Being a working mom, was there ever a harder job? We are told day in and day out that we can’t have it all, that we can’t do it all and that if we try, there’s hope for happiness in our future.
To that we say, bye Felicia. Really, we’re juggling work, kids, dinner, laundry and about a million other things, we haven’t got time for that kind of negative nonsense.
Sure you have to make sacrifices, but that doesn’t mean you are lacking—it just means you are an adult with responsibilities.
These moms from some of our favourite movies take a realistic look at being a working mom; sometimes the moms keep it together, other times they don’t. But one thing’s for sure, they are real, and they are trying (for the most part) to keep that all important work-life balance in check.
Erin Brokovich
Unemployed and down on her luck, Erin Brokovich (Julia Roberts) is a single mom who finds work as a legal assistant and works her butt off to bring down a California power company accused of polluting a city’s water. We see Erin struggle to juggle her work with the needs of her kids—she brings her kids to work when needed and works late nights at home to be home to pick the kids up in time from the sitter. It’s an uphill battle and she stumbles now and again but Erin accomplishes more than she ever thought possible—something all moms are trying to do!
Baby Boom
Although she doesn’t become a mom in the normal sense of the word, J.C’s (Diane Keaton) life is thrown for a loop when the advertising executive “inherits” a baby from a distant cousin. She isn’t a natural mom, but watching this high-powered executive take to changing diapers and warming bottles is more than entertaining. Sure, she eventually loses her job (not the happiest light to shine on being a working mom), but in the end she starts her own successful business and finds happiness in being a working-from-home mom.
The 40 Year Old Virign
Trish piedmont (Catherine Keener), a mom of two and a shop owner, has her hands full with her two teenaged daughters. And sure, her boyfriend Andy (Steve Carrell) ends up taking her girls to a family planning clinic. But being a working mom means knowing when to delegate tasks to other people in your support network.
Sex And The City
Obviously if we are talking about Sex and the City and working mothers, we are talking about the one and only Miranda Hobbs (Cynthia Nixon). From her days as a single mother to her inevitable marriage to Steve, Miranda is the quintessential high-powered working mom. After failing to manage her work-life balance, she cuts back on work and relies heavily on the lovely Magda to help with her son Brady. Realistic, unlike some of Carrie’s over the top outfits, am I right?
Stepmom
Jackie Harrison (Susan Sarandon) is a stay-at-home mom who doesn’t understand her ex-husband’s new wife Isabel Kelly (Julia Roberts). Isabel is a successful photographer who is new to the whole “mom” thing. She does everything she can to make her step-kids feel at home and welcome but she loves her work and doesn’t give it up. Being a stepmom is a whole new kind of battle, but Isabel perseveres and shows us just how far love can take you.
Date Night
Speaking of over the top, Claire Foster (Tina Fey) gets more than she bargained for when she and husband Phil (Steve Carrell) decided to head into the city for a date night. After getting tired of the monotony of working and taking care of the kids, Claire takes matters into her own hands and plans a date night. Sure, it goes horribly wrong, but Claire reminds us we all need a little “me” time every now and then.
Mrs. Doubtfire
Sally Field plays working mom Miranda Hillard. Miranda is a hard working who spent her whole marriage as the bad guy, the working mom, the only real adult in the family. She is tough, but sensitive and we love her and this movie for that matter.
The Intern
If you haven’t seen this movie yet. Put it on your list. Julie Ostin (Anne Hathaway) is the CEO of a successful fashion website. Her husband is a stay-at-home dad. This film is a real, honest look at the difficulties of juggling family life and a career. Jules and her husband Matt (Andres Holm) have serious issues they need to tackle, but by doing it together, they find themselves in a good place.
Leave a Reply