Top 10 Reasons Gooberzilla's Mom should watch Akira:

10. Wikipedia states, "The movie led the way for the growing popularity of anime 
in the West, with Akira considered a forerunner of the second wave of anime 
fandom that began in the early 1990s." And if Wikipedia says it then it's got to 
be true. I read that on Wikipedia. (1)
9. It's a very well animated movie that has stood the test of time due to its 
stunning hand drawn visuals and ambitious plot. 
8. Akira is a movie that has inspired countless artists on both sides of the 
Pacific.
7. After watching Akira your mom can understand, catch, and make Akira 
references making her an even more valuable co-host. 
6. You can talk about how you have read the manga  (even if you have not) and 
how it's infinitely superior to the movie and how you look down on everyone who 
has not read the manga because they are lesser anime fans and lesser human 
beings (even if you don't believe that).  
As a side note: I know you can do this because I know people who do this. 
5. Most Anime pod casts will not cover Akira because EVERYONE who is an anime 
fan has either seen Akira or is purposely not seeing Akira.
4. Despite that it's an interesting movie to analyze just as a movie free from 
its context as a piece of anime history. Your mom would bring a non-anime fan's 
view of a movie that too often can only be discussed in it's relation to anime 
as whole. 
3. It might make Dave and Joel do an Akira Pod cast and that would be pretty 
sweet. 
2. You mom seems rather adamant on going to an anime convention. Nothing will 
dissuade her about going to a convention quicker than watching Akira.
1. Schadenfreude pure and simple. 

(1) Although it did state that that article about Wikipedia being right all the 
time needed to be edited.  

- Alain Mendez