Lesbian Films: Alien No More

What a banner few weeks it has been for lesbian-themed films gaining general release: Albert Nobbs by Roderigo Garcia, Pariah by Dee Rees and Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same by Madeleine Olnek. With rare exceptions such as Donna Deitch’s iconic Desert Hearts (1985),  Kissing Jessica Stein (2001–written and coproduced by its stars, Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen) and [...]

Finally, A Disney Film in Which Mom Is Neither Dead nor Witch

Given the official trailers’ focus on mothers as nags whose main purpose is to cook and vacuum, I was very pleasantly surprised by the new Disney film Mars Needs Moms. However, I seem to be in the minority–most view the film as an anti-feminist screed. Going into the film well aware of Disney’s representation of [...]

“Made in Dagenham” Recounts British Fight for Equal Pay

It’s not often that a blatantly feminist film is released to a wide audience. There are many films with characters who posses feminist qualities, but only a handful about the feminist movement itself in recent years. Actually, Iron Jawed Angels (released on HBO) and North Country are the only ones that come to mind. Made [...]

Easy A Earns Its Grade

Easy A, a modern retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter set in an Ojai, Calif., high school, is now in theaters. Emma Stone stars as Olive Penderghast, a 17-year-old high school student who finds her good reputation sullied when a prissy and vengeful Christian classmate overhears her making up a story about losing her [...]

Bella’s Eclipsed Role in Twilight Lacks Fangs

As The Twilight Saga: Eclipse hit theaters this week, fans and critics alike anticipated a film packed with both more action and more romance, and they weren’t disappointed. But feminist critics ought to be, as Bella (Kristen Stewart) continues to be less a person than a puppet, a character who is pulled from scene to [...]

Third Time Still Not the Charm for Toy Story’s Female Characters

Toy Story 3 opens on a woman-empowerment high, with Mrs. Potato-Head displaying mad train-robbing skills and cowgirl Jessie skillfully steering her faithful horse Bullseye in the ensuing chase. And that’s the end of that: From there on, the film displays the same careless sexism as its predecessors. Out of seven new toy characters at the [...]

Attention Feminist Filmmakers

Have you been working on a movie about women and wondering where to show it? The Athena Film Festival is looking for woman-centric films to show in February 2011 at Barnard College in New York. Feminist film blog Women In Hollywood is producing the festival. The festival aims to be a “world-class celebration of films [...]

Kevorkian and the Right to Choose

As I approached my office parking lot, I saw the news vans and trucks in the parking lot and driveway, with more streaming in. I imagined the worst: Another clinic was targeted, someone was killed, I only knew that whatever it was it was bad, and I’d have to have a statement ready. As executive [...]