Movie Night with Mom
by amalija91 | created - 19 Feb 2014 | updated - 10 Jan 2021 | PublicMovies worth watching because of either good actors & directors or an interesting storyline; generously awarded; recommended by friends etc. There are times when me and my mom get together to watch a movie and suddenly I realize that I need some good tips, so here they are.
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1. The House of the Spirits (1993)
R | 145 min | Drama, Romance
A rancher, his clairvoyant wife, and their family face turbulent years in South America in this adaptation of Isabel Allende's best-seller.
Director: Bille August | Stars: Jeremy Irons, Meryl Streep, Maria Conchita Alonso, António Assunção
Votes: 24,945 | Gross: $6.27M
The movie is based on a trilogy. We both, me and my mom, love the author: Isabel Allende. The movie is thoughtful, true and deep. (Our favorite actress: Meryl Streep, we also love Winona and Jeremy Irons)
2. Blue Jasmine (2013)
PG-13 | 98 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A New York socialite, deeply troubled and in denial, arrives in San Francisco to impose upon her sister. She looks like a million dollars but isn't bringing money, peace or love.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Peter Sarsgaard, Sally Hawkins
Votes: 212,521 | Gross: $33.41M
Not seen
3. Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
PG-13 | 125 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Author P.L. Travers reflects on her childhood after reluctantly meeting with Walt Disney, who seeks to adapt her Mary Poppins books for the big screen.
Director: John Lee Hancock | Stars: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell
Votes: 170,009 | Gross: $83.30M
Not seen
4. August: Osage County (2013)
R | 121 min | Comedy, Drama
A look at the lives of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose paths have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Oklahoma house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them.
Director: John Wells | Stars: Meryl Streep, Dermot Mulroney, Julia Roberts, Juliette Lewis
Votes: 95,326 | Gross: $37.74M
We saw this play in theater and loved it, the movie must be worthwhile.
5. Dan in Real Life (I) (2007)
PG-13 | 98 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A widower finds out the woman he fell in love with is his brother's girlfriend.
Director: Peter Hedges | Stars: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Alison Pill
Votes: 106,982 | Gross: $47.64M
Funny and just awesome, my whole family loved it.
6. Amélie (2001)
R | 122 min | Comedy, Romance
Despite being caught in her imaginative world, Amelie, a young waitress, decides to help people find happiness. Her quest to spread joy leads her on a journey where she finds true love.
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet | Stars: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Lorella Cravotta
Votes: 794,015 | Gross: $33.23M
Classic! A must-see.
7. Chocolat (2000)
PG-13 | 121 min | Drama, Romance
A French woman and her young daughter open up a chocolate shop in a small remote village that shakes up the rigid morality of the community.
Director: Lasse Hallström | Stars: Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina
Votes: 201,922 | Gross: $71.51M
A romantic movie with some drama elements and the cutest storyline ever + a big bonus for the soundtrack.
8. How to Make an American Quilt (1995)
PG-13 | 117 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Bride-to-be Finn Dodd hears tales of romance and sorrow from her elders as they construct a quilt.
Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse | Stars: Winona Ryder, Ellen Burstyn, Anne Bancroft, Kaelynn Craddick
Votes: 12,503 | Gross: $23.57M
Great performances: this movie tells more than 1 story, which is nice. One of our favorite.
9. Babies (2010)
PG | 79 min | Documentary
A look at one year in the life of four babies from around the world, from Mongolia to Namibia to San Francisco to Tokyo.
Director: Thomas Balmès | Stars: Bayar, Hattie, Mari, Tarererua
Votes: 7,438 | Gross: $7.29M
Since my mom is a homebirth midwife, this doc really spoke to us - one of these documentaries that make you feel good about where you are in this world.
10. Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997)
Not Rated | 87 min | Action, Crime, Comedy
Two terminally ill patients escape from a hospital, steal a car and rush towards the sea.
Director: Thomas Jahn | Stars: Til Schweiger, Jan Josef Liefers, Thierry van Werveke, Moritz Bleibtreu
Votes: 33,666 | Gross: $0.00M
This German movie made us laugh and cry... I love it.
11. Forrest Gump (1994)
PG-13 | 142 min | Drama, Romance
The history of the United States from the 1950s to the '70s unfolds from the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75, who yearns to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field
Votes: 2,255,881 | Gross: $330.25M
Forrest Gump is like a family friend. We've seen this movie so many times, you can;t even remember, but still you want to see it just one more time... We love Tom Hanks.
12. The Polar Express (2004)
G | 100 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
On Christmas Eve, a young boy embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on the Polar Express, while learning about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Tom Hanks, Chris Coppola, Michael Jeter, Leslie Zemeckis
Votes: 241,250 | Gross: $183.37M
A hearty Xmas movie, which made me feel like a child again (that's a damn bittersweet way to feel). The old ones loved it and the young ones loved it too.
13. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
PG-13 | 141 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Barely 17 yet, Frank is a skilled forger who has passed as a doctor, lawyer and pilot. FBI agent Carl becomes obsessed with tracking down the con man, who only revels in the pursuit.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen
Votes: 1,095,017 | Gross: $164.62M
Adventure feel-good movie with the handsome young di Caprio.
14. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
R | 133 min | Drama
In the Fall of 1963, a Korean War veteran and criminal pleads insanity and is admitted to a mental institution, where he rallies up the scared patients against the tyrannical nurse.
Director: Milos Forman | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Michael Berryman, Peter Brocco
Votes: 1,072,034 | Gross: $112.00M
A dramatic movie, and I don't know why, but we watched it together and I can't seem to remember if my mom liked it or not. It's a movie to remember. Sad.
15. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
R | 142 min | Drama
Over the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler
Votes: 2,887,484 | Gross: $28.34M
Unbelievable story - you won't be able to take your eyes off the screen!
16. Like Stars on Earth (2007)
PG | 162 min | Drama, Family
An eight-year-old boy is thought to be a lazy trouble-maker, until the new art teacher has the patience and compassion to discover the real problem behind his struggles in school.
Directors: Aamir Khan, Amole Gupte | Stars: Darsheel Safary, Aamir Khan, Tisca Chopra, Vipin Sharma
Votes: 206,636 | Gross: $1.22M
This is an unusually good Indian movie, which tells a story of a boy who gets out of his misery with the help of a clever man. Recommend it!
17. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
PG | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A young Greek woman falls in love with a non-Greek and struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity.
Director: Joel Zwick | Stars: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Michael Constantine, Christina Eleusiniotis
Votes: 144,585 | Gross: $241.44M
My mom's favorite (one of). She's fond of the greek music (Zorba) and the colorful characters. A true family movie!
18. Barefoot (2005)
118 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Hedonistic bachelor Nick falls for an escaped mental patient.
Director: Til Schweiger | Stars: Til Schweiger, Johanna Wokalek, Nadja Tiller, Michael Mendl
Votes: 11,207
Another Til Schweiger (one of his best ones) movie. It's not like the usual comedies - it's got style and it's got heart.
19. The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
PG-13 | 135 min | Drama, Romance
Photographer Robert Kincaid wanders into the life of housewife Francesca Johnson for four days in the 1960s.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep, Annie Corley, Victor Slezak
Votes: 88,876 | Gross: $71.52M
Wow, you will cry with this one! Streep and Eastwood - it doesn't get better!
20. About Schmidt (2002)
R | 125 min | Drama
A recently retired man embarks on a journey to his estranged daughter's wedding, only to discover more about himself and life than he ever expected.
Director: Alexander Payne | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, Kathy Bates
Votes: 133,560 | Gross: $65.02M
We kind of like those movies where the parents have gone wrong and then they try to make things right. Because it resonates with us - that's what life's about - making things right again.
21. Notting Hill (1999)
PG-13 | 124 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A set of circumstances makes Anna Scott, a famous actress, fall in love with William Thacker, owner of a bookstore in Notting Hill. But the paparazzi's fascination with her complicates their bond.
Director: Roger Michell | Stars: Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Richard McCabe, Rhys Ifans
Votes: 342,132 | Gross: $116.09M
Romantic, so romantic! A bit unrealistic Hollywood story for moments when life gets too real.
22. The Pianist (2002)
R | 150 min | Biography, Drama, Music
During WWII, acclaimed Polish musician Wladyslaw faces various struggles as he loses contact with his family. As the situation worsens, he hides in the ruins of Warsaw in order to survive.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Emilia Fox
Votes: 911,765 | Gross: $32.57M
My family loves educational movies, because they make things real - and when somebody finally appreciates freedom, he won't complain so much (my mom hates complains, I bet your does too).
23. The Intouchables (2011)
R | 112 min | Comedy, Drama
After he becomes a quadriplegic from a paragliding accident, an aristocrat hires a young man from the projects to be his caregiver.
Directors: Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano | Stars: François Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot
Votes: 928,972 | Gross: $13.18M
This one can save your day, no matter what - try it!
24. Broken Flowers (2005)
R | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
As the extremely withdrawn Don Johnston is dumped by his latest woman, he receives an anonymous letter from a former lover informing him that he has a son who may be looking for him. A freelance sleuth neighbor moves Don to embark on a cross-country search for his old flames in search of answers.
Director: Jim Jarmusch | Stars: Bill Murray, Jessica Lange, Sharon Stone, Julie Delpy
Votes: 106,796 | Gross: $13.74M
This ain't one of my favorites, but my family loved it. I guess it's because of Bill Murray - he's a great actor.
25. Walk the Line (2005)
PG-13 | 136 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.
