Who is Liz's Mother?

Liz's mother, called Mrs. Buxbaum in this guide, died when Liz was in fifth grade. She continues to be an important part of Liz's life, mainly because Liz assumes that her mother's attitudes about love were life advice. Because of this, Liz has unrealistic ideas about love and romance. It is only as Liz approaches adulthood that she realizes the plot line of romantic movies cannot be applied to real life.