Let's Hear It For The Girl(s)!

Two sisters are separated for years simply because of a low down, dirty man.

It only seemed appropriate (yet unintentional) as a lead in to International Women's Day over the weekend  that I checked out the many powerful female characters in The Color Purple for the first time. Well, it was the first time I had watched the movie all the way through - what Oprah fan hasn't curiously checked out some clips while it was playing on TV?

Even having read the novel years ago did not prepare me for the emotional wreckage the movie would leave behind in my living room. Yeah, it's definitely a full on, smeared mascara, audible sob, ugly cry kind of night.

There is not many sights more heart wrenching than watching those young sisters, Celie and Nettie, being dragged apart, down porch steps and through a field, all while they are panicked and screaming. Sisters who have only each other at a time where they are continually beaten down (literally) by the men in an unfortunate world.

It's impossible to not feel inspired by what they overcame to grow into strong willed adults, guided by the influence of the already powerful women they knew, Shug Avery and Sofia (Oprah in all her perfect acting glory).

We all are lucky to have women in our lives - moms, grandmas, aunts, friends - who inspire us daily. I'm a lady who is perpetually seeking answers and motivation from any source I can, even the movies

Early on I was transfixed by any story with confident female characters more than anything else. Maybe they were people I wanted to be like or I just was drawn to their take on the world.

Stories with these types of characters can be found everywhere. I'm sure y'all have your favorites, because I know I've already talked at length about the everlasting influence of Jo March. Even if there is no way to mention them all, here are just a few that stand out in my mind:

Working Girl

Living in a house with Carly Simon and Joan Cusack loving parents, this story of a Staten Island gal hoping to move up the ranks at her office, one large hairstyle at a time, was probably my introduction into the doldrums of working at a job you hate.

Tess Mcgill pounded the pavement on her morning commute in dazzling tennis shows only to switch to heels, but that dedication wasn't enough. "Let the river run" she did - there may have been a couple of lies told in the process, but her wit and smarts is what lands her that promotion in the end.

True Grit

How can you not appreciate a strong willed youngster who seeks out help for avenging the death of her father?

Tough dudes come to her aide, but, just like the title implies, the mission wouldn't have even begun without her gumption.

Contact

When I think of a lady standing up for their beliefs, no other movie resonates more than this one. (I might just have the long list of great old McConaughey flicks fresh in my memory...no, it's definitely the Jodie Foster character.)

After discovering what is potentially the link to another world, the people of our own planet pressure Ellie to proclaim that she should instead embrace something other than science, a "higher power" if you will, but she doesn't back down.

It always surprised me that an "alien" movie developed into something more philosophical - that only makes it much more interesting to watch.

Peggy Olson Takes On The World

She's not from a movie, but this can't go by without a mention to one of the greatest female characters on TV right now and will be a lasting legacy.

Over the years Peggy went after what she wanted and moved up from a quiet secretary to a brassy, tough talking force in the advertising world, who doesn't take crap from nobody. Quite frankly - she's the shit.

The Women Of Kathy Bates

Kathy Bates, never the conventional leading lady, yet all of the characters she plays have real guts - not all actresses can say that. The unsinkable Molly brown! Towanda! The examples could go on and on, but there is one performance in particular that always made my heart break every time I caught it playing on cable. It's one of those I always remember seeing when I stayed home sick from school.

In A Home Of Our Own, Bates played a single mom who takes her bundle of six children on the road to start a new life. They find an abandoned house and spend the rest of the movie making it their own, one wall at a time.

It always struck me how tough this situation would be, but Bates, reassuring both the audience and her movie children at the same time, makes it all look like a breeze with a warm smile and twinkle in her her eye.

The Women Of Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts was on a roll of playing stand up broads. Her characters were always going after what they wanted and almost always succeeding.

By telling an alarming true life tale, she boldly stepped into the life and revealing clothing of Erin Brockovich, who played a large part in stopping a large corporation from hurting and killing the people of  a small town.

