Tropescilloscope: Missing Mom

A character's mother is absent. (read more at tvtropes.org)

More Tropes Asshole Victim Sequel Escalation Taking You with Me Framing Device Insult Backfire Victoria's Secret Compartment Mind Screw Action Prologue Breaking the Fourth Wall Not So Different Film Noir Index Vomit Indiscretion Shot Index of Film Westerns Pre-Asskicking One-Liner Christmas Movies Index Dual Wielding Nice Hat Kill 'em All As Long as It Sounds Foreign Adorkable Gainax Ending Fainting The Power of Love Anachronism Stew Heterosexual Life-Partners Anti-Hero Fantasy Films Creative Closing Credits Redemption Equals Death Adaptation Expansion Neck Lift '80s Hair Revenge Ax-Crazy Evil Is Petty Ambiguous Ending Defrosting Ice Queen Storming the Castle The Dreaded Sci-Fi Horror Gilligan Cut Crucified Hero Shot Cool Old Lady Badass Bookworm Woman Scorned Beauty Is Never Tarnished The Hero Attempted Rape May–December Romance She's Got Legs The Big Guy Brainless Beauty Never Trust a Trailer aka: Trailers Always Lie Artistic License – Military Badass Grandpa No OSHA Compliance Captain Obvious Air-Vent Passageway Immune to Bullets Dark Action Girl A.I. Is a Crapshoot Poor Communication Kills The Ace Anti-Villain Say My Name Accidental Murder Hero Antagonist Logo Joke Obviously Evil Title Drop Spanner in the Works Dramatic Irony Punch-Clock Villain All for Nothing Skewed Priorities Car Fu Big Brother Instinct The Quiet One Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome Ugly Guy, Hot Wife The Lancer The Alcoholic Super Strength Older Than They Look Daddy's Girl Those Two Guys An Aesop Anguished Declaration of Love Advertised Extra Mr. Fanservice The Oner Genre Throwback Arc Words It Will Never Catch On Developing Doomed Characters Plot Hole Does Not Like Shoes Missing Mom Expy Flipping the Bird Non-Indicative Name Bloodless Carnage Based on a True Story Adapted Out The Remake Damsel in Distress Even Evil Has Standards Brutal Honesty Conspicuous CG Italian Films Chuck Cunningham Syndrome Defiant to the End folderlabel There Is No Kill Like Overkill Our Vampires Are Different Rich Bitch Suspiciously Specific Denial Mooks Big Applesauce Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas Due to the Dead Eagleland She Cleans Up Nicely Paper-Thin Disguise Big Bad Duumvirate Improbable Aiming Skills Domestic Abuse Broken Pedestal Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds The Place Artistic License – Biology Kill It with Fire The Bully You Killed My Father The Mole Knight Templar Bilingual Bonus Faux Affably Evil One Steve Limit Obfuscating Stupidity Noodle Incident Visual Pun The Musical Rape as Drama Actually Pretty Funny Adaptational Heroism Lampshade Hanging Villain with Good Publicity Mythology Gag Even Evil Has Loved Ones Brick Joke Coming-of-Age Story Canadian Movies Wounded Gazelle Gambit Dull Surprise A Father to His Men Love at First Sight Villain Protagonist Tempting Fate Truth in Television Country Matters Dark Reprise Dirty Coward Playing Gertrude Chiaroscuro Apocalypse How Man on Fire Better to Die than Be Killed Book-Ends Ship Tease Line-of-Sight Name World of Ham Character Development Police are Useless Mr. Exposition Combat Pragmatist Meaningful Echo Gone Horribly Right Only a Flesh Wound Tagline Animal Motifs Cain and Abel Stuff Blowing Up Dogged Nice Guy French Films Stealth Pun Bittersweet Ending Bland-Name Product Those Wacky Nazis Pimped-Out Dress A Minor Kidroduction Word of God Pragmatic Villainy Sexy Discretion Shot Spiteful Spit Action Survivor I Want My Beloved to Be Happy Ascended