Linda Holmes, over at NPR, writes a moving letter about her fervent hope that Pixar can take it's unparalleled talent and use it to create a true female heroine. An excerpt:
Of the ten movies you've released so far, ten of them have central characters who are boys or men, or who are anthropomorphized animals or robots or bugs who are voiced by and imagined as boys or men. These movies feature women and girls to varying degrees -- The Incredibles, in particular -- but the story is never "a girl and the things that happen to her," the way it's "a boy and what happens to him."I want so much for girls to have a movie like Up that is about someone they can dress up as for Halloween, as Anika Noni Rose said about starring as the voice in The Frog Princess. Not a girl who's a side dish, but a girl who's the big draw.
And I'd really, really like it not to be a princess.
Holmes references Tiana, the first black princess coming out of the Disney shop. There was an article this weekend in the Times about the whispers of controversy surrounding early viewings of her movie. Some believe that various aspects of the film reinforce racial stereotypes. It's hard to know until the rest of us have had a chance to check it out, but it's easy to imagine Disney screwing this up after their past racial missteps.
If you could sit in a story meeting with Pixar or Disney and pitch a feminist heroine for their next blockbuster film, what would you pitch?
Thanks to ang.halsted for the heads up.
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What about Coraline?
Awesome movie, but it was a Laika/Focus Features production, not Pixar. It was also a book originally. (not that thats a bad thing.)
It just seems like movie studios don't put a whole lot of work into coming up with original story lines for heroines the way they do for their male characters. I would love if Pixar could pull this off.
Yeah, I knew it wasn't Pixar/Disney. But I never miss a chance to promote Coraline.
I was going to say Coraline too, but even in the film they felt the need to give her a male side-kick to help her win the day.
they had to add wybie in order to translate the graphic novel into a film. coraline couldnt run around talking to herself.
i liked the film and was glad to see a young girl as the protagonist, but the whole thing with the mother made me uncomfortable from a feminist viewpoint.
Could you expand on why you felt uncomfortable with the mother?
Doesn't get anywhere near the press of a Pixar production, but Warner Bros recently did a Wonder Woman animated feature.
AfterEllen did a write up:
http://www.afterellen.com/blog/sarahwarn/wonder-woman-animated-movie
Pixar has had some strong female (wait, does Eve count) characters, but yeah, it's always been in support of the boys. Strange pattern from a studio that has seemingly made good decision after good decision in its history.
My daughters watch Hayao Miyazaki movies, brought from Japan to the US by Disney. My Neighbor Totoro stars two sisters. Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service and Howl's Moving Castle all have girls as the main course - and none of them are princesses.
Would love to take my 4yo to see a girl focused movie in a theater.
I was just going to post this, too. I've decided to look beyond American animation in order to get my girl power fix. Anime is just so chocked full of wonderful, complex women and girls. They may not always be the main characters, but most of the ones that I watch are better than most of what I've seen Disney put out. Plus, they always have a bit of an edge.
As for strong female animation characters in America, it's not Disney, but Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender has quite a few. In fact, I'm working on a community post about this very issue right now. They might not be the LEAD characters, but they aren't the sidekicks, either.
I was just thinking about how awesomely feminist Avatar is! Toph, Katara... plus, they have a female "bad guy" who's not over-sexualized... so rare. I like that they don't whitewash sexism either- the female characters occasionally have to deal with sexist characters and cultures (the Northern water Tribe comes to mind), and overcome them.
AND the not-strong-but-clever character, which is so often female (Mulan, for example), is a male. I have nothing against being not-strong-but-clever; it's just refreshing to see it in another gender.
I loved the scene in the third season where they see a play about themselves, and Toph is played by a big burly man- and loves it! She cared about being strong, not "feminine".
Plus, I love nonviolence and lack of moral absolutes, so this is a kids show I can firmly get behind.
...Ok, I'm done geeking out now.
"Anime is just so chocked full of wonderful, complex women and girls."
Depends on where you look, though. The only genres with a lot of women are the ones aimed *at* women. In most shonen and mecha series, women usually only exist as tokens and cheerleaders from the sideline (and the occasional love interest and/or dramatic victim). I'm not sure how pleased you'd be with the average harem comedy series either...
Honestly, I'd say a good number of mecha/shoenen anime (at least "main stream" anime) do a pretty good job of offering a variety of kick butt female characters---some of them might be pretty, but they've got their own personalities and issues as well.
Unfortunately, women in shonen tend to get marginalized. Look at Naruto, for example, where most of the female characters have done virtually nothing (it's gotten so bad even the regular fans of the series are noticing, so it's pretty ridiculous!)...
"Anime is just so chocked full of wonderful, complex women and girls."
The ones not being raped by tentacle demons.
Thankfully, I've learned to steer clear of a lot of the misogynist anime out there. I've heard about it, but I refuse to watch it.
However, when compared to animation in the US, I believe that women are represented much better and stronger in anime. I'd like there to be more diversity and less fanservice when it comes to the animation, but as a girl who only had She-Ra as inspiration while growing up, I've had to look to Japan for other characters to pick up her mantle.
Anime has its issues. I won't lie. But there is enough good stuff out there (hell, I even like a mecha, Full Metal Panic!) that it's pretty easy to ignore the awful stuff or to be critical of one aspect of a show or movie and still appreciate the positive aspects.
SuperGALS is next up after Noir on my Netflix right now. I'm showing my anime-loving SO how there are some interesting female-driven anime out there that he has yet to see.
The main character of Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke is, well, a Princess, but of a kind that is delightfully different than those Disney types.
The main character of Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke is, well, a Princess, but of a kind that is delightfully different than those Disney types.
