Oh, mama!

It couldn't have been coincidence or ''shuffle'' programming that put these movies on cable on Mother's Day:

First, "Saving Private Ryan," a World War II-theme film whose plot is kick-started with the news that some American woman is about to get telegrams, all on the same day, informing her that she is a three-time Gold Star mother: three of her sons have been killed in combat.

And then, the remake of "The Manchurian Candidate," with Meryl Streep managing to get the edge even on the uber-creepy Angela Lansbury as the mother not from hell but worse -- from a sinister global corporation.

What, did I oversleep and miss ''Serial Mom''?

Thanks, Time Warner Cable -- but a card would have been just fine.