Extra Cool Old Guy Spell My Name with an "S" No Antagonist Offscreen Teleportation Big Damn Heroes The Alleged Car Military and Warfare Films "Awesome McCool" Name Big "NO!" Sadistic Choice MacGuffin Reality Has No Subtitles This Is Gonna Suck Your Head A-Splode You Have Failed Me Bi the Way Time Skip Shout-Out Jump Scare Double-Meaning Title Badass Normal Running Gag Hell Is That Noise BFG Annoying Younger Sibling Friend to All Children Grey and Gray Morality Funny Background Event Evil vs. Evil Taking the Bullet Good Is Not Nice Unspoken Plan Guarantee Lock and Load Montage Shirtless Scene Dressing as the Enemy Blood Knight Dropped a Bridge on Him Bring My Brown Pants Despair Event Horizon Shown Their Work Russian Films Artistic License – Law Curse Cut Short Guns Akimbo Cool Car Arranged Marriage Market-Based Title Screw the Money, I Have Rules! Destination Defenestration Translation Convention Manchild Facial Horror Face–Heel Turn Gory Discretion Shot Hero of Another Story Be Careful What You Wish For Driven to Suicide You Have Outlived Your Usefulness Pyrrhic Victory Meaningful Background Event Alpha Bitch Early-Bird Cameo Pretty in Mink I Need a Freaking Drink Black and Gray Morality An Axe to Grind A God Am I Mood Whiplash Historical Hero Upgrade Hidden Depths Posthumous Character A Date with Rosie Palms Together in Death And Starring Fiery Redhead Adult Fear Shell-Shocked Veteran Here We Go Again! All There in the Manual Politically Incorrect Villain Evil-Detecting Dog Brother–Sister Incest Hooker with a Heart of Gold Horror Comedy Foregone Conclusion Call-Forward Male Gaze Adaptation Distillation In the Back Drugs Are Bad Badass in a Nice Suit Ominous Latin Chanting Artistic License – Physics Deliberate Values Dissonance Bloodier and Gorier Morality Pet Martial Arts Movie Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene Aside Glance Anyone Can Die Blonde, Brunette, Redhead Big Bad Awesome, but Impractical Affectionate Parody Animated Credits Opening Celebrity Paradox Unresolved Sexual Tension No-Sell timeperiod Bar Brawl Not What It Looks Like Half the Man He Used to Be Children Are Innocent Names to Run Away from Really Fast It's All About Me Interrupted Suicide Match Cut Fate Worse than Death Neck Snap Dark and Troubled Past Take That! Stealth Hi/Bye Informed Ability Fire-Forged Friends Love Triangle Authority Equals Asskicking Death Glare Fourth Date Marriage One-Word Title The Atoner Parental Abandonment Get Out! Henpecked Husband Took a Level in Jerkass Documentary Humans Are Bastards Killed Mid-Sentence Rule of Three Crapsack World Dirty Cop Vacation Films Auto Erotica Sassy Black Woman Deal with the Devil Narrator Gold Digger Punny Name Shut Up, Hannibal! All There in the Script Recycled IN SPACE! Dirty Old Man Canon Foreigner Break the Haughty The '60s Green-Eyed Monster Department of Redundancy Department Twist Ending Jerkass Has a Point Creepy Child Evil Cannot Comprehend Good "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue Accidental Misnaming Mystery and Detective Films Small Name, Big Ego Only One Name Cool Guns An Arm and a Leg Bullying a Dragon Australian Movies The Stoner Homage Amusing Injuries Determinator I Have Your Wife Mighty Whitey Suddenly SHOUTING! Shipper on Deck Heel Realization The Dragon Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism Fanservice Bare Your Midriff The Dog Bites Back Malevolent Masked Men Arch-Enemy Hoist by His Own Petard Madness Mantra Leave the Camera Running Riddle for the Ages Red Eyes, Take Warning The Smurfette Principle Bound