Joel Siegel's Picks for Mother’s Day
Here are some DVD gifts chosen by Joel that Mom will surely love.
May 9, 2007 — -- Mother's Day is a time to show that special lady just how much she means to you. It's also a great chance to get on her good side. And what says "I love you and appreciate all you've done for me" like a brand new DVD with digitally remastered audio and director commentary?
Experts agree, if you want to make this Mother's Day one to remember, head over to the local superstore and buy mom a movie she'll love.
Here's a selection of some recent releases that ABC's Joel Siegel thinks will make great Mother's Day gifts.
The Queen (2006)
Helen Mirren won her first Oscar for this spot-on performance as Queen Elizabeth II in the weeks after Princess Diana's death in Paris. The British media tried to make the aging monarch a caricature of regal frostiness, but Stephen Frears' film shows her conflicted inner workings. We also see the key role that then new Prime Minister Tony Blair had in convincing the queen to be more open with her private grief. If you saw anything of the real queen's recent visit to the states, you can understand why critics were so in awe of Mirren.
Joel Siegel says: "This is an excellent film — a great film to watch with mom. The way [Mirren] inhabits that role, we really believe we are in a room with the Queen of England. … Buy it!"
Dreamgirls (2006)
This popular movie musical was adapted from a 1981 Broadway show of the same name. "Dreamgirls" is the story of a Motown girl group that gets tripped up on their way to fame by some unsavory characters in the music industry. Nothing, though, could keep Jennifer Hudson from the recognition she deserved. Hudson won an Academy Award for her spectacular performance in the role once filled on stage by Jennifer Holliday. Co-stars include Beyonce Knowles and Eddie Murphy.
Joel Siegel says: "It's impossible for us to understand now, but we in this country were so nuts that music was segregated. … Every once in a while, there'd be a crossover star like Nat King Cole, but when I was a kid, listening to rock 'n' roll, we had to find the stations that came from South Central L.A. to hear the real groups sing the real songs. Elvis Presley changed it. Motown changed it. And that is what 'Dreamgirls' is about. And there are some great performances too!"
