Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword "absent-mother"
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1. Shameless (2011–2021)
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
A scrappy, feisty, fiercely loyal Chicago family makes no apologies.
Stars: Emmy Rossum, William H. Macy, Ethan Cutkosky, Jeremy Allen White
Votes: 285,039
2. American Beauty (1999)
R | 122 min | Drama
A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.
Director: Sam Mendes | Stars: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley
Votes: 1,210,512 | Gross: $130.10M
3. Boogie Nights (1997)
R | 155 min | Drama
Back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, an idealistic porn producer aspires to elevate his craft to an art when he discovers a hot young talent.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Luis Guzmán
Votes: 281,949 | Gross: $26.40M
4. Pretty Baby (1978)
R | 110 min | Drama
A preteen girl lives as a prostitute in New Orleans in 1917.
Director: Louis Malle | Stars: Brooke Shields, Keith Carradine, Susan Sarandon, Frances Faye
Votes: 12,821 | Gross: $5.79M
5. Thirteen (2003)
R | 100 min | Drama
A thirteen-year-old girl's relationship with her mother is put to the test as she discovers drugs, sex, and petty crime in the company of her cool but troubled best friend.
Director: Catherine Hardwicke | Stars: Evan Rachel Wood, Holly Hunter, Nikki Reed, Vanessa Hudgens
Votes: 97,973 | Gross: $4.60M
6. Blow (2001)
R | 124 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of how George Jung, along with the Medellín Cartel headed by Pablo Escobar, established the American cocaine market in the 1970s in the United States.
Director: Ted Demme | Stars: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Franka Potente, Rachel Griffiths
Votes: 274,985 | Gross: $52.99M
7. Rumble Fish (1983)
R | 94 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Absent-minded street thug Rusty James struggles to live up to his legendary older brother's reputation, and longs for the days of gang warfare.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Matt Dillon, Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane, Dennis Hopper
Votes: 37,648 | Gross: $2.49M
8. Nowhere Boy (2009)
R | 98 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of John Lennon's first years, focused mainly in his adolescence and his relationship with his stern aunt Mimi, who raised him, and his absentee mother Julia, who re-entered his life at a crucial moment in his young life.
Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson | Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne-Marie Duff, David Threlfall
Votes: 38,857 | Gross: $1.45M
9. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
PG-13 | 111 min | Drama
A rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.
Director: Nicholas Ray | Stars: James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Jim Backus
Votes: 97,917
10. Jumper (2008)
PG-13 | 88 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A young man with teleportation abilities suddenly finds himself in the middle of an ancient war between those like him and their sworn annihilators.
Director: Doug Liman | Stars: Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson
Votes: 323,497 | Gross: $80.17M
11. The Paperboy (2012)
R | 107 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A reporter returns to his Florida hometown to investigate a case involving a death row inmate.
Director: Lee Daniels | Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, Zac Efron
Votes: 39,617 | Gross: $0.69M
12. Death Note (I) (2017)
TV-MA | 101 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
A high school student named Light Turner discovers a mysterious notebook that has the power to kill anyone whose name is written within its pages, and launches a secret crusade to rid the world of criminals.
Director: Adam Wingard | Stars: Nat Wolff, LaKeith Stanfield, Margaret Qualley, Shea Whigham
Votes: 90,442
13. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
R | 93 min | Horror
Freddy Krueger returns once again to terrorize the dreams of the remaining Dream Warriors, as well as those of a young woman who may be able to defeat him for good.
Director: Renny Harlin | Stars: Robert Englund, Rodney Eastman, John Beckman, Kisha Brackel
Votes: 61,607 | Gross: $49.37M
14. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
PG-13 | 108 min | Adventure, Horror, Mystery
In 1968, the night of Halloween brings mayhem in a small town when a group of friends discovers a notebook written by a mysterious girl that foretells terrifying events.
Director: André Øvredal | Stars: Zoe Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Abrams
Votes: 85,259 | Gross: $68.95M
15. Lilya 4-Ever (2002)
R | 109 min | Crime, Drama
Sixteen-year-old Lilja and her only friend, the young boy Volodja, live in Russia, fantasizing about a better life. One day, Lilja falls in love with Andrej, who is going to Sweden, and invites Lilja to come along and start a new life.
