Film
100 Days with Tata (Spanish: 100 días con la Tata). Directed by Miguel Ángel Muñoz. 2021. Paciencia Films. Spain.
A Little Prayer. Directed, written, and produced by Angus MacLachlan. 2023. USA. [A man tries to protect his daughter-in-law when he finds out his son is having an affair.]
Avtaar. Directed by Mohan Kumar. 1983. Emkay Pictures. India.
Baghban. Directed by Ravi Chopra. 2003. B. R. Chopra. India. [A retired couple seek support from their four sons.]
Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family (戸田家の兄妹, Toda-ke no kyōdai). Directed by Yasujirō Ozu. 1941. Shochiku. Japan. [When the father dies, tensions ensue regarding the care of their mother and youngest sister.]
Exhibiting Forgiveness. Directed by Titus Kaphar. 2024. Distributor Roadside Attractions. USA. [Featuring the songs, Bricks, sung by Andra Day.]
Fiddler on the Roof. Directed by Norman Jewison. 1971. The Mirisch Company. USA. [Based on the story, Tevya and His Daughters, by Shalom Aleichem. Addresses tradition, cultural change, estrangement, oppression and becoming refugees.]
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. Directed and produced by Stanley Kramer. 1967. USA.
I Never Sang for My Father. Directed and produced by Gilbert Cates. 1970. USA. [Robert Anderson adapted the screenplay from his 1968 Broadway play.]
Long Day’s Journey into Night. Directed by Sidney Lumet. 1962. Ely Landau. USA [Based on the 1956 semi-autobiographical play of the same name by Eugene O’Neill.]
Meet the Fockers. Directed by Jay Roach. 2004. Tribeca Productions. USA.
Meet the Parents. Directed by Jay Roach. 2000. Tribeca Productions. USA.
Mother. Directed and co-written by Albert Brooks. 1996. Scott Rudin Productions. USA. [A comedy-drama starring Brooks and Debbie Reynolds as son and mother.]
Mother! Directed and written by Darren Aronofsky. 2017. Protozoa Pictures. USA.
My Octopus Teacher. Directed and written by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed. Netflix. South Africa. [It may seem to include this film about James’ relationship with an octopus, but the motivation to dive was to improve his ability to be a father, and the end of the film depicts a marvelous bonding of father and son in Nature.]
On Golden Pond. Directed by Mark Rydell. 1981. IPC Films. USA. [Based on the 1979 play of the same name by Ernest Thompson.]
Postcards from the Edge. Directed by Mike Nichols. 1990. Columbia Pictures. USA. [Based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by Carrie Fisher.]
Terms of Endearment. Directed and produced by James L. Brooks. 1983. USA.
The Fabelmans. Directed by Steven Spielberg. 2022. Amblin Entertainment. USA.
The Guilt Trip. Directed by Anne Fletcher. 2012. Michaels/Goldwyn. USA. [A rare film depicting a road trip between a mother and son, with Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogan.]
The Trip to Bountiful. Directed by Peter Masterson. 1985. Bountiful Film Partners. USA. [Based on the play of the same name by Horton Foote, that premiered in 1953.]
Tokyo Story. Directed by Yasujirō Ozu. 1953. Shochiku. Japan. [A masterpiece, recognized as one of the best films ever made, about an aging couple who visits their children and their spouses.]
Make Way for Tomorrow. Directed by Leo McCarey. 1937. Paramount. USA. [An unsung masterpiece about an elderly couple who lose their home during the Great Depression, and seek support from their children and their spouses. It was the inspiration for Tokyo Story.]
Cherry Blossoms. Directed by Doris Dörrie. 2008. Olga Film GmbH. Germany. [Inspired by Tokyo Story, the film depicts a couple visiting their adult children, yet are only befriended by a daughter in-law and young woman mourning for her parents.]
Tokyo Family. Directed by Yōji Yamada. 2013. Shochiku. Japan. [A remake of Tokyo Story.]
Yentl. Directed, starring, co-written, co-produced by Barbra Streisand. 1983. United Artists. USA. [The closing credits state: “This film is dedicated to my father… and to all our fathers.” Based on the short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer.]
Documentary
A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness (Urdu: دریا میں ایک لڑکی: معافی کی قیمت). directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. 2015. SOC Films. USA/Pakistan. [Oscar-winning short documentary about a 19 year old survivor of an attempted honor killing in Pakistan. It convinced the Pakistani government to revise its laws. NPR Interview.]
Ada: My Mother the Architect. Directed by Yael Melamede. 2025. Yes docu. Israel. “Ada Karmi-Melamede is one of the most accomplished architects in the world, yet her work remains largely unrecognized beyond architectural circles…[This film] explores the profound tension between career and motherhood and a unique mother-daughter bond.”
Erasing Family. Directed by Ginger Gentile. 2020. [The film has been endorsed by the American Psychological Association.]
Grey Gardens. Directed by David Maysles, Albert Maysles, Ellen Hovde, and Muffie Meyer. 1975. Portrait Films.
In the Name of Honor. Directed by Pawel Gula. 2015. Match&Spark. RatPac Entertainment. [Honor killings in India, Jordan and Palestine. On Netflix.]
“Sr.” Directed by Chris Smith. 2022. Team Downey. [Robert Downey, Jr. profiles his Indie filmmaker dad and the special rapport they have during the last years of his father’s life.]
Television
All in the Family. Created by Norman Lear. 1971-1979. Tandem Productions for CBS. USA. [Based on the British sitcom, Till Death Us Do Part.]
black·ish. Created by Kenya Barris. 2014-2022. ABC Signature. USA. [While much of the show illustrated the relationship between the Johnson’s three children, it is included here to highlight the relationships between live-in in-laws, while deepening attention to sociocultural dynamics.]
Herrens Veje (The Lord’s Ways). Created by Adam Price. 2017-2018. DR Drama. Denmark. [“Two sons of a priest struggle with their father’s God-like behaviour and are forced into making desperate decisions in their quest for his approval and their independence.”]
Navillera (Korean: 나빌레라; RR: Nabillera). Created by Choe Gyeong-suk. 2021. Studio Dragon. South Korea. [A retired mail carrier seeks to fulfill a lifelong dream of learning ballet, which he keeps hidden from his family. A familial relationship is forged with his young teacher.]
Superstars and Their Moms. Directors Jeff Margolis and Al Schwartz. 1987, 1988. ABC. USA. [Inspired by the book, Star Mothers, by Georgia Holt (Cher’s mom), Phyllis Quinn, and Sue Russell.]
The Mothers-in-Law. Created by Bob Carroll, Jr. and Madelyn Davis. 1967-1969. Desi Arnaz Productions for NBC. USA. [A sitcom, with moments of insight.]
Transparent. Created by Joey Soloway. 2014-19. Topple; Amazon Studios. USA. [Award winning comedy-drama series about adult children who learn that their parent is transgender.]
Family Spirals® 