The shift from realism to fantasy after the success of 'Star Wars' (1977) also has helped thin the herd of mother movies, he writes, as has the industry's catering to the young male demographic. One reason he offers is that modern movies present stories wrapped in danger and physical triumph, not the stuff of home and hearth. In spite of that stretch of time, Corliss argues that the mother movie often seems near extinction these days. That's a long string of depictions that includes Lillian Gish as 'eternal motherhood' rocking the cradle in the classic 'Intolerance' (1916) and Diane Lane calming a young Clark Kent in last year's 'Man of Steel.' Time magazine critic Richard Corliss, working with cable channel TCM, takes us through the cinema's treatment of motherhood from the silent films of a century ago to the IMAX-size moms of today. The smartly written and nicely illustrated 'Mom in the Movies' is appropriate for any occasion, an entertaining slice of movie history that's served up by one of film's best writers and a few special guests. Don't go thinking 'Mom in the Movies: The Iconic Screen Mothers You Love (and a Few You Love to Hate)' (Simon & Schuster), by Turner Classic Movies and Richard Corliss, is a hardcover companion to a sickly sweet greeting card designed to give you-know-who a good cry on her special day.

Mom in the Movies by Richard Corliss