Diablo Cody makes her Directorial Debut

Need some mid week inspiration?

Here's an article from last October interviewing Academy Award winning screenwriter Diablo Cody about her experience diving into Directing with her most recent picture Paradise.

She really taps into something important for women in the media when she talks about not wanting to wait around in developmental hell. For many people working in film, it's a case of waiting for the jobs to come along, especially for actresses waiting for those great on screen roles. Instead of waiting, Cody did something about it and picked up the directorial reigns herself.

What a great inspiration. Instead of waiting for those great roles, go write them. Instead of waiting for a director, go direct it. Don't let other people get in the way of making things happen for you. Be the change you want to see in the world.

Diablo Cody talks Screenwriting with the Fempire and Paradise

"Women in Hollywood realize it's sort of essential we support each other. We're the underdogs in a lot of ways." 

Review #7: Nobody Walks

Nobody Walks

Release Date: September 6, 2012

Writer: Lena Dunham, Ry Russo-Young

Director: Ry Russo-Young

Logline: A Silver Lake family's relaxed dynamic is tested after they take in a young artist so she can complete her art f
ilm. (Source: IMDb) Drama, 83min

Bechdel Test: Passed all three tests.

Review

If we're being honest, the only reason I wanted to watch this movie is because John Krasinski is in it. If you love him and hot dads, then watch this movie. If you don't care about him and don't tend to crush on guys who are nice to kids, probably don't watch this movie.

The cast was pretty good and the story was okay but there wasn't anything special about this film. The stakes never felt high and the characters weren't interesting enough to compensate for that.

Martine (Olivia Thirlby) is staying with Peter (JKras) and Julie (DeWitt) while Peter helps her complete her film.  Peter and Julie's family is the best part of the movie, they interact in the kind of way that makes you want their life.  Martine comes in and messes with their dynamic by hooking up with Peter as well as Peter's assistant. No one seems to really regret their actions, no one seems overly devastated. Sure, Julie is pissed and they kick Martine out, but we are left with the feeling that things will just go back to normal. Pretty anti-climatic.

There were some nice moments and a couple laughs but 10 minutes after shutting down Netflix, I can't remember any of them.

Portrayal of Women: There were some really interesting female characters here. First of all, Martine is written as a bit of a tease. Right of the bat we see that she knowingly uses her attractiveness to her advantage whenever she can.  When she tells Peter that she slept with him because "she was doing what she had to do to get her movie finished" we get great insight into her thought process surrounding sex and how she strategically uses it to her benefit.

Julie is a loving wife except she engages with emotional infidelity with both her ex-husband and a client.  What struck me most about Julie is her request for Peter "to not embarrass her" when it comes to his obvious crush on Martine. She didn't even tell him to stay away, she just didn't want him to cause her any embarrassment.

The best character is Julie's daughter Kolt. At sixteen, Kolt is still figuring things out. Her conflicting

confidence and insecurity is a realistic portrayal of the complexity that all women possess.

Sisterhood moment:  Kolt and Julie chat in their jammies.

Kolt: But how do you know if you pick the right guy?

Julie: You don't. You're just ready and then you pick one.

Rating: 2.5/5

IMDb - Nobody Walks (5.3)

Wikipedia - Nobody Walks

Rotten Tomatoes - Nobody Walks (38%)

Hollywood's Casting Beauty Standards

We're all pretty familiar with the limited roles that women are offered in Hollywood. Often women make up only 30% of a film's cast. This misrepresentation is damaging in and of itself, but what about the disproportionate 'Hot Girl' factor?

In this article, Salon reveals many of the choices made during the casting process. Specifically, it compares how male and female characters are described. Here is an example of a couple in the same script:

Jason Biggs and Taylor Schilling of
Orange is the New Black

Male: 30. 30 going on 21. He’s married to [female]. He’s a fun, hip guy, but at his core, he’s become a family man.

Female: 29 – 30 years old. She’s both beautiful and cool and just a few notches this side of New-Agey.

The male character is described through personality, while the female character's looks are described before any personality descriptors. This is just one example of a long standing pattern in the entertainment world.

