Feminist+Movies



A League of Their Own is a 1992 film that features Madonna, Tom Hanks, and Rosie O'Donell. It's a fictional movie based on real events during World War II. During that era, women were being hired by the government to play baseball since the men were busy at war. It was there where they tried to make a name for themselves and ended up being successful. Not only were they added to the Sports' Hall of fame but they also opened up a new ideal dealing with females in sports.


 * Iron Jawed Angels** is a 2004 movie dealing with the Women's Suffrage Movement. Hillary Swank plays the role of Alice Paul whom is recognized for using unique ways in order to get women their right to vote. In the film, the audience witnesses some of the most traumatic experiences that these women dealt with on the road to success.


 * She's the Man** is a fictional comedy in which Amanda Bynes plays the role of an underestimated female soccer player. After her school cuts the girl's soccer team and her request of joining the boys' team is denied, she finds a way to achieve her dreams. The only way that she could do that is if she pretends to be a man (hence the movie title).


 * Bend it Like Beckham** is another fictional film dealing with women in sports. The main character's name is Jess (Parminder Nagra) and she's part of a Muslim family with a strong opposition of her desire to play soccer. However, Jess finds ways to continue practicing what she's passionate about throughout the film. In the end, her family ends up accepting her dreams and she's offered a scholarship to a very prestigious University. It's an inspiring film because it tells us that we shouldn't give up on our dreams and that we shouldn't conform to others' expectations.



The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is an adaptation of the novel which carries the same name written by Muriel Sparks. The Juniors who are looking to go into AP English next year should definitely check out both the film and the book because you WILL study next year and in grave detail. Even for those of you who are not going into AP should still watch this film because it is a rare treat. The film, to put it simply, is about a teacher named Miss Jean Brodie and her favorite set of students called "The Brodie Set." Miss Brodie and her set are quite unorthodox especially considering the fact that throughout the film we see : dangerous love affairs, heartbreaking betrayals and of course intense psychological warfare. Maggie Smith, who plays Miss Brodie, won an Oscar for her performance in the film. She is better known to you guys as Professor Mcgonaghall(sp?) from the Harry Potter film series. It is available via Instant Play on Netflix, for those of you who have it.



Persepolis is the poignant story of a young girl in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. It is through the eyes of the precocious and outspoken 9-year-old Marjane that we see a people's hopes dashed as fundamentalists take power--forcing the veil on women and imprisoning thousands. Clever and fearless, Marjane outsmarts the "social guardians" and discovers punk, ABBA, and Iron Maiden. Yet when her uncle is senselessly executed and as bombs fall around Tehran in the Iran/Iraq war, the daily fear that permeates life in Iran is palpable.



In director [|Hayao Miyazaki]'s gentle, animated adventure, young witch Kiki moves away from her family to practice her craft, but she finds that making friends in a new town is difficult. With her cat, Jiji, in tow, Kiki puts her broom-flying skills to work for a baker's wife by starting an express delivery service. She quickly discovers, however, that she can't take her abilities for granted.



Just how hard is it to be happy? Poppy is an irrepressibly free-spirited school teacher who brings an infectious laugh and an unsinkable sense of optimism to every situation she encounters, offering us a touching, truthful and deeply life-affirming exploration of one of the most mysterious and often the most elusive of all human qualities: happiness. Poppy's ability to maintain her perspective is tested as the story begins and her commuter bike is stolen. However, she enthusiastically signs up for driving lessons with Scott, who turns out to be her nemesis – a fuming, uptight cynic. As the tension of their weekly lessons builds, Poppy encounters even more challenges to her positive state of mind: a fiery flamenco instructor, her bitter pregnant sister, a troubled homeless man and a young bully in her class, not to mention that she has also thrown out her back. How this affects not only Poppy's world view but also the outlook of those around her begs the question "glass half full or half empty"?



Stellar performances highlight this delightfully witty adaptation of the hit Broadway play about two dotty spinsters ([|Josephine Hull] and [|Jean Adair]) with a peculiar avocation: helping lonely old gents by poisoning them and burying them in the cellar. But the jig is up when the ladies' newlywed nephew, Mortimer Brewster ([|Cary Grant]), discovers his aunts' "benevolent" deeds. [|Raymond Massey] and [|Peter Lorre] also star.



When impish gamine Amélie ([|Audrey Tautou]), who lives alone, finds a long-hidden trove of toys behind a baseboard in her apartment, she's inspired to repatriate the items, an impulse of generosity that sparks more benevolent acts. A celebration of life and love, French director [|Jean-Pierre Jeunet]'s Oscar-nominated charmer stresses the importance of small wonders that surround us, if only we paused to look.



Struggling to raise her daughter in a poor African village, Yesterday ([|Leleti Khumalo]) finds the odds stacked against her when she learns that she's HIV positive. But with her husband in denial, Yesterday must somehow find the strength to go on. She's also determined to live long enough to see her daughter go to school. Darrell James Roodt directs this heartfelt drama, the first Zulu-language film to be released internationally.



Inspired by author Yasutaka Tsutsui's novel, this anime follows the adventures of Makoto Konno, a seemingly ordinary high school student who makes a startling revelation when she learns that she's been endowed with the ability to travel back in time. Following a series of frivolous "time leaps," Makoto learns that her powers have a negative impact on the people around her and sets out to correct the effects of her actions.