As a feminist my values effect how I look at everything in my life, including movies. I enjoy many genres of movies but my top favorite movies almost always have a strong female lead or are about women's lives during a certain time in history. My Netflix account literally has "Movies with a Strong Female Lead" as a category for me. So I began thinking what are some of the best movies for feminist? Here is the list I came up with:
1. "Mona Lisa Smile"
This film is set in 1953 at the all-female Wellesley College. Katherine Watson (Julie Roberts), a new professor, attempts to break down the barriers that women face at conservative college such as Wellesley. For any feminist, this film is a show case of the struggle women went through in their attempt to please society but still hold onto who they want to be in the ultra conservative 1950s.
2. "Bomb Girls"
This is a series, and unfortunately, it is unfinished. However, it is still worth a watch. This series is set in the middle of WWII in Canada, where women had began to work in the factories, making bombs for their military. This series not only shows the struggles of a homosexual woman during the 1940s, but also the discrimination women faced even when they proved that they could do just as much as men. It also doesn't hurt that there are a few juicy love stories.
3. "Call the Midwife"
This fantastic series has four seasons currently and has just begun to air the fifth. This series is set in East End London in the 1950s. The East End being one of the poorest areas in London; this show is all about women and their strength to persevere through anything. The Midwives are strong, and the mothers they help are even stronger. The feminist in you will love watching the power of women helping women. You get to see how medicine evolved during the 1950s and how people adapted to it. This series is based off of actual memoirs, and you will fall in love with every character.
4. "The Magdalene Sisters"
As a feminist, this film is the most heart-wrenching on the list. This film is the story of three different women who are sent to a Magdalene Asylum; a home for "fallen" women. One girl is raped, one has a child out of wedlock, and one is simply a bit of a flirt. This film is set in 1964 and has some very alarming statistics at the end that will make you think about society's evolution or lack thereof. The treatment of these women is something that cannot be described, you will just have to watch.
5. "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood"
This wonderful film show cases the bonds not only of family, but of women. It celebrates the bond of sisterhood between women and the understanding they have of each other. The end of the film will leave you ready to join together with the women closest to you just to remind yourself how scared the bond of women can be.
6. "Fried Green Tomatoes"
This southern tale will make you laugh and cry. Evelyn, a housewife who feels trapped in her bad marriage, meets Ninny, an elderly woman at a nursing home visit who tells her the stories of her adventurous and strong sister-in-law. With every story that Ninny shares, Evelyn beings to find the strength within herself to change her life. This story is based around the triumph of women and their strength when they have a friend who understands them.