Lets not kid ourselves, there has been an established standard of "average" looking TV males coupled with beautiful model-type TV females. For women, attractiveness is not just the first hurdle, it's often the only one. 

Hollywood's Hidden Sexism: How Casting Notices Keep Beauty Standards Alive

"Can producers stop vetoing casting options based on fuckability? And can a physical character description be an afterthought, only included if it furthers the plot? From my perspective, as an actress but also as an audience member, I think it would be nice to see a complex female character physically, emotionally and mentally realized on-screen not by the hottest woman, but by the very real actress best suited to play her."

Hollywood needs to get the memo. Hotness isn't a character trait.

Review #6: Dirty Dancing

And I've... Had... The Time of My Life...

Dirty Dancing 

Release Date: August 21st, 1987
Writer: Eleanor Bergstein 

Director: Emile Ardolino


Logline: "Spending the summer in a holiday camp with her family, Frances "Baby" Houseman falls in love with the camp's dance instructor Johnny Castle" (Source: IMDb) Music/Romance, 100min.
Bechdel Test: Passes all three tests.



Review

Ok, lets be honest, there isn't a lot of point in reviewing a movie that has survived as a must-see for generations.

It's a classic. If you haven't seen it, go see it. If you have seen it, go watch it again.

Here's why: It holds up. Most 80's movies become very dated when you watch them now, because of fashion, trends, stars, whatever, but Dirty Dancing just happened to have a lot of things going for it. First, it is set in the 1960's. That really removes the film from the 80's trendiness. The music does the same. Some classics from the era they are trying to portray and some songs that went on to become mega hit's in 1988. When those kind of pop culture references are stripped away its easy to stay in love with this movie.

Plus... "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." This is a quotable, feel good, never disappointing movie. It might be total fluff, but everyone seems to love this fluff.

Instead of a real review I wanted to share some Dirty Dancing trivia:

Everything about this movie screamed destined to flop. They studio considered releasing it straight to home video. It was a low budget disaster. There were no major stars, and the screenings didn't go well. The film cost $5 million to produce and went on to earn more than $64 million in domestic box office sales, surprising everyone.

It was the first feature film to break 1 million home video sales. Much of that could be attributed to the film's soundtrack, which itself sold over 32 million copies and spent over 4 months in the number one Billboard slot. The soundtrack even had it had it's own sequel.

The real flop

Eleanor Bergstein wrote a very biographical movie. She basically did everything Baby does in the movie, including calling herself Baby. She went on to go to dancing school, and then later wrote dancing movies. So maybe that's what Havana Nights should have been about.

It seems to be greatly overlooked that a big part of the plot is how Penny needs an abortion. At the time it would be illegal, but all the dance kids rally around Penny, with Baby trying to find the money for the procedure and offering to stand in for Penny on the day of. Robbie gives Baby the book "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand to justify abandoning Penny, because "objectivism" means you can be a jerk to people.

Some famous scenes from the practicing-their-dancing-montage were not scripted. It was just Jennifer and Patrick being cute together. Everyone say "Aww..."

Both Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey appeared in the film Red Dawn a few years prior. Both Dirty Dancing and Red Dawn have had reboots in the last decade that were both atrocious.

Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey weren't the only stars. Choreographer Kenny Ortega has become a serious money maker for dance-movies. His moves can be seen in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, High School Musical, Hannah Montana, and Michael Jackson's This Is It. 

Conan O'Brien lead a successful letter writing campaign to demand the re-release of Dirty Dancing in 1997, a followup to the successful re-release of Star Wars. The studio said they received over 80,000 phone calls demanding to put the pic in theaters. Conan had said on his show if they were not successful, he would fire his trombonist La Bamba. We are all glad he's still around today. Jerry Orbach went on Conan's show to promote the re-release, and they reenacted a scene

Portrayal of Women: There's a little bit of old fashioned romanticism in here, but lets be honest. That's why we love this movie. Baby is a pretty bad-ass chick. She's trying to save the day, and she steps up to learn from other people. The other side of it is that the kids around her don't underestimate her, she isn't cast aside for being a girl. She is cast aside for being a rich kid, but that's another blog. 

