Happy March (AKA Women’s History Month)! This month is all about honoring and appreciating women, so it’s only right to watch a few female-led films to start it off. From dramas to animated Disney movies, there are so many amazing films that are perfect to make you feel empowered and inspired this month!
- MULAN (1998)
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This iconic Disney movie is about a woman, Fa Mulan, who takes it upon herself to save her sick father from being forced to fight in the Chinese imperial army. Of course, during the time that this movie takes place, society was strongly patriarchal and it wasn’t acceptable for women to join the army. This movie highlights female intelligence, strength, and resilience. Mulan disguised herself as a man to train with the army and used her smarts to help save the Chinese empire.
This is inspiring for women because it teaches us that we are so much stronger and capable than society tells us. I especially love that this movie can be enjoyed at all ages and the themes of female bravery and strength can still be understood. Plus, it has a banger of a soundtrack.
- THE COLOR PURPLE (2023)
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I recently watched the 2023 remake of this movie and it was another amazing representation of female resilience. This movie takes place in the first half of the 1900s. It goes through the life of the main character, Celie (played by Fantasia Barrino), starting from the time she was a teenager. She was abused her whole life by her father, who eventually gave her away to be married to another abusive man when she was a teenager.
The turning point for Celie was when another woman, Shug Avery (played by Taraji P. Henson), came to town and inspired her to realize her worth and beauty. Celie eventually stood up to her abusive husband and moved away with Shug. Later on, she moved back, opened up a successful business in her hometown, and found it in her heart to forgive her husband and offer him friendship.
This movie is a must-watch because it showcases female strength while also showing the love and compassion women can have for each other, and even people who don’t deserve it.
- LITTLE WOMEN (2019)
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Little Women tells the story of the March sisters throughout their lives. The movie has strong matriarchal themes and highlights the strong bond between four sisters and their mother. I found Jo March (played by Saoirse Ronan) particularly inspirational for Women’s History Month because she is dedicated to following her dreams and becoming a writer. During the time period that this movie takes place, women were not encouraged to be independent and have passions of their own, but Jo eventually was able to move to New York and follow her dreams.
Toward the end of the movie, she returns home for a funeral and has a conversation with her mother about wishing she had accepted a previous marriage proposal from a friend of hers. To sum up the main points of the conversation, Jo talks about how she’s so sick of being told that women are only meant for love and relationships with men. She emphasizes that women are so much more than that. They have brains and souls and it’s unfair that women with ambitions have to be lonely and miss out on experiencing love. I thought this was such an amazing testament to what we go through as women. This movie is such a good representation of the hardships that women go through, as well as the importance of female relationships and sisterhood.
- ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY
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Last but not least, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is an exciting, action-packed prequel to the beloved Star Wars franchise that boasts a powerful young woman, Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones), as its protagonist. In the beginning, Jyn is unconcerned with saving the galaxy and more focused on surviving her day-to-day life under the regime of the Empire. In a surprising turn of events, she suddenly becomes tangled with the Rebellion, and that learns her father, who was taken by the Empire when she was a child, is trying to sneak plans about the elusive Death Star to the rebels.
The film’s main theme of hope is manifested through Jyn’s determination to both save her father and destroy the Death Star all in one fell swoop. Without her determination to transmit the plans to the Rebellion, none of the events in the original trilogy could have happened. Jyn’s place as a woman in the Rebellion highlights the most important aspects of fighting for a better future: hope and love. Women are constantly told that those components of their personalities are their pitfalls, but Jyn shows us that in reality, they are our superpowers.
Make sure to watch these movies or any other amazing films that honor and empower women this month!
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