Excuse me for posting even though I'm not a man ; but when MaryCas mentioned Mama Corleone, I wanted to chime in with my (counter) opinion (which doesn't mean MaryCas is wrong; we just have different positions -- or maybe his view of her is based more on the book, while my view is arrived at just by what I saw in the movie).

But here's my blunt assessment:

Mama Corleone was an inhabitant of her own little domestic universe wherein she turned a blind eye to the criminal activities around her (not strong, IMO), believed in non-interference when her daughter was being abused by her husband (not compassionate), and didn't have a clue what Michael was talking about when he came to her with his anxieties about losing his family (not wise).

Yes, Mama raised four children lovingly, no doubt, and possessed a commendable sense of responsibility even for her grandchildren (as seen in GF2 when she scolds Connie for being an absentee mother to her two young sons). But a great many mothers are like this. It is Mama's unquestioning acceptance of the riches of crime, her utter subservience and dependence, and her unwillingness to open her eyes and see what's going on (she actually tries to persuade Connie that Michael didn't have Carlo killed; Mama, wake up -- your son's a mafia don) that, in my opinion, combine to make her not particularly admirable to me. That's just my two cents .