Sisterhood Moment: The fact that 24 years later (2011), the movie Crazy, Stupid, Love came out, and had an iconic scene with Emma Stone asking Ryan Gosling what his "move" was (to seduce women) and his answer was working Dirty Dancing into the conversation. Who doesn't love that?

Rating: 5/5 (Because you write a movie that people will still watch and talk about for the next 30 

IMDb - Dirty Dancing (6.8)
Wikipedia - Dirty Dancing
Rotten Tomatoes - Dirty Dancing (72%)

Review #5: In a World...

In a World...

Release Date: September 13, 2013
Writer: Lake Bell
Director: Lake Bell

Logline: An underachieving voice coach finds herself competing in the movie trailer voice-over profession against her arrogant father and his protégé. (Source: IMDb) Comedy, 93min

Bechdel Test: Passed all three tests.


Review
In a World… is the story of  Carol, played by Lake Bell, who is trying to make it in the voice-over business. Even though her dad is one of the most successful voice over actors in Hollywood, she can’t seem to get past the gender barrier that is present in the field.  As she begins to find success, she must work through family issues with her dad and sister - throw in a couple of guys who may be potential romantic interests and Carol’s life is a whirlwind.

What is particularly interesting about this film is that Lake Bell not only stars in it, but also wrote and directed it.  The story is about a woman from a woman’s point of view – already, I’m totally on board.

It goes through the classic underdog storyline where the girl can’t break into the boys club, then she does, then she beats the boys at their own game.  By the end of the film, Carol has booked a huge job that the best guys in town were all competing for – it’s a great win for women everywhere.  Except it kind of isn’t.

What I was most impressed by in the movie was the moment Carol learns that she was hired because she is a woman, not because she did the best job. Her joyous accomplishment turns into a bittersweet consolation prize.  It still earns her a paying job, but it robs her of the satisfaction of knowing that her talents were truly deserving.  That poignant realization left me thinking long after the film had ended.

I wondered if it would have been better for Carol to win based purely on merit.  I felt cheated, where was that triumphant better-than-all-the-boys-put-together girl? I wanted a Melanie Griffith, Working Girl resolution, but all I got was Geena Davis telling Carol she gender quota'd her way into a job.

But if Carol had landed the job by merit, she probably would have just gone on to do more voice over work. Instead, she reevaluates and chooses to teach young women how to find their own voices.  That is real empowerment.

This is a fun movie with an impressive cast.  Rob Corddry, Ken Marino, Demetri Martin, Tig Notaro and Michaela Watkins are just a few of the people who helped make this movie a delightful watch.


Portrayal of Women: Lots of great female characters here, all with different goals. Carol's main goal is to establish her career. Her sister Dani's is to balance her marriage and career.  Their dad's girlfriend is trying to lock down a rich older guy.  Different motivations, different kinds of women, all great representations.

There are also plenty of secondary characters who are women.

Sisterhood moment: "Sister code. Done deal. Sister code." Translation: Can you just do this for me without asking questions? That's what besties are for.

Rating: 4/5

IMDb - In a World...(7.0)
Wikipedia - In a World... 
Rotten Tomatoes - In a World...(92%)

Review #4: Enough Said

Enough Said

Release Date: September 18th, 2013
Writer: Nicole Holofcener
Director: Nicole Holofcener

Logline: A divorced woman who decides to pursue the man she's interested in learns he's her new friend's ex-husband. (Source: IMDb) Comedy/Drama, 93min

Bechdel Test: Passed all three tests.

Review

This is one of the most brilliant movie scripts I've ever read. 

The charming and sweet Julia Louis-Dreyfus portrays Eva, a divorced mom who begins testing the waters with a new boyfriend Albert, portrayed by James Gandolfini. Their relationship is complicated through Eva's new friendship with Marianne (Catherine Keener) who happens to also be Albert's ex-wife. 

The beauty of this movie lies in its subtlety. The subtle wit, the subtle attraction, the subtle influence, the subtle poisoning. It's a movie that explores relationships that are both succeeding and failing. Eva is a flawed character, who isn't aware of her flaws. She hurts people and doesn't understand that she's doing it. 