Also, if Disney, or any American animation could adapt Azumanga Diaoh for American audiences, it would completely rock my socks. (Although the original is wonderful, it'd be nice if it had a wider American audience).
I am bloody sick of princesses. BARF! When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a soldier, a warrior. I hated princesses and always resented those awful animated Disney films and their patronizing attitude toward females.
what about EVE in Wall*E? I liked her, she was aggressive and in control, I think.
The problem I had with EVE (well, it's more the problem I had with the movie) was that she still existed to be an object of interest to the male character - she was pursued to an inappropriate degree even when she'd said no, was 'dated' while she was unconscious, and had to learn to stop being so focused on her job in favour of a man. There was a whole "schlubby guy wins over career-driven ice queen" vibe that didn't sit well with me.
Only Wall-E was attributed traits that are seen as feminine. WALL-E’s character traits are generally deemed female. WALL-E is driven by his loneliness, his love, and his need for touch. Too often, in a love story, these characteristics are presented by the female character.
Also, EVE doesn't "learn" to take her directive less seriously. She *chooses* WALL-E over her directive, and she was presented with a choice. Also, she and WALL-E work as a team to save the Axiom, and more than once she saves WALL-E. Not the other way around.
Princesses can be warriors, too. Just look at Wonder Woman! She is Amazon royalty. There was also She-Ra back when I was a kid - yeah, I know, essentially Barbie with a sword, but back in the 80s, having her to balance out He-Man wasn't half bad (not to mention Teela was a pretty kick ass woman as well). Princesses, when written well, can be compellingly good heroines - although I agree that the princesses as peddled by Disney have mostly been walking pieces of puffed up cotton candy.
My favorite princess story as a kid was this book called "The Ordinary Princess" by M.M. Kaye. Excellent material for an animated kids movie, actually. The princess is the youngest of seven daughters, all of which have ridiculously long, elaborate, silly names based on jewels (hers is shortened to "Amy" but her birth name is hilarious); her six sisters are all blond, beautiful, graceful, etc. etc. Amy, however, is given the curse (or blessing) of being ordinary by a cranky old fairy - she's still intelligent, kind, brave, and even has a friendly squirrel & crow, but she's also mousy-brown-haired, has freckles, and is constantly getting dirty climbing trees and running around outdoors. She runs away when she hears that her parents, having a difficult time marrying her off because she's plain, are going to hire dragon to raze the countryside until some prince slays it and has no choice but to marry her. Where it goes from there is great - she gets a job and learns to enjoy being self-sufficient, and there is a prince involved, but he's equally hilarious.
Yes yes yes! Thank you for mentioning "The Ordinary Princess." I always thought it would make an excellent animated movie or stage musical. I'm actually in the process of adapting some scenes into a graphic novel...
I lovelovelove "The Ordinary Princess" by M.M. Kaye!
Princesses can be warriors, too. Just look at Wonder Woman! She is Amazon royalty. There was also She-Ra back when I was a kid - yeah, I know, essentially Barbie with a sword, but back in the 80s, having her to balance out He-Man wasn't half bad (not to mention Teela was a pretty kick ass woman as well). Princesses, when written well, can be compellingly good heroines - although I agree that the princesses as peddled by Disney have mostly been walking pieces of puffed up cotton candy.
My favorite princess story as a kid was this book called "The Ordinary Princess" by M.M. Kaye. Excellent material for an animated kids movie, actually. The princess is the youngest of seven daughters, all of which have ridiculously long, elaborate, silly names based on jewels (hers is shortened to "Amy" but her birth name is hilarious); her six sisters are all blond, beautiful, graceful, etc. etc. Amy, however, is given the curse (or blessing) of being ordinary by a cranky old fairy - she's still intelligent, kind, brave, and even has a friendly squirrel & crow, but she's also mousy-brown-haired, has freckles, and is constantly getting dirty climbing trees and running around outdoors. She runs away when she hears that her parents, having a difficult time marrying her off because she's plain, are going to hire dragon to raze the countryside until some prince slays it and has no choice but to marry her. Where it goes from there is great - she gets a job and learns to enjoy being self-sufficient, and there is a prince involved, but he's equally hilarious.
Monsters v. Aliens did really well at the box office and had a surprisingly empowering theme for girls. At least, it seemed that way to me.
Thoughts?
I totally agree. Susan/Ginormica was strong, and even though in the beginning she has a jerk for a fiancee, she realizes and doesn't lower her standards for him. She also realizes her strength and finds her real friends. i think she is a great role model!
only saw the movie once, so i can't cite super specific examples, but she isn't a princess and she helps save everyone from the aliens. also, she does all this no longer conforming to the ideal beauty standards.
Really, all they have to do is do a Ripley--write a character into a script and instead of rendering a boy character into the role, make it a female. But don't doll/sex her up. That's ALL they need to do. Or ffs, make it a damn animal but give it a female voice. HOW HARD IS THAT??
I don't mind the princess thing PER SE. The more recent Disney females always have a tendency to be smart, independent, and to have all sorts of great qualities ... but the story ends up revolving around her getting married. I realize most of their stories are written in a time where it was almost unheard of for women to go unmarried, but still. She's brave! Bold! Outspoken! Independent! And she got a man! See, girls? You can too!
I hate stories where I identify with the heroine until she meets some guy and becomes a total ninny. If they could make a movie that wasn't like that, it would be swell.
The marriage/male-dependency is what gets me the most, too. And the tie-ins are worse! All the Princess paraphernalia... my daughter got a Disney Princess songbook-type thing. One of the songs, to the tune of the Wedding March(?): "Here comes the bride, all dressed in white. Her dreams have come true on her wedding day." REALLY, DISNEY? This is the best you can offer to girls? It makes me sick to my stomach.
