Lily Taylor rocks out in every movie she's been in. She's played so many diverse rolls.
I think my favorite is Ginger Snaps. I'm such a horror nerd but, you so often find misogynist themes throughout the genre. It was cool to get into the psychological horror through a woman's point of view. And don't even get my started on Alien.

My favorite, hands down, is Foxfire which is another '96 movie starring Hedy Burress and Angelina Jolie. Based on Joyce Carol Oates book (same name) it's about a group of highschool girls that bond and strike back at this teacher who was sexually harassing the students.

My vote is for Silence of the Lambs because of the Clarice Starling character. She strong, smart, and extremely good at what she is doing. And you never lose sight of her character as a woman in a profession and environment that is mostly male.

This is followed by Labyrinth with Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie.

Finding a feminist movie was harder than I thought. Even the ones with great female characters and great acting often have misogynistic themes (like SotL's serial killer of women).

I know these aren't necessarily traditional feminist fare, but I immediately thought of "Kill Bill" and "Hard Candy" (Ellen Page is a far cry from "Juno" in that one!)

Labyrinth for sure. Especially the final scene between Connelly and Bowie were he is super hot and telling her that his abuse was what she wanted of him. She then tells him, "you have no power over me." I can't even express how much I love that part, the film as a whole, everything about it.

Boy, at first I thought there was so many, I didn't even know where to start. Now I feel like every movie I think of has something huge problem in it that makes it difficult for me to call it "feminist." So maybe calling them "movies with positive portrayals of women/girls"?

I'll vote for Spirited Away and Kiki's Delivery Service. I also think Morvern Callar deserves mention, as does 4 Months, Three Weeks, 2 Days.

While I'd hardly call No Country for Old Men a feminist movie, I was deeply moved by the way the damsel in distress character suddenly becomes the moral center of the entire film--the only person willing to question the framework that sets the whole movie in motion.

The Company of Wolves and Valerie and her Week of Wonders.

And I second Ginger Snaps.

I'm going to put in a plug for Aliens specifically for Vasquez--best butch dyke on film ever.

I know it's old school, but "9 to 5". It was so ground breaking at the time, and I still love to watch it.

A Question of Silence, by far.

Oh Man -when I was a teenager I used to say I would have been Bowie's slave if he'd asked /me/. Does that make me a bad feminist, or just kinky?

Anyway, some favorite feminist films:
Dangerous Beauty
Mulan
Hunchback of Notre Dame
Boys Don't Cry

Aliens -yeah, I've loved those movies since I was a kid.
For that matter, if you're going based on strong female characters, things a little outlandish like Jurassic Park, Tremors and From Dusk 'til Dawn would sort of work too.

The First Wives' Club

Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, and Bette Middler deal justice to their ex-husbands, in the form of opening up a women's crisis center. And go dancing in the streets. What could be better?

Oh also:

Dogma
Chasing Amy

I love both those films

I always liked Muriel's Wedding. Overweight girl finally gets over her obsession with getting married when she realizes that good friends and self-confidence are more important. Yeah, there is a kind of irritating "makeover" issue with this film, but the ABBA music more than makes up for it.

Feminist Quentin Tarrantino? Erm, no. The man has a little too much of a rape fetish for my liking.

I have to admit, I was a little surprised at the ending of Sweeney Todd. Not that the ending between Depp and Carter was all yippie-feminist, but the character of the daughter. She was being treated as a possession by everyone in the movie, even the "love interest." The non-ending to that movie for her actually suggests that she will enjoy actual, real freedom, not simply passing as the property of one character to another.

Also: Dude. Tank Girl.

Oh, Nina, I love Tremors! The heroine is a short doctoral student with curly hair who spends most of the movie wearing sensible clothing and sneakers! And saves the hero more than once!

I know tis is supposed to be a positive blog but I can't help thinking how difficult it is to truly find positive female characters in movies that are vaguely realistic and not seeped in what character women are supposed to play or some spin off of a woman stereotype.

I love First Wives' Club, mathgoddess. Now I'm singing that "You don't own me" song...

I'll vote for Spirited Away and Kiki's Delivery Service.

Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle are great, too.

I think anything by Hayao Miyazaki is pretty fab. He tends to do coming of age stories for young women that have generally healthy romantic subplots. Feminist cartoons?! Yes, please!

Even the ones with great female characters and great acting often have misogynistic themes (like SotL's serial killer of women).

Does having a serial killer of women as part of the plot automatically make a movie misogynist?

My favourite feminist (sort of) movie is definitely my favourite all-time movie - Harold and Maude. I want to be Maude when I grow up.

This is such a brilliant thread! I never would have thought of Labyrinth as feminist, with the whole damsel in distress thing, but I agree now that it is all about an abusive relationship. I love a lot of the movies listed so far, but I'm going to have to second 9 to 5 and Dogma most fervently. 9 to 5 is obviously a feminist classic, and I adore Kevin Smith's attitudes towards women. There is a movie that IFC just put out about the MPAA's entirely messed up rating system, in which they interview him, ask him how he would rate and he says that number one to get an NC17 would be rape, followed by violence against women because, he says, it is so obscenely overused.

shite. I can never tell if the comment is just timing out or if it hasn't posted.

Anyhow, I was trying to say: Quentin Tarrantino movies are not so much on my feminist "love" list -- the man has a little too much of a rape fetish for my tastes.

One movie that I was pleasantly surprised by was Sweeney Todd. It's not like the Depp/Bonham Carter storyline ended well, but the non-ending for the daughter character was actually the most feminist outcome for her... she was being treated like a possession throughout the entire movie by the men in her life, and when we last see her, she has a chance at actually being free to live her own life, not necessary passing as the property from one man to the next.

Also: Any feminist movie list that does not include Tank Girl is flawed.

I'm glad that Radar mentioned Superbad. Have other people seen this? I am so sick of how hip-hop is targeted for "bitch" and "ho" lyrics, when this super whitey-white movie, that appeals to a young, progressive, and (i would have guessed) thoughtful audience was filled with such garbage, both in dialogue and content. There is a actually a point where a dude character gets menstual blood on his leg after dancing with a very forward girl. period blood. really, seth rogan? the bloody vags are just out to get all of you, are they? (now if you don't mind me turning this post into an open letter to Seth Rogan) Seth, you were so great in Freaks and Geeks. I even liked you a lot in 40 Year Old Virgin, and Knocked Up. (a feminist lady knows that mainstream movies are going to include moderate amounts of misogyny, and also knows that in order to function, one will have to overlook such common displays of sexism), but Superbad? What a pile of crap. The characters in that movie (sans maybe Michael Cera's role)are the reason why nerdy dudes can be just as big of douchebags as the hypermasculine ones.
-end of rant-

"Oh Man -when I was a teenager I used to say I would have been Bowie's slave if he'd asked /me/."

