Feminist films?

[msrisotto]

I've just watched "Mone Lisa Smile" which was set in the 1950's (America), Julia Roberts being a feminist role model at a finishing school. I liked it.

Do you know of any films with a feminist main character or a feminist angle?

She's a bit of a sociopath, but when I'm feeling angry about rampant misogyny, watching Linda Fiorentino in The Last Seduction gets it right out of my system....

I like 'Yes' by Sally Potter. It's not a feminist film as such, i.e. it doesn't address feminism in particular, but it is about a woman's life and it passes the Bechdel test. Ditto The Hours.

The hours, definitely. It's on TV next week I think.

Working Girl

The character played by Melanie Griffith refuses to stay within the boundaries of her gender/class background. She educates herself, objects to sexual harrassment, challenges misogyny in the workplace, escapes from a dead-end relationship and tries to better herself as far as possible.

It was just a shame that they needed to bring in the Harrison Ford love-interest storyline, when all she wanted was a great job.

Plus the women in Working Girl are two stone heavier than the highest acceptable body weight of an actress in a modern film, which is refreshing.

9-5?

Steel Magnolias?

Silkwood?

Norma Rae?

Erin Brockovich?

Pretty Woman? (kidding)

Oh I love Erin Brokovich, great feminist film.

Legally Blonde? :) It's not perfect but it's about realising that there's more to life than marrying some dick, and having a career you love and friends you can trust gives you self-respect

I love 9-5, I didn't realise when I first saw it that I should make the most of it, being on or only about 5 feminist films ever made apparently.

*one of only about 5

need sleep evidently

I loved The Colour Purple - women can overcome anything, with support; truly inspirational.

The Hours
The Hours
The Hours

whalerider is a brilliant film.

just for you Lenin.

I liked Mean Girls. Right up to the final scene where the matched up the (I am sure originally supposed to be) gay character with some boy who happened past. No need!

Monsters Vs Aliens is a brilliant feminist film - blew me away in that respect. The lead character gets hit by a meteorite on the morning of her wedding to an arrogant dick and turns into a giant with super strength. So she has loads of adventures fighting aliens, saves the day etc but fiance and doesn't want her any more because she threatens his status and career. She gets the chance to be turned back to normal size but realises it sucks and voluntarily exposes herself to the radiation again so she can be a monster again and kick ass. No happy ever after with a man at all - she flies off into the sunset with her monster team.

There is a fab bit where the baddie is mocking her and calling her Susan and she turns herself back to monter size and says "And the name's GINORMICA." It rocks.

That sounds cool!!! I really wanted to see that but when I asked my cool friends if they wanted to see a film about aliens and a giant woman they all said no (losers).

Oh E&M it's brilliant - rent it asap! As if the feminist theme isn't enough it also has a lot of very funny satire on US govt warmongering and xenophobia. There are loads of jokes for adults but of course it's great for kids too.

Oh and on the topics of kids' films I also think the Shrek series has some cool messages for girls. I cried buckets when fiona took "loves true form" at the end of Shrek 1 and she was NOT the princess with the fairytale wedding but the ogre with a partner who really loved her. And Shrek 4 is really interesting about marriage and family - Shrek is worn down by family life and it's quite shocking as he verges on abusive at the start. He fantasises about regaining his mojo and getting away from it all... he gets his wish and sees an alternate universe where fiona never met or married him and is a single, kick-ass ogre rebel leader. And basically he has to buck his ideas up as a husband and dad.

I often think it's surprising that so much misogynist, sexist crap, toys, images etc. comes out of the media and in the US in particular, and yet blockbusting children's animations often have the best female role models.

I love Mean Girls, also 100 Things I Hate About You. Does Bound count as a contender? It's so long since I've seen it, but remember being really impressed, I just don't know if it's feminist, or just happens to be about lesbians. Anyway, it's a great thriller.

100 things? 10 things?

I like Howl's Moving Castle for similar reasons (def not because I secretly lurrrve Howl ). As in Spirited Away (another goodun) one of the scary witch characters turn out to be not actually that scary after all. And Sophie stays in old lady form (or at least with grey hair) at the end of the film - I was waiting for her to turn back into a pretty young girl and she just didn't. My I did smile.

Orlando - switches between male/female but thats not really the story, have n't seen it for ages, now I'll have to rewatch it asap - think a 3 & 5 year old will enjoy?

Any other suitable childrens films out there, most are so depressing and I feel boring constantly saying 'of course she does n't have to marry the prince she could rescue herself and he could find fulfillment in many different roles'