As an early predictor, Eva asks for the number of Albert's ex-wife while on their first date, unaware that she's about to get it. Eva becomes enraptured with the flow of information coming from Marianne about Albert, despite knowing that it's toxic to hear. With a sense of fabricated ignorance, Eva justifies the dual relationships even if it pushes away Albert, the one she genuinely cares about.

While this is going on, her daughter Ellen is about to leave for college. Eva unintentionally hinders this relationship by befriending Ellen's best friend Chloe. Once again, Eva isn't aware that she is pushing away her own daughter, but in an unconscious way she is. She's protecting herself from mourning the loss of her daughters presence at home. The same thing she's doing with Albert.

The sprinkling of comedy is enough to keep the audience interested, but left me wanting more. I always find Julia Louis-Dreyfus to be hysterical, and I wanted more opportunities for that in this film. Her idolization of Marianne was brilliantly portrayed, and her interaction with Albert was just the right amount of awkward. Not to mention James Gandolfini, who will make you laugh and break your heart in his own right.

This is a quiet, thoughtful film. Brilliant for anyone yearning for the kind of romantic comedy that doesn't include a wild dumpster chase. (Sorry JLo.) 

Portrayal of Women: Women in this film are complicated and genuine. They are at different points in their lives, with different careers, aspirations, and relationships. They are not marginalized, they are front and center.

Sisterhood moment: "What the hell is chervil?" ... "It's a herb." "A what?" "An herb. How long have you known me?" "I can't understand a god damn thing you ever say." That's how you tell your best friends.

Rating: 4/5

IMDb - Enough Said (7.3)
Wikipedia - Enough Said
Rotten Tomatoes - Enough Said (96%)

Golden Globes 2014 Wrap Up

For the second time in what will be three consecutive years, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted the 2014 Golden Globes, where jokes were told and people took forever to walk to the stage.

We thought there were some awesome moments for women in media, so here are our highlights from the awards show.

#TinaAndAmy trending on twitter

Joke of the night: re: Gravity "It's the story of how George Clooney would rather float away into space and die than spend one more minute with a woman his own age."

Can these ladies spend more time on the stage next time? The only complaint I heard was that there wasn't enough Tina and Amy.

Jennifer Lawrence won for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture 

for American Hustle

This girl is so charming and sweet, and can beat out pro's like Julia Roberts, which she has been doing since Winter's Bone in 2010. 

Jared Leto won Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for 

Dallas Buyers Club. 

In this film he portrays a transgendered woman, something rarely shown in popular cinema. 

Amy Adams won for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy 

for American Hustle

Can we call her one of the greats now? The fact that she beat out Meryl in this category was a shock, but it shouldn't be. Best Actress was a jam-packed category with some phenomenal roles. They all deserve to be there. Plus with a scene stealing role in Her, Amy really outdid herself this year. 

Frozen won for Best Animated Feature Film. 

The movie was written and directed by Jennifer Lee who accepted her award with her co-writer/director Chris Buck. There are so few female directors in Hollywood, and she's a great role model. As a writer she wanted to prove that great characters, whether male or female, will be successful. She proved them right.

Amy Poehler also won for Best Actress for a TV Series, Comedy. 

Her first Golden Globe win. Everybody say 'Awww..." After 6 seasons, she deserved it.

Elizabeth Moss won for Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie for Top of the Lake. 

This is a stunning miniseries about a detective investigating the disappearance of a 12 year old girl. It explores the role of women in a small town, and really hits the core. Moss is known for her gender defying role on Mad Men where she regularly shows off her acting chops.

Woody Allen was honored with this years Cecil B. DeMille award. 

Unable to attend, his award was received by Annie Hall star, Diane Keaton. Before getting caught up in a display of everlasting friendship with a Girl Guides song, Diane shared her thoughts on Woody's success as a filmmaker and his portrayal of women in his work.

