A discussion of the role of dear old mothers in Superhero flicks.
It occurred to me, while writing my Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman idea, for a solo film, that Mothers are always in the background in Superhero films; and I wondered, what were the writers motivations for that? They make it seem so natural, its hardly noticeable, that they depict there films like only fathers are there for us growing up, for wisdom, nurture or play.
I´ll give you some examples, so hopefully you´ll get the point.
First off in Donner´s Superman, and, the upcoming Man Of Steel: You may notice that in both, whether it´s Supe´s biological, or, adoptive father, they´re the only ones who seem to get the implications of Superman´s plight, with the Mother´s barely getting a word in.
We all remember Brando´s fantastic speech in to his son in the Fortress Of Solitude, “They can be a great people Kal El. They wish to be. They only lack the light to show them the way Kal El. For this reason above all – their capacity for good – I have sent them you, my only Son.”
Very inspirational, a tear drops from my eye just thinking about it.
But where is Lara, Superman´s mother on this intergalactic call? I know Vodaphone are way over charging on direct mobile calls from Krypton to Earth, but hell T-Mobiles tariffs are alright.
Does she have nothing to say to the Son, she only got to hold as baby and never see grow up? No words of wisdom. Not even “I´m not the one for the words, like old pappy Jor El here; but I just want you to know that I love you too, AND, when are you gonna get me some Grand kids? Your 30 now Clarke, your not a boy anymore.”
This brings us to Russell Crowe, not to be outdone by his predecessor, he has some pretty epic lines to say to young Kal El as well.
Queue the elf quire for dramatic effect “You will give the people an ideal to strive towards, they will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall, but in time they will join you in the Sun, in time you will help them accomplish wonders.”
I don´t know about you guys, but if that were my family, the call would have gone a bit more like this.
Lara: “JOR EL, JOR EL!!! You better get down, and talk to your son… I don´t care if the game is on, he´s all the way on an alien planet, he needs some words from his father.”
JOR El: “OK, OK woman, you just couldn´t wait till after the game could you?… OK son….
UM I have to make this quick, the games on, you’re a guy, you understand right? So… You´ll give them Earthlings a … real goal to strive too…. They will race behind you, stumble, fall, but in time they will join you in the Sun… Well not literally now… Please, please son don´t take anyone to the Sun... I know it might seem like a cool idea for a first date… but that would be murder… I mean it figuratively… like a shining beacon of light.”
Lara: “Stop rambling to the boy… he´s not a fool, he gets the point.”
JOR EL: “Alright, alright. This was your idea you know! So where was I, they´re all pretty cool… wait wait son… I think the Krypton Eagles are about to score against the Phantom Zone Pitchers… yes, yes, and it’s a goal. Lets go Krypton jajaja… JaJaJa… Lets go Krypton...”
Lara: “Jor EL!!! Look, what your fathers trying to say is he loves you, son, we both do.
Even Jonathan Kent seems to be getting in on the action these days, with his heart stirring speech in the second of the Superman trailers.
I guess Martha was to busy milking the cows, to want to say something to her son, who finds out during puberty, he´s not just going get zits, but he has laser vision as well.
In Batman Begins, the scenario is even worse. I wasn´t sure if that woman was Bruce´s mum or just some hot chick Thomas picked up.
Whether it was playing with little Bruce as a child, or understanding he needed to leave the Opera because of his bat scare earlier that day, or just, you know, comforting him when he fell, she was holey absent. Damn, even when Joe Chill shot them, and Thomas Wayne bravely stepped in front of his family, it was like she was cowering behind Bruce.
No wonder he only remembered his dad in the Flashbacks.
I´m just saying one scene of her reading to Bruce before bed, would have made that whole shooting a lot more emotional. It didn´t have to be anything too dramatic.
Now Spiderman´s Aunt May faired a lot better in terms of parenting skills compared to the Lara, Martha and Martha, of Supe´s and Bat´s respectively. But still, through Spiderman´s trials and tribulations on screen, she´s never had anything so profound or wise to say to him, as: “With great power, comes great responsibility son.” In the latest one, she at least seemed to care about her little wounded Peter.
My point is this, one, does anyone else notice this? And two, don´t you think mothers of our great heroes should be cut some slack? Be made more essential to the moral and spiritual compass of our heroes, step in to manhood. Or, supermanhood as the case may be.
Please let me know your thoughts if you have any examples in favour of or to dispute my argument, or, if you think I´m just an idiot, with too much time on his hands.
You won´t be the first.
Oh and start giving Fanfic a bit more of a chance. We´re not all hacks you know. ;)