Feminists
Related: About this forumName five favorite feminist/women-oriented movies
And post a short synopsis.
I have a lot, which is why I suggested keeping it at five.
1. Iron-Jawed Angels
"Defiant young activists take the women's suffrage movement by storm, putting their lives at risk to help American women win the right to vote."
2. Circumstance
"A wealthy Iranian family struggles to contain a teenager's growing sexual rebellion and her brother's dangerous obsession." (Persian with English subtitles)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumstance_%282011_film%29
3. You Again
"When a young woman realizes her brother is about to marry the girl who bullied her in high school, she sets out to expose the fiancée's true colors."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Again
4. Bend It Like Beckham
"The daughter of orthodox Sikh rebels against her parents' traditionalism by playing on a women's football (soccer) team."
5. I Can't Think Straight
"a 2007 romance movie about a London-based Jordanian of Palestinian descent, Tala, who is preparing for an elaborate wedding. A turn of events causes her to have an affair and subsequently fall in love with another woman, Leyla, a British Indian."
hollysmom
(5,946 posts)I don't see many films, but I have added these to ones I want to see now.
I see more television and I really don't think TV is a good forum that it was decades ago with Maude and Rhoda, etc. Comedy that opened people's eyes. Now we have people like the Kardashians or the women on USA or Lifetime that have their stories center on their love life.
Skittles
(160,304 posts)yes INDEED
one_voice
(20,043 posts)Steel Magnolias too.
Turbineguy
(38,502 posts)obamanut2012
(27,884 posts)Neoma
(10,039 posts)thelordofhell
(4,569 posts)Sigourney Weaver was bad-ass in those movies
obamanut2012
(27,884 posts)thelordofhell
(4,569 posts)kdmorris
(5,649 posts)"An Arkansas waitress and a housewife shoot a rapist and take off in a '66 Thunderbird."
Still waiting for the film version of "A Thousand Splendid Suns". By the author of "The Kite Runner". The book was great... hope the movie is as good.
CurtEastPoint
(19,226 posts)'74 Ellen Burstyn. Very strong woman, newly widowed, making it on her own.
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)Lily Tomlin. I know it's a comedy, but there's a lot of truth in it.
Zen Democrat
(5,901 posts)longship
(40,416 posts)I know that it's graphic and the violence against women, especially the main protagonist, Lisbeth Salander, is distasteful at times. But as a statement of empowered women, Salander's, although unconventional solutions, have a sense of justice. It is the way she views it also.
You'll either like these, or hate them. But I think they deserve at least an honorable mention especially due to their focus on a fiercly independent woman fighting a world that is utterly crashing down upon her. That's what makes them compelling reads.
Just my opinion, and my nomination.
Hopefully, some will take the venture.
1. Män Som Hatar Kvinnor (translated: Men Who Hate Women) published in English as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
2. Flickan Som Lekte Med Elden roughly translates to the English title, The Girl Who Played with Fire
3. Luftslottet Som Spränges in English is published as The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
The movies were originally done in Sweden with the same names. Skip the English language remake and go for the subtitles or dubbing of the Swedish language. Plus Noomi Rapace is great as Salander. The rest of the cast is also good.
The English version of the first, although closer to the book, has weak casting, IMHO, especially Salander. Rooney Mara just doesn't pull off Salander's physicality, the way she moves and acts. Rapace plays it like she's an eternally coiled spring, which is what the books portray.
The books are great if you give them a chance.
Thanks.
obamanut2012
(27,884 posts)I've seen the Swedish films, and prefer the first one to the American version, although that was fine.
Lisbeth is a very interesting and complex character, even my Dad, after watching the US version of GWADT, said, "She's kick ass!"
Lucy
(243 posts)"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity."
One of my favorites.
obamanut2012
(27,884 posts)Jennifer Jason Leigh, imo, has been severely underrated over the years.
DURHAM D
(32,853 posts)obamanut2012
(27,884 posts)tammywammy
(26,582 posts)Joan Allen has an excellent performance, I thought she should have won the Academy Award that year. It's one of my all time favorite movies.
Whisp
(24,096 posts)sci-fi
...is a mysterious assassin working for the Monicans, a group of rebels trying to overthrow the government.
Directed by Karyn Kusama. Starring Charlize Theron.
