In honor of Mother's Day, here is a list of my most favorite Horror Movie Moms. I decided not to choose the moms who give me the willies (Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford...<shivers>), but moms who I feel showed their strength and love, despite the horror in their lives.
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| Mrs. Voorhees from Friday the 13th (1980) |
Ah yes...Mrs. Voorhees (Betsy Palmer), also known as Jason's mom from the Friday the 13th franchise. Before Jason became the supernatural serial killer that just wouldn't die, he was the victim of a tragic drowning death at summer camp. Fast forward 30 years later. Counselors at camp die in horrific and not-so-accidental ways. Who is the killer behind these deaths? A mother who is seeking revenge for her son's death. Given, she's gone a bit off the deep-end and speaks in her dead son's voice in order to justify these ghastly acts. No one said she was perfect.
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| Donna Trenton from Cujo (1983) |
Donna Trenton, played by Dee Wallace, got more than she bargained for when she their loving St. Bernard is bit by rabid bat in Cujo. No longer the loving pet they once knew, Donna and her son are trapped by the sickly and aggressive dog in a car that does not start. Despite her fearful circumstances, she tries to stay focused and plan their escape. She is also human enough to lose her cool and strong enough to pull herself back together, because she knows her son's life is literally in her hands.
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| Rosemary Woodhouse in Rosemary's Baby (1968) |
Now, most people wouldn't think that Rosemary Woodhouse (perfectly played by Mia Farrow) in Rosemary's Baby was a strong character, but I beg to differ. For the most part, she was the compliant patient and wife. She drank her herbal drinks and listened to her doctor. When her pregnancy pain became too much to bear, she fought for the right to seek a second opinion. She tried to escape the satan worshipping neighbors who she thought wanted her baby for a blood sacrifice. Upon discovering who the father was of her baby (nope, not her husband Guy...BIG spoiler!) and then seeing her newborn Bundle of Darkness lying in his black bassinet complete with upside-down cross, her initial reaction was repulsion. What have you done to its eyes?!? Her baby started crying and soon her motherly instincts take over. She gently rocks her demonic baby in the most tender, motherly way. Talk about having a face only a mother could love!
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| Wendy Torrance in The Shining |
Wendy Torrance (phenomenally portrayed by Shelly Duvall) in The Shining seems like a totally submissive woman at first. She justifies her husband's abuse of their son, plays the perfect wife with breakfast in bed, and bites her tongue when Jack Torrance yells at her for disturbing him while writing. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Once she discovers her son, Danny, marked with bruises, her demeanor transforms. She questions her husband's erratic behavior and fights for her son's safety. She challenges Jack with a baseball bat, fights him off with a large knife, and ultimately escapes with her son from the haunted hotel, leaving her husband out in the cold. Literally.
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| Diane Freeling from Poltergeist (1982) |
Diane Freeling (JoBeth Williams) from Poltergeist is the Mama Bear of all Horror Movie Moms. When her youngest daughter, Carol Anne, is lost, she does not hesitate to venture over to the Other Side to get her. Little does she know her ordeal was not over. She falls into a muddy pool of rotting skeletons after a nice, relaxing bath and doesn't bat at eye, because her children, Robbie and Carol Anne, are screaming for help. Then she comes face-to-face with a terrifying creature blocking her from entering her children's bedroom. As terrified as she is, she exclaims like any kick-ass mom would, "Nooooo! Don't touch my babies!" She dodges around coffins with dead bodies popping up out of the ground with her young daughter in her arms. The house is succumbing to the supernatural forces and she, along with the help of her husband, Steve Freeling, escape with their children and Ebuzz the dog. She is the epitome of the adage, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." These are the moms that stand out for me when it comes to horror movies. They are the ones who remain strong, despite their circumstances. They do what it takes to protect and love their children. Moms rock. Wishing all of you AWESOME moms out there a very Happy Mother's Day!
