Mommies Dearest

With apologies to Tim Burton, the real movie invasion this December isn’t made up of Martians. Try silver-haired creatures armed with a more powerful weapon: guilt.

No movie seems complete this season without a mother--from Lauren Bacall’s looks-obsessed mom in “The Mirror Has Two Faces” to Debbie Reynolds in Albert Brooks’ comic ode “Mother.”

Gena Rowlands gets maternal in “Unhook the Stars,” Shirley MacLaine reprises Aurora Greenaway in “The Evening Star,” and where would Kenneth Branagh’s “Hamlet” be without Julie Christie as Gertrude?

From the earliest days of the Academy Awards, screen mothers have scored highly with wins: the self-sacrificing variety have an edge, as do chronic advice givers and mothers with shady morals. A few good script zingers help.

Some highlights from the more than two dozen past winners:

Movie: “The Sin of Madelon Claudet” (1931)

Mother: Helen Hayes.

To: Oblivious MD Robert Young.

Type: Saintly hooker who sacrifices all.

Advice: (To young son) “You’re going to grow up to be a great man--you’ve got to!”

*

Movie: “In Old Chicago” (1938)

Mother: Alice Brady (as Mrs. O’Leary).

To: Don Ameche, Tyrone Power and Tom Brown.

Type: Cow-owning.

Advice: (As Chicago burns) “I’m done for. . . . Go and save yourself!”

*

Movie: “The Grapes of Wrath” (1940)

Mother: Jane Darwell.

To: The dirt-poor Joad clan, including Henry Fonda.

Type: Saintly.

Advice: “We’ll go on forever . . . ‘cause we’re the people!”

*

Movie: “Mrs. Miniver” (1942)

Mother: Greer Garson.

To: A faux-British brood.

Type: Stiff-upper-lip amid World War II.

Advice: “Don’t be frightened, sweet!”

*

Movie: “Mildred Pierce” (1945)

Mother: Joan Crawford.

To: Ungrateful, man-stealing daughter Ann Blyth.

Type: Long-suffering.

Advice: “Get out before I kill you!”

*

Movie: “East of Eden” (1955)

Mother: Jo Van Fleet.

To: James Dean.

Type: Brothel-owning.

Advice: “Go on, get out--I’m running a business!”

*

Movie: “A Patch of Blue” (1965)

Mother: Shelley Winters.

To: Blind Elizabeth Hartman.

Type: Abusive.

Advice: “Get movin’ with the supper. . . . Answer me, can’t ya, or would you like a slug in the puss?”

*

Movie: “The Lion in Winter” (1968)

Mother: Katharine Hepburn.

To: Anthony Hopkins, John Castle and Nigel Terry.

Type: Incarcerated former queen.

Advice: “Hush, dear, mother’s fighting.”

*

Movie: “Butterflies Are Free” (1972)

Mother: Eileen Heckart.

To: Independent-living, blind Edward Albert.

Type: Clinging.

Advice: “Perhaps it’s a blessing that you can’t see what you’re living in!”

*

Movie: “Shampoo” (1975)

Mother: Lee Grant.

To: Carrie Fisher.

Type: Oversexed.

Advice: None--too busy seducing Warren Beatty.

*

Movie: “Terms of Endearment” (1983)

Mother: Shirley MacLaine.

To: Debra Winger.

Type: Aggravating.

Advice: “I’m truly convinced if you marry Flap Horton it will be a mistake of such gigantic proportions it will ruin your life and make wretched your destiny.”

*

Movie: “Moonstruck” (1987)

Mother: Olympia Dukakis.

To: Cher.

Type: Italian.

Advice: “You got a love bite on your neck . . . your life’s goin’ down the toilet!” *