Here at blinkbox, we're big fans of mums. We love our own mums, of course (we'll fight anyone who says otherwise), which is why we love to see great movie mums taking care of business. We like it so much that we've sponsored the construction of the blinkbox Movie Mothers Hall of Fame, in which we'll enshrine the Big Mamas of the Silver Screen, preserving them for future generations of mother lovers.
This inaugural year, our panel of esteemed judges will convene at a local Best Western over a weekend to mull over the nominees. And because we're all inveterate gamblers, we've been taking bets around the office for who the first inductee will be. If you feel like playing along at home, we've put together a little package highlighting our picks as well as the bookie's favourites.
Favourites
Meg Altman (Panic Room) – Odds: 2/5
Mother of… Sarah: 11 year-old diabetic.
A consummate master of the shut-out, single mother Altman isn't afraid of getting her hands dirty when it comes to looking after her flock. Altman is probably best remembered for her world class performance in 2002, when she protected her daughter from a gang of greedy home intruders. She displayed confidence as a hostage negotiator and a willingness to set burglars on fire without hesitation. We believe it's this no-nonsense approach that will win over the judges
Leigh Anne Touhy (The Blind Side) – Odds: 8/13
Adopted mother of… Michael "Big Mike" Oher: Quiet homeless giant, gifted athlete.
Rich, philanthropic and passionate about sport, Leigh Anne Tuohy is every boy's dream mother. Having mentored a homeless teenager into a millionaire Offensive Tackle in the NFL, Tuohy's herculean reputation for creating winners is well-earned indeed. Although successful on this front, she may be penalised by the judges for neglecting her biological children in favour of a potentially dangerous stranger that she picked up off the street.
Dark Horses
Eva Katchadourian (We Need to Talk About Kevin) – Odds: 17/2
Mother of… Kevin: competition-level archer, life-long psychopath.
Ever the underdog, travel writer turned full-time mother Katchadourian has come under criticism for her unorthodox care methods, which include pushing her son's pram into a loud construction site to drowning out his cries. But for what she lacks in technique, E-Katch more than makes up in dedication: in the face of a son who goes decidedly off the rails, she remained poised and tragically loyal to the end. The term lost cause simply isn't in her vocabulary!
Elaine Miller (Almost Famous) – Odds: 52/1
Mother of… William: shy teenager, wunderkind Rolling Stone journalist.
A perennial journeyman mother, the new-age conservative Miller arrives with a distinct black mark on her record: having already lost her fiercely independent daughter (Zooey Deschanel) to a van-full of dirty hippies, she can safely assume that she won't be inducted this year. Although her mollycoddling style continues to limit her son's growth as a rock journalist, her concerns were vindicated after Stillwater's lead guitarist turned out to be a selfish ass, resulting in William's return to his mother's warm embrace.
Long Shots
Telly Paretta (The Forgotten) – Odds: 800/1
Mother of… Sam: alleged plane crash victim, although no-one but Paretta remembers him.
Paretta's eligibility has repeatedly been brought in to question. This tenacious American has long insisted that her son was abducted by forces working with federal agents. However, official records indicate that her child never existed and is a product of her imagination. As the controversy continues, consider this: if she manages to prove that her son is real before the judges make their final decision, Paretta could emerge as an instant frontrunner. The odds are so slim right now, it only make sense to take a small punt on this 'mother'.
Renee Dwyer (The Twilight Saga) – Odds: 1000/1
Mother of… Bella Swan: high school student, vampire devotee.
The prototypical laissez-faire guardian, Dwyer's approach to raising Bella can easily be described as 'hands-off'. Though close to her child, care-giving aficionados commonly hold that being a best friend is not the same as being a mother. Dwyer will have jeopardised her position in the Hall of Fame with parenting decisions like sending her daughter to live with her dad so she can travel the country with her boyfriend and failing to kick up a fuss when her child marries a vampire. A bet on Bella's mum would be like throwing away your cash.
