Building on earlier awards season films exploring parenthood's complexities, new contenders zero in on mothers' raw struggles with children's illnesses, mental health, and personal crises. Titles like 'Rosemead' and 'Sinners' amplify emotional tolls and cultural stigmas, continuing the dialogue on parental sacrifices.
As previously examined in coverage of parenthood themes, this awards season intensifies focus on mothers navigating impossible choices amid crises, challenging ideals of perfect parenting.
Returning films like 'One Battle After Another', 'Hamnet', and 'If I Had Legs I’d Kick You'—already noted for their parental dilemmas—pave the way for fresh stories. In 'Sinners', Li Jun Li's Grace makes harrowing sacrifices to vampires to protect her child. 'Song Sung Blue' features Kate Hudson's Claire aiding her daughter post-sobriety, while 'KPop Demon Hunters' has Yunjin Kim's Celine guiding her adoptive daughter to hide her identity.
A standout is 'Rosemead', directed by Eric Lin from Marilyn Fu's screenplay and inspired by a 2017 Los Angeles Times story. Lucy Liu stars as Irene, battling terminal cancer while supporting son Joe's schizophrenia against cultural stigmas. Liu highlights the shame around mental health: “There’s a shame behind it... therapy is for someone who really has a problem, and nobody wants to be known as somebody who has a problem.” Irene attends therapy but conceals it to protect Joe, her resilience shining: “The corporal body was weak, but her inner willpower and her courage and her love for her son was really strong.” The film culminates in Irene's poignant decision, advocating for open mental health conversations.
Directors and actors stress these narratives reflect unspoken traumas. Mary Bronstein (from the earlier-covered 'If I Had Legs I’d Kick You') notes how crises like special needs erode facades: “If you don’t deal with it, it’s going to get you at some point.”
Overall, these films deepen the awards conversation on internal conflicts and societal pressures facing mothers.
