It seems like too often actresses are given crummy roles: the nagging wife, the girlfriend whose life apparently revolves around her boyfriend, the bitchy co-worker. But this week, we’re recommending movies featuring strong female leads because movies with good female roles do exist; they’re just harder to find. All four movies pass the Bechdel test,@@http://bechdeltest.com/@@ which means that they have at least two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man.
“In Her Shoes” recommended by Rebecca Sedlak @@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388125/@@
I have to admit, it was tough to narrow it down to one pick this time. I went through numerous Jodie Foster, Charlize Theron and Meryl Streep@@all names checked@@ movies before I finally settled on this one. I decided that while the description of a “strong female lead” includes a woman with a tough life who kicks ass and sticks it to the system, it also includes strong female characters who are complex.
Thus: “In Her Shoes,” a movie that features three such ladies. This 2005 film,@@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388125/@@ based on the novel of the same title, tells the story of straight-laced lawyer Rose (Toni Collette) and her younger sister Maggie (Cameron Diaz),@@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388125/@@ a “free spirit” who can’t hold down a job. Their shoe size is the only thing the two sisters have in common, especially after Maggie sleeps with Rose’s boyfriend. Hurt and enraged, Rose cuts all communication, and Maggie skips town to visit her grandmother Ella (Shirley MacLaine)@@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388125/@@ for the first time. The family dynamics of this film are deep and honest as you watch the sisters’ relationship heal and Ella get to know her granddaughters. All three women are multifaceted and three-dimensional, and it’s a refreshing look at strong female characters in a movie anyone can enjoy.
“Aliens” recommended by Ben Kendall
James Cameron’s “Aliens,”@@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090605/@@ is the quintessential film with a strong female lead. Lt. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver),@@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090605/@@ fresh from her experience with the “xenomorph” creature@@http://www.jokerdesigns.com/alienhost/xenomorph/index.html@@ in “Alien,” (“Alien” was directed by Ridley Scott@@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078748/@@ and is also an awesome film) finds herself 67 years in the future, as she was lost in space in suspended animation before she was picked up by random chance. Ripley is tasked to go back and prove that she had an encounter with an alien life form, as well as investigate what happened to the colonists that came to live on the planet while she was drifting through space. This is one of Weaver’s best roles and is really the one that made her super famous in the ’80s. If you have the chance to watch the extended cut of the film, I recommend you do so. It delves deeper into her character, as well as gives you a couple extra action scenes. Why would you cut out action scenes with big robotic sentry guns? I say there’s no damn reason!
“Thelma & Louise” recommended by Kevin Piaskowski
In Ridley Scott’s 1991 motion picture, “Thelma & Louise,”@@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103074/@@ we see powerful female leads in both Susan Sarandon’s and Geena Davis’ characters.@@both names checked@@ The film is a captivating and riveting drama that includes murder and subsequently, evasion of the law. Thelma and Louise hit the road on an adventure and wind up in a confrontation with a rapist outside a bar. The plot intensifies when Louise shoots and kills the man. From there, the two women begin their hectic journey through the Midwest in an attempt to escape the country. The film also stars Brad Pitt in his break-out role. It’s classic, entertaining and stimulating.
Scene desk picks: Strong female leads
Daily Emerald
May 21, 2012
“Winter’s Bone” recommended by Mitch Small
In “Winter’s Bone,” Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) is as selfless as a 17 year old girl can get. Her father has disappeared and her mother is catatonic, so she takes on the charge of caring for her siblings and tirelessly keeping the family on track. Despite their bitter poverty, she manages to keep everything together on their parcel of Ozark land. That is, until the sheriff tells her that their property was part of her father’s bond and that if he doesn’t show up to his court hearing, the state will confiscate the only home the family has. Ree doesn’t hesitate to try and track down her father, and soon it becomes clear that she will not like what she finds. “Winter’s Bone” doubles as a taut thriller and compelling character study. As Ree navigates the tangle of crime and lies that is her home town, she must come to terms with her weakness and find the energy to persevere.
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