Movies to Watch with Your Mom

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I wanted to create a list of movies perfect for mothers and daughters to watch together. These films will make you laugh, cry, and be thankful for the power of female relationships. Pick a movie (or multiple movies) off this list and make a date for some mother-daughter bonding time.

This post contains affiliate links. Please see affiliate disclaimer here.

Steel Magnolias

The strength of females and in particular, the relationship between a mother and daughter has never been more evident than in the classic Steel Magnolias. Not only do I love this movie, I even had the privilege of directing this play a few years ago – and I still enjoy watching it (that’s saying a lot!).

The film begins with Julia Roberts’ character getting married and a southern town’s hustle and bustle around the wedding day. A group of women are close with the bride’s mother (Sally Field) and help her get through some challenging times in the years to come when disagreements and heartache surrounding her daughter impact them all.

If you can get through this movie without crying more power to you.

Mama Mia

If you’d rather watch a fun, upbeat film that includes singing and dancing to ABBA songs then Mamma Mia should be your pick.

A young woman is getting married and wants her father to walk her down the aisle. The only problem is she doesn’t know her father’s identity. According to her mother’s diary, there are three possible options. Her mother is quite surprised when her former lovers arrive on their Greek island days before her daughter’s wedding.

Because I Said So

I love Because I Said So. It is a cute film that is perfect to watch with your mom and/or sisters.

Mandy Moore’s character is having trouble finding the perfect man. Unbeknownst to her, her mother (Diane Keaton) places a dating ad for her daughter and a few possible matches are quite intriguing. But will the mother’s choice for her daughter’s perfect match be the right one?

Little Women

A period piece, Little Women is about four very different sisters going through ups and downs together during the Civil War. The backbone of the family is, of course, the mother but this movie definitely focuses more on the sisters – their love lives, careers, children, etc.

Terms of Endearment

Shirley MacLaine plays a feisty mom in Terms of Endearment. The film covers thirty years of the relationship between mother and daughter showing numerous ups and downs. Eventually, the daughter moves back in with her mother after a split from her husband. Unfortunately, the hits just keep on coming to this family.

This movie won tons of awards and is not one to be missed if you have never seen it.

The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music is one of the most popular musicals of all time and for good reason! A nun-in-training (Julie Andrews) is sent to be a governess to seven children being raised by their widowed father. Julie Andrews’ character steps in and turns this family’s life upside down and eventually grows to have feelings for the father. Although not biological, the nanny becomes a nurturing mother-figure in the children’s lives.

The Blind Side

If bonding over sports movies is more your speed The Blind Side is the best selection. Sandra Bullock plays a wealthy woman who takes in a young black man from her children’s school whose home life isn’t the greatest. He struggles in school until the woman discovers he has a gift for protecting people and uses that talent for football. He becomes a part of their family forever.

Gilmore Girls

Though not a movie, the series Gilmore Girls is the epitome of mother-daughter bonding. The mother became a teen mom at the age of 16 and now that her daughter is a teenager the two are facing life head-on together. The show covers romances for each of them, the girl’s education, friendships, and the relationship with the estranged grandparents. Nothing gets better than this show!