Dude, I'd do that _now_. I think that is part of why the movie is so powerful. I don't know if I'd be able to stand up to him like that.

What about Million Dollar Baby? God I loved that movie.

Radar's list leaves a lot to be desired. The MOST misogynist? Really? Sexist, yeah? But a lot of torture porn movies were released in the past couple years, soooo...

Yeah but Marissa, to be fair, I think characters in movies /period/ are often a little stereotypical or flat. But for whatever it's worth, I don't think that's the case for the movies I've named, personally.

More possibilities (though I don't enjoy these films quite as much, personally):

Frida
Proof
Boys on the Side

I have to say, mine aren't so overtly feminist. I'll also note that I, too, am a horror fan.

I'll say in no particular order -

Children of Men: For basically all the reasons pointed out at Pandagon. What makes it especially great is that it is a woman of color that the furture depends on and not in the Magical Negro sense either.

The Scream Trilogy: I think there are many misconceptions about what these movies are trying to say. The series is built on cliche's along gender and color lines/roles, yes ... but only to address them and then turn it all on it's head and tell The Killer (or the audience) how stupid it is. And Sidney Prescott? AWESOME.

Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight: Okay, okay, yeah - cheesy boobies and gore, blah blah blah. But it was almost like they knew how stupid it was. Plus the strongest characters were not only women but black women. Especially the hero, Jeryline - not a one-dimensional suburban white boy's fantasy of what a streetwise black woman is, but a real person who is strong and comes full circle.

So that's mine.

I'm also going to add Saving Face, about two Chinese-American women who fall in love.

And let's give some props to the old movies too:

To Have and Have Not, where Bogie doesn't fall for the simpering damsel in distress, but for the hard-edged dame who's been around the block a few times and can give him a run for his money.

The Thing Man--Nick and Nora Charles have the best. marriage. ever. That's all I have to say.

When Ladies Meet--a funky pre-code movie in which a man's mistress and his wife meet and get along swimmingly (not a little lesbian overtones going on here), culminating in the wife throwing the no-good cheater out, the husband being told to run after his wife and grovel and apologize because he's a big schmuck, and the mistress isn't punished. She's vaguely irritated by the whole situation, but she basically reads the newspaper and giggles. She isn't even made to take on the advances of the guy she likes but isn't attracted to as penance!

Curse of the Cat People, about parents being forced to recognize and respect their daughter's imagination.

The Wizard of Oz--Dorothy is brave and adventurous and loyal to her friends; she has female allies (Glinda, Aunt Em) and female adversaries (Miss Gulch, the Witch), and at the end she learns that she herself always had the power to go home if she wanted to.

iron jawed angels gets my blood pumping in a first wave kind of way. go skanky swanky.

i absolutely think JCM's Hedwig and the Angry inch and Shortbus are sex-po feminist films. faves.

yentyl has it's moments, as far as classics go, sits next to 9 to 5 and color purple on my shelf.

finally, off the map has such a quirky self defining young woman.

I've been reading Feministing for a while now but this is my first comment. I just had to mention Girlfight.
Michelle Rodriguez is amazing as a delinquent who turns to boxing as an outlet for her anger. She fights to be taken seriously, and the ending (she's put in a match against her boyfriend) blew me away.

Cedar, I totally agree with you about the ending to No Country for Old Men. I was just feeling so-so about it until the female character spoke up at the end. That made the movie for me.

Miyazaki=

Howl's Moving Castle. Sophie is my hero...it's not every film where the main character is an old woman with spunk!

Oh yeah -more cheesy action flick-ness.

Who all loves the characters in

The Mummy

movies?

iron jawed angels gets my blood pumping in a first wave kind of way. go skanky swanky.

frida!

i absolutely think JCM's Hedwig and the Angry inch and Shortbus are sex-po feminist films. faves.

yentyl has it's moments, as far as classics go, sits next to 9 to 5 and color purple on my shelf.

finally, off the map has such a quirky self defining young woman.

A few more faves:

'Times Square'; 'Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains'; 'Prey for Rock n Roll'; 'Bound'; 'Don't Need You' (a doc about riot grrrl); 'But I'm a Cheerleader'; 'Itty Bitty Titty Committee' (ok, so it's not a great movie - but any movie that has a character named after Shulamith Firestone has to be included); 'Down and Out With the Dolls'; Deepa Mehta's trilogy: 'Water', 'Earth' and 'Fire'; 'All Over Me'.

Also, for any knitters/crocheters here, there is a similar thread running on Ravelry, started by the 'This Is What a Feminist Knits Like' group.

Howl's moving castle FOR SURE. I loved the book too as a kid. Oh and Return to Oz.

I've never seen Girls Town but now I really want to. Thanks!

My pick: A League of Their Own. Girls who were picked to play a "male" sport because they looked "feminine," discovering that they actually liked it and had a right to play hardball. Makes me choke up every time.

Shortbus bothered me, actually.

I felt the lead was not very empowered to begin with, and then the way she found "enlightenment" struck me as highly unrealistic. (Both in the actual way she achieved orgasm, and the idea that someone who wasn't communicating well with her partner would suddenly be fixed by learning how to orgasm. Seemed like a very stereotypical male-centric view or something, to me...)

And Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz is too whiny for my taste, but I can see where that film has its merits too...

Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt has a tremendous heroine in Charlie (played by Teresa Wright) who is in thrall to her charismatic uncle until she realises he is a murderer. She then sets out to thwart him using initiative and courage.

Also, a big ++ to Howl's Moving Castle. I absolutely love the character of Sophie--and the way that her character evolves is so beautiful.

But a lot of torture porn movies were released in the past couple years, soooo...

Yeah, but to be fair, Radar did say that it was specifically excluding those.

And I want to add Bring it On, a movie about relationships among girls, female ambition, morality, and athleticism. Good flick.

Mists of Avalon (the book is better than the movie, though)

Iron Jawed Angels

9 to 5

If Walls Could Talk I and II

Vera Drake

Ten Things I Hate About You

The Descent

People have added so many that I had to throw a few more out there:

Amelie
Brazil (the main chick is sort of looked at as damsel in distress, but she is having NONE of it)
Mirrormask

My sister suggests both Pirates of the Carribean and School of Rock, which is very heartening in regards to mainstream movies, I think. Sister also points out Cereno De Bergerac, because Christian can't get the girl, even though he is pretty, because he isn't smart enough for her.

"The Descent"

Hmm... the women in that movie are pretty powerful alright. But I think the fact that they ultimately compete for survival and kill each other diverges a little from the view of feminism I like to espouse...

all time favorites:

times square - rich girl and poor girl form punk band, how awesome is that?

9-5 - dolly parton, jane fonda AND lily tomlin.

