Recent Posts
Entertainment March 26, 2020
Nostalgic feels without misogynistic cringe
Have you ever sat down to rewatch a long-beloved classic, only to find yourself cringing at rigidly enforced gender stereotypes and the shocking lack of strong female characters? As we become more attuned to political correctness and equal representation, it can be challenging to find a classic film that doesn’t offend our modern sensibilities. But don’t despair! For all the classic cinema aficionados out there, we’ve compiled a list of true feminist movies that are sure to empower, and hopefully get you thinking.
Right off the bat, here’s a movie directed by a woman (the iconic Penny Marshall), with a majority female cast. “A League Of Their Own” is set in World War II ravaged America. With all the athletic men enlisted, a professional women’s league is started in the midwest. Geena Davis and Lori Petty star, with Rosie O’Donnell and Madonna as teammates making for a memorable cast and a rollicking fun classic.
Who says feminist movies can’t be family-friendly? Based on Roald Dahl’s classic book, this 90s fantasy classic tells the story of Matilda (Mara Wilson). Intelligent, book-loving and brave, Matilda uses her telekinetic powers to defend herself and her friends. If you resonate with being told “I’m right and you’re wrong, I’m big and you’re small, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” then Matilda’s success at fighting back is sure to put a smile on your face.
As Roger Ebert eloquently put it in his review of “Now And Then”,
“The film is based on the solid idea that girls need coming-of-age stories too.”
Simply put, this feel-good movie is all about the adventures of four 12-year-old girls who learn a lot about themselves in the summer of 1970. Perfect for sleepover parties or a lazy weekend watch.
You go, Dolly Parton. If you’ve heard the classic song, the setting of this film won’t surprise you. Three women are fed up with their boss. For good reason, as he’s a “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot,” in the words of IMDb. So, to the joy of everyone watching, they teach him a lesson.
Often hailed as one of the greatest feminist movies of all time, “Thelma and Louise” is chock full of empowering moments of female friendship. “Thelma and Louise” stars Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, two best friends who set off on the road trip of a lifetime. What begins as a simple fishing trip turns into a murder and a daring attempt to outrun the law. The film is directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri, who won the Academy Award for her original screenplay.
Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal of the “Alien” heroine Ripley is a must-see for any fan of the badass ladies Marvel has been churning out lately.
At its core, Ridley Scott’s “Alien” is a suspenseful sci-fi thriller. Made in the 70s, its centering around a female action heroine was unheard of, and Ripley remains today an icon of feminist movies.
Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, and Vivicia A. Fox kick ass in this action packed revenge story. While the controversy surrounding Uma Thurman’s experience making the movie with writer and director Quentin Tarantino may deter you, consider this perspective as reported by IndieWire:
“The messaging of these films still sticks, perhaps even more deeply — a project about ‘survival energy’ that has now been revealed to have been made using that same instinct by its own leading lady and creator. Thurman survived, so did Beatrix, and so too does the feminist legacy of ‘Kill Bill.’ It never really belonged to Tarantino in the first place.”
In “Little Women” (based on the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott), the matriarch of the March family tells her daughters:
“If you feel your value lies only in being merely decorative, I fear that someday you might find yourself believing that’s all you really are. Time erodes all such beauty, but what it cannot diminish is the wonderful workings of your mind.”
And if that’s not the kind of empowering, feminist-building message all mothers need to be telling their little girls, I don’t know what is.
Not only is this film based on a novel by a brilliant woman, the adapted screenplay is by Robin Swicord, and is directed by Gillian Armstrong. The cast is also stacked with talent such as Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandon, Kirsten Dunst, and Claire Danes. There may be a remake out, but if you’ve never seen this version movie you really should.
“Stepford Wives” has become a household phrase, and for good reason. This classic horror depicts suburban housewives who are literal subservient robots. When Joanna Eberhart (Katharine Ross) moves into the sinister neighborhood, she starts digging for the truth behind the too-perfect wives and as you can imagine, is horrified by what she finds.
Jodie Foster plays Clarice Starling, the heroine of this Academy Award-winning crime thriller. Clarice is a feminist movie icon. As explained by the BBC:
“Starling isn’t a rebel. She doesn’t rely on intuition or luck. What she is, is a clever, dedicated professional who succeeds by doing everything by the book and with the encouragement of her superiors. How many other Hollywood heroines – or heroes – are anything like her?”
