it occurs to me that there nearly aren't enough great american films with female protagonists -- or maybe i am just not good at thinking of them. so i hand it over to you.
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Thursday, 3 May 2012 08:42 (eleven years ago) link
iron man 2
― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Thursday, 3 May 2012 08:43 (eleven years ago) link
You're right, it's pretty hard to think of really good American movies with female protagonists, especially if you exclude ones which have female and male protagonists that are given equal emphasis. In fact I can't think of any such American movie that I really love. I wanted to say Mary Poppins, but you could easily argue Dick van Dyke and the family dad are also protagonists in that one. Maybe also Lilo & Stitch? It has three protagonists: a little girl, her grown-up sister, and an alien, though the alien is clearly coded as male, even if we don't find out its technical gender (or if it even has one).
― Tuomas, Thursday, 3 May 2012 09:13 (eleven years ago) link
Oh, I forgot about Clueless and Legally Blonde. Those are great movies!
― Tuomas, Thursday, 3 May 2012 09:17 (eleven years ago) link
the last seduction3 womencarriegloriadaughter riteromy and michele's high school reunion
― Ward Fowler, Thursday, 3 May 2012 09:20 (eleven years ago) link
especially if you exclude ones which have female and male protagonists that are given equal emphasis
yeah, a problem is that plenty of romantic movies have twin protagonists, like before sunrise or while you were sleeping etc.
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Thursday, 3 May 2012 09:24 (eleven years ago) link
or valley girl!
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Thursday, 3 May 2012 09:25 (eleven years ago) link
I remember really liking The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love, but I haven't seen it since it came out.
― Tuomas, Thursday, 3 May 2012 09:28 (eleven years ago) link
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/37/VIWarshawskiKathleenTurnerFrenchDVDCover.jpg
― DavidM, Thursday, 3 May 2012 09:31 (eleven years ago) link
kill bill
― sleepingbag, Thursday, 3 May 2012 09:33 (eleven years ago) link
Fargo, Broadcast News, Rosemary's Baby, Carrie, Heart Like a Wheel...I'm sure others will occur to me throughout the day.
― clemenza, Thursday, 3 May 2012 09:37 (eleven years ago) link
opening night
― Ms Tum-Bla-Wi-Tee (nakhchivan), Thursday, 3 May 2012 09:40 (eleven years ago) link
ALIENS
― i love the large auns pictures! (Phil D.), Thursday, 3 May 2012 09:42 (eleven years ago) link
silence of the lambs
― underleg aeroboots i have smithed (darraghmac), Thursday, 3 May 2012 09:43 (eleven years ago) link
kill bill 2
― sleepingbag, Thursday, 3 May 2012 09:54 (eleven years ago) link
Angel, Angel, Down We Go The BirdsBoom!BoundBunny Lake is MissingBye Bye BirdieA Chronicle of CorpsesCrazy in AlabamaDead RingerDesperate LivingDown With LoveFar From HeavenFaster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! Hairspray (John Waters 1988)The Honeymoon KillersHousekeepingIllusions (Julie Dash 1980)Inland EmpireKluteThe Legend of Lylah ClareLove StreamsMarnieMary (Abel Ferrara 2005)Mildred Pierce (Todd Haynes 2011)Mulholland DriveThe Naked KissPetuliaQueen of DiamondsRed Line 7000Roof (Betsy Kalin 1998)Ruby in Paradise'R Xmas7 WomenSafeSecret CeremonySextetteShowgirlsSleepwalkS.O.B.Such Good FriendsThe Tamarind SeedWandaWhen Pigs FlyWhite DogWomen of the Night (Zalman King 2000)Xanadu You Are Not I
― Kevin John Bozelka, Thursday, 3 May 2012 10:06 (eleven years ago) link
Oh and duh Mommie Dearest
― Kevin John Bozelka, Thursday, 3 May 2012 10:07 (eleven years ago) link
All my favourites are high school mean girl flicks: Heathers, Jawbreaker, Saved!, Easy A, and of course, Mean Girls.
― Roz, Thursday, 3 May 2012 10:46 (eleven years ago) link
is this gonna be the next poll?
― Nu Metal is the best music there is, the rest is pussy shit. (Eisbaer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 10:49 (eleven years ago) link
also -- a woman under the influence, hannah and her sisters and gloria
― Nu Metal is the best music there is, the rest is pussy shit. (Eisbaer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 10:54 (eleven years ago) link
KJB otm.
