Lemondrop

This year, my idea of a good Mother's Day was a mimosa and a feel-good matinee I could enjoy with my mother and my teenage daughter. The only problem? Finding one movie that will satisfy three generations of women isn't easy on any day of the year, let alone a holiday weekend.

My soccer-playing daughter Sarah, 14, likes romance, heaped with froth or blood. My mother Anna, 67, a passionate gardener and birdwatcher, loves a good mystery. And the multi-tasking domestic goddess in the middle (that would be me) wants to be transported to foreign worlds.

We all have our favorites, but few of them overlap. However much I adored "There's Something About Mary," I cannot bring myself to watch the hair gel scene with the woman who still uses her own saliva to wipe schmutz off my cheek. And I'm sure my daughter has her own good reason for refusing to watch "Twilight" with Nana and me.

Occasionally, however, a movie comes along that miraculously bridges the generation gaps, and this past weekend we found it: "Letters to Juliet," a romantic comedy starring Academy Award winner Vanessa Redgrave and Amanda Seyfried (and coming to a theater near you May 14) had something for each of us: a lost letter, an Italian setting and two enchanting love stories.

The story centers on a popular tourist attraction in Verona, "Juliet's balcony," where the lovelorn can post letters to Shakespeare's fictional "Juliet," dutifully answered by a group of volunteers acting as Juliet's "secretaries."

Seyfried plays Sophie, an aspiring writer touring Italy with her fiance. She befriends Juliet's secretaries and answers a letter that had been hidden in the wall for 50 years. Her response inspires the letter's author, Claire, played by Redgrave, to return to Italy with her handsome grandson in search of her long-lost love.

This double love story is a film my daughter and I will surely watch more than once: she for the sparking of new love and me for the rekindling of old flames.

While I'm at it, here's my list of the all-time best movies to watch with mom, the next time you're in the mood for one.

"Mamma Mia"
This splashy musical has everything but the popcorn: A bride-to-be who helps run her mother's bed-and-breakfast on a small Greek island tries to solve the mystery of her paternity before she walks the aisle. Don't be surprised if you find yourself singing along to the infectious song track, even if you're indifferent to ABBA.


"My Big Fat Greek Wedding"
It's that rare movie that skillfully addresses oppressive family expectations while making everyone laugh. The chemistry between Nia Vardalos and John Corbett falls short of steamy, but this sweet film about a young woman coming into her own speaks to women of all ages.


"Legally Blonde"
Elle Woods proves it's more important to be smart than pretty, but best if you can manage both. The "bend and SNAP" scene somehow still gets a laugh out of me, even on my fifth viewing. This cup of froth is the perfect dessert for any young and old women who have brains and still love pink.


"Sabrina"
A nod to nostalgia. This Billy Wilder classic starring Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden is just as funny and tender as it was when it premiered 66 years ago. Hepburn is curiously modern in the role of Sabrina Fairchild, the chauffeur's daughter in love with the playboy son of her dad's employer.


"The Devil Wears Prada"
You don't have to be a fashionista to take a shine to this glamorous story about a bitchy boss and her ambitious underling. Not when the whole story is set at the juncture of two glitzy worlds: New York publishing and haute couture. I suggest limited viewings as this movie is hazardous to shopaholics.


"Pirates of the Carribean"
Will Turner and pirate Captain Jack Sparrow team up to save the governor's daughter from undead enemy pirates. With two-time "Sexiest Man Alive" winner Johnny Depp as the eccentric high-seas swashbuckler, this breathless action film will leave you and mom panting.

"Groundhog Day"
This is a quirky story about an arrogant TV weatherman who has to live the same day over and over before he gets the girl. You and your mom might leave this film wanting to debate the qualities that make for a perfect boyfriend. If this isn't a good topic for the two of you, avoid this one.

"Romeo and Juliet"
Thank you, Baz Luhrman, for making Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers -- played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Clare Danes -- hip to teens. This modern take on the greatest love story ever told makes the original iambic pentameter intelligible without a Penguin translation.



"Thelma and Louise"
This chick-buddy film starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis probably makes less sense to my daughter's generation, but that's a good thing. This 1991 film about female empowerment holds up. And it's fun to watch Brad Pitt in the role that gave him his start.



"Bring It On"
Whether you were cheer captain or stuck in the bleachers with Taylor Swift, this entertaining romp about a cheerleading squad fighting for the state title is as satisfying as a steaming plate of mashed potatoes. But more nourishing and less fattening.






Kim Kowsky is an award-winning journalist, screenwriter and copywriter who specializes in entertainment, education and medical writing. The former Los Angeles Times reporter started freelancing after the birth of her children and and earned an MFA in screenwriting from UCLA in 2000. Look for her newly-launched blog or follow her on twitter at kimkowsky.


Have a favorite mother-daughter flick of your own? Tell us in the comments. And Happy Mother's Day!