Bound
Corky, a tough female ex con and her lover Violet concoct a scheme to steal millions of stashed mob money and pin the blame on Violet's crooked boyfriend Caeser.
Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon and Joe Pantoliano
Cutthroat Island
Swashbuckling film with Geena Davis.
V for Vendetta
A shadowy freedom fighter known only as "V" uses terrorist tactics to fight against his totalitarian society.
Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman and Rupert Graves
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (Tom Robbins book)
Sissy Hankshaw is born with enormous thumbs that help her hitchhiking through the US
Uma Thurman, Lorraine Bracco and Pat Morita
EC
(12,287 posts)and DOA Dead or Alive. Both action movies.
on edit: You can add D.E.B.S. and Ultra Violet to the list.
obamanut2012
(27,884 posts)Starry Messenger
(32,375 posts)Last edited Mon Jun 25, 2012, 02:33 PM - Edit history (1)
1.) Reds. Even though it's the story of John Reed, it is also the story of Louise Bryant and Diane Keaton is a perfect foil for Warren Beatty. Lots of tough broads in the film including Maureen Stapleton as Emma Goldman.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reds_%28film%29
2) Frida, for obvious reasons. Love her, loved the movie. If you love art history, you will groove on all of the other artists like Tina Modatti and David Siquieros who are referenced.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frida
3.) The Snapper. A young Irish girl gets herself "up the pole" and refuses to name the father, to the great scandal of the neighborhood busybodies. It's the second installment in Roddy Boyle's "Barrytown" trilogy. It's classic and all of the women are screamingly funny in it.
4.) Little Women, 1994
Kind of self-explanatory, but I love Jo March.
Geeze, I made myself cry watching that again!
5.) I'm having a hard time picking a fifth one, so I will reserve until inspiration strikes.
edit: Cold Comfort Farm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Comfort_Farm_%28film%29
Rowdyboy
(22,057 posts)are all favorites of mine Certainly Fried Green Tomatoes would be on my list along with Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. All feature strong women who overcome the worst that can be thrown to them. They all have true endurance.
Thats a decent start.
Zorra
(27,670 posts)A League of Their Own, Iron Jawed Angels, (and of course Fried Green Tomatoes and Thelma and Louise.)
Too tired to post synopses of the films.
no_hypocrisy
(49,194 posts)Legally Blonde
Private Benjamin
Whisp
(24,096 posts)one of the few I rewatch every few months.
tru
(237 posts)Diana Rigg can do no wrong.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)Selena is highly intelligent as she unravels the political intrigue and betrayals within multiple factions with sometimes overlapping agendas.
yesphan
(1,600 posts)1950 version.
I guess I need 4 more.......
obamanut2012
(27,884 posts)Two interesting facts about Judy Holliday:
1. She had a genius-level IQ, and
2. Used her experience as portraying "Billie Dawn" to "act dumb: when in 1952 she was called to testify before the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee to explain why her name had been linked to Communist front organizations. Because of acting like a cliched "ditzy blonde," she escaped the Blacklist (although she was informally blacklisted from television because of the taint of her appearing before SISS).
rwsanders
(2,773 posts)Wicked had great strong female characters.
And in Star Trek The Next Generation K'Ehleyr was such a great female character that they struggled for ever after trying to find one to live up to her.
obamanut2012
(27,884 posts)I also loved Captain Janeway. Seven of Nine was also a very interesting character, except for that effing catsuit they made her wear almost the whole time (as well as not putting Troi into her science blues until almost the end).
Neoma
(10,039 posts)The Alien Quadrilogy...
Well... It's hard to find them in my DVD collection. My husband has a bunch of horror movies that I simply do not touch...
Tx4obama
(36,974 posts)Sister Kenny
Film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038948/
Summary: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038948/plotsummary
Elizabeth Kenny's Bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Kenny
Blossoms in the Dust
Film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033407/
Summary: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033407/plotsummary
Edna Gladney's Bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edna_Gladney
Eleanor, First Lady of the World
Film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083875/
Summary: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083875/
Eleanor Roosevelt's Bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Roosevelt
Pinky
Film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041746/
Summary: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041746/plotsummary
A Woman of Substance
Film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085114/
Summary: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085114/plotsummary
obamanut2012
(27,884 posts)I need to check out the library and Netflix for the others.
The Green Manalishi
(1,054 posts)Seriously. She was the real center of it, and the truly strong one.