and Gagged Broken Bird Closed Circle Kick the Dog Final Girl Famous Last Words Black Comedy Every Car Is a Pinto Drives Like Crazy The Un-Favourite aka: The Un Favorite Gorn Loads and Loads of Characters Honor Before Reason Handicapped Badass Sacrificial Lion Card-Carrying Villain Big-Bad Ensemble Offscreen Moment of Awesome Self-Deprecation Toplessness from the Back Catch-Phrase Badass Boast Slasher Smile Call-Back Epic Fail Papa Wolf Dies Wide Open Cowboy Cop Belligerent Sexual Tension Instant Death Bullet Film Noir The Smart Guy Room Full of Crazy Ms. Fanservice Race Against the Clock Danny Peary Cult Movies List Betty and Veronica Eldritch Abomination Manipulative Bastard Continuity Nod Maybe Ever After Roger Ebert: Great Movies List Evil Counterpart Ambiguous Disorder Vomit Discretion Shot Evil Brit I Just Shot Marvin in the Face N-Word Privileges Pun aka: Incredibly Lame Pun Not So Above It All Double Entendre Ripped from the Headlines Overprotective Dad What Happened to the Mouse? Throwing Your Sword Always Works Romantic Comedy Affably Evil True Companions Sinister Minister My Greatest Failure Adaptational Attractiveness Mundane Made Awesome Agony of the Feet Everyone Has Standards Captain Ersatz Extremely Short Timespan Worthy Opponent Disappeared Dad Rule of Funny Zombie Stories Pay Evil unto Evil The Sociopath Badass Longcoat Star-Crossed Lovers My Beloved Smother Cat Scare Historical In-Joke Evil Plan Straight Gay Fan Disservice Imagine Spot NO INDOOR VOICE From Nobody to Nightmare Fun with Acronyms Yandere The Un-Reveal Retcon And I Must Scream Only in It for the Money Dramatic Gun Cock Gender Flip Abhorrent Admirer Video Credits Hope Spot Adaptational Badass Red Shirt Armor-Piercing Question Rule of Cool Bond Villain Stupidity Show Within a Show "The Reason You Suck" Speech Thriller Off with His Head! Precision F-Strike Grievous Bottley Harm Historical Villain Upgrade Early Installment Weirdness Soft Glass Broken Aesop Darkest Hour Serial Killer Author Appeal Anachronic Order Reckless Gun Usage Freudian Excuse Dwindling Party Would Hit a Girl Artistic License – Gun Safety Cruel and Unusual Death Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday In Name Only Moment Killer Batman Gambit Romantic False Lead Beta Couple Undying Loyalty Femme Fatale Your Cheating Heart Insane Troll Logic Left the Background Music On Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep" Hypocritical Humor Psycho for Hire Nice Job Breaking It, Hero! The Bad Guy Wins Genre Savvy Mad Scientist Epic Movie Off-into-the-Distance Ending Greater-Scope Villain Vampire Fiction The '70s Mistaken for Gay Rated M for Manly Impaled with Extreme Prejudice Not So Stoic Laughing Mad Re-Cut Funny Foreigner Hollywood Darkness Bowdlerise Parental Substitute Darker and Edgier For Want of a Nail Adaptation Name Change Hong Kong Films Spiritual Successor Death by Sex Author Avatar Eureka Moment Major Injury Underreaction Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! Really Gets Around Overly Long Gag Improbable Infant Survival aka: Infant Immortality Deus ex Machina Stalker with a Crush Never Trust a Trailer Same Language Dub Reality Is Unrealistic Blatant Lies Token Minority Have a Gay Old Time Reasonable Authority Figure Creator Cameo Break the Cutie Black Comedy Rape Setting Update Extreme Doormat Red Herring La Résistance And the Adventure Continues Serious Business Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy Jitter Cam Blood from the Mouth Big Eater Freeze-Frame Bonus Retirony Fatal Flaw Camera Abuse Rewatch Bonus