Hannibal Lector may be lauded as the best movie villain of all time, but Clarice Starling is equally deserving of acclaim for being the gutsy agent who saves the day in this classic movie.
“3 Women” is the off-kilter tale of sophisticated Millie (Shelley Duvall) and her naive and worshipful friend Pinky Rose (Sissy Spacek). When Millie suggests Pinky move in with her, their relationship takes a dark and confusing turn.
Directed by Jamie Babbit, “But I’m A Cheerleader” is a satirical comedy about Megan: a headstrong 17-year-old who gets sent to conversion-therapy bootcamp when her conservative parents fear she might be a lesbian. She is confused, but rebellious, and soon realizes that her sexuality might be more fluid than she had ever considered.
To begin with, Penny Marshall directs. The adapted screenplay is by Morgan Ward, and the original book is by Beverly Donofrio. It stars Drew Barrymore. Can you say “Girl Power”?
Beginning with her teenage years in the 1960s, “Riding In Cars With Boys” follows Beverly (Barrymore) from the crucial moment of her unwanted pregnancy, all the way through her difficult journey of self-realization and discovery, to her taking charge of her life at the age of 35.
So you’re interested in feminist movies? Surely you’ve heard of Erin Brockovich.
“Based on a real person, the movie tells the hard-to-believe yet true story of Erin Brockovich, a foul-mouthed ex-beauty queen, given to wearing skin-tight skirts and revealing blouses, who as a low-wage employee at a small law firm managed to put together a huge lawsuit over contaminated water. The $333 million settlement from Pacific Gas & Electric Co. was the largest in U.S. history.” – The Hollywood Reporter
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Alice Walker, Whoopie Goldberg portrays Celie as the movie follows her life from 1909 to 1949. This journey through slavery and abuse to freedom was a major box office hit and was nominated for 11 Academy Awards. Directed by Steven Spielberg; written by Menno Meyjes.
As far as feminist movies go, “G.I. Jane” is a straight shooter. Lieutenant Jordan O’Neil (Demi Moore) is the trial candidate for women to be integrated into the U.S. Navy. She undergoes grueling training and proves wrong the general expectation that she is lesser based on her gender.
Written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, “High Art” is a gritty character drama about the ambition of Syd (Radha Mitchell). She’s a low-level editor at a photography magazine and is soon sucked into the seductive art world scene by photographer Lucy (Ally Sheedy). Syd is living with her boyfriend, and Lucy with her heroin-addicted girlfriend, but the two still engage in friendship spiraling into an illicit love affair.
Here’s another film that highlights women at every creative post. Directed by Jane Campion and written by Laura Jones, this biopic is adapted from the biography of the author Janet Frame. The film follows her life from the tragedies of her youth growing up in rural New Zealand, to her budding writing while institutionalized, to her ultimate success as a novelist.
Jane Campion has often been recognized as a champion of feminist film, so if you love “An Angel At My Table”, be sure to check out her other work.
If you’re in the mood for releasing some vindictive aggression, kick back with this underground cult classic. Written and directed by Sarah Jacobson, This no-budget film embodies the Riot Grrl movement of third-wave feminism in the 1990s. Put simply, “I Was A Teenage Serial Killer” is the story of Mary, a 19-year-old girl who is fed up with sexist men and decides to murder them.
Directed by Mary Herron, this film tells the true story of Valerie Solanas, the radicalist who penned the “SCUM Manifesto”. The film follows her journey to New York, her eccentric encounters, and her eventual descend into obsession and delusion.
Rolling Stone praised Mary Herron’s feminist classic, saying
“Harron, an Oxford-educated Canadian and self-proclaimed Warhol-obsessive who worked as a rock journalist and documentarian for the BBC, finds sly wisdom and satirical wit in the male-bashing SCUM Manifesto. Without justifying Solanas’ brutal revenge on Warhol, Harron makes the case for SCUM as a wakeup call for female empowerment that predated the women’s movement.”
What would a list of feminist movies be without “Fried Green Tomatoes”? Written by Fannie Flagg, this 90s classic is a true tale of female empowerment.