"It's kind of hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that 179 of the world's most captivating actresses have appeared in Woody Allen's films, and there's a reason for this. And the reason is, they wanted to. They wanted to because Woody's women can't be compartmentalized. They struggle, they love, they fall apart, they dominate, they're flawed. They are, in fact, the hallmark of Woody's work. But what's even more remarkable is absolutely nothing links these unforgettable characters from the fact that they came from the mind of Woody" 

Cate Blanchett won for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

 for Blue Jasmine.

She is the perfect evidence for Diane Keaton's speech. The role Cate played was truly unforgettable. She gave a one of a kind performance and we are so happy she won. Even if she snuck in a little Judy Garland dig at the end.

"Thank you to my agents for plying me with vodka in the same way that Judy Garland was probably plied with barbiturates." 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus was the runaway star of the show. Starting as a hot shot in the "movie section" (nominated for Enough Said) refusing to take a picture with Reese Witherspoon, and then moving to the "television section" (nominated for Veep) to eat a messy hot dog. Julia is one of our comedy icons. Maybe get her to host one of these gigs?

Emma Thompson literally kicked off her Louboutins on stage. "I just want you to know, this red? It's my blood." From Louboutins?! So controversial. Emma can do no wrong, she is a multi-talented icon. Please be in more movies so we can spend more time with you. Saving Mr. Banks was great, and not many can steal the spotlight away from Walt Disney himself.

Award season is just gearing up and we want more ladies taking home the gold. Bring it on, Hollywood.

For a complete list of winners, here's a link to The Hollywood Reporter. 

Review #3: Heartburn

Heartburn

Release Date: July 25, 1986
Writer: Nora Ephron
Director: Mike Nichols

Logline: An autobiographical look at the breakup of Ephron's marriage to Carl "All the President's Men" Bernstein that was also a best-selling novel. (Source: IMDb) Comedy/Drama, 108min

Bechdel Test: Passed all three tests.

Review

This film embodies one of my favourite Nora Ephron quotes, "Don't be frightened, you can always change your mind."  

Rachel (Meryl Streep) doesn't want to get married, then she gets married. She doesn't want to have kids, then she has two.  She wants to be with Mark (Jack Nicholson) forever, then she leaves Mark forever.

Even though the movie is about Rachel and Mark's marriage, it's really about Rachel changing her mind and figuring out what is best for her. She isn't indecisive in a flaky way,  she just doesn't allow circumstances to trap her in places she doesn't want to be.  By allowing herself to change her mind, she has the freedom to live  life the way she wants to. It may not be her ideal life, but it's the best she can do with what she's given.

There are some wonderful moments in the film that are very "Ephron" - lots of cooking and self deprecating jokes - but overall, it's very slow.  Although I loved Streep's performance, I never felt overly invested in Rachel and Mark's relationship.  At one point, Rachel says, "I love our life. I love how it just goes along." That's sort of how this movie feels, it just sort of goes along. 

I wasn't really happy with this movie as a whole but I very much appreciated it's depiction of a working woman navigating marriage, motherhood, and divorce.  There is really smart and fun dialogue but it is unfortunately bogged down by a lack of chemistry between the leads.

The scene with Streep and Nicholson trying to think of songs with the word "baby" in them bumps this up from a 2/5 to a 3/5 - it's adorable.

Portrayal of Women: I love Rachel because she's full of contradictions. She's caring but also catty. She's funny but also a downer.  She's likeable but also annoying.

There are couple times we see that Rachel can be a real push over - in one scene she reassures the man holding her at gunpoint that it's quite "alright" when he takes her wedding ring. The fact that she breaks the traditional theme of "standing by your man" despite her history of passiveness is a real sign of growth and strength.

Even though her most important relationship is with her husband and children, she also has a lot of female friends who are an important part of her life.

Sisterhood moment:  There's a classic "girls talking about boy troubles" moment where Rachel and Julie discuss how much easier their lives would be if only their husbands would die in a tragic plane crash.

"I imagine the plane crash, the funeral, what I'd wear to the funeral, flirting at the funeral, how soon I could start dating after the funeral."

