There is nothing more beautiful than a healthy bond between two strong and supportive women, and when these two women are mother and daughter, it paves way for many a wonderful and heartfelt moment. This Mother’s Day, grab your mothers/maternal figures and check out these eight wonderful movies celebrating mothers and daughters!

Lady Bird

Everyone knows how obsessed we are with Lady Bird — and for good reason! Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut is a stunning film about Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, a rebellious teen itching to get out of her hometown and go to college somewhere on the East Coast, despite her mother’s lack of trust in Lady Bird’s ability to do so. As she finishes her senior year of high school, Lady Bird navigates new challenges with friends, boyfriends, and her eclectic family. Set in and paying homage to the city of Sacramento, the film mostly celebrates the all-too-familiar ups and downs of the loving-yet-complicated relationship between Lady Bird and her mother Marion. You will cry (Review here).

Carrie (1976)

The ultimate prom movie also features an iconic mother-daughter duo. Carrie White is a shy girl who is teased by the other girls at school. Her fanatically religious mother is no better, as she emotionally and physically torments Carrie at home in the name of God. When Carrie begins to develop telekinetic powers, she finally exacts revenge on all the people who tortured her at school, as well as her mother.

Steel Magnolias

Set in a small town in Louisiana, this heart-wrenching movie focuses on a beauty salon and the small group of women who frequent it. M’Lynn, Truvy, Clairee, and Ouiser are close friends and have become a tight-knit family over several years. When M’Lynn’s daughter Shelby falls ill, the women turn to each other for support. Featuring an all-star cast (Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, and Julia Roberts), this movie is a testament to the power of female friendship and features the endless love and sacrifices of a mother for her children.

Mermaids

Who wouldn’t want Cher to be their mother? Certainly not fifteen-year-old Charlotte Flax (a perfectly angsty Winona Ryder) who is tired of her and her sister (an adorable Christina Ricci) being moved around by her zany mother every time she deems it necessary. When Mrs. Flax begins dating a shopkeeper, Charlotte hopes they will finally settle down. However, as Charlotte herself comes of age and develops feelings for an older man, she clashes with her mother’s questionable authority.

Little Women (1994)

The classic story by Louisa May Alcott featuring the four March sisters and their loving mother is beautifully adapted by Gillian Armstrong in this film. While their father is away fighting in the Civil War, Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy grow up under the care of their mother who teaches them to be smart, creative, generous and hard working. Although the girls go through serious squabbles and tragedies, their bond is never tethered under the strong and grounding influence of their mother, even as they get older.  

Postcards From the Edge

Largely inspired by the real relationship between Carrie Fisher (who wrote the screenplay and the book it is based on) and her mother Debbie Reynolds, this film follows actress Suzanne Vale (Meryl Streep), a recovering addict who is forced to live with her mother Doris Mann (Shirley MacLaine) if she wants to keep working. While Suzanne is frustrated by her mother’s childish treatment of her, this predicament provides an opportunity for them to grow closer and perhaps reach a common ground in their heated relationship.

Landline

Gillian Robespierre’s second directorial effort follows a teenage girl and her older sister living in Manhattan in the 1990s. When they discover that their father is having an affair, the girls work together to uncover the mistress’ identity all the while trying to connect with their seemingly indifferent mother.  

The Piano

After a long voyage from Scotland, Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter) a mute pianist, and her daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) are left on a beach in New Zealand with all of their belongings, including Ada’s most prized possession: a beautiful piano. Although Ada has been sold into marriage to a local man named Alisdair Stewart, she is more intrigued by his Maori friend George Baines. When Ada begins to give George piano lessons, her and her daughter’s lives are changed forever.