As for girl heroines, I always like Harriet the Spy and Nancy Drew (though I know movies have been made of each). And witchy girls, thouh names escape me. I liked girls who were logical and smart and resourceful. And/or magical. :)
If I was in a meeting with them I'd hand them some of my favorite comics for them to turn into an animated movie.
http://www.boltcity.com/daisy.htm
http://www.boltcity.com/amulet/
http://www.tonycliff.com/blog/projects/the-treasure-of-constantinople/
http://www.onipress.com/display.php?type=se&id=3
http://www.tednaifeh.com/polly/index.htm
or at least something like them, preferably with more diversity, because as much as a love them, the fact that they all happen to be white is kind of annoying. Though apparently Amulet is going to be turned into a movie with Will Smith's kids.
If Daisy Cutter were made into an animated movie I'd nerdgasm my heart out. I'd also do whatever it took to get an internship/job there, I've got the degree for it dammit!
What about Mulan? She's no Disney Princess, but she's by far my favorite Disney character!
I agree about Mulan. She's pretty great.
Although I've also really like Belle. She's smart and likes to read. I'm ok with that movie.
By that i mean I've always really LIKED Belle.
As a character, I like Belle, but the dv aspect of the movie is too overbearing.
Mulan and Pocahontas were always my favorites, thought the movies are less than perfect.
I think the female characters in the Incredibles were pretty great (well violet and elastigirl anyway). However yes totally agree. I really believe Pixar could do a really great movie with a female lead and that would be awesome.
The thing that's frustrating about Pixar isn't that they're guilty of the princess crap with their female characters - and they're really not! Supporting girls/women/female-voiced robots in their films tend to be strong, intelligent, opinionated, thoughtful, and interesting - Jessie (Toy Story 2), EVE (Wall-E), Ellie (Up), Colette (Ratatouille), Helen and Violet Parr - The Incredibles) and Boo (so she was pre-verbal, she was awesome - Monsters, Inc) werem't 2-D prissy love interests. They were superheroes, cowgirls, feminist sous-chefs, and sassy toddlers with three-word vocabularies.
But awesome or not, they were still supporting cast. It's time to have ladies like that lead!
I would love a female protagonist too, but, like j. elise, I think Pixar's supporting females are unsurpassed. Both Ellie, in Up, and Helen Parr in the Incredibles demonstrate how women form the way the male protagonists rule the world. And how can one disparage EVE, the strong "female" who wears the pants in Wall-E and "her" relationship?
Wasn't there an argument going on around Wall-E that the robots were sexless?
I worked at a kid's camp when the moveie came out and all the kids used 'he' for WALL-E and 'she' for EVE. The kids saw the robots as gendered.
Joan
probably because their names are typically gendered (come one, it's hard to get around eve being a woman), but as someone earlier posted, wall-E had feminine tendancies. maybe they were gendered the other way and people were too closed minded to see it. of course, if that's the case, then most of the wall-E critique here can be thrown out the window.
I recently re-watched Lilo and Stitch and was reminded of how much I love it. Lilo's a great character - a smart, weird kid working through a great emotional arc with a vicious, antisocial, genetically-engineered alien. And her sister Nani is great too, as is the Grand Councilwoman, for that matter.
The movie came out seven years ago and I find it very disheartening that we haven't seen another top-billed female Disney protagonist since.
Who would I pitch for a future blockbuster feminist hero? Tiffany Aching from Terry Pratchett's Wee Free Men series!
I agree. Lilo and Stitch came out when my daughter was about four and I loved the movie's portrayal of Lilo and her sister. The animation style too, with it's rounded figures and the respectful treatment of Hawaiian culture, was a huge breath of fresh air.
-Tim
I second Lilo and Stitch. That's been my favorite Disney movie since it came out. Lilo is such a kickass little girl and I love the blended family theme.
Yay, another Pratchett fan! Equal Rites from the Discworld series would make an awesome story with a female protagonist. A wizard passes on his staff to what he thinks will be the 8th son of an 8th son, but it turns out the newborn is a girl.
I've always been really amused by Pratchett's description of a female mercenary that is after the heroes in 'The Light Fantastic'
"The point that must be made is that although Herrena the Henna-Haired Harridan would look quite stunning after a good bath, a heavy-duty manicure, and the pick of the leather racks in Woo Hung Ling’s Oriental Exotica and Martial Aids on Heroes Street, she was currently quite sensibly dressed in light chain mail, soft boots, and a short sword. All right, maybe the boots were leather. But not black."
Agreed. Lilo & Stitch is my favorite Disney movie, from the themes to the character of Lilo to the character designs (Nani is a surfer, and she has the muscled legs of one!)
Also half the time I don't get Disney's use of the WORD "princess". Belle was a peasant girl. Mulan seemed to come from a well off home but wasn't the daughter of an emporer, and I hear the new movie is set in 1920's New Orleans--America doesn't even have royalty! Why is labelling every female character a "princess" so damn important to them?
Belle married a prince, and so did Cinderella; they seem to be princesses by marriage. What bothers me is that except for Jasmine, all the "official" Disney Princesses are white: Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora/Briar Rose, Ariel. Mulan and Pocahontas are sometimes associated with them, but aren't regarded as "officially" part of the Disney Princesses line; Esmeralda, of Roma heritage, isn't even that.
