Reel Milk: Breastfeeding on the Big Screen

2011-03-18T02:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you Tanya Lieberman of the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog for tipping me off to the most recent feature film to celebrate breastfeeding... the Oscar-nominated film Biutiful (2010), starring Javier Bardem. Scroll down for a complete list of US and International films with breastfeeding scenes.

Lovely breastfeeding scene in "Precious"

2009-12-31T04:59:00.000-08:00

Went to see the film Precious (2009, USA) last night and was surprised to see a very tender depiction of breastfeeding. Precious is a teenage girl who has endured extreme physical, sexual and emotional abuse throughout her life. Just after giving birth to her second child, she is shown nursing him in her hospital bed. It is a quiet and loving moment, one of the few in a very rough film. In this scene, the rest of the painful world that Precious inhabits falls away for a few moments. Kudos to the filmmakers for depicting breastfeeding in such a straightforward and affirming way.

And two more...

2009-09-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Impromptu (1991, USA, set in France)

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928, France, silent film)

Two new movies with breastfeeding references in 2009...

2009-08-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

The Hangover (USA, 2009)

Away We Go (USA, 2009)

Another one...

2009-03-06T03:44:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Tanya Lieberman of the Motherwear Breastfeeding blog for alerting me to another recent breastfeeding sighting in a Hollywood movie -- "The Women" (USA, 2008), with a star-studded cast including Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mended, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Bette Midler, Candice Bergen and Carrie Fisher.

Breastfeeding in Movies - recent additions

2009-02-19T19:01:00.000-08:00

I've added a few new ones to the list:

My Best Friend's Girl

Four Christmases

Grace

Savage Grace

Reel Milk in Blog-land!

2008-09-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

I have enjoyed hearing from many over the last couple of weeks and learning of your interest in this project and want to keep you "abreast" of the latest developments...

"Reel Milk" has begun to make its way into the wide world of blogs:

The Huffington Post

The Well Mom

Picket Fence Post

Writer Mom

News Media Magazine

The Boob Lady's Blog

Baby Fingers

One Hand Clapping

Medications and More Newsletter from Hale Publishing (ibreastfeeding.com)

Amazon.com

Memories as a Mom

Divine Caroline

Mothering Magazine discussion boards

Motherwear blog (podcast interview)

I have included a "comment" function below so that we can start a dialogue...

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Sarah

International Films

2008-07-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

Following is a list I have compiled of films from around the world that somehow depict or discuss breastfeeding. Films I have not seen yet are in orange, so again there is no guarantee that they belong on this list. Thise in italics depict nursing animals, not humans. Underlined titles are linked to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB):

US-made, English-language films set in other countries:

Clash of the Titans (1981, USA - set in ancient Greece/Rome)

Girl With a Pearl Earring (2003, USA - set in Holland)

Good Morning, Vietnam (1987, USA - set in Vietnam)
Impromptu (1991, USA - set in France)
In the Time of the Butterflies (2000, USA - set in Dominican Republic)

Last Emperor, The (1987, USA - set in China)

Marie Antoinette (2006, USA - made and set in France)

Mighty Heart, A (2007, USA - set in Pakistan)

Original Sin (2000, USA - set in Cuba, Morocco)

Peacemaker, The (1997, USA - set in Bosnia, USA)

Rules of Engagement (2000, USA - set in Yemen, USA)

Savior (1997, USA - set in Serbia, France)

Spartacus (1960, USA - set in ancient Rome)

Total Eclipse (1995, USA - set in France)

Turistas (2006, USA - set in Brazil)

The Wild Bunch (1969, USA - set in Mexico)

International Films (*= English language films):

* A Clockwork Orange (1971, UK)

Aksharaya (2005, India - Hindi)

Amator (1979, Poland)

* Anna Karenina (1948, UK)

At the Breast/Gatas Sa Dibdib Ng Kaaway (2001, Phillippines)

Bamako (2006, Mali)

Barefoot Gen/Hadashi No Gen (1983, Japan)

Barney's Version (2010, Canada)
Betty Blue/37°2 le matin (1986, France)

Biutiful (2010, Spain)

Black Moon (1975, France)

Burial Ground/Notti del Terrore (1981, Italy)

Carnival in Flanders/Kermesse héroïque, La (1935, France)

* Constant Gardener, The (2005, UK - set in UK, Kenya)

* Cotton Mary (1999, India/UK)

* Dreaming Lhasa (2005, India/Tibet)

Doodh Ka Karz (1990, India -Hindi)

Emigrants, The (Sweden)

