#Middlebury #Movies
We’ve just finished up Mother’s Day, the annual celebration of those wonderful souls we call Mom – the givers of warm hugs, whose kisses cure ouchies and who are always there with love, a shoulder to cry on and maybe a sandwich. Ain’t she grand? Well, not always.
Just because a woman gives birth, it doesn’t mean she gives anything else. This is what got me thinking about Anne Ramsey, the unforgettable actress who starred as TWO terrible mothers: Mrs. Lift, the Momma in “Throw Momma From the Train,” where Danny DeVito and Billy Crystal play two men who strike a Hitchcockian deal to murder one another’s antagonists. The other role? The iconic Mama Fratelli in “The Goonies.” Here are eight more actresses and the decidedly nonmaternal characters they played:
Rhea Perlman in “Matilda” – A precocious child with telekinetic powers? You’d think mom would be thrilled, but Zinnia Wormword, Matilda’s mother, is obsessed with television, bingo and not understanding the special qualities of her daughter.
Faye Dunaway in “Mommie Dearest” (Paramount Pictures photo)
Faye Dunaway in “Mommie Dearest” – Based on an autobiographical account from Christina Crawford, we are treated to all the emotionally scarring behavior doled out by a mentally ill Joan Crawford, including a beating for the use of wire hangers to hang pricey dresses.
Kathleen Turner in “Serial Mom” – Speaking of rigid expectations, how about a woman who, despite coming off as the perfect housewife and mother, exacts the worst of consequences for what she deems bad behavior: She’ll kill ya.
Angela Lansbury in “The Manchurian Candidate” – Some mothers are bossy, but Eleanor Iselin uses her brainwashed son as an assassin to further her own diabolical plan to have her husband nominated for the presidency.
Mo’Nique in “Precious” – The ways in which Mary are cruel know no bounds – her abuse is physical, emotional, mental, raw, and it’s a miracle that Precious survives it.
Jennifer Coolidge in “American Pie” – Best known as Stifler’s mom, this buxom beauty makes a man out of one of her son’s friends, who have made a pledge to lose their virginity by the prom.
Anne Bancroft in “The Graduate” – What to do when your mom has better lingerie and won’t share her lover who is more age-appropriate for you? This is the dilemma of Elaine, whose mother seduces a new college grad to distract from her loveless marriage.
Shirley MacLaine in “Postcards from the Edge” – A drug-addicted actress finishes up rehab and must live with a responsible adult in order to avoid further consequences. Too bad Mom is competitive, loud and sucks all the air out of the room. Based on a semi-autobiographic screenplay by actress Carrie Fisher about her relationship with Debbie Reynolds.
© 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
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