Science Fiction Films Chekhov's Skill Protagonist Title Central Theme Novelization Those Two Bad Guys Death Seeker Disguised in Drag Psychological Thriller Rasputinian Death Failed a Spot Check Screw the Rules, I Have Money! Disney Villain Death Mexican Standoff Beard of Evil Put on a Bus Police Brutality Karma Houdini Kubrick Stare Bitch in Sheep's Clothing I Did What I Had to Do No-Holds-Barred Beatdown Cloudcuckoolander Woman in White Heroic Sacrifice Heroes Want Redheads The Great Depression Whole Plot Reference Happily Married The Stoic The Film of the Book You Have Got to Be Kidding Me! Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer Sir Swears-a-Lot Jerk Jock Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold Corpsing He Who Fights Monsters Dark Is Not Evil Foil Ghost Fiction Outrun the Fireball All Just a Dream Not Using the "Z" Word Sequel Hook Shower Scene Deconstruction Smoking Is Cool Ungrateful Bastard Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane War Is Hell Berserk Button Foreshadowing Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other Scenery Gorn Married to the Job Drowning My Sorrows Jerk with a Heart of Gold Naked People Are Funny Red Right Hand Hair-Trigger Temper The Voiceless Fingore Bad "Bad Acting" Sealed Evil in a Can Adaptation Dye-Job Wretched Hive Nothing Is Scarier Manly Tears Laser-Guided Karma Superhero Guile Hero Only Sane Man More Dakka Face Death with Dignity Groin Attack Sole Survivor Girl-on-Girl Is Hot Five-Man Band Mercy Kill No Name Given Television Movie Index Babies Ever After Four-Temperament Ensemble Would Hurt a Child Sports Stories Meet Cute Decoy Protagonist Dying Moment of Awesome Nice Guy Men Are the Expendable Gender Insistent Terminology Casting Gag Deliberately Monochrome Chewing the Scenery Beware the Nice Ones Race Lift Historical-Domain Character Unusual Euphemism Light Is Not Good Eyepatch of Power Downer Ending Corrupt Corporate Executive The Load No Ending Monumental Damage The Starscream Nice Job Fixing It, Villain! Peek-a-Boo Corpse Camp Gay Important Haircut How We Got Here Dutch Angle Black Dude Dies First The Chessmaster No Good Deed Goes Unpunished Cluster F-Bomb Diabolus ex Machina Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil Age Lift Bolivian Army Ending Our Zombies Are Different As Himself Hollywood Law Made of Explodium 20 Minutes into the Future Fatal Family Photo Butt-Monkey The Lost Lenore Retired Badass Parental Neglect Stock Footage The Ditz Evil Is Hammy Colour-Coded for Your Convenience aka: Color Coded For Your Convenience Disproportionate Retribution Tap on the Head Dumb Blonde Exact Words The Vamp Wrong Genre Savvy Sanity Slippage The Mafia The Ghost Drill Sergeant Nasty Screw This, I'm Outta Here! Film Series Abusive Parents The Hero Dies Knife Nut Eiffel Tower Effect Crazy-Prepared B-Movie Public Domain Feature Films Villain Ball Jerkass Mama Bear The Faceless Calling the Old Man Out Manic Pixie Dream Girl Big Fancy House No Celebrities Were Harmed Pre-Mortem One-Liner Chekhov's Gun The '90s From Bad to Worse Scenery Porn Becoming the Mask Blackmail Wham Shot The Reveal Horror Films Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping Fat Bastard Pragmatic Adaptation Obstructive Bureaucrat Loophole Abuse "Well Done, Son!" Guy Aluminum Christmas Trees Real Life Writes the Plot Villain Opening Scene Flashback Antagonist Title Exactly What It Says on the Tin Naïve Newcomer Artistic License – History Does This Remind You of Anything? Almost Kiss Motor Mouth Death of a Child Very Loosely Based on a