your favorite american films of the past 50 years with female protagonists

Terminator
Alien
Aliens
Halloween
Ms. 45

― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Thursday, 3 May 2012 12:51 (1 year ago) Permalink

Ms. 45

Yes + Serial Mom.

― jungleous butterflies strange birds (Eric H.), Thursday, 3 May 2012 12:56 (1 year ago) Permalink

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

also, ones i like

looking for mr. goodbar
the runaways
carrie

>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 (1 year ago) Permalink

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

Heavenly Creatures

― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Thursday, 3 May 2012 13:39 (1 year ago) Permalink

Although I guess that's New Zealand so nevermind

― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Thursday, 3 May 2012 13:40 (1 year ago) Permalink

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

switchblade sisters
caged heat

― Ward Fowler, Thursday, 3 May 2012 13:59 (1 year ago) Permalink

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

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

Alan Rudolph's Mortal Thoughts (Demi Moore's career justified)

― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:10 (1 year ago) Permalink

I liked all of these to varying degrees, IIRC:

The Birds
Rosemary's Baby
A Woman Under the Influence
Carrie
Another Woman
Silence of the Lambs
The Man in the Moon (1991)
Reality Bites
To Die For
Clueless
Safe
Welcome to the Dollhouse
I Shot Andy Warhol
Bound
Contact
Romy and Michele's High School Reunion
Jackie Brown
High Art
The Last Days of Disco
Slums of Beverly Hills
Boys Don't Cry
Dick
Erin Brockovich
Nurse Betty
Ghost World
The Good Girl
Far from Heaven
Monster
The Company
Kill Bill v. 1 and 2
Mean Girls
Million Dollar Baby
Juno
Rachel Getting Married
Wendy and Lucy
Frozen River
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Winter's Bone
Whip It
Black Swan
Please Give
Bridesmaids
Margaret
Martha Marcy May Marlene

― sockless in moccasins (jaymc), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:15 (1 year ago) Permalink

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

Freeway
Election

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:25 (1 year ago) Permalink

thanks for reminding me about High Art and Please Give, jaymc.

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:26 (1 year ago) Permalink

KJB's list is super OH YEAH time
nice work!

Also if they haven't been mentioned yet

Valley of the Dolls
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:32 (1 year ago) Permalink

Satisfaction
Little Darlings
Foxes

― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:33 (1 year ago) Permalink

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:35 (1 year ago) Permalink

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

Badlands
Out Of The Blue
Carnival Of Souls

― O00O0O00O (Matt #2), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:38 (1 year ago) Permalink

Have there been any westerns yet?

― O00O0O00O (Matt #2), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:40 (1 year ago) Permalink

Meek's Cutoff, not having seen Raquel Welch in Hannie Caulder

― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:43 (1 year ago) Permalink

The Quick and the Dead is super entertaining but is still pretty bad. xp

― Respectfully, Tyrese Gibson (Nicole), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:44 (1 year ago) Permalink

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

Glitter

― jungleous butterflies strange birds (Eric H.), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:47 (1 year ago) Permalink

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

Sisters

― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:48 (1 year ago) Permalink

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

Passion Fish is the only Sayles I like...

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:52 (1 year ago) Permalink

yeah, passion fish is great. i should rewatch that.

― horseshoe, Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:54 (1 year ago) Permalink

Working Girls
Working Girl

― caro's johnson (Eazy), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:55 (1 year ago) Permalink

The Bridges o' Madison County

― caro's johnson (Eazy), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:56 (1 year ago) Permalink

Heartland
The Trip to Bountiful

― caro's johnson (Eazy), Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:59 (1 year ago) Permalink

lol you like old lady movies!

― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:02 (1 year ago) Permalink

killing people movies, but

ginger snaps
the descent

― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:05 (1 year ago) Permalink

liquid sky

― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:06 (1 year ago) Permalink

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

nine to five

― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:08 (1 year ago) Permalink

all of me

― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:09 (1 year ago) Permalink

Married to the Mob

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:09 (1 year ago) Permalink

crimes of passion

― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:10 (1 year ago) Permalink

The Incredible Shrinking Woman

― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:10 (1 year ago) Permalink

is michelle pfeiffer really the protagonist of married to the mob?

― horseshoe, Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:13 (1 year ago) Permalink

yes

― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:15 (1 year ago) Permalink

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

― caro's johnson (Eazy), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:20 (1 year ago) Permalink

OK, here we go listing every piece of shit w/ female protagonists

― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 3 May 2012 15:23 (1 year ago) Permalink

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

"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, 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 (1 year ago) Permalink

What, is this a poll or a listing?

1. Aliens
2. Alien
3. Heathers

― Choad of Choad Hall (kingfish), Friday, 4 May 2012 20:59 (1 year ago) Permalink

"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 (1 year ago) Permalink

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

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 (1 year ago) Permalink

dare to dream

― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 4 May 2012 23:20 (1 year ago) Permalink

so where are all the Bridesmaids knockoffs btw

― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 4 May 2012 23:20 (1 year ago) Permalink

aren't there like 2 or 3 already in the pipeline?

― Philip Nunez, Friday, 4 May 2012 23:24 (1 year ago) Permalink

panic room

― omar little, Friday, 4 May 2012 23:27 (1 year ago) Permalink

is carnival of souls too old to make the cutoff?

― Philip Nunez, Friday, 4 May 2012 23:35 (1 year ago) Permalink

no ones mentioned the travelling pants movies fyi

― johnny crunch, Friday, 4 May 2012 23:38 (1 year ago) Permalink

havent seen them but the protagonists are female pants i hear

― johnny crunch, Friday, 4 May 2012 23:38 (1 year ago) Permalink

so where are all the Bridesmaids knockoffs btw

Bridesmaids was retrograde and shallow too so no worries

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 4 May 2012 23:57 (1 year ago) Permalink

But it had an Irish leading male!

― Choad of Choad Hall (kingfish), Saturday, 5 May 2012 00:14 (1 year ago) Permalink

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."

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 (1 year ago) Permalink