Feminist films: 9 essentials to bring out the badass in you
We’ve spent a great deal of time complaining about the shortage of strong female leads on the small screen in the supposed Golden Age of television (as much as I love you Don, Walter and Rust). But opening this weekend at theatres is the British film Suffragette, was written and directed by women. Haller! The turn of the 20th century look at the early feminist movement and the historical bid to win women the right to vote stars Meryl Streep as women’s rights activist Emmeline Pankhurst, Helena Bonham Carter and cool-girl Carey Mulligan as a politicized wife and mother.
This turn of the 20th century look at the early feminist movement and the historical bid to win women the right to vote was also written and directed by women. Award-bait it might be, but Suffragette has also reminded us that hey, Hollywood is actually full of badass feminist roles. Below, we recommend eight essential female-led films (and one that serves ’em) to bring out the badass in you.
Thelma and Louise, 1991
Oh, to be Susan Sarandon. What woman hasn’t wanted to say: “You watch your mouth,” albeit under a less grim occasion than a recently shot rapist. This duo’s road trip might have gone awry but it brought Brad Pitt into the light of day and introduced a little known writer named Callie Khouri who won an Oscar for her original screenplay.
The Women, 1939
Sure, The Women is ultimately about infidelity, and these ladies aren’t always the most likeable lot, but the camaraderie and classism insight is fascinating. Most remarkable is what you don’t see: Men. That’s right, men are talked about a lot, but never seen on-camera. A woman wrote this all-female story originally for the stage, before it was adapted for the screen by two women, in the 1930s. We won’t even talk about the beautiful clothes and sets. It’s an anthropological and aspirational film in one.
Whale Rider, 2002
Sigh…so much going on in this indie New Zealand/German film about a young Maori girl prevented from rising through the ranks of her family tribe because of her gender. Whale Rider doesn’t sugar coat the challenges that exist within indigenous communities around the world, but it demonstrates how cultural traditions provide so much hope and meaning.
Girlhood, 2014
Celine Sciamma’s coming-of-age drama is set in an African-diaspora community outside Paris. Lovely Karidja Touré stars as Marieme a teenage girl frustrated by family neglect and lack of opportunity. Marieme finds acceptance among a tough group of girls, who right or wrong, give her the confidence she needs to move forward in a not so equitable world.
Happy Go-Lucky, 2008
Sally Hankins’s Poppy in Happy Go-Lucky is a rare bird. She’s bright, self-effacing and eternally optimistic. Her glass is always half-full. She’s neither a down-on-her luck single mom, nor a rocket scientist going into space, she’s everywoman. But when her mettle is challenged in the climactic scene, you see just how comfortable and strong Poppy is, despite being, well, normal.
Elizabeth, 1998
This historical biopic is a beautiful imagining of Queen Elizabeth I. In one of her first star turns Cate Blanchett made it easy to forget that any of her supporting male actors were there. Blanchett’s on-screen transformation from an unlikely girl-queen to ruler over England’s prosperous “Elizabethan” period is believable and applicable to anyone that’s grown into a role they thought they’d never fill.
Magic Mike XXL, 2015
Sure, on the surface this film seems like just a feast for the eyes but pay closer attention and you’ll see that it’s an unabashed celebration of female sexuality that isn’t limited by age or body shape or Tampa for that matter. The plot doesn’t even matter (Mike & co are en route to a stripper convention) when this crew is so focused on pleasuring women. It’s also highly entertaining, but best of all, you walk away from this film feeling like a queen.
Alien, 1979
Scholars have a lot of fun with Alien and its lead character Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) who spooked film goers while roaming through a “haunted’ spaceship.” Is Alien a feminist allegory? Is Ripley a metaphor for the act of mothering? Director Ridley Scott reportedly said the film “had absolutely no message,” so, who knows? Weaver went on to carry the Alien franchise, making Hunger Games and other women-led action flicks all the more possible.
Erin Brockovich, 2000
Not hating on Julia Roberts, but she’s a bit of a distraction from this film. It’s hard to forget that JULIA ROBERTS is playing this rough and tumble, environmental shit-disturber. But Steven Soderburgh’s super slow pacing and sun-drenched camera makes greatness of Susannah Grant’s screenplay. Is there a touch of Oprah to this film? Perhaps. But she who fosters grassroots activism shall inherit the earth.
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