Director: Lukas Moodysson | Stars: Oksana Akinshina, Artyom Bogucharskiy, Pavel Ponomaryov, Lyubov Agapova
Votes: 49,372 | Gross: $0.18M
16. August Rush (2007)
PG | 114 min | Drama, Music
A musically gifted orphan, Evan, runs away from his orphanage and searches New York City for his birth parents. On his journey, he's taken under the wing of the Wizard, a homeless man who lives in an abandoned theater.
Director: Kirsten Sheridan | Stars: Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Terrence Howard
Votes: 111,094 | Gross: $31.66M
17. Free Willy (1993)
PG | 112 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
When a boy learns that a beloved killer whale is to be killed by the aquarium owners, the boy risks everything to free the whale.
Director: Simon Wincer | Stars: Jason James Richter, Lori Petty, Michael Madsen, Jayne Atkinson
Votes: 82,942 | Gross: $77.70M
18. Honey Boy (2019)
R | 94 min | Drama
A young actor's stormy childhood and early adult years as he struggles to reconcile with his father and deal with his mental health.
Director: Alma Har'el | Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe, Byron Bowers
Votes: 40,795
19. Because of Winn-Dixie (2005)
PG | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
A mischievous dog befriends a lonely young girl in a new town and helps her make new friends.
Director: Wayne Wang | Stars: AnnaSophia Robb, Jeff Daniels, Eva Marie Saint, Cicely Tyson
Votes: 12,660 | Gross: $32.65M
20. East of Eden (1955)
PG | 118 min | Drama
Two brothers in 1910s California struggle to maintain their strict, Bible-toting father's favor as an old secret about their long-absent mother comes to light.
Director: Elia Kazan | Stars: James Dean, Raymond Massey, Julie Harris, Burl Ives
Votes: 48,801
21. Youngblood (1986)
R | 110 min | Drama, Romance, Sport
A 17 year old farm boy is offered an ice hockey tryout. His brother drives him to Canada. He has fast legs, slow fists, but is chosen. Will he learn to use his fists and play ice hockey the Canuck way? Will he get the coach's cute daughter?
Director: Peter Markle | Stars: Rob Lowe, Cynthia Gibb, Patrick Swayze, Ed Lauter
Votes: 15,862 | Gross: $15.45M
22. Fame (1980)
R | 134 min | Drama, Music, Musical
A chronicle of the lives of several teenagers who attend a New York high school for students gifted in the performing arts.
Director: Alan Parker | Stars: Eddie Barth, Irene Cara, Lee Curreri, Laura Dean
Votes: 24,682 | Gross: $0.12M
23. The Big Blue (1988)
PG | 168 min | Adventure, Drama, Sport
The rivalry between Enzo and Jacques, two childhood friends and now world-renowned free divers, becomes a beautiful and perilous journey into oneself and the unknown.
Director: Luc Besson | Stars: Jean-Marc Barr, Jean Reno, Rosanna Arquette, Paul Shenar
Votes: 55,087 | Gross: $3.50M
24. Punky Brewster (1984–1988)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family
Young Punky Brewster is abandoned with her dog, Brandon, in a supermarket. When she befriends Henry Warnimont, her new family life begins.
Stars: Soleil Moon Frye, George Gaynes, Cherie Johnson, Sandy
Votes: 6,106
25. Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018)
R | 114 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
On the rocky path to sobriety after a life-changing accident, John Callahan discovers the healing power of art, willing his injured hands into drawing hilarious, often controversial cartoons, which bring him a new lease on life.
Director: Gus Van Sant | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, Jack Black
Votes: 30,641 | Gross: $1.44M
26. Phenomena (1985)
R | 116 min | Crime, Horror, Mystery
A young girl who has an amazing ability to communicate with insects is transferred to an exclusive Swiss boarding school, where her unusual capability might help solve a string of murders.
