Mother Knows Best (song) siren motif" for Gothel's appearance and personality. A "big" musical number, "Mother Knows Best" begins within the first fifteen minutes of "Tangled" during the film's first act when, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Rapunzel finally summons enough courage to ask Gothel for permission to travel and see the floating lanterns in person. Gothel, whose eternal youth and beauty solely relies on the safety and protection of Rapunzel's magical hair, denies this request by sarcastically reminding her that "mother knows best," warning her ward that "the world is full of wicked people who want to steal her hair's magic,"
Mother Gothel vain woman who doesn't want immortality so much as she's determined to keep her profile taut, the film misses the chance to get seriously mythical, and as a result the narrative lacks dramatic impact." Meanwhile, Donna Murphy's vocal performance as Gothel has garnered unanimous praise. Critics hailed the actress as a "standout" – in particular, Lisa Schwarzbaum of "Entertainment Weekly" singled out Gothel as "a firecracker" amidst an otherwise "sedate" cast. Joe Morgenstern of "The Wall Street Journal "wrote that "Donna Murphy does evil deliciously as the voice of Mother Gothel", while "Now"s Norman Wilner felt that the actress successfully