Is there a 'girly' animation film I can buy for DD that won't make this feminist mother spew bile?

Most of the comments on here recommend Studio Ghibli (which I completely agree with). No other animation studio consistently produces films with the depth of female roles. There's an article here about why 'strong female characters' aren't enough. And in a world where only 1/4 of characters in the movies are female and most princess characters are the only female characters in their films I do think it's important to seek out films that have a variety of female characters, because at school and on TV and when they go to most films at the cinema they aren't going to see any.

We've been making an effort recently to watch films that have multiple female characters and we've ended up watching some really interesting films, and the kids love the Studio Ghibli films, Kiki's Delivery Service is fantastic. If only there were more options.

Ponyo made me actually sob in the cinema - and the woman in front. DCs unperturbed however. Kiki's delivery service or especially Arietty perfect.

How about Shrek?

Princess Fiona is looking for true love but she also
Watch from 1.35

My two daughters loved The BFG and probably watched it twice a day. They are now in their late teens and are proud feminists. I watched it a few times once and loved it too.

Mrs Wolowitz, I love Brave and Tangled, but I draw the line at Beauty and the Beast, partly because it is so plausibly packaged - their Belle is bright, loves books, puts the overtly sexist bloke in his place - but underneath it all, there is no getting round the fact that however you try to package it up, the underlying message of B&tB is "ladies, if you love your kidnapper/abuser they will become the lovable man you want them to be." (NB, not Disney's fault specifically - I just think this particular fairy tale is beyond redemption).

Miranda (the one with Danny DeVito is brilliant).

Age 3 - Ponyo, My Neighbour Totoro, Laura's Star ... Also this might seem odd but Angelina Ballerina (old version) is pink and fluffy but Angie is a pretty strong character who makes mistakes and then resolves things, climbs trees, rescues friends, organises shows..we really like her.

I have 3 daughters and they chortle through Despicable Me and when you DD is a about 5/6 then Matilda is a great one, perhaps after you have read her the book.

Kiki is great but very long and I think perfect for a six year old.
Tangled was rather odd - the mother kind of puzzled DD3. And yes Brave is ok.

Definitely Ponyo - strong female lead, and my boys both love it (and have done from your daughter's age)

Lost and Found - not girly, no female lead, but just lovely

Why is avoiding girly stuff apparently going hand in hand with encouraging boy stuff (cars, dinos). Isn't that just giving a message that boy stuff is great and girl stuff is shit? Hardly a message of girl power...I have two nieces, one couldn't be forced into a princess dress, one is obsessed with them. Would you force the non-princessy one to play with dolls? That would be as boring for her as forcing the girly one to play with cars. They have their own interests and personalities, you can't simply give them one.

My DS likes a bit of Tinkerbell, Tangled etc. He is 7. This is normal.

Why does your DS not have anything that you consider girly? Both my DS love tangled, beauty and the beast, Sofia the first...

well for me it's the boxing off element I don't like.
So that's why I encourage the non girly girl girl stuff. Stuff that speaks to a person first, not a girl first.
there is enough of the other, I don't need to encourage that, what needs the push is the feminist friendly stuff.

thanks for the recommendations, all

We love Totoro and Spirited Away, also for small ones 'Panda Go Panda' is worth looking up

I didn't realise she was 3 when I recommended Studio Ghibli.

I don't want to upset the apple cart but if I couldn't find something goof for a 3 year old, I wouldn't bother with a film at all. Such small children don't need to be watching films at all. I'd go for something almost gender-free, like Pingu.

Spirited Away and Coraline freak me out! Never mind a 3 year old! Avoid until 10yo!

Pocahontas is a good one if your DD wants Disney. In the Disney version she decides to stay even though John Smith wants her to go to England with him.

My DD has a huge Princess obsession, but recently she's gravitated more to the classics like Jungle Book. She also loves Rango but a bit scary for 3 year old depending on child.

Studio Ghibli! My dd (and ds) has liked Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, Ponyo and Arietty since she was 5!

The U rated Studio Ghibli are: Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbour Totoro, ponyo, Howl's Moving Castle, Arriety

Other female led U rated animations: The Wild Thornberrys, Lilo and Stitch, Despicable Me has lots of female characters but a male lead, The Secret of N.I.H.M., Hoodwinked, The BFG, The Incredibles has several female charcters but a male lead, The Last Unicorn, A cat in Paris, The Rescuers, Kirikou and the Sorceress.

PG rated films: Coraline, Wreck It Ralph has a male lead but good strong females, Monsters v Aliens, Brave.

Live action films with female leads: Charlotte's Web, The Secret of Moonacre, Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins, Annie, A Little Princess, The Railway Children, Nim's Island, Matilda, Spy Kids, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Princess Diaries, the Parent Trap, Freaky Friday, Nanny McPhee, National Velvet, The Secret Garden, The Fox and the child, the Secret of Roan Inish, Return to Oz.

Depending on your taste, most Disney princesses from Beauty (and the Beast) onwards make a nod at feminism but some are more acceptable than others. I like the complex mother-daughter relationship in Tangled but generally try and avoid the princess films. Lilo and Stitch is a million times more acceptable.

A Mighty Girl has a good selection of films with female leads, it's worth looking at the Bechdel Test to see if there are lots of female characters, the good thing about Studio Ghibli is the depth of the presence of women in the films.

More votes for Brave, Kiki and Totoro here - I really like both and my 2yo DD loves them to distraction.

She loves Ponyo too, but I'm a bit horrified by the scene where the father is trying to 'squeeze' Ponyo back into fish form. It feels really violent and scary to me - looks like he's throttling her with intent to kill. DP thinks I'm overreacting but it gives me chills. So I don't put Ponyo on voluntarily and I skip through that bit if I'm around when it's on.

Flushed Away
Brave
Mulan
Monsters vs Aliens
The Bee Movie

What about The Incredibles?
Been a while since I've watched it though so wouldn't like to confirm it's definitely suitable.