This summer, the long awaited prequel/sequel to Mamma Mia came out and needless to say, it gave everyone all the feels. But the most powerful thing of all was the sentiment of motherhood throughout the story, which is why everyone must see this with their mothers.
The moment in the movie that showed this beautiful message so clearly was a quote from Donna, played by the one and only Lilly James. She says, “if mothering were easy, fathers would do it.” This quote resonated with me so deeply even though I am not a mother myself. What made this quote even more meaningful was the story of Donna and her mother, played by Cher. Despite the fact Donna and her mother had more of an estranged relationship, this quote shows the deep respect Donna still had for mothers and maybe even her own. Mothers are superheroes without capes and everything that they take on can only be done by people as special as they are. Without mothers, we would literally and metaphorically be nowhere.
The other moment in the summer blockbuster that epitomized the power of motherhood was a realization Sophie had about herself and Donna when she found out she was pregnant. When talking about how she will face her pregnancy, Sophie thinks back to how Donna faced her own pregnancy with her. “She wasn’t scared,” Sophie says, “she could do it because she wasn’t alone, she had me.” This realization instilled so much comfort and confidence in Sophie. Knowing Donna took comfort in carrying Sophie, Sophie takes comfort in her unborn daughter. And that is the power of the mother-daughter bond: the feeling that you are never in it alone.
The different relationships between mother and daughter made me reflect on my own relationship with my mother. Watching it with her made me feel so thankful for her and the bond we share. I would have never thought watching Mamma Mia 2 would be such a special experience to watch with my mom. But never have I ever wanted to squeeze and hug her as hard as I did after watching that movie.