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Originally Posted by lisarea
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From the article:
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“Strength,” in the parlance, is the 21st-century equivalent of “virtue.” And what we think of as “virtuous,” or culturally sanctioned, socially acceptable behavior now, in women as in men, is the ability to play down qualities that have been traditionally considered feminine and play up the qualities that have traditionally been considered masculine. “Strong female characters,” in other words, are often just female characters with the gendered behavior taken out. This makes me think that the problem is not that there aren’t enough “strong” female characters in the movies — it’s that there aren’t enough realistically weak ones.
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So what are some examples of... worthwhile female characters who aren't playing to the dominant tropes? Lorelai in
Gilmore Girls? Ree in
Winter's Bone?
One list from 2005 called
Ten Hollywood Movies That Get Women Right discusses the dominant themes for women:
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The Chick Flick. That 90-minute sitcom you're always stuck watching on the plane. Oh, look, they met in a dog park! But neither one of them has dogs! Wait, they love each other online, but hate each other in real life! Oh no, he/she is a hired escort, but in the end, true love will find a way! More exercises in tabloid wish fulfillment than love stories, the chick flick makes you feel like you need a shower, or at least a wardrobe overhaul.
The Earnest Social Commentary. Norma Rae, Silkwood, Erin Brockovich. In which brave women face down The Man, and let us go home feeling exultant, or at least ready to place our bets in the Oscar pool.
The Cancer Weepie. Terms of Endearment, Stepmom, Steel Magnolias. More brave women share their souls on hospital beds, tearing up photogenically as the sisterhood sweeps them up in tissue-soaked arms and ushers them into the great beyond.
The Action Figure. Catwoman, Tomb Raider, Elektra. All the one-dimensional women in three-dimensional popup bras, who seem pieced together to elicit a collective "You go, girlfriend!" from the audience. As if we all thought heroism -- or rather, heroinism -- should be defined by humorlessness, spandex and a good personal trainer.
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Their list of ten movies that get it right is:
Alien (1979),
All About Eve (1950),
Adam's Rib (1949),
Batman Returns (1992),
Jackie Brown (1997),
Auntie Mame (1958),
Silence of the Lambs (1991),
Fight Club (2000),
To Kill A Mockingbird (1962), and
Star Wars (1977).
Also, any recommendations of series or movies for the Netflix cue that people here see as having good roles for women?