Love to Women: Feminist Films
The films that make up this list reflect or illustrate the basic principle of feminism, which, stated simply and famously, is that "women are not doormats" (nor are they objects of any kind). These movies assert and celebrate that women have the right to self-determination. I hope that you enjoy this list, these films, and the spirited girls and women that they depict.
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Notes: 1.) Except for the first six, the films are listed in alphabetical order. The first exemplify six the variety of feminist films.
2.) For some of the movies, I indicated the country of origin for each, as well as what language or languages are spoken, and the country of setting. Not all of the films have such information within the list at this time but I will continue as I can. This information can be found within each film's IMDb page, however.
3.) I will update this routinely, as I learn of other relevant movies and new ones are released.
Vote in related polls here, here, and here.
Notes: 1.) Except for the first six, the films are listed in alphabetical order. The first exemplify six the variety of feminist films.
2.) For some of the movies, I indicated the country of origin for each, as well as what language or languages are spoken, and the country of setting. Not all of the films have such information within the list at this time but I will continue as I can. This information can be found within each film's IMDb page, however.
3.) I will update this routinely, as I learn of other relevant movies and new ones are released.
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- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsJodie FosterAnthony HopkinsScott GlennA young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.U.S.
Filmed in the U.S.; Set in the U.S.
Language: English - DirectorYimou ZhangStarsGong LiJingwu MaSaifei HeChina in the 1920s. After her father's death, Songlian is forced to marry the wealthy Master Chen. With three wives already, each living in a separate house, there is fierce competition for his attention and the privileges that are gained.China / Hong Kong / Taiwan;
Filmed in China; Set in China
Language: Mandarin - DirectorMartin RittStarsSally FieldBeau BridgesRon LeibmanA young single mother and textile worker agrees to help unionize her mill despite the problems and dangers involved.U.S. / English
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsDanny GloverWhoopi GoldbergOprah WinfreyA tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry.U.S. / English
- DirectorRobert StevensonStarsJulie AndrewsDick Van DykeDavid TomlinsonIn turn of the century London, a magical nanny employs music and adventure to help two neglected children become closer to their father.
- DirectorsVincent ParonnaudMarjane SatrapiStarsChiara MastroianniCatherine DeneuveGena RowlandsA precocious and outspoken Iranian girl grows up during the Islamic Revolution.France / USA;
Set in Iran;
Languages: French. English, Persian, German - DirectorRobert AltmanStarsShelley DuvallSissy SpacekJanice RuleTwo roommates/physical therapists, one a vain woman and the other an awkward teenager, share an increasingly bizarre relationship.
- DirectorCristian MungiuStarsAnamaria MarincaLaura VasiliuVlad IvanovA woman assists her friend in arranging an illegal abortion in 1980s Romania.Set in Romania
- DirectorColin HigginsStarsJane FondaLily TomlinDolly PartonEmployees Violet, Judy, and Dora Lee of sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot Franklin Hart Junior find a way to turn the tables on him. Dolly Parton's film debut was later a short-lived TV sitcom and a Broadway musical.U.S. / English
- DirectorJonathan KaplanStarsKelly McGillisJodie FosterBernie CoulsonAfter a young woman suffers a brutal gang rape in a bar one night, a prosecutor assists in bringing the perpetrators to justice, including the ones who encouraged and cheered on the attack.U.S. / English
- DirectorAlejandro AmenábarStarsRachel WeiszMax MinghellaOscar IsaacA historical drama set in Roman Egypt, concerning a slave who turns to the rising tide of Christianity in the hope of pursuing freedom while falling in love with his mistress, the philosophy and mathematics professor Hypatia of Alexandria.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsEllen BurstynKris KristoffersonMia BendixsenA recently-widowed woman is on the road with her precocious young son, determined to make a new life for herself as a singer.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsSigourney WeaverTom SkerrittJohn HurtAfter investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin, the crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform.
- DirectorJames CameronStarsSigourney WeaverMichael BiehnCarrie HennDecades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring.
- DirectorJohn HyamsStarsJules WillcoxMarc MenchacaAnthony HealdA recently widowed traveler is kidnapped by a cold-blooded killer, only to escape into the wilderness, where she is forced to battle against the elements as her pursuer closes in on her.
- DirectorJoseph L. MankiewiczStarsBette DavisAnne BaxterGeorge SandersA seemingly timid but secretly ruthless ingénue insinuates herself into the lives of an aging Broadway star and her circle of theater friends.
- DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsCecilia RothMarisa ParedesCandela PeñaA comedy-drama about a bereaved mother, an overwrought actress, her jealous lover, and a pregnant nun.
- DirectorTim DisneyStarsNicole BeharieWill PattonAlfre WoodardA single mother struggles to clear her name after being wrongly accused and arrested for dealing drugs in an impoverished Texas town.U.S. / English
- DirectorFrancis LeeStarsKate WinsletSaoirse RonanGemma Jones1840s England, acclaimed but overlooked fossil hunter Mary Anning and a young woman sent to convalesce by the sea develop an intense relationship, altering both of their lives forever.
- DirectorKitty GreenStarsJulia GarnerOwen HollandJon OrsiniA searing look at a day in the life of an assistant to a powerful executive. As Jane follows her daily routine, she grows increasingly aware of the insidious abuse that threatens every aspect of her position.
- DirectorGurinder ChadhaStarsParminder NagraKeira KnightleyJonathan Rhys MeyersJess Bhamra dreams of playing professional football, but her Sikh parents have plans for her: a law degree and a marriage. Jules, a white female striker, spots Jess playing football and invites her to join the local women's team.
- DirectorOusmane SembeneStarsMbissine Thérèse DiopAnne-Marie JelinekMomar Nar SeneA black girl from Senegal becomes a servant in France.
- DirectorsKathleen HepburnElle-Máijá TailfeathersStarsViolet NelsonElle-Máijá TailfeathersCharlie HannahAfter a chance encounter on the street, a woman tries to encourage a pregnant domestic abuse victim to seek help.Canada / Norway
- DirectorLizzie BordenStarsHoneyAdele BerteiJean SatterfieldSet ten years after the most peaceful revolution in United States history, it presents a dystopia in which the issues of many groups - minorities, liberals, gay rights organizations, feminists - are dealt with by the government.
- DirectorMatt RuskinStarsKeira KnightleyCarrie CoonChris CooperLoretta McLaughlin was the reporter who first connected the murders and broke the story of the Boston Strangler. She and Jean Cole challenged the sexism of the early 1960s to report on the city's most notorious serial killer.