Two great feminist revenge films are Freeway (which starred Reese Witherspoon before she was a star) and Teeth an update of the vagina dentata myth that also skewers the abstinence movement. Both films are laugh-out-loud funny and feature strong, blonde heroines who end up feeling not one bit guilty about the violence they visit on the men (and sometimes women) who abuse them. These films offer more feminist food-for-thought than I ever expected from gratuitously violent, cheaply-made genre movies. See them!

Also the Golden Compass.

Spoilers: Lyra, the main character tells her best friend (a boy) that she will save him and later does. There are also witches that are both powerful and good and help to save the day.

School of Rock is an interesting suggestion to me because I left that movie feeling unsure. The ways that Sarah Silverman's character, the principal, and Summer (the student/band manager) were strong characters, but also portrayed as super naggy, overbearing, and no fun. But I still liked it, for sure.

"Fried Green Tomatoes" - does that count? It's such a great book and they turned it into a great movie.

How can you not love Idgie and Ruth, and Idgie's bee-charming, tree-climbing ways?

all time favorites:

times square - rich girl and poor girl form punk band, how awesome is that?

9-5 - dolly parton, jane fonda AND lily tomlin.

Babyface (1933) with Barbara Stanwyck, without the changes of the Production Code. Hard Candy (2005) with Ellen Page because she is an absolute badass. The female leads in Sideways (2004), Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh, are so wonderful. Especially when Sandra Oh administers a Grade-A beatdown on Thomas Haden Church's lying ass! And Secretary (2002), if do not find BDSM anti-feminist.

Oh, yes yes yes to A League of Their Own!! So rad.

Ladylike, if you are into knitting, I want to tell you about a group I just discovered that sends cozy blankets to animal shelters for puppehs and kittehs - The Snuggles Project. I'm not involved with them (yet) but I'm trying to spread the word to my friends who knit.

/threadjack

Girls Town?!?!?!? The remake of the crappy 1950's Mel Tormé movie?!?

Personally, my fave has always been Marion Ravenwood from Raiders of the Lost Ark (unless your name happens to be The Bride and you kick the shit out of anyone who drive a "Pussy Wagon").

Two great feminist revenge films are Freeway (which starred Reese Witherspoon before she was a star) and Teeth an update of the vagina dentata myth that also skewers the abstinence movement. Both films are laugh-out-loud funny and feature strong, blonde heroines who end up feeling not one bit guilty about the violence they visit on the men (and sometimes women) who abuse them. These films offer more feminist food-for-thought than I ever expected from gratuitously violent, cheaply-made genre movies. See them!

I would add "Mean Girls" to the list. Strong feminist themes and messages under the guise of your average teen comedy. And to top it off, it's actually funny! I love, love, love Tina Fey!

Also, how about "To Wong Foo: Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar"? Sure it's drag queens empowering women, but there are empowered women none the less. The part with Stockard Channing at the end.....it gets me everytime! I love "To Wong Foo"!

Oh and JustAGrrrlGeek, yes, I loved "This Film Not Yet Rated". Talking about adjusting our rating system to rate cartoon-ish violence (the kind without a lot of blood that doesn't show the consequences) and violence against women the harshest seems to revolutionary, but it really so simple. It makes too much sense to every work here in the US.

"School of Rock"? I really, really didn't get a feminist vibe off that film. Maybe something to do with three of girls being assigned roles as groupies as well as other niggling things like Sarah Silverman's role.

Willow.

I was just watching it with some younger cousins of mine and it struck me that every person in a position of power in that movie is a woman. A baby girl is the "chosen one" needed to save the world - who choses her protector. There's an evil queen (natch) and her warrior daughter. There's at least two other female sorceresses. And the final battle with the baddie is all women.

Having a little person as the titular lead is at least a divergence from the standard. The only other male lead, (a smokin' hot Val Kilmer) is kinda goofy, while he does get the girl, it's her that "gets" him and he doesn't "save the day".

I dig it.

I love that "All I Wanna Do" movie with Gabby Hoffman, Kirsten Dunst, and Rachel Leigh Cook. Young women come together to fight against merging their single-sex school with a nearby school for young men. It's actually quite inspiring and very funny. It actually addresses issues like body image, sexual identity, and co-education.

Pretty cool.

I love this topic.

I'm going to go ahead and echo the Alien sentiments. All the way.

Others:

Antonia's Line
A Question of Silence
Girls Town
The Children's Hour are all on the list.
I'd probably include Killing Us Softly and maybe even 28 Days Later, Pan's Labrynth, and Lady Vengeance. I'm tempted to include films like The Descent, Robocop or Strange Days, but that's mostly just strong female characters, not explicitly feminist.

Pan's Labyrinth came off as sort of feminist to me.
The protagonist was a young girl; that's something you almost never see in movies that aren't geared towards children.
She is an empowered, curious, intelligent, daring character who really shines.

Fat Girl, as long as we're counting foreign films.

And I'm going to have to disagree about Superbad. Yes, the movie shows misogyny, but that is a reality of high school. The movie also shows the two main characters eventually realizing that women are human beings who deserve to be treated with respect. I don't think it's necessarily unfeminist to show that some people behave in a misogynist way, especially if the characters realize that their behavior is negative by the end.

Also, it's worth pointing out that Jonah Hill's character, when he talks about fooling around with a girl, focuses on the fact that he gave her pleasure, rather than the other way around.

amelie.

also, i was kind of surprised by the inclusion of superbad on this list. i actually really liked the way that the females were portrayed- as teenage girls. i think a lot of boys identified with the two main characters, and guess what? teenage guys can be total assholes. i think the movie was meant a lot more to portray the mindset of a teenage boy than be misogynistic.

"Fried Green Tomatoes" - does that count? It's such a great book and they turned it into a great movie.

How can you not love Idgie and Ruth, and Idgie's bee-charming, tree-climbing ways?

Willow makes me smile big. Like this =)

Elizabeth -another favorite

hmmm...

how about:

Norma Rae
Erin Brockovich
North Country

"All I Wanna Do" with Gabby Hoffman and Kirsten Dunst. Young women in fight to keep their single-sex school from going co-educational. It's pretty cool.

I want to agree with:

Iron Jawed Angels
Boys Don't Cry
If These Walls Could Talk (one and two)
Erin Brokovich
North Country
A League of Their Own

and add:

Thelma and Louise
I Shot Andy Warhol

Planet Terror

...because we all know the ultimate end of feminism is for all women to have one regular leg and one MACHINE GUN LEG!!!!

jk lol. I'm going to cheat: I echo the sentiments that it is difficult to think of many feminist movies, however just the other day I was thinking about what a feminist (and otherwise politically awesome) TV show The Wire is... seriously the white lawyer is career-driven and likable without a bit of bitch-factor. But most of all Kima Greggs is hands down the most righteous dyke character of all TV history. (Snoop is the second most righteous dyke. And Omar the most righteous male homo.)

