The Top 10 Worst Movie Moms
5. Mrs. Eleanor Shaw Iselin- The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Sometimes moms can be a little too involved in your lives to the point where it seems like they’re trying to use you to achieve their dreams. Angela Lansbury takes this a little too far in The Manchurian Candidate when she helps turn her son into a sleeper assassin. As far as movie moms go we’ve seen those that sleep with their kid’s friends, kill their kid’s friends, but Lansbury actually makes her kid kill his friends. To make matters worse, it’s all in the name of politics and communism. Not only that, but she is one hell of a gaslighter accusing everyone who questions her of being a communist, which in 1962 is the same as accusing someone of being a witch in the 1400s.
4. Beth Jarrett- Ordinary People
From what I’ve heard, nothing is as painful as the death of a child. However, when you have another child that needs your love and support, it’s probably a good idea to give it to them to help the healing process. In Ordinary People, Beth Jarrett loses her eldest son and makes it very clear to her other son that he was the favorite. To make matters even worse, she holds her sons attempted suicide against him and sees him as weak for it. While the rest of her family tries to adapt to the huge loss they’ve suffered, Beth is more interested in getting back to normal and pretending it never happened. Her lack of empathy and clear disdain for her husband and son during this difficult time makes her one of the most haunting movie moms of all time.
3. Joan Crawford– Mommie Dearest
One of the most terrifying movie moms in Hollywood history is Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest. Told from the perspective of her adoptive child it’s a chilling look at the psychosis behind a beloved Hollywood actress. The things that Crawford did in this film are unspeakable as she manipulates and controls everyone and everything around her. Not only is she obsessive compulsive with a bit hint of anger issues, but she relishes in humiliating her child and constantly reminding her of how inferior she is. There are tons of examples of how awful she is, but the wire hanger scene is one that will never leave you. Joan Crawford is about as far as you can get from mother of the year. I guess some people just can’t handle stardom.
2. Margaret White- Carrie (1976)
Carrie is one of the best horror movies of all time and one hell of a revenge tale. Of course, one of the people Carrie so desperately wants revenge on is her zealot of a mother. Margaret White seems to think that her daughter is sin incarnate and constantly abuses her daughter. She even goes so far as to lock her in a “prayer closet” so she can cleanse herself of her sins. It’s so bad that she even tells Carrie that menstruation is caused by sinful thoughts. It turns out that Margaret actually hates her daughter because she is the result of her one act of sexual indulgence. She’s clearly unbalanced, but that doesn’t excuse her for being one of the worst movie moms to ever grace the silver screen.
1. Mary Lee Johnston- Precious
There’s a good reason why Mo’Nique won an Oscar for her performance in Precious. She’s an absolute monster of a parent. Feeding off the system by using her daughter and grandchildren as welfare checks is just the tip of the iceberg. The abuse that Precious undergoes at the hands of Mary is absolutely inhumane. It’s not just verbal and emotional abuse, but also physical and even sexual. It’s a sick and twisted tale of how a mother grows to resent her daughter because her husband was a sick and depraved abuser. Mary blames Precious for everything that happened to her and for her husband actions, showing more jealousy than compassion for her daughter. As far as the worst movie moms go, Mary is the epitome of them.
There you have it! 10 Move Moms that will make you appreciate your mother a little more. I’ve been a bit harsh on these moms, especially considering that a lot of them have to deal with awful children. But I think these ones definitely don’t get a free pass on their behavior. As always, be sure to let me know what you think of the list and which movie moms you think I might have forgotten in the comments below. Oh, and don’t forget to give your mom a call to let her know just how much you appreciate her for not being on this list.