Rating: 3/5

PS Let's be honest, Meryl is on a whole other level than the rest of us - she's unbelievable. There's a scene where her hair is a disaster and she looks like a hot mess. It's nice for us mere mortals to see that even the great Meryl can have an off day. I am eternally grateful for this insight, bad hair days will be forever changed.

IMDb - Heartburn (6.0)
Wikipedia - Heartburn
Rotten Tomatoes - Heartburn (46%)

Review #2: Blackfish

Blackfish

Release Date: January 19th, 2013
Writer: Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Eli Despres, Tim Zimmermann
Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite

Logline: This documentary explores how long-held misconceptions and harmful living conditions may be causing orca whales to lash out violently toward their trainers. Several cases of death and mutilation are researched, leading to some uncomfortable questions about how we choose to keep and display these large and very intelligent animals. (Source: IMDb) (Documentary, 83 min)
Bechdel Test: N/A: Documentary

Review

This much discussed film might be the biggest documentary sensation I've ever seen explode in popular culture. Viewers of the movie are left salivating for justice, hoping boycotts of SeaWorld will prove the film's strong impact. As a movie that intends to draw a favored emotional response from the audience, Blackfish is wildly successful. 

This documentary explores the life of one Orca that was caught in the wild and kept in captivity for its entire adult life. The beautiful whale Tilikum is characterized as a victim of circumstance who has become a killer through no fault of its own. Former SeaWorld trainers provide the base narration for the film, sharing their experiences and retelling the stories they've heard of major orca-trainer incidents at SeaWorld and other orca training facilities. It is gut wrenching from beginning to end. 

As a movie, Blackfish is tremendously successful and would earn 5 stars. As a documentary it earns slightly less, with 4. From the very beginning, I had an issue with the sources of information that were used. Of course SeaWorld is going to have no affiliation with a documentary crew that actively wants the park to be closed, but the portrayal of SeaWorld is very calculated by the filmmakers. The company as an institution is never explored. Their intentions, the individuals who make decisions and their facilities are kept in the dark, like some sort of shady evil corporate entity. Maybe I expect too much, but when a documentary attempts to assert facts, I expect fact. Rarely were they supplied. 




The biggest source of frustration for me was a lack of information provided by the filmmakers about the interviewees. "Former Trainer" seems to translate into "Marine Biologist" even though many of these people may not have any actual scientific training besides what they learned through SeaWorld orientation. Whale facts are often spewed from the former trainers; what would make me as a viewer, assume that these facts are correct when previously in the film those same trainers asserted they were taught nothing but lies by SeaWorld?

Furthermore, trainers who were not present for incidents that the documentary explored were asked to narrate the footage. Several times when an Orca incident is being discussed one of these former trainers will state they were not present, but will go on to describe the intentions and emotions of the trainers and whales involved. Interestingly, one former trainer refuses to discuss incidences he was not present for and claims he doesn't know if the facts provided by SeaWorld are correct or incorrect. Despite his honesty, he is portrayed as a brainwashed trainer who is protecting SeaWorld. The interviews were cherry picked to illustrate a clear line in the sand; good guys and bad guys. As is often the case in real life, I don't think reality is so clear cut. 

Despite requiring a critical eye, I don't disagree with the message of Blackfish. It's difficult for any animal lover to walk away and not feel deeply for these creatures. The vague call to action at the end of the film has left many fans unsure of what the next step of action is. Boycott SeaWorld? Captive whales cannot simply be expected to survive in the wild, but decreased demand could potentially limit the future demand for captive bred animals. The speculative nature of zoos and aquariums and the recent collective efforts of those facilities to refocus on conservation, education, and rehabilitation cannot be ignored. Fortunately the film reports that trainers are no longer allowed to interact in the water with the whales. Tilikum, what are we going to do with you?


Portrayal of Women: There are an equal number of men and women experts interviewed. Dawn, the trainer who inspired this movie, is portrayed as being one of the most experienced and most respected trainers at SeaWorld at the time of her death.