― jungleous butterflies strange birds (Eric H.), Thursday, 3 May 2012 11:11 (eleven years ago) link
Jane Campion's The Portrait of a Lady
― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 3 May 2012 11:44 (eleven years ago) link
The Company
― You Don't Throw Oranges On An Escalator (Deric W. Haircare), Thursday, 3 May 2012 11:54 (eleven years ago) link
margaret
― just sayin, Thursday, 3 May 2012 11:57 (eleven years ago) link
bridesmaids
Thelma & LouiseThe Long Kiss GoodnightBuffy the Vampire SlayerJosie & The PussycatsCharlie's AngelsSucker Punch
― Andrew Farrell, Thursday, 3 May 2012 12:03 (eleven years ago) link
ContactSaltThe Others
Following are not actually my favourites:Erin BrockivichSteel MagnoliasMystic PizzaGI JaneBlue SteelMonsterGirl, InterruptedStepmomPrivate BenjaminThe Devil Wears PradaThe HoursSister Act
― Andrew Farrell, Thursday, 3 May 2012 12:17 (eleven years ago) link
seconding KJB on Housekeeping
― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 3 May 2012 12:22 (eleven years ago) link
Thirded.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 12:25 (eleven years ago) link
Technically, thirded and fourthed. I seconded the list en masse.
― jungleous butterflies strange birds (Eric H.), Thursday, 3 May 2012 12:26 (eleven years ago) link
Bonjour TristesseErin Brockovich3 Women
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 12:28 (eleven years ago) link
An Unmarried Woman and (combination '70s sap/Neil Young fan--pretty iffy otherwise) Diary of a Mad Housewife.
― clemenza, Thursday, 3 May 2012 12:32 (eleven years ago) link
Resident Evil
― how's life, Thursday, 3 May 2012 12:42 (eleven years ago) link
TerminatorAlienAliensHalloweenMs. 45
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Thursday, 3 May 2012 12:51 (eleven years ago) link
Ms. 45
Yes + Serial Mom.
― jungleous butterflies strange birds (Eric H.), Thursday, 3 May 2012 12:56 (eleven years ago) link
And Jackie Brown.
But, yeah, among recent movies in which female protagonists don't kill people or narrowly avoid being killed by people, I definitely enjoy The Company, Ghost World and The Bridges of Madison County.
― jungleous butterflies strange birds (Eric H.), Thursday, 3 May 2012 13:01 (eleven years ago) link
the private lives of pippa lee isnt my fav or anything @ all, it's ok, but i do remember thinking @ the time i saw it that it was a dream, meaty role for an adult woman
― johnny crunch, Thursday, 3 May 2012 13:23 (eleven years ago) link
also, ones i like
looking for mr. goodbarthe runawayscarrie
>S.O.B.
i watched this like last week. don't mean to nitpick but julie andrews def has less screentime than prob like 4 other characters
― johnny crunch, Thursday, 3 May 2012 13:34 (eleven years ago) link
Ladies and Gentleman, the Fabulous Stains (on the female protagonists not killing or avoiding being killed tip)
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Thursday, 3 May 2012 13:38 (eleven years ago) link
Heavenly Creatures
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Thursday, 3 May 2012 13:39 (eleven years ago) link
Although I guess that's New Zealand so nevermind
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Thursday, 3 May 2012 13:40 (eleven years ago) link
the alien is clearly coded as male, even if we don't find out its technical gender
i was skimming and i assumed tuomas was talking about a very different movie to the one he was talking about
― thomp, Thursday, 3 May 2012 13:43 (eleven years ago) link
Ghost World
Oh gawd yeah. How could I forget that one?
More: Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Vixen, Viva, Marci X, Desperate Teenage Lovedolls, Daughters of the Dust, The Swap, [/i]Sin in the Suburbs[/i], Moonlighting Wives, The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here!, Seeds of Sin, Fleshpot on 42nd Street, Bad Girls Go to Hell, etc.
I left out films in which strong female protagonists are played by men (Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Dinah East, maybe She-Man) and vice versa (I'm Not There, a stretch anyway and I'm blanking on others...does She-Man fit in here?).
Also, "protagonist" doesn't make much sense in the avant-garde but women directors sure do: Peggy Ahwesh, Stephanie Barber, Abigail Child, Leslie Thornton, Beth B, Su Friedrich, etc.
― Kevin John Bozelka, Thursday, 3 May 2012 13:51 (eleven years ago) link
switchblade sisterscaged heat
― Ward Fowler, Thursday, 3 May 2012 13:59 (eleven years ago) link
S.O.B.
Yawn. I knew that would happen. Ok true. But her brazooms set everything in motion. And Bunny Lake is Missing was shot in England and co-stars Olivier. But Carol Lynley is American. And so is Preminger (but is he?). And so on.