While visiting her mother-in-law in a nursing home, discontented housewife Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates) meets and befriends the elderly Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy). Ninny recounts tales from her past, centering around her sister-in-law Idgie, played by Mary Stuart Masterson, who ran a cafe and in the 1920s. The bond shared by Idgie and her best friend Ruth (Mary-Louise Parker) gives Evelyn confidence and inspires her to take control of her life.
A Canadian classic written, directed, and produced by Patricia Rozema. Quirky, charming, and shy, Polly Vandersma (Sheila McCarthy) gets her first real job working for Gabrielle (Paule Baillargeon), the curator of a Toronto art gallery, whom she idolizes. Told with Polly’s whimsical and contemplative narrative, this film won Best First Feature at Cannes Film Festival in 1987 and is considered one of the most important films in Canadian cinema.
Directed by Howard Deutch and written by the incomparable John Hughes. This movie subverts some character types and plot lines that are common in other John Hughes movies; as Roger Ebert said in his review of the film:
“But it is not about whether the hero will get the girl. It is about whether the hero should get the girl, and when was the last time you saw a movie that even knew that could be the question?”
Mary Stuart Masterson steals the spotlight as Watts, the tomboyish best friend full of feminist one-liners a-plenty. If you were left frustrated by the ending of “Pretty In Pink” or “Sixteen Candles”, then this is the film for you.
Any French Film fans out there? Written and Directed by Agnès Varda, this film follows the interwoven lives of two women (Valérie Mairesse and Thérèse Liotard) in 1970s France. Their friendship persists throughout years of growth and social change. Janus Films reviewed the film:
“Agnès Varda’s unsung feminist anthem is both a buoyant chronicle of a transformative friendship and an empowering vision of universal sisterhood.”
This darkly comedic coming of age story follows the ennui-saturated friendship of Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson). Carried by the sharp wit of their cynical world views, “Ghost World” follows the shifts and changes of the two girls’ lives and friendship in the summer following their high school graduation. Ultimately, they both discover for themselves what it is they really want out of life. Directed by Terry Zwigoff; written by Daniel Clowes.
Is the Bechdel Test is still your gauge for recognizing feminist movies? If so, you should know that “The Trouble With Angels” passed and then some long before anyone ever thought to test female representation in film. “The Trouble With Angels” is a coming of age story filled with pranks and teenage rebellion. Rosalind Russell and Hayley Mills play two troublemakers in an all-girls Catholic convent school. Needless to say, the cast is mostly female. What’s more, the film is written and directed by women: Jane Trahey and Ida Lupino, respectively.
Ida Lupino is the mastermind writer and producer of this film about a young mother’s journey dealing with the societal guilt of birthing an out-of-wedlock baby, starring Sally Forrest. This subject is still controversial subject matter today: imagine the film’s release in 1949!
Honestly, anyone interested in Feminism in movies should learn as much about Ida Lupino as they can. Beginning as an actress, she broke into directing and producing after claiming she was, “Bored to tears standing around the set while someone else seemed to do all the interesting work. ” She was truly a pioneer of female filmmaking.
Harriet is a spy, obviously, but the real drama begins when her secret notebook is discovered by her classmates. They read all sorts of secret thoughts and observations Harriet has been keeping on them, and her social life is thrown into chaos.
From Louise Fitzhugh’s 1964 children’s novel comes the kind of feel-good-family-film that only 90s Nickelodeon could produce. Did we mention it’s written by, directed by, and stars women? Directed by Bronwen Hughes; written by Theresa Rebeck and Douglas Petrie; starring Michelle Trachtenberg in her debut role.
“All About My Mother” centers around single mother Manuela (Cecilia Roth) as she deals with the sudden death of her son Esteban. She journeys to Barcelona to inform Esteban’s father, who is now a trans sex worker, not only of their son’s existence but of his death.
Before there was Regina George, there was Heather Chandler.
Cult classic of the 80s, this original mean girls story is a bit darker than its modern counterpart. Veronica (Winona Ryder) is desperate for a way out of the popular girl clique headed by Heather Chandler (Kim Walker). With the help of her boyfriend JD (Christian Slater), she takes matters into her own hands but ends up accidentally murdering the queen bee. As you can imagine, a power struggle ensues.
And there you have it! Hopefully, you now have an idea of what to watch for your next movie night. Did we cover all your favorite feminist movies on this list?
