The 96th Academy Awards shed light on the unvarnished and unflinching portraits of motherhood in several films, revealing the deepest anxieties of society. These films, including Hamnet and If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, depict the flaws of motherhood and the societal expectations placed on women.
Agnes Shakespeare's (Jessie Buckley) portrayal in Hamnet won her the Oscar for Best Actress, showcasing her astute channeling of maternal grief and trauma. The film, directed by Chloe Zhao, highlights the struggles of motherhood and the societal expectations placed on women.
In If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, Linda (played by Rose Byrne) must perform multiple roles, including therapist, tenant, and mother, while struggling with her own maternal mental health concerns. The film, directed by Mary Bronstein, draws from real-life tragedy and evokes empathy, making it less likely for maternal mental health concerns to be dismissed.
The films reflect the collective anger of a country where women's rights are under attack and their reproductive choices are curtailed. The theme of absent fathers continues in Hamnet, where William Shakespeare's unavailability is highlighted at critical junctures in his son's life.
The Oscars have sparked a conversation about the struggles of motherhood and the societal expectations placed on women. These films offer a natural progression of those made in 2024 that depicted pregnancy as body horror, reflecting the collective anger of a country where women's rights are under attack.
