Perhaps no director has explored the bittersweet, quotidian tragedy of the mother-son bond like the Japanese master Yasujirō Ozu. In Late Spring (1949) and Tokyo Story (1953), Ozu presents the separation as a necessary, solemn ritual. In Late Spring , a widowed father conspires to marry off his adult daughter—but the mirror image is the son’s departure from the mother. The film’s genius lies in what is not said: the long silences, the perfectly arranged rooms, the small gestures of making tea. The son’s leaving is not a dramatic rebellion but a quiet acceptance of life’s lonely architecture. The mother’s smile, as she watches him go, contains both her love and her grief.

in Terminator 2 represents a shift toward maternal "toughness," where a mother must be a warrior to ensure her son’s survival and future leadership. Popular Mother Son Relationships Books - Goodreads