10 Bad Movie Mothers
Nothing seems to delight Oscar voters like a mother from hell: Monsters from Black Swan, The Fighter, and Animal Kingdom are all vying for awards this year. Stephen Farber on their evolution, from Mildred Pierce to Precious.
Award-winning actress Barbara Hershey plays the role of Natalie Portman's deranged and overbearing "mommy" in Black Swan. The 62-year-old gave a "riveting" performance and made audiences shudder when, with clenched teeth, she asks Portman: "What happened to my sweet girl?" Hershey is perverse in her duties as mommy dearest—even undressing her adult daughter as a means of controlling her.
Australian actress Jacki Weaver eerily captures the role of Janine "Smurf" Cody in the new David Michôd film Animal Kingdom. The thriller follows the Cody family, a group of hardened criminals who have a leak from inside. Weaver is the matriarch within the pack of killers—and though she's dangerous, maintains her air of motherly charm. Her recent Golden Globe nomination is a testament to her performance, which has been given high praise among top movie critics. The LA Times says Weaver, a relatively unknown actress in the U.S., has " made a name for herself" with Animal Kingdom. But the 63-year-old actress is superstitious, telling the media that she is avoiding the "O-Word" to avoid jinxing a nomination.
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