― Kevin John Bozelka, Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:02 (eleven years ago) link
Alan Rudolph's Mortal Thoughts (Demi Moore's career justified)
― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:10 (eleven years ago) link
I liked all of these to varying degrees, IIRC:
The BirdsRosemary's BabyA Woman Under the InfluenceCarrieAnother WomanSilence of the LambsThe Man in the Moon (1991)Reality BitesTo Die ForCluelessSafeWelcome to the DollhouseI Shot Andy WarholBoundContactRomy and Michele's High School ReunionJackie BrownHigh ArtThe Last Days of DiscoSlums of Beverly HillsBoys Don't CryDickErin BrockovichNurse BettyGhost WorldThe Good GirlFar from HeavenMonsterThe CompanyKill Bill v. 1 and 2Mean GirlsMillion Dollar BabyJunoRachel Getting MarriedWendy and LucyFrozen RiverPrecious: Based on the Novel "Push" by SapphireWinter's BoneWhip ItBlack SwanPlease GiveBridesmaidsMargaretMartha Marcy May Marlene
― sockless in moccasins (jaymc), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:15 (eleven years ago) link
Yes on Looking for Mr. Goodbar. I thought about Jackie Brown, but it seems to be as much or more about Sam Jackson and Robert Forster. But you could probably say the same of Broadcast News.
― clemenza, Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:23 (eleven years ago) link
FreewayElection
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:25 (eleven years ago) link
thanks for reminding me about High Art and Please Give, jaymc.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:26 (eleven years ago) link
KJB's list is super OH YEAH timenice work!
Also if they haven't been mentioned yet
Valley of the DollsBeyond the Valley of the Dolls
― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:32 (eleven years ago) link
SatisfactionLittle Darlings Foxes
― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:33 (eleven years ago) link
Where the Boys Are (is that 50 years ago or not?)
― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:34 (eleven years ago) link
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:35 (eleven years ago) link
Gas Food Lodging
I should just slow down and make a list like a normal person.
― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:36 (eleven years ago) link
BadlandsOut Of The BlueCarnival Of Souls
― O00O0O00O (Matt #2), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:38 (eleven years ago) link
Have there been any westerns yet?
― O00O0O00O (Matt #2), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:40 (eleven years ago) link
Meek's Cutoff, not having seen Raquel Welch in Hannie Caulder
― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:43 (eleven years ago) link
The Quick and the Dead is super entertaining but is still pretty bad. xp
― Respectfully, Tyrese Gibson (Nicole), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:44 (eleven years ago) link
Woody Allen's best femalecentric films (ie, w/out him in the cast) might be The Purple Rose of Cairo and Another Woman.
― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:45 (eleven years ago) link
Glitter
― jungleous butterflies strange birds (Eric H.), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:47 (eleven years ago) link
oh duh -- Sayles' Passion Fish w/ a pair of great performances by Alfre Woodard and Mary McDonnell, virtually in every scene together.
(guess which one got an Oscar nomination)
― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:47 (eleven years ago) link
Sisters
― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:48 (eleven years ago) link
I know it's not the same thing, but I think the lead females in Nashville--Blakely, Tomlin, Baxley, Gwen Wells, etc.--are among the most interesting in any American film ever.
― clemenza, Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:49 (eleven years ago) link
Passion Fish is the only Sayles I like...
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:52 (eleven years ago) link
yeah, passion fish is great. i should rewatch that.
― horseshoe, Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:54 (eleven years ago) link
Working GirlsWorking Girl
― caro's johnson (Eazy), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:55 (eleven years ago) link
The Bridges o' Madison County
― caro's johnson (Eazy), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:56 (eleven years ago) link
HeartlandThe Trip to Bountiful
― caro's johnson (Eazy), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:59 (eleven years ago) link
lol you like old lady movies!
― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:02 (eleven years ago) link
killing people movies, but
ginger snapsthe descent
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:05 (eleven years ago) link
liquid sky
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:06 (eleven years ago) link
I would always walk into the video store, ask "Where the old lady movies? Passage to India? Naw, naw, seen that one already."
― caro's johnson (Eazy), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:07 (eleven years ago) link
nine to five
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:08 (eleven years ago) link
all of me
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:09 (eleven years ago) link
Married to the Mob
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:09 (eleven years ago) link
crimes of passion
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:10 (eleven years ago) link
The Incredible Shrinking Woman
― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:10 (eleven years ago) link
is michelle pfeiffer really the protagonist of married to the mob?
― horseshoe, Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:13 (eleven years ago) link
yes
― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:15 (eleven years ago) link
Riding in Cars With Boys
Drew Barrymore is kind of amazing in it (as is Steve Zahn, but it's not about him).
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:19 (eleven years ago) link
http://images.moviepostershop.com/how-to-beat-the-high-cost-of-living-movie-poster-1980-1020233786.jpg
― caro's johnson (Eazy), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:20 (eleven years ago) link
OK, here we go listing every piece of shit w/ female protagonists
― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:23 (eleven years ago) link
I thought it was about favorites. Satisfaction is a total piece of shit, but I LOVE IT.
― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:24 (eleven years ago) link
I just couldn't resist a three-women-in-a-barrel poster.
― caro's johnson (Eazy), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:27 (eleven years ago) link
feel like Tarantino has been really conscientious about this:
Jackie BrownKill BillInglorious Basterds
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:56 (eleven years ago) link
Fargo, obviously
Ward OTM re: 3 Women and Carrie, two of my favorites
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:57 (eleven years ago) link
The Sterile Cuckoo's good, though slight; also, Rachel, Rachel.
― clemenza, Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:05 (eleven years ago) link
CabaretI'm Dancing As Fast As I CanThey Shoot Horses, Don't They
― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:08 (eleven years ago) link
I'm kind of feeling like the exclusion criteria should be extended... Solely female protagonists (no male/female romance, no mixed ensemble), no 'girls about to be killed', nothing solely based on their psychological damage (that one's more tricky, but I look at a load of these and I just see 'women as victims' as strongly as you do with the about-to-die horror girl). And I'm certainly not saying that male protagonists never get these roles, they just get other roles too...
― emil.y, Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:15 (eleven years ago) link
And I'm not saying those roles are always bad roles, or in bad films, or anything. I mean, most of my favourite films are about psychologically damaged protagonists... argh, I don't know. Whatever.
― emil.y, Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:17 (eleven years ago) link
I almost mentioned this before realizing that I remember virtually nothing about it.
― sockless in moccasins (jaymc), Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:17 (eleven years ago) link
I guess part of my problem is that I sometimes forget that there is a man there because all I remember about the movie is related to the women (Sisters, for example). I think Margot Kidder and Jennifer Salt are the stars of that movie. In fact, I don't remember the first thing about the man in Sisters aside from the fact that he was creepy.
― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:19 (eleven years ago) link
tank girl
― their private gesture for bison (difficult listening hour), Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:20 (eleven years ago) link
Solely female's tough for an American film (unlike, say, Bergman); even obvious choices like Wanda, or An Unmarried Woman, or Fargo prominently involve men.
― clemenza, Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:22 (eleven years ago) link
Stillman's new one Damsels in Distress probably passes the Bedchel test.
― jungleous butterflies strange birds (Eric H.), Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:23 (eleven years ago) link
eXistenZ
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:25 (eleven years ago) link
wait no one's said Alien yet? lol
was gonna say Heavenly Creatures but I guess that isn't American :(
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:26 (eleven years ago) link
Freeway
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:32 (eleven years ago) link
Election (more of an ensemble thing I guess but Witherspoon and the other female lead whose name escapes me get as much screentime as the male protagonists)
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:33 (eleven years ago) link
no one likes Thelma and Louise anymore? :(
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:34 (eleven years ago) link
I should watch it again. Haven't seen it in probably ten years.
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:35 (eleven years ago) link
Can't stand Thelma and Louise, I must say...
― emil.y, Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:36 (eleven years ago) link
Palindromes - more leads than I can remember, but all female
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:37 (eleven years ago) link
we're seeing taste overlap
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:37 (eleven years ago) link
more leads than I can remember, but all female
One of those was a willowy boy.
― jungleous butterflies strange birds (Eric H.), Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:37 (eleven years ago) link
d'oh! allright well 7 out of 8 were female
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:39 (eleven years ago) link
Go Fish
― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:40 (eleven years ago) link
Oh, someone was talking about that recently - sounds good (or at least, it sounded good when I established in my head it wasn't terrible '90s Brit-flick Shooting Fish).
― emil.y, Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:49 (eleven years ago) link
would you guys consider jeff daniels to be the clear protagonist of something wild? i would say yes, esp. because melanie griffith is such a proto-M.P.D.G.
awesome lists here, though i must cavil that bonjour tristesse is 1959 and some of the other movies listed are objectively awful ("monster"?!).
i guess i'd add some interesting exploitation items by stephanie rothman: the student nurses and the velvet vampire (particularly the latter).
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Thursday, 3 May 2012 16:59 (eleven years ago) link
poltergeist maybe fits in here too? maybe?
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Thursday, 3 May 2012 17:00 (eleven years ago) link
Little Darlings
^^^love this movie so much
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 3 May 2012 17:02 (eleven years ago) link
Going with what emil.y's reply earlier, I do have a problem with a lot of these films' failure to pass the Bechdel test. And while I love A Woman Under the Influence & etc., they are films all about how bitches be crazy.
I'm seriously blanking on my favorite American titles though. All I can think of right now are European films--they tend to play with the limits of female protagonists more broadly. The Dutch film A Question of Silence, for example, tackles the intense emotional reactions of three women but further explores how this may be a reaction to systematic oppression vs. inherent craziness.
― superpussy, Thursday, 3 May 2012 17:04 (eleven years ago) link
Monster is the Aileen Wuornos bio, rather than any other film of the same name (or Monster's Ball, for that matter). I haven't seen it, but a lot of people seemed to like it.
