I have a mother. I also have a sister. Throw in a wife and two daughters and it's easy to see that mother-daughter relationships are all around me. Sigh. They still baffle me after all these years.
What am I babbling about?
If you couldn't guess, it's time for another edition of Thursday Movie Picks and today's topic is Mother-Daughter Relationships. Just for you who don't know what this is, Thursday Movie Picks is a weekly meme hosted by Wanderer at Wandering Through the Shelves. Each week, us bloggers get together and each pick a trio of films based on the topic she has selected. Visit her site for a full list of upcoming topics and how to participate. As for this week, the topic is...I already told you. Since we can pick what we think are the best (or our favorites), the worst (or least favorites), or hidden gems. I'm going with that last one. Just know that I define "gem" very loosely, here.
Big Bad Mama
(1974)
I was going to talk about the movie's plot, ya know, give you a brief synopsis. Then I figured, I'll just let the poster do all my talking. It tells you everything you need to know about this movie. And believe you me, it ain't lying. This is schlock-meister Roger Corman, in a producer's role, with a really good cast and a decent budget still delivering the exploitation goods. It's just a ridiculously wild ride starring people you never thought would be in such a flick. Seriously, just take a look at the names involved.
Akeelah and the Bee
(2006)
We follow tween-aged Akeelah in her attempts to reach the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The movie gives her several relationships to deal with. There's her big sister, the boy she likes, her mentor, and of course, Mom. It's a struggle between the two as Mom can't quite see the big picture and is concerned more with Akeelah achieving things she believes are more practical given their current reality. It's a very good, and very sweet, movie about a little girl maturing. See it. There is good reason this is by far the most sane of my picks.
Chocolate
(2008)
A young girl who happens to be a martial arts expert goes tracking down the gangsters who owe her mother money to pay for Mom's cancer treatment. A little off, but not quite nutty, right? In that case, let me throw a curveball or two at you. The girl is severely autistic and her only training as a fighter comes from repeatedly watching Ong-bak and Bruce Lee movies. One of her big showdowns is against a kid who uses capoeira and incorporates the fact that he has Tourette's into his fighting style. I wish I was making this up. My imagination is pretty active, but not that damn active. This is a slice of so-bad-it's-awesome heaven.
I'm starting to think I am one of the youngest round here. Haha. Some interesting choices and I'm going to have to admit I hardly heard of them let alone see them. I have to say, Big Bad Mama sounds utterly ridiculous and Chocolate seems quite out there as well...
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen any of this. Poor me. But I think Chocolate grabbed my attention as I always loved Asian movies.
ReplyDeleteUnless you're into way out there kung fu flicks this is probably not the Asian cinema you're thinking of. It's flat out nutty. In a different, cheesier way than Asian horror, for instance.
DeleteI haven't seen any of these. I did kind of always want to see Akeelah and the Bee. I remember that getting good reviews. Chocolate sounds very interesting though. I think I'm going to throw these in my Netflix queue.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely see Akeelah and the Bee. Heartwarming stuff. Chocolate is best viewed while enjoying adult beverages or whatever your drug of choice might be.
DeleteAkeelah and the Bee... <3
ReplyDeleteOMG Chocolate and Big Bad Mama both look AMAZING!
Glad to see the love for Akeelah. Chocolate and Big Bad Mama are amazing...if you're like me and into those sorts of things.
DeleteBig Bad Mama sounds kind of amazing. I love that you continually highlight movies I've never heard of (although, I have seen Akeelah and the Bee).
ReplyDeleteBig Bad Mama is that special Roger Corman type of special. Love to unearth some forgotten and/or ignored flicks. What I lack in my viewing of classics I make up in schlock.
DeleteOh I gotta see Akeelah and the Bee! I LOVE both Fisburne and Bassett, they'd make a wonderful couple surely!
ReplyDeleteNot to burst your bubble because I do recommend seeing Akeelah, but they are in no way a couple in this movie. In the two movies they were they were not a wonderful couple. They were a cordial but not agreeable divorced pair in Boyz N the Hood and played Ike & Tina Turner in What's Love Got to Do With It. They both were excellent in both but romantic in neither.
DeleteI haven't seen the other two but OH MY GOD Big Bad Mama is such an inspired choice. I remember watching slack jawed as a gun toting Angie Dickinson went about her business. And you're right the poster tells you everything you need to know going in. It's been years but you've given me the yen to check it out again.
ReplyDeleteSo happy someone else has seen it. And yes, watching it may inspire a slacking of the jaws. Thanks!
DeleteI liked Akeelah and the Bee too. I haven't seen the other two. Big Bad Mama looks like a timeless classic. :-D Great post!
ReplyDeleteIt's all sorts of fun...goofy, tawdry fun, but fun nonetheless.
DeleteThe only one I've seen is Akeelah and the Bee, which has been some time ago. Can't remember much of the mom in it.
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad. Their relationship was an important piece of the puzzle.
DeleteGreat list this week Wendell, I can always count on your Thursday Movie Pick posts to contribute to my overgrowing list of movies I want to see. Big Bad Mama looks so cheesy that it's gotta be good, and according to your comment I'm sure it is. I didn't care for Akeelah and the Bee, a friend suggested I check it out and loaned me her copy, but there was something off putting about it that I kept falling asleep around the 30 min mark. Haven't seen Chocolate yet, may check it out sometime though.
ReplyDeleteMike's Cinema
Thanks, I do my best. Watch BBM and Chocolate only when you're in the mood for something insane.
DeleteWendell, you never fail to throw down titles I've never even come close to watching, as is the case with all three of these. I remember a lot of talk about Akeelah and the Bee. Sounds like a good family flick. I love the Spelling Bee.
ReplyDeleteAkeelah is a very good family flick. Just don't show them Big Bad Mama.
DeleteI haven't seen any of your picks, but Akeelah and the Bee has been on my watch list for some time, should try to watch it soon.
ReplyDeleteHope you do. Love to hear what you think of it.
DeleteI've watched none from your list, but it's good because it means more films to my 'database'
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear this. In the case of my first and last picks, they're not on most people's radars so don't feel bad.
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