They are officially Disney Princesses. Pocahontas and Mulan just seem to be "forgotten" more often than the others. When they *are* included in group pictures and product collections, there's usually a huge difference between their product/promo image skin tones and the (darker) on-screen skin tones. I find it really obnoxious, because they're the only two 'princesses' I actually related to as a kid. I know all the Disney princess movies are problematic, but it was really nice to have the arbiter of little-girl femininity messages say that my tomboyishness was OK. Little girls shouldn't be told they have to be "princesses" to be successful or happy women, but at least I could be a princess by defending my country from invaders or preventing wars from breaking out in the first place, rather than getting cursed/abducted and waiting for a prince to save me. (It doesn't help that all of the white princesses have beaus with really generic character designs. I swear, they are all the same guy with different hair. What's with that?)
I would love to see an adaptation of "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle" by Avi. This is a book I reread to this day. The heroine is young, strong, defies gender norms, is criticized for it, triumphs over it-she does everything!
That was one of my favorite books as a kid.
I also really liked Island of the Blue Dolphins. Another good female character.
incidentally, both of those books were written by men.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again until my face turns blue: Beauty and the Beast is an underrated feminist masterpiece, and easily the best Disney movie ever made. The movie is all about turning gender stereotypes on their head (Prince Charming is the antagonist, and it's the girl who saves the boys, not the other way around).
And not for nothing, but Belle is as bad-ass as they come, and she ain't no princess or damsel in distress. She's a total social outsider, and her entire town thinks she's a "peculiar madmoiselle" just because she'd rather read a book than chase after boys. She never lets anyone tell her what to do (whether it be her father, Gaston, or the Beast), she always follows her own path and chooses her own destiny.
I'm telling you guys, underrated feminist masterpiece. If you haven't seen it or only seen it once, see it again, it's worth it.
Underrated eh? I suppose that depends on who you're talking too.
It seems that we all have come up with quite a few great female lead characters in Disney movies. Trouble is, those are all pretty old.
I just wish there were more recent movies out for kids that feature women as the central character in the story ( not female horses, robots, chickens, fairies, etc).
I used to feel similarly about Beauty and the Beast, until I saw a fascinating documentary called Mickey Mouse Monopoly. The film deconstructs Beauty and the Beast (among other Disney movies) and raises some interesting questions about how feminist the film actually is. For instance, couldn't Belle's relationship with the Beast be seen as horrifically abusive?
Check out a clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL1q19yrLb0
I can't say I agree. I find Beauty and the Beast very disturbing for the way it falls into the trope of romanticizing abuse. The idea that the brooding, emotionally unstable monster who's cruel to you and scares you and *imprisons* you will turn into a prince if you're just patient and sweet enough is not one I want my small children exposed to. Slapping a bit of bookishness on the heroine and giving her someone obnoxious to reject doesn't make it feminist for me - nor does the fact that, just like any other 'princess' type, the only adventure Belle gets to have is related to romance.
Feminist animated heroine.
Okay.
Here is my pitch.
The Adventures of Gloria Steinem in the 25th century!
Sexism has returned with a vengeance. The evil Y foundation, an organization dedicated to the destruction of equality and the creation of a male superheirarchy, has been brainwashing both men and women to reinforce gender roles, social norms, and patriarchical behavior on an individual and social level.
Enter Gloria Steinam.
And a time machine.
Her, Mary Shelley, William Moulton Marston and Billie Jean King form some sort of resistance. Every half-hour episode would be examining another issue of importance to the movement of today, and the future.
It is no less silly than Captain Planet.
I loved Captain Planet! And I would totally watch this show you've pitched.
There are people on this site who are smarter than me, more focused than me, more dedicated than me, more thoughtful than me. However, I think you'll have a hard time finding someone who watched more TV than me as a child. I called it Uncle Sony.
When I was 3 years old watching Snow White, after the scene where they kiss and get married, I told my mom: "But they can't get married. They don't even know each other."
Feminist child in the making!
My 4 y o daughter loves Mulan. She asks for princess dvds and my response is, we'll see. But we to this day have none at our house and so far, b/c my kid isnt the obsessive type, we've avoided the Disney princess contagion. Instead, Mulan rocks my kid's world. One of the first things she wanted to be was a soldier. She still likes girly stuff and people are always telling her how beautiful she is, but when she describes herself, the adjectives she uses most often are brave and strong.
In general, I hate how mass media still shapes girls' image of themselves. Like the author of the original article said, it is all about a boy's experience. Even in a show with several characters, the white boy is the leader.
Ugh.
I think there's something fundamentally wrong with calling Mulan a princess. The character never wanted to be a princess, or a lady. She's an action hero. I was just thinking that Tamora Pierce's Keladry would also make a good animated heroine. (Though it's kind of disturbing that the models coming to my mind to counter sexism are so warlike...I think the world needs more pacifist fiction, as well as less sexism.) Unfortunately, I'm afraid Disney or Pixar would make Keladry's friendships into something much more conventionally romantic, weakening the character and the story.
Is anybody familiar with Noel Streatfeld's "Ballet Shoes?" The girls in that story aren't anybody's love interest...I don't think there are boys in the story at all. It's about family, and art, and (perhaps especially important these days) about children struggling to help when their family is in serious financial trouble. If a film could focus on that last bit rather than the tutus, and have that be the standard of success (as it tends to be in boys' coming of age stories) it could be powerful.
Though it's kind of disturbing that the models coming to my mind to counter sexism are so warlike...I think the world needs more pacifist fiction, as well as less sexism.
It isn't disturbing to me in the slightest, and in fact makes perfect sense. Since force is the ultimate authority, it stands to reason that sexism would attribute competence in such a fundamental and universal human endeavor to males, and so when it comes to countering sexism, reclaiming social acceptance of woman's ability to perform purposeful violence seems like a natural place to start.