― Andrew Farrell, Thursday, 3 May 2012 17:05 (eleven years ago) link
they are films all about how bitches be crazy
To be fair, most of the movies not listed itt are about how men be idiots.
― jungleous butterflies strange birds (Eric H.), Thursday, 3 May 2012 17:08 (eleven years ago) link
Monster is so ridiculously terrible, the original Broomfield docs are infinitely superior
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 3 May 2012 17:13 (eleven years ago) link
I'm assuming from it's not being mentioned yet that To Kill A Mockingbird must have turned 50 recently...
― bit.ly sno cone maker (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 3 May 2012 17:17 (eleven years ago) link
You Can Count On Me
― President Keyes, Thursday, 3 May 2012 17:19 (eleven years ago) link
Um, ILX I know you hate Death Proof but DEATH PROOF
and it passes the Bechdel with flying colors
so there
:D
― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 3 May 2012 17:27 (eleven years ago) link
that one has so many protagonists it's a bit of a grey area altho yeah it passes the Bechdel test...
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 3 May 2012 17:29 (eleven years ago) link
My favorites would def be Death Proof, and True Grit, and To Kill a Mockingbird. Oh, and Beetlejuice.
True Grit apparently passes the Bechdel on a technicality bcs of the Boarding House lady which seems kinda weird, but for me the richness of Mattie's character outweighs my need for more than one female protagonist, (also given the period setting etc)
and I secretly love the Wynona "Little Women" movie.
― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 3 May 2012 17:32 (eleven years ago) link
I secretly love the Wynona "Little Women" movie.
I don't even secretly love this movie, I just love it. I still hate Bhaer though.
― Respectfully, Tyrese Gibson (Nicole), Thursday, 3 May 2012 17:35 (eleven years ago) link
this isn't factually true, but i felt like penelope spheeris was an underlying presence in the jackass movies.
― Philip Nunez, Thursday, 3 May 2012 17:41 (eleven years ago) link
Angela (Rebecca Miller's first film)May
― bit.ly sno cone maker (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 3 May 2012 17:42 (eleven years ago) link
May! Good one.
add No Such Thing even though part of the Sarah Polley character was a little bit meek and dull, the other part was not.
― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 17:48 (eleven years ago) link
some of the other movies listed are objectively awful ("monster"?!)
The way I approached this was to consult my .xls of every movie I've seen since 1992 and jot down all the ones that met the requirements. After doing so, I deleted the ones I disliked or didn't remember enough about to say one way or another. I'm in no position to defend Monster, but I recall not hating it.
― sockless in moccasins (jaymc), Thursday, 3 May 2012 17:52 (eleven years ago) link
rambling rose
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:12 (eleven years ago) link
outrage & not wanted, both by ida lupino
― moullet, Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:14 (eleven years ago) link
― Respectfully, Tyrese Gibson (Nicole), Thursday, May 3, 2012 12:35 PM (58 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
i love this one too
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:35 (eleven years ago) link
everyone just seemed so perfectly cast
― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:37 (eleven years ago) link
no shame in loving that movie -- it's good! Susan Sarandon was the only one who looked too modern (and portended sexless roles).
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:39 (eleven years ago) link
would you guys consider jeff daniels to be the clear protagonist of something wild?
Yes; the most interesting character, not at all. It's like American Graffiti: Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, and Cindy Williams are so much more interesting than almost all the male characters.
― clemenza, Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:45 (eleven years ago) link
Alien's an even worse fit than Aliens - Ripley is just one of the big cast, she doesn't become the most interesting until she's the only one left.
― Andrew Farrell, Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:46 (eleven years ago) link
she is, however, the protagonist when all is said and done. the movie just takes its time making that clear. i'd say it counts.
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:47 (eleven years ago) link
xspost Alfred, yeah that's true...I'll give her a pass though because even her regular speaking voice is just so perfectly Marmee, at least to me. It's totally how she sounded in my head all those years!
― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:48 (eleven years ago) link
times square
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:50 (eleven years ago) link
dang, a lot of the movies i wanted to mention (foxes, the runaways, switchblade sisters) are already up here
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:51 (eleven years ago) link
if anything in the alien franchise emphasizes the female POV more than others it's probably alien:resurrection.
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Thursday, 3 May 2012 20:24 (eleven years ago) link
i actually kind of like that movie.
'little women' is rly good -- winona's last good role (and film), probably.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Thursday, 3 May 2012 20:31 (eleven years ago) link
lol remember when she scored two consecutive Oscar nominations
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 20:32 (eleven years ago) link
'little women' is rly good -- winona's last good role (and film), probably.― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Thursday, May 3, 2012 3:31 PM (31 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Thursday, May 3, 2012 3:31 PM (31 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
that reminds me, is winona the protagonist of edward scissorhands? or beetlejuice for that matter?
