We all know that the term family doesn’t only apply to our blood-relatives; it can extend far beyond our everyday household to include a variety of colorful people from all kinds of backgrounds. A family, in the most basic sense, is simply a group of individuals who care for one another. Maybe that group extends to include step-parents, grandparents, or perhaps is made up of a handful of tight-knit friends . No matter what kind of group you consider family, one of the most important people is the mother figure. Family is something we can all relate to, which is one of the reasons there are so many different families portrayed in the media. We can relate with families we see on television, watch in movies, and read about in books. Many of these fictional families have a strong, matriarch figure. Our perception of women in families, like our perception of anything, is significantly shaped by what we see in the media. Fortunately, there is a great variety of mother figures presented in the media for us to connect with and even learn from.
Here’s a short list of some folks I think show strong bonds between women and their families.
The Nanny (TV show)
Fran Fine is hired as a live-in nanny to help raise the children of critically-acclaimed play write, Maxwell Sheffield. The focus of the show falls on Fran’s personal relationship with Maxwell, as well as on Fran’s somewhat unconventional methods to raising the Sheffield children. She comes from a very different background than the Sheffield’s, which causes a bit of miscommunication within the family. Fran is loud, bold, and eccentric; she isn’t a member of the high class society from which the Sheffield’s come. Yet, despite their differences, Fran becomes a beloved member of their family.
Matilda (book and movie)
One of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s book, Matilda, is about a girl who develops mental powers from excessive reading. She is a very sweet, bright child, though her family doesn’t appreciate her at all. They don’t encourage her learning, try to understand her, or even really care about her wellbeing. Despite her obnoxious family, Matilda finds a friend in her teacher, Ms. Honey. This story shows that sometimes your immediate family isn’t always the best, but that there are other kinds of families in the most unlikely places.
Brave (movie)
Here we have sort of a quintessential family: a father, a mother, a daughter, and three young brothers. Except for the fact that they’re a royal Celtic family during the early centuries of Anglo-Saxon history, they’re just like you and me. Brave focuses on Merida, the young, spirited teenager, and her relationship with her mother, Elinor. After stripping the movie of all its magical elements, it really does an excellent job capturing the essence of the miscommunications that can occur in a mother/daughter relationship. Elinor really just wants what she believes is best for Merida, though Merida can’t appreciate; she just doesn’t feel like her mother understands what she needs. This adorable little story teaches a very valuable lesson: always appreciate your parents.
The Golden Girls (TV show)
This is definitely not your average family. This show follows the lives of four housemates, Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sofia, during their Golden Years. With the exception of Dorothy and Sofia, the four didn’t know each other before moving in together. We watch their relationships with one another grow from complete strangers to best friends. All four are single, all their children are grown up and have families of their own, and each one thought themselves rather alone in the world. This sitcom shows how the bonds of friendship are not only powerful, but timeless.
Pride and Prejudice (book and movie)
Jane Austin’s famous novel doesn’t only give commentary on the romantic aspects of love during the 1800s, but of family love as well. The family featured in Austin’s story is the Bennets, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and their five teenage daughters. As any home with numerous children, the Bennet household is far from peaceful. Their daughters are always up to something (good or bad), leaving Mrs. Bennet in a constant state of anxiety, as she is always fretting about “[her] poor nerves”. But through all the arguments and aggravations, it is quite apparent that there is an overwhelming amount of love in their family.
Keeping Up With the Kardashians (TV show)\
The Kardashian family has been a topic of interest in the media for a while. The show centers on the members of the Kardashian family (mainly sisters Kim, Khloe , and Kourtney) as they handle problems in their personal and professional lives. Though it’s a show about the lives of famous people, viewers are able to relate to them regardless. They experience many of the same things we do: sibling rivalry, relationships with step-parents, family scandals, etc. One thing that’s great about this show, if you look past all the drama and catfights, you can see real emotion between the Kardashian sisters, their mother, Kris, and their step-sisters. While some of the antics we see are clearly just for entertainment, the connection between these women is something genuine.