It’s easy to look at the ads for ‘They Came Together’ and expect a straight romcom. The poster and the film are glossy and full of comedic stars. New York is so important to the story it’s like another character. The leads, Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd as Molly and Joel, play exaggerations of the roles they could be cast in in any other film. She’s the big-hearted and dangerously clumsy proprietor of a quirky little candy shop that gives all its proceeds to charity, while he’s a big candy executive who dreams of a simpler life, obsesses over sex, and threatens to shut down Molly’s shop. They get together. That much is obvious once you hear it’s a romantic comedy.
Female characters are often filler, like the cartilage that goes into hot dogs, with no real meat on their bones. They stand in the doorway, boxed in the jam, never truly inhabiting the whole room. Why? Why are female characters relegated to the margin? Maybe because studios believe men go to the movies more than women. Maybe because the industry spends time and money making action figures and toy guns for boys, whose mothers are trying to teach them that violence is always unacceptable, especially toward women. We have got to stop feeding this system.
Betty White, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, and Helen Mirren… At first, when writing this article, I thought about pointing out the ways in which Hollywood has shorted these prolific and amazing actresses, and while I’m sure that’s happened to them at some point in their careers, in reading about their lives, I realized that would almost be a disservice to all that they’ve accomplished. Rather, this piece is meant as a tribute to these enduring female comediennes, who have not only flourished but also paved the way for so many other actresses and actors.
# 50/50 5 Broken Cameras 500 Days of Summer 45 Years The 40-Year-Old Virgin 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days 9 to 5 1971 101 Dalmations 127 Hours 10 Days in a Madhouse 10,000 km 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets 300: Rise of an Empire 12 Years a Slave 28 Days Later A Abuse … Continue reading “Film Directory”
poster for The Sessions Guest post written by Alisande Fitzsimons. One of the more moving films of 2012 was Ben Lewin’s drama The Sessions. Based on the life and articles of profoundly disabled poet and journalist Mark O’Brien (played by John Hawkes), The Sessions depicts the period in O’Brien’s life when he engaged with Cheryl Cohen-Greene, … Continue reading “2013 Oscar Week: Depicting Sex Surrogacy in ‘The Sessions’”
Called the Decade of Greed, everything was bigger in the 80s. Excess reigned supreme. Big hair, big shoulder pads, leg warmers and off the shoulder sweatshirts. Cabbage Patch Kids, Rubik’s Cube, MTV. So we asked you to tell us: what are your favorite women-centric films of the 80s? Some of these mad us laugh, some … Continue reading “Weeky Feminist Film Question: What are Your Favorite Women-Centric Movies From the 80s?”
Okay, it’s time for this week’s feminist film question! Huzzah! We asked you: What are your favorite quotes from women-centric films? Here’s what you said: “Get away from her you bitch.” — Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), Aliens “Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.” — Margo Channing (Bette Davis), All About Eve … Continue reading “Weekly Feminist Film Question: What Are Your Favorite Quotes from Women-Centric Films?”
Greetings and salutations. I’m Lady T and I’m thrilled to have been invited to be a regular contributor at Bitch Flicks. You may remember me from such guest posts as “Willow Rosenberg: Geek, Interrupted,” “Why Watch Romantic Comedies?“, and “Easy A: A Fauxminist Film”. I blog at The Funny Feminist, where I analyze media (mostly … Continue reading “New Bitch Flicks Regular Contributor: Lady T”
As we shared last Friday, we launched a new interactive weekly series. Each week we tweet a film question and then post your answers here each Friday. To participate (c’mon…you know you want to!), just follow us on Twitter at @BitchFlicks and use the Twitter hashtag #feministfilm. Which women-centric films had a big influence on … Continue reading “Weekly Feminist Film Question: Which Women-Centric Films Had a Big Influence on You?”
Adam Scott and Jennifer Westfeldt in ‘Friends with Kids’ I was deliriously drunk with excitement to see Friends with Kids. I mean, a film starring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jon Hamm AND written and directed by a woman?? And not just any woman but writer Jennifer Westfeldt?! Yes, please! And yes, it’s funny. Really funny. … Continue reading “‘Friends with Kids’: Witty & Touching…But Is It a Feminist Extravaganza?”
Adam Scott and Jennifer Westfeldt in ‘Friends with Kids’ I was deliriously drunk with excitement to see Friends with Kids. I mean, a film starring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jon Hamm AND written and directed by a woman?? And not just any woman but writer Jennifer Westfeldt?! Yes, please! And yes, it’s funny. Really funny. … Continue reading “‘Friends with Kids:’ Witty & Touching…But Is It a Feminist Extravaganza?”
Hi, Bitch Flicks readers! I am so excited to announce that Bitch Flicks has kindly invited me, Megan Kearns, to become a Contributor!! I’m a feminist vegan blogger, writer and a long-time Bitch Flicks fan. For the past 2 years, I’ve written film and television reviews for the fabulous feminist media site, fusing my passion for … Continue reading “Megan Kearns Becomes a Bitch Flicks Contributor!”