I second both Girlfight, Hard Candy, Prey for Rock 'n Roll and Fried Green Tomatoes. Read the book for FGT if you never have, while the movie was awesome, the book was so much better.

Also, I never thought of Labyrinth as a feminist movie before, either, but now that you mention it...

And, what about All About Eve? Both main characters are strong females who (in their own ways) come out on top in the end. I also really enjoyed Chocolat. I'm not sure if I could make an argument for it being a feminist film, other than having a strong female lead who's also a single mother in a conservative Catholic environment, though.

hmmm...

how about:

Norma Rae
Erin Brockovich
North Country

Ten Things I Hate About You for sure.

Also, I know it's not necessarily feminist, but I'd like to point out that Smiley Face is one of the first stoner movies where a woman is the main character.

Some of my favorite feminist movies are:
Jackie Brown (by Tarantino; the camera drools all over a mature Pam Grier, a kick-ass black woman)
Pan's Labyrinth
Volver
Children of Men
Serenity
Persepolis
Fried Green Tomatoes
Stardust

I'll second Freeway and Mean Girls. As far as teen movies go, I'd nominate Saved.

I didn't really like Hard Candy. Ellen Page is pretty awesome, but that movie was ridiculous.

Superbad and Knocked Up suffer from the same problem as everything I've ever seen Will Ferrell in--you're never sure if they're mocking stupid attitudes or celebrating them.

9 to 5!!! 9 to 5!!!

Also, I saw Hedwig and the Angry Inch for the first time a few weeks ago, and I've never cried so hard with joy and sorrow and confusion and wonderfulness in my entire life.

And it is brash to say Clueless? I think Cher is as good a heroine as any I could have asked for as a young teenager.

I agree with all of the above (that I've seen). What I really like about this thread is it's opening my eyes to the feminist aspects of some of my favorite films that I might not otherwise have seen. I especially like what was pointed out about Willow. That is a favorite movie of mine and now I have another reason to love it.

Iron Jawed Angels
Boys Don't Cry
Thelma & Louise
TransAmerica
A League of Their Own
...I know I'm forgetting something!

On a side note, Queen Gorgo's character in 300 was a great change from the weak female/savior men films.

Some of my favorite feminist movies are:
Jackie Brown (by Tarantino; the camera drools all over a mature Pam Grier, a kick-ass black woman)
Pan's Labyrinth
Volver
Children of Men
Serenity
Persepolis
Fried Green Tomatoes
Stardust

I actually really liked Anchorman because I didn't feel that the Christina Applegate character was a negative caricature of a feminist. Also, I liked Will Farrell being told "You're on the air" and declaring "I don't believe you!" and lighting up a cigarette.

Iron Jawed Angels
Boys Don't Cry
Thelma & Louise
TransAmerica
A League of Their Own
...I know I'm forgetting something!

On a side note, Queen Gorgo's character in 300 was a great change from the weak female/savior men films.

What about Orlando

Really good stuff.

Oh, and I'm gonna go a little old school and say

Gone With the Wind

despite the whole "rape" scene...the bulk of the women...Scarlet and Melly and Mammy...are strong and proactive. Really powerful, especially for the 1930s AND the Civil War. Love it.

9 to 5!!! 9 to 5!!!

Also, I saw Hedwig and the Angry Inch for the first time a few weeks ago, and I've never cried so hard with joy and sorrow and confusion and wonderfulness in my entire life.

And it is brash to say Clueless? I think Cher is as good a heroine as any I could have asked for as a young teenager.

I forgot one! The film Carrie. As opposed to the book, the young women drive all of the action. From the cruelty of the beginning, to the kindness of the middle, to the horrific ending.

And to answer cheezwizard, no I don't think that having a serial killer of women makes the film anti-feminist, but I get extremely uneasy when torture and mutilation of women is played out for entertainment value.

What about Orlando

Really good stuff.

Oh, and I'm gonna go a little old school and say

Gone With the Wind

despite the whole "rape" scene...the bulk of the women...Scarlet and Melly and Mammy...are strong and proactive. Really powerful, especially for the 1930s AND the Civil War. Love it.

Iron Jawed Angels
Boys Don't Cry
Thelma & Louise
TransAmerica
A League of Their Own
...I know I'm forgetting something!

On a side note, Queen Gorgo's character in 300 was a great change from the weak female/savior men films.

What about Orlando

Really good stuff.

Oh, and I'm gonna go a little old school and say

Gone With the Wind

despite the whole "rape" scene...the bulk of the women...Scarlet and Melly and Mammy...are strong and proactive. Really powerful, especially for the 1930s AND the Civil War. Love it.

I don't want to repeat all the great movies so far, so here's some to add:

The Addams Family, Foxy Brown, Boys Don't Cry, Dirty Pretty Things, Take My Eyes (very good Spanish movie about domestic violence), Volver, Bound, Red Eye, Whale Rider, Cider House Rules.

i totally want to second TREMORS!

Hmm. I agree with you about the movie Carrie, ellestar, but my memory of the book is that women--Sue Snell, the guidance counselor, Mrs. White, the horrible mean girls whose names I can't remember--drive all of the action as well. Am I misremembering?

I've gotta disagree about Gone With the Wind. Leaving aside the fact that I just can't root for slaveowners, I can't overlook the marital rape, and Mammy is portrayed as a buffoon ("I don't know nothing about birthing no babies").

I meant Jackie Brown, oops. People already posted some of the movies I added while I was typing.

I have to enthusiastically second "Foxfire." Girl/woman- *and* LGBTQ-positive. (When I saw it in junior high, it was the first time the thought occurred to me that I was/am bi.)

I also have always loved "Ever After" with Drew Barrymore. Yes, it's got the cheese factor a bit, and I'll have to watch it again to reevaluate the messages, but I love that Cinderella is a voracious reader, does 'unfeminine' things, and saves *herself* from the baddie with her sword skills.

For a really fun one, I have to mention "Saved!" And Serenity. Joss Whedon is God (if god were a man, that is)...speaking of which, if any of you haven't seen his speech at an "Equality Now!" event, go search for
"Joss Whedon Equality Now" at YouTube *right now*. I sob every time (in a good way).

For me:

Before Sunset
Legally Blonde

The Long Kiss Goodnight. Geena Davis as an ass-kicking government-trained assassin.

Anyone else notice that there are several Geena Davis movies mentioned? Thelma & Louise, A League of Their Own, and, of course, The Long Kiss Goodnight.

I second Iron Jawed Angels, and I also throw in my vote for Kung-Fu Hustle. Qiu Yen as the Landlady, while made to look like a hugely stereotypical bitchy-in-the-bad-way PITA in the beginning, turned out to be a HELLA badass character.