True Story Biopic Works Set in World War II The Chick Improvised Weapon Unwitting Instigator of Doom Training Montage Well-Intentioned Extremist Didn't Think This Through Male Frontal Nudity The Cavalry Lighter and Softer Scary Black Man Earn Your Happy Ending Bald of Evil The '80s Fantastic Racism The Cameo Let's Get Dangerous! Once More, with Clarity! Rule of Symbolism Catapult Nightmare Meaningful Name Fish out of Water Cool Shades Costume Porn Ambiguously Gay Why Don't You Just Shoot Him? My God, What Have I Done? Only Known by Their Nickname Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass Pet the Dog Humiliation Conga Did Not Get the Girl Death by Adaptation Bad Boss Needs Wiki Magic Love Real Life Made of Iron Rousing Speech Ragtag Bunch of Misfits Not Quite Dead Gratuitous English Never My Fault Pretty Little Headshots Chase Scene Red Oni, Blue Oni Vitriolic Best Buds Stylistic Suck Heroic BSoD Kick the Son of a Bitch Smug Snake Plucky Comic Relief Large Ham Totally Radical Villain Song Never Found the Body After the End Properly Paranoid Bottomless Magazines Irony Disney Death Suspiciously Similar Substitute Leaning on the Fourth Wall Credits Gag British Films Comically Missing the Point Fake Shemp Cassandra Truth Cat Fight Frame-Up Mugging the Monster Adaptational Villainy What the Hell, Hero? Covers Always Lie Daylight Horror Demoted to Extra The Stinger Scare Chord Unreliable Narrator The End... Or Is It? Bavarian Fire Drill O.O.C. Is Serious Business Reality Ensues Improbable Weapon User I'm a Humanitarian Determinator aka: The Determinator Hypocrite Wicked Cultured Tranquil Fury Bait-and-Switch Dramedy Body Horror Spared by the Adaptation Leitmotif The '50s Toilet Humour aka: Toilet Humor Composite Character "Shaggy Dog" Story Kids Are Cruel German Films Death by Irony All Men Are Perverts Crazy Jealous Guy Up to Eleven Villainous Breakdown Enemy Mine What You Are in the Dark Alliterative Name Actor Allusion Establishing Character Moment Refuge in Audacity Action Girl Parental Incest Back from the Dead Idiot Ball The Casanova Award-Bait Song Bury Your Gays Japanese Films Shoot the Shaggy Dog Deadpan Snarker Evil Laugh Dissonant Serenity Take a Third Option Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique Eye Scream Implacable Man Random Events Plot Ironic Echo Last-Name Basis Silence Is Golden Roaring Rampage of Revenge Artistic License – Geography Make It Look Like an Accident Punctuated! For! Emphasis! It's Personal As the Good Book Says... The X of Y Expository Hairstyle Change Product Placement Bunny-Ears Lawyer Contrived Coincidence Boom, Headshot! Music Stories Easily Forgiven In Medias Res Genre Shift One-Man Army Slashed Throat Slap-Slap-Kiss Cold-Blooded Torture Intergenerational Friendship Recap / RiffTrax aka: Riff Trax Movies Why Did It Have to Be Snakes? Heel–Face Turn Trailers Always Spoil Empathic Environment Hate Sink Evil Sounds Deep Stepford Smiler It Can Think Fanservice Extra Unusually Uninteresting Sight Wham Line As You Know Distracted by the Sexy Faking the Dead Silent Movie Adults Are Useless Redshirt Army Took a Level in Badass Ass Shove Psychopathic Manchild Too Dumb to Live Amoral Attorney Intrepid Reporter All Girls Want Bad Boys Bond One-Liner Black Best Friend He Knows Too Much Soundtrack Dissonance Chekhov's Gunman Animal Title Index Bloody Hilarious Not Even Bothering with the Accent Depraved Bisexual The Brute Alas, Poor Villain Karmic Death Getting Crap Past the Radar Oh, Crap! Slasher Movie Curb-Stomp Battle For the Evulz Demonic Possession Action Genre