Director: Dario Argento | Stars: Jennifer Connelly, Donald Pleasence, Daria Nicolodi, Dalila Di Lazzaro
Votes: 30,031
27. A Thousand and One (2023)
R | 117 min | Crime, Drama
After unapologetic and fiercely loyal Inez kidnaps her son Terry from the foster care system, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability, in a rapidly changing New York City.
Director: A.V. Rockwell | Stars: Teyana Taylor, Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Aven Courtney, Josiah Cross
Votes: 6,905
28. Words on Bathroom Walls (2020)
PG-13 | 110 min | Drama, Romance
Diagnosed with a mental illness halfway through his senior year of high school, a witty, introspective teen struggles to keep it a secret while falling in love with a brilliant classmate who inspires him to not be defined by his condition.
Director: Thor Freudenthal | Stars: Charlie Plummer, Andy Garcia, Taylor Russell, AnnaSophia Robb
Votes: 13,526
29. The Painted Bird (2019)
Unrated | 169 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
A young Jewish boy somewhere in Eastern Europe seeks refuge during World War II where he encounters many different characters.
Director: Václav Marhoul | Stars: Petr Kotlár, Nina Sunevic, Alla Sokolova, Stanislav Bilyi
Votes: 7,614
30. Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
PG-13 | 93 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Faced with both her hot-tempered father's fading health and melting ice-caps that flood her ramshackle bayou community and unleash ancient aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy must learn the ways of courage and love.
Director: Benh Zeitlin | Stars: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly, Lowell Landes
Votes: 85,052 | Gross: $12.80M
31. Broken (IV) (2012)
Not Rated | 91 min | Drama, Romance
Three suburban English families' lives intertwine with tragic consequences.
Director: Rufus Norris | Stars: Charlie Booty, Lily James, Tim Roth, Eloise Laurence
Votes: 15,004
32. Merlí (2015–2018)
TV-MA | 58 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Meet the renegade philosophy teacher who's not afraid to speak his mind and break the rules to revolutionize his students' lives, including the son he barely knows and a student with a severe social phobia.
Stars: Francesc Orella, Pere Ponce, Carlos Cuevas, Marta Marco
Votes: 9,888
33. Win Win (2011)
R | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Sport
A struggling lawyer and volunteer wrestling coach's chicanery comes back to haunt him when the teenage grandson of the client he has double-crossed comes into his life.
Director: Tom McCarthy | Stars: Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Jeffrey Tambor, Bobby Cannavale
Votes: 55,259 | Gross: $10.18M
34. Wild Rose (2018)
R | 101 min | Drama, Music
A troubled young Glaswegian woman dreams of becoming a Nashville country star.
Director: Tom Harper | Stars: Jessie Buckley, Matt Costello, Jane Patterson, Lesley Hart
Votes: 15,318 | Gross: $1.64M
35. The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)
R | 85 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
Terror grips a small mountain town as bodies are discovered after each full moon. Losing sleep, raising a teenage daughter, and caring for his ailing father, officer Marshall struggles to remind himself there's no such thing as werewolves.
Director: Jim Cummings | Stars: Jim Cummings, Riki Lindhome, Robert Forster, Chloe East
Votes: 24,261
36. Her Smell (2018)
R | 136 min | Drama, Music
A self-destructive punk rocker struggles with sobriety while trying to recapture the creative inspiration that led her band to success.
Director: Alex Ross Perry | Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Cara Delevingne, Dan Stevens, Agyness Deyn
Votes: 8,191 | Gross: $0.26M
37. The Best of Youth (2003)
R | 374 min | Drama, Romance
An Italian epic that follows the lives of two brothers from the 1960s to the 2000s.
Director: Marco Tullio Giordana | Stars: Luigi Lo Cascio, Alessio Boni, Jasmine Trinca, Adriana Asti
Votes: 23,199 | Gross: $0.27M
38. Our Story (2017–2019)
TV-PG | 120 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Filiznha has been struggling to survive in one of the city's slums, she is the eldest daughter of the family and has been taking care of her five younger siblings since their mother left them and their father is addicted to alcohol.