OK, another one from me: Mary Poppins. This is a movie in which a father is castigated for not spending enough time with his children and sees the error of his ways! Mrs. Banks is a committed suffragette with a great marching song (my mother and I used to sing it together). She starts out the movie hiding her suffragism from her husband because he doesn't like it, but at the happy ending, she ties a "Votes for Women" banner to the kids' kite and they all go out and fly it high!

And Mary is ultra-cool, of course.

I have to enthusiastically second "Foxfire." Girl/woman- *and* LGBTQ-positive. (When I saw it in junior high, it was the first time the thought occurred to me that I was/am bi.)

I also have always loved "Ever After" with Drew Barrymore. Yes, it's got the cheese factor a bit, and I'll have to watch it again to reevaluate the messages, but I love that Cinderella is a voracious reader, does 'unfeminine' things, and saves *herself* from the baddie with her sword skills.

For a really fun one, I have to mention "Saved!"
And Serenity. Joss Whedon is God (if god were a man, that is)...speaking of which, if any of you haven't seen his speech at an "Equality Now!" event, go search for
"Joss Whedon Equality Now" at YouTube *right now*. I sob every time (in a good way).

I can't believe no one has mentioned Bandit Queen - everyone needs to see that.

For misogynist I remember getting so worked up seeing the trailer for Milk Money - about boys who save up their milk money to get a prostitute for their dad. How sweet, eh?

I have to enthusiastically second "Foxfire." Girl/woman- *and* LGBTQ-positive. (When I saw it in junior high, it was the first time the thought occurred to me that I was/am bi.)

I also have always loved "Ever After" with Drew Barrymore. Yes, it's got the cheese factor a bit, and I'll have to watch it again to reevaluate the messages, but I love that Cinderella is a voracious reader, does 'unfeminine' things, and saves *herself* from the baddie with her sword skills.

For a really fun one, I have to mention "Saved!"
And Serenity. Joss Whedon is God (if god were a man, that is)...speaking of which, if any of you haven't seen his speech at an "Equality Now!" event, go search for
"Joss Whedon Equality Now" at YouTube *right now*. I sob every time (in a good way).

Also Once Were Warriors - a difficult movie to watch but I'd say feminist for showing the horror of rape and domestic violence.

Labyrinth... oh YEAH!
Circle of Friends, for the ending.
I Am Legend, because although Will Smith plays the 'hero', it's clear that the woman represents the future, and the new way of being in the world, and he is the past.
V for Vendetta. Natalie Portman is unpredictable, smart and strong.

Antonia's Line-go out and rent it RIGHT NOW

I've already posted an homage to 9to5, which I love dearly (especially the first half).

I'll second RiotGrrl's mention of Volver and just elaborate that I think almost every Pedro Almodovar film has phenomenal female characters.

You're right, EG, the book Carrie was mostly female driven, too. But some agency was given to the boyfriends (both Tommy and the bad guy boyfriend decide they weren't just doing what their girlfriends asked them to, they would have done what they were doing, anyway).

That was wiped out in the movie. Sue even wrote the poem that made Carrie like Tommy. The vote for prom queen wasn't legit: All of the mean girls fixed it so that Carrie would win.

Also a quick vote for Kill Bill. Yes, Tarentino does have his rape fantasies, but I have to argue that it's mostly the women in the film that are the righteous fighters. In terms of having honorable deaths in fair fights, with the exception of Bill, every women has an honorable death that reflects what is, for them an honorable life. Only Budd, who used dirty tricks to take on the Bride, had what amounted to a dishonorable death, equally tricky as his tactics. I'm not saying the movie is Yay!Feminist, but I don't think it's anti-feminist, either.

T A N K G I R L ! ! ! (most def my #1 kick ass feminist film), and

FOXFIRE!!

also:
(some of these have been listed already, but i second them)

real women have curves (with america ferrera)

if these walls could talk (both, but mainly the first one where cher, the abortion provider, is attacked)

boys don't cry

boys on the side

watermelon woman (confronts race and queer issues)

a league of their own

thelma & louise

bastard out of carolina (not nearly as incredible as the book, but they did a pretty good job with the movie.)

transamerica

persepolis

erin brockovich

i shot andy warhol

vera drake (about a bad ass secret home-abortion provider masquerading as an aging housecleaner).

north country

girl fight

Aileen- life & death of a serial killer (about aileen wuornos)

AND... (though i have only seen the trailers so far) i nominate "GIRLS ROCK!"- i cannot wait to see this film!!!!

Terminator 2

Granted, it's been a long time since I've seen it, but I recall that Linda Hamilton was most decidedly not pornulated in her role as saviour of the planet. And, dear lord, the scene where she's doing pullups on the bed frame! Positively badass.

Bend It Like Beckham -- I love seeing movies about women in sports.
The Ketchup Effect -- The main character overcomes harassment at school, led by her crush and perpetuated by people she thought were her friends. It's amazing and has more than a few kick-ass scenes.
Deathproof -- Ok, so a few women die gruesome deaths at the hands of this serial killer, but he totally gets owned by a couple of female-stuntdrivers and their make-up artist friend.

I would argue that my favorite movie, Fargo, is also a feminist movie. The heroine is a female cop -- and not just a female cop, but a pregnant female cop, who is also an extremely strong, intelligent, and sympathetic character. Also, Frances McDormand rocks.

Bend It Like Beckham -- I love seeing movies about women in sports.
The Ketchup Effect -- The main character overcomes harassment at school, led by her crush and perpetuated by people she thought were her friends. It's amazing and has more than a few kick-ass scenes.
Deathproof -- Ok, so a few women die gruesome deaths at the hands of this serial killer, but he totally gets owned by a couple of female-stuntdrivers and their make-up artist friend.

Gah. Sorry for the multi-posting.

I don't agree with Deathproof.
The three women who "owned" the serial killer left their fourth friend (the model) to be the guy who owned the car's play thing-- she probably got raped, or at least that is what I thought.

That is not very feminist to me.

I'd like to fifth Girl Fight! It was the first one that came to mind for me. And Pan's Labyrinth is totally feminist. And I'm sure I'll catch a lot of disagreement with this one, but I thought The Break-up had some feminist undertones to it, what with how Aniston didn't just give in at the end and get back together with him.

Oh! Oh! Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, also!

I want to add Woody Allen Films in General. His female characters usually end up a lot better off than his male ones.

I can't believe no one has mentioned High Heels and Low Lives with Minnie Driver and Mary McCormack. One of my favorite movies period.

A few of my childhood favorites:

Little Giants (I worshiped icebox!)

Now and Then (my favorite scene was when Christina Ricci's character punches out that kid for saying that girls can't play baseball)

Superbad and Knocked Up are getting some flack for their moderately sexist viewpoints, but I thought 40 Year Old Virgin, by the same creators, was actually surprisingly good (in feminist terms). The female lead is likeable, nuanced, and independent, and her sexual experience is not portrayed as shameful or bad. She's sexy, interesting, and age-appropriate (though still arguably more physically attractive than Steve Carrell).

