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I can tell you from firsthand experience that being a single mom is a hard job. Without any disrespect to the dads, it seems there is no off switch for what children demand from their mothers – short order cook, full service maid and concierge, finder of all things, endless repository of knowledge, chief medic, personal tutor and life guru. Maybe the breakdown in boundaries has to do with carrying a child inside your body for nine and a half months. In honor of Single Working Mom’s Day this month, here are seven films featuring single moms out there doing it for their kids.
“Erin Brockovich” (2000) – Facing a desperate situation, an unemployed single mom of three uses her feminine wiles and dogged determination to land a job in a legal office. Then she adds in her big brain and some serious grit to unearth a massive coverup of an energy company’s dumping toxic waste and poisoning a whole town. Julia Roberts stars as Brockovich.
“Baby Boom” (1987) – Diane Keaton headlines as JC, a corporate executive turned surprise single mom when a relative names her as guardian and unexpectedly dies. Maternal duties pull her focus from her high-stakes advertising job, and she moves to the countryside to regroup, emerging as a baby food magnate.
“Beauty Shop” (2005) – Part of the “Barbershop” comedy series, this gem features Gina (Queen Latifa), who is such a dedicated mom that she moves from Chicago to Atlanta so her daughter can attend a special music school. There, she takes a chance on opening up a salon to spite her former boss, with hilarious results.
Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried in “Mama Mia!” (Universal photo)
“Mamma Mia!” (2008) – On the eve of Sophie’s (Amanda Seyfried) wedding, she interacts with three special guests – the three men who could potentially be her father. All were lovers of her free-spirited single mom, Donna (Meryl Streep), who runs a bed and breakfast on a gorgeous Greek island. It’s a musical, using only the songs of the Swedish superpop group ABBA.
“Where the Heart Is” (2000) – Pregnant and abandoned, Novalee Nation (Natalie Portman) gives birth in a Walmart. Aided by the kindness of strangers, she sets out to raise her baby daughter Americus with love. Bonus single mom: Ashley Judd plays nurse Lexie, who befriends Novalee and has three kids of her own.
“Little Man Tate” (1991) – Jodie Foster directs and also stars as Dede, whose 7-year-old son Fred is a blossoming genius in academics and a gifted musician, but alienated in the company of other children. Being a single mother, she walks a tightrope between supporting Fred’s intellectual and emotional growth.
“One Fine Day” (1996) – Uptight architect single mom (Michelle Pfeiffer) and rakishly charming reporter single dad (George Clooney, at his Clooneyest) are thrown together for the day when their kids just miss a field trip at their New York City school. While the love story is obvious, it does run through the many cliched but true moments of single parenthood.
© 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
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