Dude! They should have a female spy! One that is all sleek, cool, and sophisticated and has a brief romance but doesn't stay with the man. That would be cool!
Like Jennifer Garner's character in the TV series Alias, but made without the violence? That would be cool.
My vote's for a Jacky Faber movie (from L. A. Meyer's "Bloody Jack" series), or how about movie-izing Tamora Pierce's "Trickster" books?
I would flip out if the made a Jacky Faber movie! I freakin' love her to death! :D
As much as Ali is love, I think I'd like to see Alanna of Song of the Lioness steal the spotlight first. Her books have more of an action centered plot, versus Trickster's political intrigue.
While any book by Tamora Pierce would be an awesome choice, I think the 3 girls and 1 boy cast of Circle of Magic would probably be the easiest to relate to for younger kids, not to mention the fact that Daja was Pierce's first real Girl of Color. :)
I see others have already pointed out Lilo, Mulan and various Ghibli films. I just have one other that occured to me. While not being a Disney film, I think The Secret of Nimh is at least a decent example of a female lead in an animated film.
Oh, the Secret of Nimh is great when talking about female leads.
Mrs. Frisby is pretty helpless a lot of the time. She has to be saved by the mostly male rats. I know she does finally get a bit brave at the end trying to drug the cat and all. However she only saves the day by magic. Magic brought about by a mother's grief and love, if I remember correctly. Not necessarily a great role model.
Then there is the fact that she is a mouse.
I didn't say it was "great". I said it was "decent". She IS the lead, she IS female and she is NOT a princess. At least she is not COMPLETELY helpless by the end. Furthermore, I said "I think". It's been some time since I saw that movie, so I just thought I'd throw it out there. I seem to recall that she was fairly brave from the beginning, facing a plow and also visiting an owl.
But, again, it's been a while since I've seen it so I'm sorry if it wasn't the BEST example.
And when she's imprisoned in the birdcage she rescues herself -- I remember being hugely pleased at that when I first saw the movie.
"Magic brought about by a mother's grief and love, if I remember correctly. Not necessarily a great role model."
What is wrong with magic associated with motherhood and love? I loved that part.
I suspect you might say it is unimpressive because it conforms to gender roles, but I think it is impressive because feminine attributes (motherhood, love) are powerful and save the day.
I loved The Secret of Nimh growing up. I can see both sides of the conflict. When I was young I got frustrated with her for being so frightened of everything, but for someone with that amount of fear to do those things anyway took a lot of courage. "Courage of the heart is very rare." Mrs. Brisby (aka Frisby) had the right mix of strength and emotion to be a heroine. She definitely went through an arc of character transformation.
I think if there's to be a feminist movie I would write, I would make the female character an animal. This would make it easier to avoid the princess claptrap in the dolls, toys and promotion, can you picture a wolf, tigress, or similar animal wearing a tutu or a crown?
If my heroine were human though, I think a sci-fi story would be totally awesome. There's not enough independent female science fiction leads in movies, or novels for that matter.
Actually... one of Pixar's upcoming films does indeed have a female lead. It's called The Bear and The Bow. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1217209/ The main character is a member of the Royal family, but according to the plotline she gives it up to become an archer.
She gives up her royalty, but the story deals with the consequences of bucking convention like that for her and her family. Not that it won't be a great movie; I hope it'll be awesome, and Pixar hasn't missed yet. But it's still a princess movie, even if the princess is no shrinking Snow White.
And "The Bear and the Bow" is more or less the subject of Holmes' letter: you've finally got a female lead, and she's a princess? Come on, Pixar: let's give our girls (and boys) something new.
I know this is still a princess, but they should totally do an animated feature of "The Paper Bag Princess" by Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko. That would be awesome!
I was also thinking about ones based on Joan of Arc or Queen Boudicca, but those topics might be too bloody and harrowing for little ones. -Both characters would die at the end.
I wonder why no one's ever made movies of Tamora Pierce's books? They started me off on the road to feminism in my early teens with stories of a girl who switches places with her twin brother so she can become a knight - at first hiding her gender, then gradually discovering that she's pretty awesome as a *lady* knight.
Also probably the reason why I wrote a dissertation on subversive females in medieval literature :D
I need to reread those books... *heads to bookshelf*
Your dissertation sounds so interesting! What texts did you use?
Melusine (Ou la noble histoire de lusignan) which is about a half fairy woman who turns into a half-serpent every saturday and has to hide it from her husband (and has 10 sons with strange deformities, like giant ears or cyclops forehead-eyes). She's kick ass and keeps her husband afloat... until he betrays her. It's heart-wrenching. Don't know where you can find a translation into english but it's a famous story.
Also, Le Roman de Silence (trans. Regina Psaki) about a girl brought up as a boy to avoid a ban on girls inheriting. Her/his parents only tell her/him that he/she's a biological woman when Silence reaches puberty- and she decides to keep acting as a man and outdoes all the knights in the kingdom. She attracts the attention of the queen, gets into trouble, and is unmasked by none other than Merlin at the end... but sadly becomes the new wife of the king, having had all her masculine physical traits erased by nature. The chats between nature and nurture are amazing- for the 12th/13th century at any rate ;)
Both stories are well worth a bit of research!
Jess
Has anyone seen Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. It's a manga-type animated film by Hayao Miyazaki. I just saw it recently and I loved it. Granted, she is a princess, but the film shows many different characters in many different roles and she's totally brilliant as I see it!
