Dre Rivas,
Sep 27, 2007
With all the hubbub going on concerning Britney Spears and parental issues, I started to think about some of the more famous mothers in film who should have had their children taken away for the good of all humanity. I came up with a ton, but below are my five favorites.
Sharon Stone, Casino
I just watched this baby on Bravo a couple of weeks ago and I'd forgotten what a lousy mommy she was. We're talking about a mother who tied her little girl to the bed so she could go out boozing with the likes of Joe Pesci. But nothing is better than seeing Stone's character snort up a Tony Montana-sized line of coke in front of her daughter before saying, "Never do this." Now that's parenting.
Faye Dunaway, Mommie Dearest
When I was a kid and my mother told me to do something that I didn't feel like doing, I'd respond, "Yes, Mommie Dearest" just to get a rise out of her. There's enough therapy cause there to last a lifetime probably. Anyway, this is probably the scariest mother I've ever seen on the big screen (mainly because she really existed in the form of actress Joan Crawford). I promise you one thing, I can't look at a wired coat hanger these days and not think of this movie.
The Black Market Organ Dealer, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance
I don't know this actress's name (a plague on your house IMDB!) and it's a small role but suffice to say, she was not a very good mother. First of all, she has a pretty bad heroin habit, so bad that she isn't afraid to shoot up in front of her two sons in a creepy abandoned warehouse. She also isn't against watching her sons rape a passed out girl later in the film. Where did they learn their manners? I'll tell you where. It's got to be the mom. There's no father figure around as far as I could tell so we're talking very little structure in that household.
Anne Ramsey, The Goonies
You know, deep down I think the Fratelli brothers could have been all right guys. But they were forced to drink brown water and laugh at other people's misery from -- I'm guessing -- a very early age. Add to that the armed robbery stints with mom, and it's no wonder they're willing to put a fat kid's hand in a blender. That's no upbringing.
Angelica Huston, The Grifters
This is probably my favorite mom on this list, but I have to admit, I wouldn't want her as my mother. On one hand, she'll threaten the life of a doctor to make sure you stay alive. This is a good thing I think. On the other, she isn't above taking money over her son's dead body. Pick your poison.
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Dre writes three times a week for Film.com. He's a momma's boy. E-mail him!
