What makes a movie feminist?
When I saw Girlfight, whenever it came out, I remember hearing about how it was such! a! feminist! movie!
It wasn’t. It was like 30 zillion of the 80s movies where the girl wants to be a dancer and falls in love with some guy and he makes her choose between dance and him and she chooses her job. Except this time it was about boxing, and I think they were Hispanic. But it’s the same difference. Feminist movies, apparently, mean movies with guys who are assholes, and where you choose a job over a guy because you absolutely can’t have both because he won’t let you.
I also saw The Prince & Me. (I’m a huge fan of Julia Stiles.) Spoiled prince goes to the US, falls in love with a farmer’s daughter who’s planning to go to med school, grows up, she learns to be herself, etc etc. She finds out he’s a prince, she’s mad, he goes back to become king, she flies to Denmark to be with him, they get engaged. Blah blah blah. All the princessy stuff happens — and I like that sort of stuff — and then she realises she’s given up who she is to become a princess, so she goes back home.
They actually shot two endings. In one she doesn’t see him again. In the other, he appears at her graduation (from undergrad) and says he loves her, he’ll wait for her to finish med school and do whatever else she wants to do. (She wanted to do humanitarian work, which would presumably be doable if you’ve got a monarchy behind you.)
The movie ended with the second ending. In watching one of the special features, the director said that she felt people would feel cheated if the relationship never happened. I was disappointed. That’s not the right reason to have chosen that ending (which I think is the right ending). The reason is because you don’t always need to make a choice between your job and having a relationship. The reason is because there are many guys out there who want you to be happy in a job, even if it takes you away from them some, who are willing to put off their wants for yours. You can make a number of complaints about this movie — as about the other — but in the end, it seems a much more feminist movie than Girlfight.
August 27th, 2004 at 11:58 pm
I like Julia Stiles, too. So would you recommend that movie? That’s chick business for me but G will typically watch anything with me.
As far as girl flicks (as opposed to chick flicks), Blue Crush was a good one.
August 28th, 2004 at 11:30 am
Yeah, I’d recommend it, if you’re looking for a real chick flick. (I don’t think I spoiled the ending too much.) Luke Malby isn’t bad looking, either.
Blue Crush looked like it would be fun. I’ll keep it on my list.
August 28th, 2004 at 11:30 am
Well, of course I spoiled the ending, but I don’t think I ruined the movie.
August 30th, 2004 at 12:00 am
I agree with you about both of these movies. Although Girlfight didn’t really stick with me so clearly as the other one. (I can’t recall the end very clearly). I was pretty taken with the rewriting of the princess theme. And Julia Stiles rocks, no matter what she’s in.
August 30th, 2004 at 12:21 am
The reason Girlfight stuck with me was because it was so heavily touted as a feminist movie, and my friend and I just didn’t get it (or like the movie much, in general). I remember what the ending was, but I don’t remember the movie well.
10 things I hate about you is a movie I like a great deal. Though it wasn’t princessy at all. Of rewrites: did you see Ella enchanted? I loved the book so much I was unwilling to risk the movie.
September 12th, 2005 at 4:32 am
feminist films should be made more