Thursday Movie Picks is hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. For entries of other participants, visit her site for the link up. This week focuses on strong female characters. I think the word 'strong' could mean many things - physical strength, women standing up for themselves, women with personality, and so on. Here are my picks this week:
Wonder Woman - Diana Prince thrived in an island filled with strong women. She has grown up to be opinionated and to stand for truth. She is not only strong physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. She is quite a superhero on her own right, and I cannot wait to see more of her in DC movies.
Alice Through the Looking Glass - While Alice isn't probably the first person to enter your mind when it comes to this theme, I do think that she is a strong character, and she comes to her strength in the sequel. She rejects the norm, and knows what she wants. She also embodies a strong determination, whether it is to help out a friend, or to be free to dictate her future.
Hidden Figures - Unlike my first two picks, this features three strong female characters, and how they pushed themselves to get what is rightfully for them. The core of their challenges was similar with each other, and to see them succeed in a field where they were not treated equally with their peers was very empowering and inspiring.
Excellent picks! I like that you went with Alice. I've always mostly enjoyed those movies and Mia's performance so I'm happy to see it here.
ReplyDeleteAlice is an interesting direction to go with this but I can see it. She has to be strong to navigate her way safely through Wonderland. Haven't seen Wonder Woman yet but I LOVED Hidden Figures! Not only were the women's story compelling but the way it was made the whole film remained gripping though the outcome was a known. In that way it reminded me of Apollo 13.
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of these sort of films and reached back a bit to a time for my three when female powered movies weren't as rare as they are now.
Three Secrets (1950)-When a private plane crashes in the remote California Mountains the only survivor is a 5-year-old boy. As word spreads that the child had been adopted at birth from a certain orphanage the three possible mothers, housewife Susan Chase (Eleanor Parker), newspaper reporter Phyllis Horn (Patricia Neal) and ex-con Ann Lawrence (Ruth Roman), gather at the mountain base to discover the truth drawing on their strength to endure the ordeal of wondering “Could that be my boy?” Solid drama with three excellent lead performances was directed by Robert Wise.
Tammy and the Bachelor (1957)-Young Tambrey "Tammy" Tyree (Debbie Reynolds) lives with her grandfather (Walter Brennan) on his houseboat in the swamps of the South. One day young pilot Peter Brent (Leslie Nielsen) crashes nearby and during his recovery Tammy develops a crush on him. He heads back to his family’s mansion telling Grandpa if anything should happen to have Tammy come to his family. Shortly after Gramps is arrested for making corn liquor and Tammy heads to town. Once there she shakes the place up with her common sense approach to all things relying on her strong sense of self to ride out any bumps along the way. Meanwhile Pete sees her in a new light. Debbie carries this with a light touch and scored an enormous hit with the theme song.
His Girl Friday (1940)-Ace reporter Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) is sick of the cutthroat world of the newspaper game and tells her editor and ex-husband Walter Burns (Cary Grant) she’s quitting to get married to someone Walter considers a dolt (Ralph Bellamy). Walter tries every trick in the book to get Hildy to stay finally dangling a carrot he knows her aggressive take charge reporter’s heart can’t refuse-a murderer’s execution. Despite her protests the resourceful Hildy jumps into action and when the chance for a scoop comes along all else is pushed aside. Manic screwball comedy is noted for its extremely fast dialog patter between the leads. This set Roz on the path as THE boss lady of the movies for most of the decade.
I’m also using this week to re-recommend two films I’ve chosen before but they fit right in and both are terrific somewhat obscure films that deserve a look.
ReplyDeleteCry “Havoc” (1943)-As WWII rages in the Philippines a group of women volunteer to help the army nurses in a hospital unit on Bataan. Set mostly in their protective bunker and the switchboard that brings increasingly more dire war news this focuses on the struggles and hardships endured by the women as the front moves ever closer. The cast is comprised almost exclusively of great actresses, Margaret Sullavan, Ann Sothern, Joan Blondell and Fay Bainter among them, with only very brief glimpses of men, including a young Robert Mitchum. A compelling heavy drama leavened by doses of gallows humor.
Westward the Women (1951)-Unvarnished look at the hard road faced by a group of women settlers on a wagon train to California. Robert Taylor, weathered and hard is the rough but fair wagon master and has the only significant male role. Hope Emerson stands out as a plain speaking, no nonsense traveler but all the performances are very good. The cost of the trip is honestly depicted as heavy with human lives. Written by Frank Capra and directed with an unflinching eye by Wild Bill Wellman, an involving, unusual picture.
Yay, more love for Wonder Woman and Hidden Figures!
ReplyDeleteGreat picks and Wonder Woman is a perfect choice which I still have to see. Alice is great because she is strong and fights for her friends and faces the evil Wueen. Love Hidden Figures and it is a perfect choice.
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