If you loved the movie, look for the graphic novels on which it was based - they go far deeper into the environmental themes raised in the film, as well as religious and political power plays, more character development, and some very powerful consequences of war imagery. Nausicaa's character goes through a lot of growth through those novels, as does the villain from the movie (by the end, she's not a villain as much as another side of Nausicaa).
I'm very much looking forward to Pixar's The Bear and the Bow - Lassater's gone on record citing Miyazaki's films as a huge source of inspiration for Pixar, so I have high hopes that with a female protagonist, we'll end up with a strong female character. I notice as well in the brief synopsis on Pixar's site for the movie, there's no mention of a prince, which is itself interesting. I'm pretty sure there's going to be some kind of male partner for the princess, but hopefully that character will be a partner for the princess in the truest sense - one who helps her find her true place in the world without becoming her world.
I'm not sure I agree that it's a problem that the protagonist has to be a princess though - it makes sense according to the story, which is itself modeled on classic fairy tales and fables. I think the problem is less that the character is a princess than what the word "princess" has come to mean in pop culture - mainly, the pretty pretty Disney princess in the poofy dress who flounces around being sweet while passively waiting for a prince to save her. While that particular characterization always leaves an unpleasant taste in my mouth, having a princess as a main character need not be a bad thing for this story. After all, princess or not, a main aspect of the character is that she's going to be bucking the traditional restraints of her role by wanting to become an archer (and by extent of the story, I'm guessing also a warrior). Of course this is going to result in upheaval and peril, but that's a pretty apt metaphor for what happens when you go around breaking traditions, and if Pixar's writers hold true to form, I wouldn't be surprised if the story looks at that peril as a result of the princess's parents' inability to accept their daughter's wish to be an archer because of it is unconventional, as well as a result of the princess's desire to be something other than what is expected.
One poster mentioned the DC Animated Wonder Woman movie, which was fantastic. Also, as a Miyazaki fan, I would have to point to Nausicaa as an excellent female heroine, although the graphic novels on which the film is based are far more extensive and offer an even richer and complex story, especially where the "villain" in the movie is concerned (Miyazaki is a master at creating morally ambiguous villains, especially when they're women).
As for animated movie adaptations with strong female characters, I would dearly love to see an adaptation of Guy Gavriel Kay's the Fionivar Tapestry trilogy, as it is rife with equally powerful male and female characters, and a take on the King Arthur myth that does not demonize or pity Guenevere.
The two fairy tales I'd most love to see adapted would be the Snow Queen - young girl goes on a quest alone to rescue her best friend from the Snow Queen, during which she grows into a young woman; and the fairy tale about the girl who suffers in silence for years, weaving shirts from a painfully thorny plant, to save her seven brothers from a witch's curse that turned them into swans. Considering how deftly Pixar has handled the mostly silent sequences in Wall-E & Up, I imagine they'd be able to handle this character's inability to speak beautifully. Juliet Marillier wrote an amazing fantasy novel based on that story - a whole trilogy actually, all featuring 3 very different but distinctly strong heroines, all of which would be wonderful to see onscreen as animated films.
Funny you should mention The Snow Queen. It was actually made into an animated film some years ago (I possessed an English language VHS copy growing up) and, at the moment, is slated to be released on DVD in Japan by the Ghibli Museum Library. You can watch a trailer here:
http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/snowqueen/trailer/
As well, the Wild Swans was also animated by Toei Japan. I can't say it left as much of an impression as The Snow Queen.
I'd heard about those animated versions of the Snow Queen and the Swans - there were a lot of fairy tale adaptations done in Japan quite awhile ago mostly by Toei Animation. I have a copy of the Toei production of The Little Mermaid (which beats the hell out of the Disney version) and it's an old favorite, not the least because it doesn't change the ending, which is the whole bloody point of the story to begin with (I saw the Disney version when I was about 9 and walked out at the end furious because it had a happy ending).
It's rather sad how the original Grimm's Tales get softened up for Disney fodder (although Snow White always was a bit of a dip - in the original, she got duped 3 times). The original version of Cinderella (sans fairy godmother & with a very much alive father) was so much more interesting - plus the stepsisters really got it in the end.
There are a lot of other fairy tales & fables out there to be mined for fantastic animated movies - there's the Russian folk tale of the Firebird (Mercedes Lackey wrote an excellent novel based on that story in which the prince does NOT end up with the princess - who isn't the perfect lady she appears to be - and the Firebird is a very strong heroine); Scheherazade telling her 1001 tales to stay alive (stories within stories, a lot to work with); there's a long list of non-Western fairy tale/fable heroines to draw from if only the animators and writers would bother to look.
I think the Princess and the Frog movie is set in New Orleans, which makes me nervous. Louisiana is always portrayed so stereotypically in TV and film, as if we're all backwards, uneducated, racist rednecks and talk like we're from Appalachia or something. I'd love to see Louisiana portrayed more accurately. I always cringe when I see my wonderful, beautiful state portrayed so badly.
I'm never surprised by Pixar with the gender issues-- look at one of the first shorts they produced-- something with a snow globe character ogling another piece of office kitsch, a girl in a bikini, I think. And of course, the short playing before UP is a classic example of female erasure.
I would do something like...The Trumpet of the Swan, where the main character has something that not only makes her excluded from "male" activities, but something that excludes her from her entire social network. And then she figures out an entirely different way of going about living life, which leads her on a journey that makes her happier.
Definitely an animal movie, like a hound dog born with a bad sniffer but the ability to see in color. Ooo...that'd be cool.
I know they have been pointed out already, but I think Mulan, Belle, and Pocahontas are all pretty feminist in nature. Even though Beauty and the Beast is disturbing in that Belle in a way allows the Beast to "abuse" her, she herself is an intelligent character who can see past the fakeness of the antagonist Gaston.