(i'd humbly suggest that E.S. has dual protagonists, and actually re. beetlejuice i have no idea. is it alec baldwin and geena davis, alec and winona, or just alec?)
good god how crushworthy was winona in those days?
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Thursday, 3 May 2012 21:04 (eleven years ago) link
i thought she was rather good in black swan, she's still got it in her, just please stop making her play stupid girlfriend roles!
― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 21:08 (eleven years ago) link
One of these Halloweens I'm going to get my shit together and do a Lydia/Beetlejuice costume
― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 3 May 2012 21:10 (eleven years ago) link
oh man a couple with lydia and beetlejuice costumes would be off the charts. actually winona+dress + johnny depp from edward scissorhands would be nifty too.
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Thursday, 3 May 2012 21:11 (eleven years ago) link
Nah, Edward himself is the protagonist, she's the leading lady.
Beetlejuice is an ensemble piece, mostly led by Winona and Michael Keaton, surely?
xposts
― emil.y, Thursday, 3 May 2012 21:12 (eleven years ago) link
― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, May 3, 2012 4:08 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
yeah her role in that vince vaughan/king of queens comedy was likewise a kind of harsh meta-assessment of winona's waning fortunes.
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Thursday, 3 May 2012 21:12 (eleven years ago) link
really? doesn't she probably has as much screen time??
It's not about screen-time, though - the mother (forgotten her name) has as much screen-time, too. It's about how the story is presented, who the story belongs to, how the characterisation works...
― emil.y, Thursday, 3 May 2012 21:14 (eleven years ago) link
(what the cinema ticket in your hand reads)
― Andrew Farrell, Thursday, 3 May 2012 21:44 (eleven years ago) link
― emil.y, Thursday, May 3, 2012 4:14 PM (30 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
right, i know. in my memory winona's goals are of equal importance, but i haven't seen it in years, so you're probably right.
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Thursday, 3 May 2012 21:45 (eleven years ago) link
The Virgin Suicides? Lux is basically the protagonist, but it's also all five sisters as remembered by the teenage boys who worshipped them. So I'm not sure if it counts.
― clemenza, Thursday, 3 May 2012 23:07 (eleven years ago) link
There were a couple I dithered on because of uncertainty about how "American" they were. E.g., A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries or Maria Full of Grace.
― sockless in moccasins (jaymc), Thursday, 3 May 2012 23:20 (eleven years ago) link
or emma, i guess.
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Friday, 4 May 2012 00:04 (eleven years ago) link
i think monster is pretty good
― these pretzels are makeing me horney (Hungry4Ass), Friday, 4 May 2012 00:07 (eleven years ago) link
― sockless in moccasins (jaymc), Thursday, May 3, 2012 7:20 PM (47 minutes ago) Bookmark
someone mentioned eXistenZ, which i think of as totally canadian
― these pretzels are makeing me horney (Hungry4Ass), Friday, 4 May 2012 00:08 (eleven years ago) link
― clemenza, Thursday, May 3, 2012 6:07 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
i'm not sure the virgin suicides is even really "about" the sisters at all, which i guess is kind of the point
― 1staethyr, Friday, 4 May 2012 01:29 (eleven years ago) link
well, it's about perceiving them, but also about their sense of existing in the perception of others, so
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Friday, 4 May 2012 01:49 (eleven years ago) link
it's about them as objects and not characters. they may be at the center of the story but that center is a void. idk
― 1staethyr, Friday, 4 May 2012 01:52 (eleven years ago) link
may be overstating things tho, it's been a long time since i've seen it
I think you're both right...which is why I wasn't sure if it belonged or not.
― clemenza, Friday, 4 May 2012 03:15 (eleven years ago) link
Ones I liked (to varying degrees) that haven't been mentioned...
Young AdultCitizen RuthHaywireStrangers With CandyWaitressand, um, Dreamgirls?
― Vini Reilly Invasion (Elvis Telecom), Friday, 4 May 2012 03:31 (eleven years ago) link
Has anyone said Juno yet? Or Whip It?
― Leslie Mann: Boner Machine (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 4 May 2012 03:53 (eleven years ago) link
Getting laid and abandoned by Josh Hartnett on the 50-yd line? Doesn't that disqualify Virgin Suicides by these Bechdel Criteria I seem to have missed?
(I assume it's the graphic novelist Bechdel, whose big book I actually read)
― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Friday, 4 May 2012 04:04 (eleven years ago) link
Sofia Coppola's protagonist women are interesting and perhaps debatable cases, true, but i would still call them protagonists in Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette. and i really like those films.
