Mother’s Day Quotes From Movies & TV — Because You Can’t Use That Mean Girls One Every Year

Sometimes fictional moms say it better than we ever could. So, in honor of Mother's Day, here are quotes about moms from movies and TV — and quotes from the iconic moms of film and television themselves. Crank up the Carole King tunes, because we have some mothers and daughters to appreciate.

Whether you happen to be spending the holiday together or apart from your mother this year, we can always rely on movies and television shows to make us laugh, make us nostalgic, make us cry, or make us feel inspired by the power of moms. Let these quotes serve as your Mother's Day inspiration no matter the situation.

Besides, since I know you're tempted to quote Mean Girls and put "she's not like a regular mom, she's a cool mom" on your Instagram post this weekend, you can do better. No disrespect to Regina George's mommy dearest, but let me offer up some alternatives.

“How do I explain her? She is as respected as Mother Teresa, as powerful as Stalin, and as beautiful as Margaret Thatcher.” — Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation

Why it makes us laugh: Because of course Leslie Knope describes her mom this way. She never met a hyperbole she couldn't somehow dial up a notch.

"Somebody up there has got it in for me. I bet it's my mother." — Donna in Mamma Mia!

Why it's for those who love to tease: Ignore the plot hole — Donna's (Meryl Streep) mother is not dead in the sequel — Mamma Mia! is the perfect comedy for mothers and daughters... even if we sometimes get on each other's nerves.

"I need you, I need you here, I need you now. I cannot do this alone. I need my Mommy, and dammit, I don't care who knows it.” — Rory on Gilmore Girls

Why Gilmore Girls is the GOAT: Lorelai and Rory are the iconic mother-daughter duo, but even they know that their codependency isn't perfect and can laugh at themselves.

“My mother used to say: the older you get, the better you get. Unless you’re a banana.” – Rose on Golden Girls

Why it's perfect for Mother's Day: Because there's nothing better than bonding with your mother over the unstoppable passage of time — and Rose is an absolute icon.

"I think I'm my mom's best friend, more than a daughter" — Carrie Fisher In Bright Lights

Why it comes from the heart: Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds had one of the most complex relationships there is, but they found connection and truly, deeply loved each other despite everything.

“I need her to make me some cocoa and tell me that everything that is going badly in my life will sort itself out.” — Kathleen Kelly in You've Got Mail

Why it should be your IG caption on Sunday: Meg Ryan's quote is perfect because it's simple. We could all use someone to make us a hot drink right now.

“As she guided me through these last 18 years, I don't think she ever realized that the person I most wanted to be was her.” – Rory on Gilmore Girls

Why it's absolutely sob-worthy: You didn't think we weren't going to include a sweet and sincere Rory Gilmore quote, did you?

"You know every story, every wound, every memory. Their whole life's happiness is wrapped up in you... every single second." — Isabel in Stepmom

Why it just gets motherhood: From one kind of mom to another — Julia Roberts as a stepmom to Susan Sarandon as a mom — this quote really tugs at the heartstrings.

“Not my daughter, you bitch” — Molly Weasley in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Why Molly Weasley is an icon: Found families are important, too, and Molly (Julie Walters) showed Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) what being a caring adult looked like. Defending her daughter at the Battle of Hogwarts was just icing on the cauldron cake.

"Dear Baby, I hope someday somebody wants to hold you for 20 minutes straight and that's all they do. They don't pull away. They don't look at your face. They don't try to kiss you. All they do is wrap you up in their arms and hold on tight, without an ounce of selfishness to it." — Waitress

Why it's just perfect: Our moms want better lives for us, sometimes in major ways and sometimes in minuscule ways. Keri Russell's Jenna, the protagonist and mother-to-be in the film, is writing about something that happened to her in the present but thinking about her daughter's future.

"Your identity is your most valuable possession. Protect it." — Elastigirl in The Incredibles

Why Elastigirl is the best Disney mom: Well, to be fair, there aren't a lot of Disney moms to choose from in the first place. But Holly Hunter's Helen Parr really represents what it is to be a working mom and her own person. "Leave the saving of the world to the men? I don't think so!"

"I'm angry nearly every day of my life. I'm not patient by nature, but with nearly forty years of effort I have learned not to let it get the better of me." — Marmee in Little Women (2019)

Why honesty is important: Marmee is iconic, and Greta Gerwig's adaptation which cast Laura Dern as the matriarch really dug into what makes her a good and complex mom — besides providing for her daughters.

"Okay, you're allowed to say one mean thing to me a year. That'll do until you're 10." — Emma Horton in Terms of Endearment

Why Mom Sarcasm is way better than a Dad Jokes: Have you ever thought back to something your mom said when you were little and realized she was lowkey making fun of you? Terms of Endearment has a lot to say about motherhood, and a lot of it is trés melodramatic, but it's Mother's Day, so let's focus on the lighter moments.