Mothers of dreams… and of hell

Our call to all regarding the best TV mother has not gone unnoticed. Neither is the one about the worst. After counting the votes, two names predominate from one end of the spectrum to the other: Isabelle in The eye of the storm and Edith in With a beating heart. Do we really need to specify which is which?

Played by Christine Beaulieu for four seasons now, Isabelle has visibly touched the million viewers who watch assiduously The eye of the storm on ICI Télé. “Attentive”, “comforting”, “funny friendly”, “dynamic”, “human”, “sensitive”… Laudatory terms abound by email.

In an interview, the show’s content producer and text advisor, Dominic Anctil, welcomes these results with pride. “With this series, I wanted to pay tribute to mothers. Isabelle is an everyday heroine who doesn’t miss anything: emails from school, the children, the job… She juggles eight balls at the same time. She handles all the mental load. »

For her part, Christine Beaulieu claims to be moved every time she receives kind words from the public. “I play Isabelle with all my heart and all my sincerity. There are a lot of mothers who come to see me and are like: “I’m the same as Isabelle! My children tell me it’s me!” Because I don’t have children, I find it super touching. That means that I managed to convey what they are experiencing. »

Fernande, Marie-Luce and company

Isabelle is ahead of a maternal figure from a decade ago: Fernande in What a family ! (1969-1974). Played by Janette Bertrand, this character has left its mark on a whole generation of television fans, who keep the memory of an “avant-garde”, “feminist” and “loving” housewife, according to the emails collected.

Elisabeth (Sandrine Bisson) in Raspberry time (2022-2024) also received several votes. Respondents praise his strength in adversity.

Marie-Thérèse Fortin also appears on the board. For Françoise in Charlotte’s world (2000-2004) and A world apart (2004-2006), Claire in RAMs (2013-2017) and Judith in The perfect moments (2021-2023). In an interview, the actress praises the work of authors, who depict mothers to whom we easily become attached.

Marie-Thérèse Fortin knows a thing or two about matriarchal characters. Her acting resume includes several. “When I was at school [le Conservatoire d’art dramatique du Québec], I was everyone’s mother! I have always been associated a lot with the roles of mothers. I think I’ve always had this fiber. I come from a large family. We took care of each other. With my friends, I am also very mothering. You can’t do anything against your own nature! »

Another contemporary character mentioned in several answers: Marie-Luce in 5^e rank (2019-2024). Played by Maude Guérin, the Valmont resident ruled her little world with an iron fist until last March, when the rural drama by Sylvie Lussier and Pierre Poirier left the air on ICI Télé.

On the phone, Maude Guérin admits to being “very happy” to see that Marie-Luce has won the hearts of many readers. “I miss her,” admits the actress. I put a lot of myself into Marie-Luce: my convictions, my strength… She was a mother to everyone around her. She was very protective. Like her, I tend to take people under my wing. And like her, I’m a gang girl. »

Honorable mentions to Nathalie (Anne Dorval) in The parents (2008-2016), Rolande (Marie-Ginette Guay) in Discussions with my parents (2018-2024), Annie (Guylaine Tremblay) in Annie and her men (2002-2009), Jeanne Jacquemin (Marjolaine Hébert) in Human Earth (1978-1984) and Catherine (Céline Bonnier) in A criminal case (2022), who “fought to the end for her son”.

The “fine steps”

Among the worst models of mothers, those who haunt readers’ nightmares, one name far exceeds the others, that of Edith Leclerc in With a beating heart (2023-2024). This domination does not really surprise her interpreter, Micheline Lanctôt. Since she portrays this woman who – among other things – mistreated her child, the reactions have been strong, as evidenced by the emails that have been coming in in droves since our call to all.

A “detestable”, “toxic”, “egocentric” and “manipulative” mother, believe fans of Danielle Trottier’s soap opera. “What a monster!” », says a reader. “A fine step,” wrote another.

In an interview, Micheline Lanctôt speaks of Édith as a great acting challenge. “I wanted it to be credible. But I didn’t want her to be vile. I wanted to bring out his humanity. Because above all, she is a deeply damaged person…damaging her children. »

Micheline Lanctôt’s performance is appreciated. Many readers who hate Edith point out the actress’s “excellent work”. Danielle Trottier agrees. “When you work with an artist like her, who completely takes on the character, it’s reassuring. »

With Édith Leclerc, the author wanted to show to what extent violence takes place “in time”. “In a family, it can come from far away. When you don’t stop it, it can last a very long time. It can ruin the existence of several people. »

Danielle Trottier was not inspired by a particular person to build this character.

Other mothers our readers call nightmares include Louise Robinson (Alexa-Jeanne Dubé) in Witches (2024), Madeleine (Sylvie Léonard) in Let go (2017-2020), Michelle (Louise Turcot) in 19-2 (2011-2015) and Nancy Riopelle (Geneviève Schmidt) in District 31 (2016-2022).

The Bougon case

A detail to note is that a mother found herself among the worst as well as the best matriarchs. Her name ? Rita Bougon. Some readers did not mince their words to describe the character defended by Louison Danis from 2004 to 2006 on the small screen: “thief”, “depraved”, “smoker”, “bad mouth”, lark! According to Hélène Baril de Blainville, the matriarch had a moral sense barely higher than “her bottle of Pepsi”.

Among the hundreds of emails received, one defended the honor of Maman Bougon. The message came from a certain François Avard, author of Grumpy. Reached by telephone, the screenwriter admitted to being surprised – and rather sad – to learn that Rita Bougon was one of the worst mother models of certain readers.

“Because she loved her children,” continues the author. She transmitted to them values ​​of freedom, creativity, resourcefulness… She told them that they had to refuse to be sheep behind the dictates of a society which wants everyone to walk straight to be at the service of the richer. These were anarchic values, but certainly valid. She was very open-minded. »

“It’s another era, another way of thinking. When I was growing up, before going to school, I would eat lunch in front of my grandmother who was smoking her cigarette. It was like that. I am not dead. I didn’t feel like she was a bad grandmother, because she loved us very much and took care of the rest of us. »