Director: James Mangold | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick
Votes: 265,785 | Gross: $119.52M
26. Steel Magnolias (1989)
PG | 117 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A young beautician, newly arrived in a small Louisiana town, finds work at the local salon, where a small group of women share a close bond of friendship, and welcome her into the fold.
Director: Herbert Ross | Stars: Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Sally Field, Julia Roberts
Votes: 63,039 | Gross: $83.76M
27. The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
R | 124 min | Drama, Romance
Anna and Mike portray two characters in a film set in 19th century England who fall in love despite the fact that Mike's character is engaged.
Director: Karel Reisz | Stars: Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Hilton McRae, Emily Morgan
Votes: 15,063 | Gross: $22.60M
28. Anger Management (2003)
PG-13 | 106 min | Comedy
Dave Buznik is a businessman who is wrongly sentenced to an anger management program, where he meets an aggressive instructor.
Director: Peter Segal | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Adam Sandler, Marisa Tomei, Luis Guzmán
Votes: 228,364 | Gross: $135.65M
29. Corrina, Corrina (1994)
PG | 115 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
In 1959, a widower hires a kindly housekeeper/nanny to care for his seven-year-old daughter.
Director: Jessie Nelson | Stars: Ray Liotta, Whoopi Goldberg, Tina Majorino, Noreen Hennessey
Votes: 14,161 | Gross: $20.16M
30. The Deep Blue Sea (2011)
R | 98 min | Drama, Romance
The wife of a British Judge is caught in a self-destructive love affair with a Royal Air Force pilot.
Director: Terence Davies | Stars: Rachel Weisz, Tom Hiddleston, Ann Mitchell, Jolyon Coy
Votes: 16,689 | Gross: $1.12M
31. Defending Your Life (1991)
PG | 112 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
In an afterlife way-station resembling a major city, the lives of the recently deceased are examined in a court-like setting.
Director: Albert Brooks | Stars: Albert Brooks, Meryl Streep, Rip Torn, Lee Grant
Votes: 21,272 | Gross: $16.37M
32. One True Thing (1998)
R | 127 min | Drama
A career woman reassesses her parents' lives after she is forced to care for her cancer-stricken mother.
Director: Carl Franklin | Stars: Meryl Streep, Renée Zellweger, William Hurt, Tom Everett Scott
Votes: 12,698 | Gross: $23.25M
33. A Prairie Home Companion (2006)
PG-13 | 105 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A look at what goes on backstage during the last broadcast of America's most celebrated radio show, where singing cowboys Dusty and Lefty, a country music siren, and a host of others hold court.
Director: Robert Altman | Stars: Lily Tomlin, Meryl Streep, Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly
Votes: 23,619 | Gross: $20.34M
34. Angels in America (2003)
TV-MA | 59 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Several disparate but connected individuals go through the AIDS crisis in the mid-1980s.
Stars: Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, Mary-Louise Parker
Votes: 29,779
35. Paterson (2016)
R | 118 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A quiet observation of the triumphs and defeats of daily life, along with the poetry evident in its smallest details.
Director: Jim Jarmusch | Stars: Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani, Nellie, Rizwan Manji
Votes: 88,913 | Gross: $2.14M
36. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
R | 115 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A mother personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder when they fail to catch the culprit.
Director: Martin McDonagh | Stars: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Caleb Landry Jones
Votes: 554,808 | Gross: $54.51M
37. Cilveka berns (1992)
98 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A story about Pavulans family life in Latgale, traditions and values that are passed down from generation to generation. Little Bonuks from an early age learns to build relationships with family members and others, with God and nature.
Director: Janis Streics | Stars: Romualds Ancans, Martins Dancausks, Signe Dundure, Agnese Latovska
Votes: 518
38. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
R | 94 min | Drama, Music
Tensions rise when trailblazing blues singer Ma Rainey and her band gather at a recording studio in Chicago in 1927.
Director: George C. Wolfe | Stars: Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo
Votes: 57,915
39. The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019)
PG | 119 min | Comedy, Drama
A modern take on Charles Dickens's classic tale of a young orphan who is able to triumph over many obstacles.
Director: Armando Iannucci | Stars: Dev Patel, Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton, Peter Capaldi
Votes: 22,396
40. Emma. (2020)
PG | 124 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
In 1800s England, a well meaning but selfish young woman meddles in the love lives of her friends.
Director: Autumn de Wilde | Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Mia Goth, Josh O'Connor
Votes: 62,663
41. Little Women (1994)
PG | 115 min | Drama, Family, Romance
The March sisters live and grow in post-Civil War America.
Director: Gillian Armstrong | Stars: Susan Sarandon, Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst, Claire Danes
Votes: 63,563 | Gross: $50.08M
42. Little Women (2019)
PG | 135 min | Drama, Romance
Jo March reflects back and forth on her life, telling the beloved story of the March sisters - four young women, each determined to live life on her own terms.
Director: Greta Gerwig | Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen
Votes: 245,508 | Gross: $108.10M
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