The male supporting characters who have sexist views turn out to be the most immature, damaged ones, and the lovable male lead, who is initially shamed for being a virgin instead of a society-approved stud comes to accept himself for who he is (all without making his love interest feel bad that she's not a virgin).

Sneakily progressive, if you ask me!

Also, Serenity, though I guess that's cheating because it's really based on a TV show. But where else have you seen a married couple that functional?? And without falling into traditional gender roles, either! Take that, Laura Berman!

FARGO! FARGO! Pregnant Marge, the local detective, solving a series of murders, wood-chipper and all!

"See something Marge?"

"No...I..just think I'm gonna barf!"

Go Marge in your pregnant detective uniform! With your fur cap! Shooting down a murderer with just enough force to bring him down. No unneeded violence. No gloating. Just MARGE!

T A N K G I R L ! ! ! (most def my #1 kick ass feminist film), and

FOXFIRE!!

also:
(some of these have been listed already, but i second them)

real women have curves (with america ferrera)

if these walls could talk (both, but mainly the first one where cher, the abortion provider, is attacked)

boys don't cry

boys on the side

watermelon woman (confronts race and queer issues)

a league of their own

thelma & louise

bastard out of carolina (not nearly as incredible as the book, but they did a pretty good job with the movie.)

transamerica

persepolis

erin brockovich

i shot andy warhol

vera drake (about a bad ass secret home-abortion provider masquerading as an aging housecleaner).

north country

girl fight

Aileen- life & death of a serial killer (about aileen wuornos)

AND... (though i have only seen the trailers so far) i nominate "GIRLS ROCK!"- i cannot wait to see this film!!!!

T A N K G I R L ! ! ! (most def my #1 kick ass feminist film), and
FOXFIRE!!

also:
(some of these have been listed already, but i second them)

real women have curves (with america ferrera)
if these walls could talk (both, but mainly the first one where cher, the abortion provider, is attacked)
boys don't cry
boys on the side
watermelon woman (confronts race and queer issues)
a league of their own
thelma & louise
bastard out of carolina (not nearly as incredible as the book, but they did a pretty good job with the movie.)
transamerica
persepolis
erin brockovich
i shot andy warhol
vera drake (about a bad ass secret home-abortion provider masquerading as an aging housecleaner).
north country
girl fight
Aileen- life & death of a serial killer (about aileen wuornos)
AND... (though i have only seen the trailers so far) i nominate "GIRLS ROCK!"- i cannot wait to see this film!!!!

dude- sorry about the many posts. i can't figure out whether it's posting or not!

How about:

- A Dirty Shame (As long as you understand its waaaaaaaaaaaaaay over the top)
- Triplets of Bellville
- STEPFORD WIVES (the original, I'm pretty sure that its a legit feminist movie)
- Whale Rider

And huge yes to:

- Mean Girls
- Spirited Away
- Amelie

Has anyone mentioned Dancer in the Dark yet? 'Cause that's definitely one of my favorites.

A good, but little known, feminist film is Ruby in Paradise with Ashley Judd.

I agree with a number of these movies mentioned, many too many to mention again. But one I didn't see mentioned yet is Bagdad Café. Also Show Me Love, the Swedish movie about two teen girls.

Some of these have been said:

Fargo

anything by Almodivar

Wild Strawberries (most Bergman)

it's a documentary, but Harlan County, USA, about a miner strike in KY in the 70s. Although all of the striking workers are men, their wives play a proactive, powerful role in the strike effort, putting their husbands to shame. Plus, it's directed by an outspoken woman who rejected the dominant style of "unbiased" documentary and spoke out loudly for the miners.

Cuckoo

Ghost World

Secretary

Tank Girl, though as a pilot, Jet Girl is my fave, going from mouse to kickass.
Desk Set, Kate Hepburn at her best.
Shirley Valentine, woman rediscovers her own worth.
Chocolat, even if the book was better.

SotL is actually my favorite movie, and I would also say that Hannibal the movie is 12x more feminist than Hannibal the book.

But my vote for my top feminist movie would be Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I saw it get like, ONE mention above. It's just so nice to see a movie where the young women are so ... normal. *possible spoiler* Even the "slutty" one is shown as normal, and her actions don't have some devastating consequences. In any other film she'd be punished severely for having Teh Sex. But in this film it's just, "Oh, well, turns out that wasn't quite what I really wanted" and everyone goes on with their lives. Is it sad that I'd expect a 16-year-old in any other movie to be punished for sex? Yeah. Exactly.

Yay, for Pants!

A Question of Silence (i'm so happy people have said this already. whenever i mention it no one knows what im talking about!

second favorite movie:
saving face [2004]

third favorite: aimee and jaguar

Johnny Guitar: Now granted, in this movie director Nick Ray, in his oft-misanthropic way, wants us to believe that Joan Crawford would shed a tear over Sterling Hayden — but what the hell, it’s Joan Crawford slinging guns in a western.

I Am Curious: Yellow: Young Swedish woman discusses radical politics, horses around, has gratifying sex, interviews everybody... These things shouldn’t be so rare in big cinema.

As for some musicals with dynamic female leads:

The King & I: Progressive single mother takes on polygamy--and stages an Uncle Tom's Cabin production.

Annie, Get Your Gun: Actually, she can get a man with a gun, just as she proves that anything he can do, she can do better.

The Sound of Music: Nuns are flabbergasted by their spirited sister. So're the von Trapps.

Gypsy: Explores some interesting mother-daughter dynamics, even if it does perpetuate some stage-mom roles.

Unfortunately, the attitudes displayed toward women in the films of some of my favorite directors—Kieslowski, the French new wavers, Antonioni, and John Ford—range from outright misogyny to marginalization to a rabid desire to fix the female figure to a sort of nebulizing worship of some idea of women. However, I do think that The Double Life of Veronique is a well-considered study of women and that My Life to Live at least encourages some thought about sex work.

Also: Woody Allen movies?! Are y’all kidding? For all his kneejerk self-effacing, most of the time Allen seems to be trying to make all his female characters as neurotic, self-obsessed and Woody-obsessed as he. They succeed, I think, in spite of Allen's writing and mostly because he tends to cast and woo very talented actresses. (That said, I have more than once been compared with Keaton's character in Manhattan.) I mean, seriously, a giant breast chasing people around the countryside?

A list of the ones I disagree with:

*The Holiday
Sin City
Spanglish
*Brown Bunny

The ones with stars I haven't actually seen. I disagree with the reasoning behind Brown Bunny. Giving a blow job does not equal anti-feminism. As for the Holiday, I'll give it to them if the implication is strong that Kate Winslet wound up with Jack Black because she's less skinny than Cameron Diaz. But if that's not really in there, I think that might be reaching.

My favorite feminist titles include A League of Their Own and Kill Bill. There are others, but I'm too tired.