I absolutely LOVED the movie Mulan as a child. Even the songs, dealing with bringing honor to her family and being "made into a man", deal with feminist ideals of gender roles in society. In the end, Mulan is revered for her courage and wins over the man she loves not for submitting, but for being strong and defending what she believes is right.
Pocahontas's story is slightly similar to Mulan's in that she is strong and does what is necessary to protect her people and her culture. She was another character I really admired.
But if you want to really delve into it deeper, you can find certain feminist traits in many Disney characters, even if the movies themselves don't have strong feminist themes. For example, Jasmine in Aladdin goes against societal norms and falls in love with a "street rat", rather than marrying royalty that her father chooses. The Little Mermaid has MANY uncomfortable themes, but if you think about it, Ariel ends up doing what SHE wants, and goes against her father's wishes. She was curious to explore what was beyond her own world and desired to learn more.
I'm sorry for not contributing any new ideas for animated movies, but I was a little kid when these movies came out and I'm having a little bit of nostalgia, haha.
I completely forgot about Esmeralda. She was a character created by Victor Hugo, but Disney portrayed her as being a spunkier and more vocal protagonist. She keeps getting saved by Quasimodo, but she speaks on the behalf of the other gypsies, who are severely mistreated, and does so despite any abuse from Claude Frollo.
And Esmeralda saved Phoebus.
However, that movie does include what I think is colloquially known as "Frollo's going to rape the gypsy girl in C". I remember when I was a kid, I actually really liked that song--it was my favorite part of the movie. Now...Wow, is it terrifying.
Yeah, that movie was very dark for a children's cartoon. Frollo never actually raped Esmeralda though, in either the book or movie.
He sang a very, very disturbing song about it. I think it was called Hellfire, or something like that.
Miyazaki is absolutely amazing!!!! I love, love, love his movies, and the fact that they often have complex underlying themes (Valley of the Wind and environmentalism have been mentioned).
I know this makes me a total dork, and given the nature of the show might be hard to do but:
Carmen Sandiago. Yes, Yes? I would also like to see the Snow Queen released here. And what about His Dark Materials? I've heard The Golden Compass did not do to well, but it might be worth it to try again. ( I see the risks in that but apparently while the first Hulk was atrocious the second one was quite good, plus love the books).
I hope they'll take advantage of the number of books, short stories, comics, fairytales etc. with female protagonists and not mangle the stories or downplay them when transferring to screen.
Miyazaki is absolutely amazing. I love his work and the underlying themes ( Valley of the Wind and enviromentalism).
Carmen Sandiago. Yes?
Also, I think Ella Enchanted was done a huge disservice in the Disney movie. That said, I would still like to see Fairest made (same world as Ella and the sister of the main character in Fairest is Ella's friend in Enchanted). I think Fairest would be good b/c it has really strong female protagonist and antagonist, and unlike in Snow White, the protagonist isn't admired for her looks but rather her talents. It is also driven almost entirely by females, accept the mirror which is male (though created by a female).
I don't know how you could make it appropriate for a children's film, but what about Joan of Arc? Marie Curie? Amelia Earhart. Anne Frank. Helen Keller. Mother Teresa! Rosa Parks, Sally Ride, Annie Oakley.
I mean. There are so many important, strong, intelligent, corageous women in history that we shouldn't need to dream them up to give girls a hero. And I'm sure there are epic women in other cultures (I can only think of strong women that impacted american culture, but tell me about ladies from other countries!) that we can tell a story about to our girls today. And maybe when they see that it's a real story, they'll be more inspired than by some comedy from Pixar.
I know some of these women are very serious, but why can't we take their stories and make them lighter and more engaging for younger girls (under 10)? Make Ameilia Earhart and Annie Oakly and Anne Frank sassy. Give Mother Teresa a sense of humor. Show Marie Curie having some light, experimental mishaps (throw in a few of the ol' exploding vial gags) along the way.
There are so many role models out there. Let's tell their stories.
The Last Unicorn has a female lead. And it is the best movie ever.
DUUUUUUUUUUDE! How could I have forgotten!?
This was one of my favorite movies growing up (along with Secret of NIMH mentioned above).
Lady Amalthea was kind of a drip, but she totally kicked ass as the unicorn.
So much Last Unicorn love I'm embarrassed I forgot it. Thanks for reminding me.
Jesus. This post has made me realize just how much of my life has been influenced by animated stories.
I think it'd be cool to have a movie for children -- animated or otherwise -- about a female using her own resources and her own willpower to become a musician of some sort. And not just a singer (not that being a singer isn't admirable, but sometimes I worry that little girls might get the impression that singing is for girls and playing instruments is for boys), but a woman who's passionate about a particular instrument or perhaps plays a whole slew of instruments -- and maybe really funky, obscure ones too! Maybe she could start a feminist band with all women, or women and men that have equal opportunities in the band in terms of making decisions, writing songs, and who plays what parts of the songs. They could develop a fan base simply on account of being talented musicians and good performers. And if anyone harassed the female lead and her band mates about being woman musicians, they could be totally badass and challenge the heckler to play the didgeridoo any better than THEY could, because being female doesn't prevent talent and skill.
I just think it'd be neat to have a story about a woman who sets a constructive, creative goal for herself based on her own ambitions and interests, and then proceeds to use her smarts and strengths to achieve that goal. And as far as the music thing goes, I know there's movies out there about kids getting into music, but it always seems to be very pop-y, mainstream stuff. Granted, I know that's what most of the target audience is into, but I think it'd be nice to have a film where, like I suggested above, the main female (and male) character(s) played sort of funky instruments from a variety of different cultures. It could help to send kids the message that it's totally acceptable to have interests that differ from what everybody else seems to be into. You don't have to like what everybody else likes, and if you want to make your OWN music genre, go for it!
