Hollywood Mommies Stole the Show at Cannes

CANNES, May 26, 2008 — -- For celebrities who want to seduce the red carpet paparazzi, the latest trend at Cannes this year was motherhood.

Angelina Jolie's pregnancy-chic made it to the tabloid front pages, while other famous mothers gave TV interviews revealing details of their most important roles -- moms.

Celebrity spotters loved the new maternal icons. Even fashion houses accepted the challenge by choosing to dress the round bodies.

Many actresses have taken breaks from their work since becoming pregnant. From British actress Kate Winslet to Mrs. Tom Cruise Katie Holmes to France's own Vanessa Paradis, all have abruptly stopped their careers to focus on family.

Gwyneth Paltrow just returned from her own pregnancy pause and at a press conference at Cannes she expressed her fears about coming back.

"I really did not know if there would be a place for me anymore. … Especially if you're a woman and especially if you're not 25. … Hollywood is pretty cut-throat and everybody's got a short memory. There's always somebody younger, or hotter, or prettier or whatever."

During this year's Film Festival, which wrapped up Sunday night, a new kind of woman emerged: a powerful person who doesn't hide motherhood but instead makes it a part of her glamour and success.

The most famous bump in the world this year garnered more attention from photographers than anyone else. Jolie's fame as a mother almost overshadowed her career as an actress. In Cannes, she has brought together her two public faces.

Pregnant with twins, Jolie was in Cannes to present her latest movie, "The Changeling" by Clint Eastwood. In the movie Jolie plays Christine Walters, a Los Angeles mother who fights against a corrupt police force to find her son after he vanishes suddenly.

A few newspapers have been betting on her winning the award for best actress. At a news conference, Jolie told reporters that the story of the movie hit close to home. "As a mother, it is a very difficult thing," she said. I can't imagine anything worse than losing a child, especially not knowing the fate of that child."