― obliquity of the ecliptic (rrrobyn), Friday, 4 May 2012 04:21 (eleven years ago) link
actually, now that i really think about it, not debatable, def protagonist
― obliquity of the ecliptic (rrrobyn), Friday, 4 May 2012 04:22 (eleven years ago) link
Hanna also rad
― obliquity of the ecliptic (rrrobyn), Friday, 4 May 2012 04:23 (eleven years ago) link
and btw Ginger Snaps is Canadian! ^ patriotic duty done for the day
― obliquity of the ecliptic (rrrobyn), Friday, 4 May 2012 04:24 (eleven years ago) link
Morbius: the Bechdel Test
― emil.y, Friday, 4 May 2012 04:25 (eleven years ago) link
oops, i want to expand the criteria to include canada then, cuz ginger snaps is great
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Friday, 4 May 2012 04:28 (eleven years ago) link
so's hanna, can't believe i forgot that one
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Friday, 4 May 2012 04:29 (eleven years ago) link
A Question of Silence, for example, tackles the intense emotional reactions of three women
Nobody's mentioned "3 Women" yet! Where are the Altman stans?
― Race Against Rockism (Myonga Vön Bontee), Friday, 4 May 2012 04:32 (eleven years ago) link
it has been
― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Friday, 4 May 2012 04:35 (eleven years ago) link
I mentioned both.
― sockless in moccasins (jaymc), Friday, 4 May 2012 04:35 (eleven years ago) link
haha I totally read Morbius: the Bechdel Test as the title of an imagined film.
― obliquity of the ecliptic (rrrobyn), Friday, 4 May 2012 04:38 (eleven years ago) link
xxxxxpost Ah, so it has. I knew it was unlikely to have been missed (except by me obv.)
― Race Against Rockism (Myonga Vön Bontee), Friday, 4 May 2012 04:38 (eleven years ago) link
the end result of this thread is gonna be another poll, amirite?!?
― Nu Metal is the best music there is, the rest is pussy shit. (Eisbaer), Friday, 4 May 2012 04:53 (eleven years ago) link
― Race Against Rockism (Myonga Vön Bontee), Thursday, May 3, 2012 11:32 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
that's one of his worst movies, though (IMO).
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Friday, 4 May 2012 05:12 (eleven years ago) link
Blue Car is really good.
― caro's johnson (Eazy), Friday, 4 May 2012 06:14 (eleven years ago) link
It's interesting to note that many of these movies fail to pass the Bechdel test... I think one reason I had a hard time coming up with good examples was because I was unconsciously excluding movies that don't pass.
― Tuomas, Friday, 4 May 2012 06:46 (eleven years ago) link
The thread premise is 'with female protagonists' tho, not 'which pass the Bechdel test'.
Call yr contacts at Marvel. I'll have my treatment ready by monday.
― bit.ly sno cone maker (Jon Lewis), Friday, 4 May 2012 15:45 (eleven years ago) link
the Runaways! def passes the Bechdel test
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 4 May 2012 16:14 (eleven years ago) link
I'd like the Runaways a whole lot more if it had nothing to do with the Runaways and was just a throwaway movie about a fictional girlband
― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 4 May 2012 16:19 (eleven years ago) link
Anyway, the Bechdel test is an interesting exercise to look at the state of women in movies in general, but isn't very useful in assessing individual movies, IMO.
― MrDasher, Friday, 4 May 2012 16:57 (eleven years ago) link
yeah i agree with that.
― horseshoe, Friday, 4 May 2012 16:57 (eleven years ago) link
otm
― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 4 May 2012 16:58 (eleven years ago) link
Oh yeah, for sure. I mean, nor is the 'female protagonist' thing, without a list of criteria... Though asking for favourites does make it a slightly different exercise.
― emil.y, Friday, 4 May 2012 17:06 (eleven years ago) link
Where are the Altman stans?
The only movie I mentioned was an Altman! Even though most of his films featured ensembles where few individuals really stood out above the pack, he generally made good use of female protagonists. He was a very female-friendly director (in many senses).
― You Don't Throw Oranges On An Escalator (Deric W. Haircare), Friday, 4 May 2012 17:10 (eleven years ago) link
No one likes Terms of Endearment?
― Träumerei, Friday, 4 May 2012 17:14 (eleven years ago) link
prefer Steel Magnolias
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 4 May 2012 17:18 (eleven years ago) link
love terms of endearment
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Friday, 4 May 2012 17:19 (eleven years ago) link
I really like Nicole Holofcener's movies, Lovely & Amazing and Friends With Money. Both are largely populated by female protagonists and both pass the Bechdel test (according to bechdeltest.com).
― brontosaur, Friday, 4 May 2012 17:23 (eleven years ago) link
Bring it On!
― brontosaur, Friday, 4 May 2012 17:28 (eleven years ago) link
dug friends with money, haven't seen lovely & amazing. have meant to forever, just never got around to it.