* Excalibur (1981, UK)

Everybody's Fine/Stanno Tutti Bene (1990, Italy)

* Friends (1971, UK)

Friends for Life/Freundinnen fürs Leben (1996, Germany)

Germinal (1993, France)

* Ghost Son (2006, South Africa)

Going Places/Les Valseuses (1974, France)

Gratis (Phillipines)

* Hard Word, The (2002, AUS/UK)

Harry's Daughters/Harrys Döttrar (2005, Sweden)

Helga - Vom Werden des menschlichen Lebens (1967, Germany)

* House of Voices/Saint Ange (2004, France)

Hungarian Fairy Tale/Hol volt, hol nem volt (1987, Hungary)

I am Dina (2002, Norway)

* Jindabyne (2006, Australia)

Ju Dou (1990, China)

Kanhai de Rizi (1983, Taiwan)

Khal Naaikaa (1993, India - Hindi)

Komissar (1967, Russia)

* Last Days of Chez Nous, The (1992, Australia)

* Legend of 1900/Leggenda del pianista sull'oceano, La (1999, Italy - set in USA)

*Let's Talk (2002, India - English)

Like Water for Chocolate/Como Agua Para Chocolate (1993, Mexico)
Little Saints/Santitos (1999, Mexico)
Leonera/Lion's Den (2008, Argentina)

Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (Japan)
Mad Love/Juana La Loca (2001, Spain)

Tum Aur Main (1946, India)

Matritto (Bangladesh)

Matritya (India)

Milky Way, The (1981)

* Millions (Ireland)

Munthanai Mudichu (1984, India - Tamil)

My Father's Glory/Gloire de mon père, La (1990, France)
Nanny, The/La Balia (1999, Italy)

Nippon Konchuki (1963, Japan)

La Nourrice (2004, France)

Lady Chatterley (2006, France)

Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988, Italy)

* O Lucky Man (1973, UK)

* On the Old Roman Road (2001 - Armenia/Germany/Netherlands)

Ossos (1997, Portugal)

Passion de Jeanne d'Arc, La (1928, Denmark)

Parvarish/Upbringing (1977, India - Hindi)

Passion of Beatrice, The/Passion Béatrice, La (1987, France)

Piacare, Il (1985, Italy)

Pixote: A Lei do Mais Fraco (1981, Brazil)
Ponyo (2008, Japan)

Ram teri Ganga Maili (1985, India)

Rembrandt

Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey, The (2005, India)

* Romeo and Juliet (1968, Italy)

Smilla's Sense of Snow (20o3, New Zealand - set in NZ, Greenland)

Snapper, The (1993, Ireland)

* Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie (1999, Japan - also released in English in USA)

Story of the Weeping Camel, The (2003, Mongolia)

Sunday's Children/Sondagsbarn (1992, Sweden)

Sorceress (1995, USA)

* Sweet Hereafter, The (Canada)

Tampopo (1985, Japan)

Tango (1981, Poland - animated short)
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928, France)

* The Tempest (1980, UK)

Tess (1980 UK/France)

Time to Leave/Le Temps qui reste (2005, France)

Tokyo Godfathers (Japan)

Tongpan (Thailand)

* Tsotsi (2005, South Africa)

Tunnel, Der (2001, Germany)

* Twelfth Night (1996, UK)

U Pana Boga w ogrodoku (2007, Poland)

Vie Sexuelle des Belges 1950-1978, La (1994, Belgium - French)

Visitor Q/Bijitâ Q (2001, Japan)

* The Wicker Man (1973, UK)

* Zardoz (1974, UK/Ireland)

US Films

2008-07-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

Following is a list of films made and set in the US that show, mention, or somehow refer to breastfeeding or breastmilk. I have not seen those in orange text yet, so cannot guarantee that they belong. Those in italics depict nursing animals, not humans. My intention is to exclude pornographic material from the lists, but since I have not seen all movies on the list, I cannot guarantee the content of all films. Underlined titles are linked to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB):

Above the Law (1988, USA)

Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights (2002, USA)

Angie (1994, USA)
Away We Go (2009, USA)

Baby Mama (2008, USA)
Beastmaster, The (1982, USA)

Beloved (1998, USA)

Betsy, The (1978, USA)

Blue Lagoon, The (1980, USA)

Charlotte's Web (1973, USA - animated)

Charlotte's Web (2006, USA - live action)

Child Under a Leaf (1974, USA)

Cold Mountain (2003, USA)

Crossing Delancey (1988, USA)
Cyrus (2010, USA)