhood.
The 6 Best Movies About Motherhood
Sharon Capeluto

Written and verified by the psychologist Sharon Capeluto.

Last update: 05 April, 2023

Motherhood is one of the great aspects that can be reflected in films. Along with other art disciplines, movies are a spectacular instrument for conveying human bonds. And that’s what motherhood is: A deeply complex bond, full of many, many factors that come into play. But at the end of the day, it’s a relationship between people. In this article, we’ll suggest 6 movies about motherhood for you to enjoy.

The best movies about motherhood

Movies about motherhood can be touching, thoughtful, funny, sad, or interesting. Fortunately, the range of possibilities for mother figures in films is as wide and diverse as in real life.

1. The Kids Are All Right – Lisa Cholodenko

This dramatic comedy starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, and Mark Ruffalo reflects a modern conception of family and motherhood. Nic and Jules are a gay couple who have two children with the help of Paul, a sperm donor. Once the children grow up, they decide to meet their biological father and their relationship grows stronger and stronger, which worries their mothers.

2. Tully – Jason Reitman

Being the mother of three children can be truly exhausting. This is the experience of Marlo, a woman who, in addition to being in her third (and unplanned) pregnancy, is the mother of a preteen girl and a toddler with a developmental disorder. As a result, she feels so deeply overwhelmed, exhausted, and worried that she can hardly sleep.

As if that weren’t enough, Drew, her husband and the father of her children, exercises parenthood in a very non-functional way. However, everything changes when Tully arrives, a young nanny willing to do an excellent job. This is one of the movies that any stressed-out mother should see, as it leaves the message that it’s okay to ask for help when one feels overwhelmed by the family routine.

3. Away we go – Sam Mendes

This film was directed by Sam Mendes and stars John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph. Away We Go tells the story of a couple that’s in love and is about to become parents who don’t want to raise their child in the place where they live. In addition, the future grandparents of their child tell them that they’re moving to another city, so they won’t be able to count on their help once the baby’s born.

Therefore, they decide to go on a journey in search of a place to put down roots. The film reflects the typical fears, worries, and frustrations of first-time parents, as well as the transformation that relationships undergo once a child is born.

4. Private Life – Tamara Jenkins

Private Life is a devastatingly honest film about how difficult it can be to conceive a child. Rachel and Richard, for years and without success, have tried almost every method available in order to have a baby. As a result, the frustration of not fulfilling their desire grows ever greater and emotionally destabilizes them both. In turn, hopelessness jeopardizes the relationship.

This film production introduces us to a tempestuous and painful world of fertility clinics, hormone injections, and adoption processes.

5. Motherhood – Katherine Dieckmann

Uma Thurman plays Elize, a writer on hiatus and mother of two young children who juggles her professional career without neglecting her motherhood. There are movies that produce a certain degree of anxiety in us, as the characters seem to live in a constant rush. This is one of them. Motherhood is a comedy about the search for one’s own identity and the struggle to protect what’s most important.

6. All About My Mother – Pedro Almodovar

Directed and scripted by the great Pedro Almodovar, All About My Mother won the Oscars for Best Foreign Film in 2000. Manuela is a nurse of Argentine origin who lives and works in Madrid, along with her son Esteban, who is run over and killed right before his mother’s eyes. The pain of losing her son becomes immeasurable, accompanies her throughout her life, and leads her to travel to Barcelona in search of the young man’s father.

Get ready to be a mother with these unforgettable films

Once a woman learns she’s pregnant, a stage of complex psychological and physical processes begins. Motherhood is an experience that’s lived in an absolutely unique way by each person and there’s no right or predictable way to go through it. Surely, these films will help you through your pregnancy and will help you learn more about motherhood.


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.