My Mom's Favorite Actress
Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 6:14PM 
If you've read my NYAD review from TIFF, you'll know that Jodie Foster gets my MVP honors despite the movie's construction as Annette Bening's latest Best Actress bid. Unencumbered by mannerisms or affectation, she's a relaxed presence that must bear the weight of the drama on her back once the titular character is made silent inscrutable by her swimming effort. That said, I should probably confess I've been inducted into the church of Jodie Foster from an early age, my movie love shaped by her presence since I can remember. Finding Foster to be the best part of a given film feels natural and just right. After all, she's my mother's favorite actress…
Less than three years younger than Foster, my mom saw Foster's rise to superstardom from a contemporary perspective, aging with her through teen sensation into adult prestige. The 1976 triple feature of Bugsy Malone, Taxi Driver, and Freaky Friday left its impact, but her later maturity sealed the deal on this maternal fixation. Ask my mother, and she'll tell you all about her love for The Silence of the Lambs and Foster's Clarice Starling. She'll probably talk for hours with hearts in her eyes if given the chance. There's also the emotional shock of The Accused, Contact's alien wonder, the tension of Panic Room, and so much more. Whether or not I was conscripted to love Foster is hard to tell, but love her I do. Indeed, her Clarice is among my favorite performances of all time.
It's always interesting to consider the cinematic obsessions of loved ones, especially those who've been with you since the beginning. How have they influenced our cinephilia, and where do obsessions overlap? So, dear reader, why don't you share your thoughts on your mother's favorite actress?
Jodie Foster, Netflix, Nyad, The Silence of the Lambs
Reader Comments (10)
I loved her in Little Man Tate. Wonderful as an actress. And, as a director, she extracted one of the best child performances ever from Adam Hann-Byrd.
My mom's favourite actress is Elizabeth Taylor. She grew up when Liz was The Most Famous, and I think got wrapped up in her personal life and bad-girl persona.
I love how those stars that are everywhere when you're starting to be aware of celebrity can become so important to you. It's why I refuse to listen to an unkind word about Julia Roberts.
I wanted to highlight one of her most underseen performances - she was wonderful as a troubled free spirit in Stealing Home.
This is a great idea.
My mums favourite actresses are Sally Field everything from Home for the Holidays onwards.
She also liked Streisand and Bette Davis so I saw quite a few of their movies before I was 10.
Doris Day. I saw more than half of her filmography when I was a kid. As my mother was a typical 50's child she loves Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor as well. From her own generation she prefers Goldie Hawn above all others and among the current ones she has a special affinity for Melissa McCarthy.
My Mom's Favorite Actress was also Sally Field. She actually passed away the night that Sally's mini-series "A Woman of Independent Means" was on TV.
She also loved Sally in "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Forrest Gump", from my memories. Rest in Peace, Mom.
My Mom died when I was in my 20s, and we never really had that conversation about her favorite actress, but she would have been attracted to the "good girl" actresses, so I can feel pretty sure that Doris Day would have been a favorite of her High School years, and then Julie Andrews in her later years. Maybe a bit of Debbie Reynolds as well.
My Dad on the other hand definitely told me his favorites, well, they were his favorites as far as looks go! Julie Christie & Diana Rigg.
My mom's favorite tends to change as she was fond of Sally Field but she also loves Diane Keaton. It's always back and forth between those 2.
What a great thought to follow ... I just saw my mom 9000km away, with 92 she still does yoga & reads 2 newspapers a day and she just confessed that her favourite actress was Rita Hayworth as she always wanted to be like her.
Great - I always assumed it was Doris Day, as she introduced me to all her movies and we laughed a lot about he comedic timing and she looked a bit like her - so Doris became mine... ;-)
I loved watching Jodie Foster’s face in Nyad.
So expressive, so mobile, so full of nuance. It’s like looking at the face of a specific artist, where etched on the face are years of intelligence, wit, and clarity.