My Neighbor Totoro - My favorite Miyazaki film.
Vera Drake - A very heavy plot line. It was hard for me to watch all the way through when I first saw it.
Water - About a girl in India who is widowed and forced to live in an ashram.
All the Harry Potter films. Hermione rules and women have all sorts of roles in the story.
And maybe even The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Disney's version of "Sleeping Beauty."

Seriously, hear me out: Yes, it is admittedly the archetype of the "damsel in distress" story, and the title character spends half the movie asleep, waiting to be rescued, but who does the rescuing? It's not the prince, not really. It's the three good fairies: Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. They are the true protagonists of the film, and are the only ones who really, proactively do any rescuing. They are the ones who alter the curse, saving the princess's life. They hide her and raise her. After the curse takes effect and the prince is captured, they bust into Maleficent's castle and rescue him, wielding their wands as welding torches. They make possible every bit of his escape, saving him from rocks, arrows, and boiling oil. They create his weapons, and at the very climax enchant his sword, making it possible for him to defeat the villain.

Obviously, the movie does have its faults as far as sexism goes, but really: every single truly heroic thing in the film was done by those three little fairies.

Oh, and Maleficent is easily the most bad-ass, competent Disney villain there is.

In defense of School of Rock:

I mostly just love seeing young girls becoming more confident in themselves through developing a creative outlet - and being awesome at it. The "girls rock" message goes pretty far for me, far enough to cover a groupies joke, I guess.

About Serenity which has been mentioned, Joss Whedon has actually specifically stated that he makes characters like Zoe and Kylie because when he was a kid all the chick characters were horror movie, disposable characters, who would be screwed and killed within an hour. Yay Joss Whedon!!

Can I ask for explanations on The Triplets of Belleville and Rocky Horror? I love both of these films (love is an understatement considering that I've actually played Columbia in a few shadow casts and plan to do more soon), but I'm not sure I can see either as feminist.

A League of Their Own, The First Wives Club, Nine to Five, and no one has yet mentioned The Hours. I fell for Allison Janney in that movie. And Meryl. Oh, the Meryl.

Some of the RADAR entries seem a little off to me. While I certainly do not wish to defend Mel Gibson in any way, the fact remains (to me) that What Women Want was so far into the realm of the silly that I really don't think it can be called antifeminist in and of itself. The presence of Mel certainly gives it many points, but the plot was too farcical to be heinous at women.

Also, I don't think Bridget Jones was not heinous either (though I could be remembering the books more than the movie). Finally, I don't think Ocean's Thirteen falls under "woman bashing." The woman they are referring to was not the focus of the plot -- the heist was.

That aside, I also found The Queen to be awesome. Helen Mirren diagnosing the Land Rover was wonderful, and all the better because Elizabeth actually did fix Jeeps during the war.

I want to add Woody Allen Films in General.

Unless you're a Jewish woman, in which case he portrays you as a sexless, shrieking harridan, completely unappealing compared to the blonde shiksas his main characters lust after.

To say nothing of his increasingly icky fetish of casting twenty-something women as his love interests.

Iron Jawed Angels
Boys Don't Cry
Thelma & Louise
TransAmerica
A League of Their Own
...I know I'm forgetting something!

On a side note, Queen Gorgo's character in 300 was a great change from the weak female/savior men films.

Mrs Brown
Priscilla Queen of the Desert

and some that have been mentioned but that are awesome:

Boys Don't Cry
Silence of the Lambs
Water
Mean Girls

These are the only ones I can think of right now, but some of my favorites are:

Ladies and Gentlemen: The Fabulous Stains

Real Women Have Curves

Mary Jane's Not a Virgin Anymore by the late, great Sarah Jacobson.

Oh, and The Legend of Billie Jean!!!

Total yes to Ginger Snaps
also Canadian and the lesser known, but still great:
New Waterford Girl

Also I love Lili Taylor, it's good to see her get love. I just read through the list. The Scream trilogy is a good answer, I think. Also if you're going to say Princess Mononoke, I would definitely throw Nausicaa into the list.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned
Private Benjamin
one of my all time favorites!

RUDY.

Wow, I am pretty surprised to hear folks on Feministing argue that Superbad was "only a little bit sexist."

That movie was the most misogyinstic hour and a half I've been subjected to in a long time. I won't say it wasn't funny, because it certainly was, and obviously it wasn't meant to be a serious investigation of human drama or something.

Nonetheless, it totally glorified the tireless sexual objectification of women. Just because it reflects the way many boys act in high school doesn't make it not sexist. High school boys are appallingly sexist, and by making them into movie stars we are supporting and legitimating that behavior. Saying it's not sexist is like arguing that the news media reporting on Hillary Clinton's outfit isn't sexist because that's what people were really thinking about.

Superbad's two lead characters were made to be endearing and sympathetic, which allows all the horrid sexists who act like women are pieces of meat can feel better about themselves. Because it's cute and funny, just like the boys in Superbad. I think that's a pretty reprehensible message.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes has female friendship at its core-- the men are treated as side projects and annoyances as much as love interests.

As for the Triplets of Bellville, it's also about female friendship and teamwork-- the women save the day!

I like this thread - I now have a list of movies to see!

I LOVE Legend of Billie Jean - that was one of my childhood favorites! Also, I am gonna go with Lost in Yonkers, which is an amazing film. The female characters are very strong - even the grandmother was a strong independent woman. And I loved Mercedes Ruehl as Bella. Also, even though it has a seriel killer - I really liked Ashley Judd's character in Kiss the Girls.

Regarding Superbad, it reminded of movies from the 80s - like Porky's to be honest. I will say, though, that the scene with Michael Cera and the drunk girl made me squeamish until he declined to have sex. I really was expecting a different outcome.

"Free to be you and Me" best 70s children's movie ever.

I love the big football player singing "It's alright to cry" to little boys.

It makes the world better.

What's Love Got To Do With It?

Hooray for Tina in all her giant haired stompy glory

ALSO: The Passion of Joan of Arc.

40 year old virgin? I thought the treatment of the blonde sales clerk was insufferable.
And Babyface, with Stanwyck sleeping her way to the top, I wouldn't pick either (much as I adore Stanwyck in anything).
The thirties Torchy Blaine series with Glenda Farrell as a reporter are fun--she comes off a lot more competent and professional than the "Pepper Dennis" TV show of a couple of years ago.

I really liked "Enough," that movie with Jennifer Lopez. I thought it was really empowering - she was abused, but she escaped and then eventually took matters into her own hands. I guess it's problematic in the sense that she murdered him, but she sure was smart about it.
My other favorite is the Resident Evil series. The lead is an awesome woman, who is totally undefeatable. Pretty sweet.

Okay, not the greatest movie, but I think Miss Congeniality has some pretty solid feminist themes.