Check out the anime "Music of the Heart." It's a Ghibli film. It's related to music and pretty good (although, the sequel "The Cat Returns," I found even better).
Cimorene, from Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles! All her sisters are perfect princesses (very boring) whose only ambition is to marry a prince. Cimorene gets the castle staff to teach her things like fencing and Latin. She learns that her parents are planning to marry her off to a typical prince so she runs away and finds a dragon (who is female) who will accept her as a princess. Dragons usually have princesses because they kidnap them, but Cimorene is too pro-active to wait for something like that. She's a really strong female character and it is stressed many times throughout the series that though she is a princess she does not need *anybody* to save her.
That's what I'm talking about. Disney Princesses fucked me up to a certain degree- and I was brought up as a feminist! i'm over the disney girls and way ready for a heroine! I wrote about it in Jerusalem's feminist fanzine the Fallopian Felafel here http://againstmybetterjudgement.wordpress.com/2009/05/22/divorcing-the-disney-princesses/
Think a movie about Esther or Ruth would be decent?
Esther was always my favorite biblical heroine growing up, more so than Ruth. I figured it had to take a lot of guts to be so brave when you knew you had a good chance of being killed. However, I wouldn't exactly call Esther a feminist hero, though she is remembered for her bravery.
Animated adaptations of both Ruth and Esther's stories do exist, though they are not particularly well known. And a good number of movies have been made of Esther, though less so of Ruth.
I'm sorry you went through that. The way you recount your experiences would actually make a great story. It made me think of a tomboi feminist who through the pressures of her culture grows up into a princess, gets married, and then her prince turns into something like an animal. (sort of the opposite of Beauty and the Beast.) Everyone will tell her to stay with him, but she must follow her own heart and escape. It will end with her triumphantly reclaiming her freedom as she talks about some adventure that she wants to go on.
The only princess I ever wanted to be was Ariel. I think it was mainly the red hair.
I was surprised that this was the first black princess. I guess I hadn't thought about it (I'm sure someone will go off on me about privilege now, as usual). But when I did think about it I realized they only used princesses of other races when it was imperative to the story line - you can't make Aladdin or Pocahontas with a white princess; it just doesn't fit the plot.
I would love to see an animated remake of Xena: Warrior Princess!
Or, perhaps, a story about an Amazon Princess (not Wonder Woman...I was never a Wonder Woman fan).
They could also mind the richness of Greek/Roman mythology and create something great for a modern audience!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119283/
Your wish has been granted!
Another voice for Miyazaki here. We have an older Studio Ghibli box set that gets tons of viewing in our home.
I'm also a big fan of Terry Pratchett. I really enjoy Susan as a character and I think that both the Hogfather and Soul Music movies adaptations were enjoyable. I haven't read any Equal Rites or any of his Tiffany Aching stories yet, though.
I've been waiting for years to see Garth Nix's Old Kingdom trilogy made into movies. It starts out with Sabriel, who finds herself in the position of the Abhorsen - a necromancer whose job is to keep the dead, dead. She lays the unrestful to sleep and it's full of great drama and tension and explores themes of identity, family, and fate. All three books in the series have wonderful, strong role models and I truly enjoy the books.
As far as animation, I'd like to see ANYTHING, really. I just don't think it would be so hard to take any of the stories being written and give the main character a female name and voice. Maybe a little tweaking here and there.
Speaking of awful animated features - I just watched The Tale of Despereaux and I was furious by the end. Yet another tale of a bored, rich, white princess in her tower needing saving by someone else. Completely incapable, rude to her servant, invisible to most everyone else in the movie. And male, masculine swashbuckling animals. It's not like the mouse had to be a male, a female mouse could've performed the role just fine. Bah.
What about Lyra from The Golden Compass ? I found her a strong lead. And Mrs. Coulter was a great evil villan she may have looked good but I never felt that she used her looks to play evil.
What about the Lioness Rampant Trilogy? I -loved her- What a spunky and tank no shit kinda girl, and she was no princess.
Or what about the Princess and witch from the Enchanted Forest chornicles by Patricia C Wrede?
The Princess dosen't want her king untill she pleased with the idea of it, and nigotiates quite cleverly. and the witch is totally pleased to live in her farmhouse with her cats. Yeah the last bit puts on the crazy cat lady with the haunted house for a bit, but the witch is really quit fun and self sufficent to boot.
What about the Lioness Rampant Trilogy? I -loved her- What a spunky and tank no shit kinda girl, and she was no princess.
Or what about the Princess and witch from the Enchanted Forest chornicles by Patricia C Wrede?
The Princess dosen't want her king untill she pleased with the idea of it, and nigotiates quite cleverly. and the witch is totally pleased to live in her farmhouse with her cats. Yeah the last bit puts on the crazy cat lady with the haunted house for a bit, but the witch is really quit fun and self sufficent to boot.
Or the Saberial/Abrohorsen Trilogy? It's a little for older 14-17 yr olds, but both the women are awsome too.
I second call for Paperbag Princess to be a movie
I also wouldn't mind another Carmen Sandiego movie, or the old Jem cartoon to be a movie(the one with purple hair, who was a rock star... vague memories of being besotted... a Jem sweatshirt my mother had to wash overnight I loved it so much).
Also in response re Melusine the book Possession which also has some great female leads, by AS Byatt discusses the myth in some detail.