Sisterhood moment: This movie has no cuddly feel good moments. It's quite tragic that a woman who was passionate about her career passed away as a direct result of the animals she had such a deep love for.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

IMDB - Blackfish (8.1)
Wikipedia - Blackfish
Rotten Tomatoes - Blackfish (98%)

Bechdel Test Infographic for 2013

As fans of the Bechdel Test, it's fun to see these stats in action. The kind people at The Mary Sue have created an infographic demonstrating the collective correlation of movies that have passed and failed the Bechdel test and what their profits were. Remember, this is a test that is simply meant to reveal a gender bias regardless of the kinds of characters represented and their substance within those films. Furthermore, this is a demonstration of correlation. That means there is zero proof that one factor influenced the other. It's simply a fun consideration when you remember that women are the driving force in ticket sales, and have been for many years.

In 2013 the Bechdel Test might affect your bottom line @ The Mary Sue

In 2013, Failing the Bechdel Test was Bad For Your Movie's Bottom Line

Review #1: A League of Their Own

A League of Their Own

Release Date: July 1, 1992
Writer: Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel
Director: Penny Marshall


Logline: Two sisters join the first female professional baseball league and struggle to help it succeed amidst their own growing rivalry. (Source: IMDb) (Comedy, 128 min)
Bechdel Test: Passed all three tests

Review

This movie is a delight from start to finish. I mean, how could you go wrong with Geena Davis, Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell? Add Tom Hanks and no question, you've got a home run.

There are lots of laughs and memorable lines throughout, but the plot lacks tension. There is some conflict with the threat of a League shutdown and women choosing to leave the team, but the stakes never feel that high.  Dottie's easy breezy attitude toward her career in baseball translates to the rest of the film as you never feel overly concerned - you pretty much know that everything will work out in the end.  This lack of  tension may make for a less exciting movie in some ways but in my opinion, the characters make up for it.

At the end of the day, I love this movie. I want to be Geena Davis when I grow up and I've made it a personal goal to work "There is no crying in baseball" into at least one conversation every day.

Portrayal of Women: The nice thing about a women ensemble cast is that it allows for different types of women to be represented.  Some want to get married, some want to focus on their careers, some are beauty queens, some don't give their appearance a second thought. If you're a girl who is watching this movie, there is a good chance you'll see someone that is a reflection of you in some way.

Of course when we talk about representation, it isn't simply if there is enough women in the film.  We must also look at what kinds of women are shown.  If there is a problem with the underrepresentation of women in Hollywood, there is an even bigger problem with the underrepresentation of women who identify with a minority. There is one moment in the film where an African American woman catches a lost baseball and throws it back with a strength and speed that suggests she could easily be a star player. The knowing glance Dottie (Davis) gives her is a great moment of recognition that allowing white women to play baseball just isn't enough. At the very least, the film acknowledges this downfall and gives a glimmer of hope that things will eventually change.

Sisterhood moment: One moment that stands out is after the tryouts when the names of the women who have made the team are posted. Once the excitement has died down, one lone girl remains searching the lists.  Everyone stares at her, the scout growls at her to hurry up, she begins to cry.  We realize that she can't read. There are no laughs, no sneers, no mean comments - just other women who are willing to help. The unspoken rule of looking out for your fellow girls. Even though they are in a world of competition, their ongoing support for each other is admirable.

Besides the many instances of friendship, we also have the actual sister relationship between Dottie and Kit.  They have a typical big sister/little sister dynamic that is often strained and competitive.  In the end, they prove that there is nothing in this world more important or valuable than a sister. 

Rating: 4/5 Stars

IMDB - A League of Their Own (7.1)
Wikipedia - A League of Their Own 
Rotten Tomatoes - A League of Their Own (77%)

Hiring Women Directors Could Rescue the Superhero Movie

Some food for thought this morning... why are women hired for 'chick flicks'? They know the audience and will make appropriate decisions right? That's good logic. Why, then, has the action superhero genre become such a boys club when women contribute to half the audience?

Who Says Women Can't Direct a Superhero Film

I would love to see a more female centric superhero film, or even just one that breaks the mold. I get it, Hero + Uncertainty = Blow up half the Earth and win the Girl. Is it me, or is the whole action genre begging for some diversity? Hollywood, lets make this happen!