The Most Heartbreaking Movies About Motherhood

Ah, Mother's Day. That celebratory holiday in which you hand Hallmark cards and flower bouquets to the woman who brought you into the world and say: hooray! But Mother's Day can't be encapsulated by a single transaction, because everything the holiday symbolises — motherhood, and mother-child relationships — is more complicated than that.

The holiday might remind you of what you wish was different about your relationship with your mother. Or it might remind you of the pressing expectations of motherhood and being a "good mom." Essentially, Mother's Day might cause an upwelling of emotions antithetical to the celebratory holiday Mother's Day is supposed to be. And that's okay.

Maybe this Mother's Day, you want to curl up and watch a movie instead of celebrating. We've got you covered. These movies deal with motherhood from complex angles, exposing the bittersweet realities and disappointments often found in one of the most important relationships in people's lives.