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Friday, 4 May 2012 17:35 (eleven years ago) link
Walking and Talking is my favorite of hers
― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Friday, 4 May 2012 17:45 (eleven years ago) link
walking and talking and please give are the best holofceners imo; walking and talking is my fave, too.
― horseshoe, Friday, 4 May 2012 17:46 (eleven years ago) link
― MrDasher, Friday, 4 May 2012 16:57 (3 hours ago) Permalink
yeah, it's idiotic as some kind of litmus test for watching/appreciating individual films but thinking about it gives you a sense of hollywood's generally sexist orientation.
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Friday, 4 May 2012 20:05 (eleven years ago) link
Nobody's mentioned "3 Women"
I mentioned it yesterday morning
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 4 May 2012 20:09 (eleven years ago) link
disagree w/r/t hollywood -- hollywood's sexism is evidenced by gender disparity in high-power/high-pay jobs. the actual product is pretty much audience-driven.
― Philip Nunez, Friday, 4 May 2012 20:09 (eleven years ago) link
thanks for making me Google the "Bechdel test"
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 4 May 2012 20:10 (eleven years ago) link
― Philip Nunez, Friday, May 4, 2012 3:09 PM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
which doesn't mean it's immune from dysfunctional attitudes on gender!
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Friday, 4 May 2012 20:17 (eleven years ago) link
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn)
And morbs mentioned that you mentioned it last night!
― Race Against Rockism (Myonga Vön Bontee), Friday, 4 May 2012 20:19 (eleven years ago) link
i'm gonna mention it again just in case: 3 women.
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Friday, 4 May 2012 20:20 (eleven years ago) link
"which doesn't mean it's immune from dysfunctional attitudes on gender!"it ... sort of is! having no principles w/r/t making money means that the only barrier is the audience's willingness to pay for it.
― Philip Nunez, Friday, 4 May 2012 20:26 (eleven years ago) link
i mean, mel gibson got his foreign-language torture movies made because enough people wanted to see it, jesus!
― Philip Nunez, Friday, 4 May 2012 20:28 (eleven years ago) link
― Philip Nunez, Friday, May 4, 2012 3:26 PM (9 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
but... i don't follow.
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Friday, 4 May 2012 20:36 (eleven years ago) link
What, is this a poll or a listing?
1. Aliens 2. Alien3. Heathers
― Choad of Choad Hall (kingfish), Friday, 4 May 2012 20:59 (eleven years ago) link
"but... i don't follow."what i mean is that the sexism in hollywood that puts a glass ceiling on, say, a woman wanting to become a director or producer wouldn't stop a movie with two or more female characters talking about stuff getting made, provided it could make a lot of money.
― Philip Nunez, Friday, 4 May 2012 21:27 (eleven years ago) link
You're assuming that hollywood has a crystal ball that shows it what people want - the evidence here is shaky to say the least.
― Andrew Farrell, Friday, 4 May 2012 22:55 (eleven years ago) link
It's not so much a crystal ball as simply thinking "people like Julia Roberts/Cameron Diaz/Kate Hudson/Anne Hathaway etc., so let's develop stuff for them."
― Leslie Mann: Boner Machine (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 4 May 2012 23:12 (eleven years ago) link
the fact that hollywood doesn't have a crystal ball makes them that much more likely to embrace a non-sexist formula movie if one were shown to be highly profitable. like if elfquest starring naomi klein as capt. nologo made $200million, there'd be nothing but non-sexist, socially progressive elf movies forever.
― Philip Nunez, Friday, 4 May 2012 23:19 (eleven years ago) link
dare to dream
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 4 May 2012 23:20 (eleven years ago) link
so where are all the Bridesmaids knockoffs btw
aren't there like 2 or 3 already in the pipeline?
― Philip Nunez, Friday, 4 May 2012 23:24 (eleven years ago) link
panic room
― omar little, Friday, 4 May 2012 23:27 (eleven years ago) link
is carnival of souls too old to make the cutoff?
― Philip Nunez, Friday, 4 May 2012 23:35 (eleven years ago) link
no ones mentioned the travelling pants movies fyi
― johnny crunch, Friday, 4 May 2012 23:38 (eleven years ago) link
havent seen them but the protagonists are female pants i hear
Bridesmaids was retrograde and shallow too so no worries
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 4 May 2012 23:57 (eleven years ago) link
But it had an Irish leading male!
― Choad of Choad Hall (kingfish), Saturday, 5 May 2012 00:14 (eleven years ago) link
Not so much, seemingly: http://jezebel.com/5907744/the-truth-about-women-and-hollywood-these-actresses-theyre-fucked-good-luck-to-kate-and-reese
― i love the large auns pictures! (Phil D.), Saturday, 5 May 2012 00:16 (eleven years ago) link