Blue Crush is not really feminist per se, but it's a got strong female leads and is not at all as exploitative as you might expect a movie full of girls in bathing suits to be.

Some mentioned before:
Bend It Like Beckham
Golden Compass
Norma Rae

Jodie Foster in "Contact"

Harry Potter films -- several strong female characters (good and evil) -- special mention for Emma Watson as Hermione

first time commenting, so people might have already mentioned these by the time it goes on, that said...

I would want to add -

Born in Flames - totally awesome and slightly mad, near-future feminist revolution film

and then also Josie and the Pussycats. Way more funny than it should be and good for the girls rocking out

looking forward to watching some of the ones I haven't seen on here

I love to get my feminist boost from Iron Jawed Angels.
Furthermore, I have to give props to Hillary Swank for lots of great feminist roles. Million Dollar Baby, Boys Don't Cry, The Next Karate Kid...

I second Mary Poppins, Hedwig, Volver, Orlando, Whale Rider, The Queen, Passion of Joan of Arc. I remember when I first saw Whale Rider I was overjoyed, "Feminism and Whales?! Throw in some crocheting and you have my kind of heaven".

I would add:
-Paprika - titular character is bad ass hero woman

-The Bride Wore Black- possibly the plot that Kill Bill ripped off, much better

-All About My Mother - a grieving mother, pregnant nun and transexual prostitute all help and encourage one another in against the rigid expectations of teh patriarchy

-The Savage Eye - a 1950s divorcee rebuilding her live, empowering and inspiring

-Anatomy of Hell (anything by Brelliat for that matter) - vaginas aren't scary!

-Cleo from 9-5 (along with anything Agnes Varda has ever made)

-Fanny and Alexander - One of my favorite movies of all time. Strong women role models, support for victims of domestic violence, unmarried mothers who are not cast out, all in turn of the century Sweden.(most of Bergman's works feature strong women and fair assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of their female characters, see Persona, Cries and Whispers, Saraband, et al.)

A few that I don't think were great movies but had a good Strong Woman message:

-Kristin Lavransdatter (written and directed by the incomparable Liv Ullman)

-Pope Joan (starring Liv herself)

-Victoria and Albert (miniseries) - not the most heroic historical figure but offers insight into the strong, resolute and smart leader who eventually wins her husbands love because he respects how smart and great a woman she is.

I can't believe no one has mentioned:

-Nikita

-Double Jeopardy

I

What do you all think of The Bride with White Hair?

Whale Rider.

Spirited Away.

- Chris

From My Personal Collection:
Slums Of Beverly Hills

Switchblade Sisters

Go

Bull Durham

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Jackie Brown

Living Out Loud

Little Women(1994)

Don't think any of those were mentioned previously. I don't own Death Proof but it would be on there, as well. the movies speak for themselves, though anyone convinced of some sort of misogyny streak through Tarantino's work, please give Jackie Brown a shot?

Paths of Glory (1957) - Susanne Christian is the only woman in this, and she appears only toward the end, but is portrayed as bringing something very positive and missing. You would have to see it to understand. Only vaguely feminist but simply perfect.

Pan's Labyrinth (2006) - This features a strong and sympathetic girl character and an older woman friend, fighting against fascism.

The Namesake (2006) - This one is mostly about how Gogol, a young Indian American man, discovers his roots, but it was surprisingly feminist in the way that it portrayed Indian women embracing careers and sexual freedom without judging, and recognizing the profound sacrifices that his mother made. There are no simple answers in his movie as suggested by the previews/synopsis. It is directed by Mira Nair, a rare woman director.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) - Another one by a rare woman director, Amy Heckerling; this is a teen movie where the main character is a young woman portrayed sympathetically, it even shows her going to have an abortion. Not sure that kind of thing would be acceptable today.

Death Wish (2007) and Planet Terror (2007) - Although the scene where Lee gets abandoned his disturbing, both of these movies end up firmly siding with their strong women characters and do so with a lot of humor and fun!

Borat (2006)- I was surprised at this one, but it really exposed the silliness of misogyny and at the same time exposed sexism's continued hold on our society.

Some movies that I'd have to disagree with as being 'feminist': In The Descent, as one commentor mentioned, the women end up getting mostly killed off and even killing each other. Horrible, but unsurprising for horror. Shadow of a Doubt I would have to disagree with, the women are portrayed as dumb and naive, especially as they get older, while the men are portrayed as worldly and intelligent. At one point, one of the men goes on a misogynist rant about widows who spend their dead husbands' money. And it seems like the 'shadow of a doubt' the title is referring to is referring to the shadow in Charlie's mind. I wouldn't say it was misogynist as a whole; Charlie and her mother are ultimately treated sympathetically. But a little preview of what was to come with Hitchcock was certainly provided. Ironically, Frenzy (1972) might be one of Hitchcock's most feminist movies; although it is about a serial killer misogynist (and most movies to that effect are really sexist), in his movie Hitchcock has the detective's wife better at his job than himself; while at the same time being horrible at cooking, which is what she does. Hitchcock's little dig at preassigned sex roles.

What about the ultimate awesome? Pippy Longstocking? Books and movies..

i agree with a lot that have been mentioned and woudl just like to add:

joss whedon is god. firefly/serenity and even buffy really showcase a range of awesome female characters. i could write a huge post about specific examples, but if you've seen these you already know and if you haven't--i highly recommend, especially firefly.

i was surprised to see superbad topping the list. as others have said, i think that you were SUPPOSED to think that the teenage boys in the movie (mostly jonah hill, michael cera was mostly just adorably awkward) were immature and ridiculous, which they were. after all, it's a movie about....teenage boys! at the end, jonah hill's character really seems to have wised up a bit about respecting women and that's good. also, i thought the overt theme of homoeroticism/the dick-drawing obsession kind of made fun of the whole moron teenage boy mindset. like, jonah hill's character is mostly just young and stupid and really just doesn't yet get it that sexuality, even his own, is so much more complicated and multifaceted than he believes.

i'm a lot more judgmental of movies about grown men who act like the kids in superbad, frankly.

Wow, such great movies. And I definitely feel the "Foxfire" love. And after reading about some of your selections, I think I'm going to be busy renting some DVDs.

I wrote an essay about alternative chick flicks if anybody is interested.
http://popcorninmybra.blogspot.com/2007/08/alternative-chick-flicks.html

Wow, such great movies. And I definitely feel the "Foxfire" love. And after reading about some of your selections, I think I'm going to be busy renting some DVDs.

I wrote an essay about alternative chick flicks if anybody is interested.
http://popcorninmybra.blogspot.com/2007/08/alternative-chick-flicks.html

Fave-Monster, Tank Girl, Red Eye, and Hard candy.

Least Favorite- Any movie featuring rape scenes that do not get revenged.

And I really loved Superbad, and stupid and typical as the characters were, I found them lovable nonetheless.