Stars: Hazal Kaya, Burak Deniz, Reha Özcan, Yagiz Can Konyali
Votes: 3,433
39. The Greatest (2009)
R | 99 min | Drama, Romance
A drama that is centered around a troubled teenage girl and a family that is trying to get over the loss of their son.
Director: Shana Feste | Stars: Carey Mulligan, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon
Votes: 9,471 | Gross: $0.12M
40. Evelyn (2002)
PG | 94 min | Drama
Desmond's wife leaves him and their 3 kids after Christmas 1953. As he's unemployed in Dublin, the authorities place the kids in orphanages; when he finds a job, he tries to get his kids back.
Director: Bruce Beresford | Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Julianna Margulies, Aidan Quinn, Sophie Vavasseur
Votes: 7,122 | Gross: $1.48M
41. Pieles (2017)
TV-MA | 77 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
In a strange world where people share numerous deformities, the same problem we all face challenges each of them: to find someone who accepts you as you are. Sometimes, that means finding yourself first.
Director: Eduardo Casanova | Stars: Ana Polvorosa, Carmen Machi, Macarena Gómez, Candela Peña
Votes: 7,106
42. Son of Rambow (2007)
PG-13 | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
During a long English summer in the early 1980s, two schoolboys from differing backgrounds set out to make a film inspired by First Blood (1982).
Director: Garth Jennings | Stars: Bill Milner, Will Poulter, Jessica Hynes, Anna Wing
Votes: 32,966 | Gross: $1.78M
43. Tea with Mussolini (1999)
PG | 117 min | Comedy, Drama, War
An orphaned Italian boy is raised amongst a circle of British and American women living in Mussolini's Italy before and during World War II.
Director: Franco Zeffirelli | Stars: Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, Cher
Votes: 14,190 | Gross: $14.35M
44. Julien Donkey-Boy (1999)
R | 94 min | Comedy, Drama
A portrait of the effects of schizophrenia on family life is the central focus.
Director: Harmony Korine | Stars: Ewen Bremner, Brian Fisk, Chloë Sevigny, Werner Herzog
Votes: 7,745 | Gross: $0.08M
45. Jack (I) (2014)
103 min | Drama
Jack is a young boy who lives in a troubled family with little money.
Director: Edward Berger | Stars: Ivo Pietzcker, Georg Arms, Luise Heyer, Nele Mueller-Stöfen
Votes: 1,355
46. Two Is a Family (2016)
118 min | Comedy, Drama
A bachelor enjoys his sweet life on the French Riviera until a one-night stand tells him, he's dad to Gloria and leaves her with him. He moves to London with Gloria. Mom turns up 8 years later.
Director: Hugo Gélin | Stars: Omar Sy, Clémence Poésy, Antoine Bertrand, Ashley Walters
Votes: 28,604
47. How to Seduce Your Teacher (1979)
93 min | Comedy
There's a new girl in school, Angela, the Headmaster's niece. Every male will try to seduce her, even her uncle. Meanwhile she will drive the philosophy teacher mad and her best friend Irma... See full summary »
Director: Mariano Laurenti | Stars: Gloria Guida, Alvaro Vitali, Fabrizio Moroni, Lorraine De Selle
Votes: 381
48. Louder Than Bombs (2015)
R | 109 min | Drama
The fractious family of a father and his two sons confront their different feelings and memories of their deceased wife and mother, a famed war photographer.
Director: Joachim Trier | Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Gabriel Byrne, Isabelle Huppert, Devin Druid
Votes: 14,194 | Gross: $0.16M
49. Merlí. Sapere Aude (2019–2021)
TV-MA | 50 min | Comedy, Drama
When Pol enrolls in university in pursuit of a philosophy degree, he's challenged and enticed by new friends and an intimidating professor.
Stars: Carlos Cuevas, María Pujalte, Pablo Capuz, Boris Ruiz
Votes: 3,599
50. Swing Vote (2008)
PG-13 | 120 min | Comedy, Drama
In a remarkable turn-of-events, the result of the presidential election comes down to one man's vote.
Director: Joshua Michael Stern | Stars: Kevin Costner, Paula Patton, Kelsey Grammer, Madeline Carroll
Votes: 19,401 | Gross: $16.28M