Then, in Mona Lisa Smile, she playing a professor who was big on women's lib in the 1950s. She encouraged her students to seek out jobs instead of getting married right away. This was one of the movies that made me excited to go to college and feel privileged to be living in a time when society had bigger expectations for me, and women like me.

Roberts can't be found as often up on the big screen anymore, but the smart, bold women she has played will never go out of style.

Juno

Critics loved and then quickly turned on this story about a pregnant teen. The kitschy dialogue may rub people the wrong way now, but remember the heart of the story!

This strong girl spends most of the film never doubting her situation, all while getting made fun of and judged. It's a movie filled with women who won't let the world take them down.  This is perfectly played by Allison Janney, as she rips a bitchy ultrasound technician a new one.

It's a movie to always appreciate for these merits alone.


There are plenty more bold characters and real life ladies that deserve a mention, so let's leave with name dropping some other cool chicks.

Harper Lee   Tina Fey   Jane Pratt  Neko Case   Diane Sawyer   Hilary Clinton   Jane Austen
Dorothy Parker  Jane Eyre  Emma Thompson  Kate Winslet  Tami Taylor  Bridget Jones
Lucille Ball   Eleanor Roosevelt  Amelia Earheart  Jenny Lewis  Kathi Goertzen  Robyn
Gwen Stefani   Sandara Bullock  Regina Spektor   Carole King  Dolly Parton  Debbie Harry
Cyndi Lauper  Patsy Cline  P!nk  Rachel Maddow  Meryl Streep  Julie Andrews 
Nancy Wilson Rachel Portman Amy Sedaris  Amy Poehler  Emmylou Harris 
Christiane Amanpour  Patty Murray  Michelle Obama  Nellie Bly  Sofia Coppola 
Judy Blume  Helen Mirren


Until next time!

The Boss

[SOURCE]

Laughing out loud around strangers sometimes garners odd looks. Since laughing at everything makes life highly enjoyable, I am used to these side-eyed glances from strangers, and last night at Target was no exception.

Perusing the book shelves I jovially ran towards a new book with hairy man arms on the cover, oh, and also Tina Fey's head.

Critics, and plain mean people, take to the internet and other media daily to call Fey, "overrated" and "not funny". While each has a right to their own opinion, I still must say to those people, in the words of Liz Lemon, "suck it, nerds!"

To me, burgeoning writer Justine, and many other adoring fans, Fey is a genius.

Fey stands out in our world today as a comedian and intelligent lady, not just because of the words she picks to say and write down, but also by the topics she focuses on. She chooses to find comedy in everyday life we can all relate to, topical pop culture, and at the same time, makes statements about world events that she finds important. She says what she feels and we love her for it.

This high level of brilliance and subsequent influence on society is evident from her many years on SNL and the script she wrote for Mean Girls, that my generation has adapted into their everyday vocabulary (Boo, you whore!). Currently, the never-ending high brow hi-jinx on 30 Rock, is so clever that each episode needs to be watched multiple times in order to completely capture each rapid fire joke.

If the cover photo is any clue, it can only be assumed that this tradition of hilarity will continue in her new book, Bossypants.

As I can't, as of yet, splurge on a copy of Fey's book, it can only be admired from afar in the aisles of Target. However, for a good laugh, shoppers need to look no further than the critical praise on the back.

Where other books might try to garner attention by using quotes from famous authors, Bossypants chooses to get reviews from much more reliable sources; Tracy Morgan, Fey's father, and a man turning into a werewolf all approve of Fey's writing efforts. Thank goodness!  Also, I'm relieved that Trees find that their contribution to the paper for the book was "worth it". That's all I needed to know!

Those also waiting to buy their copy can be entertained by an interview Fey recently gave to NPR. She does her best Danielle Steele impersonation while reading several excerpts; I too can't wait for the day when my daughter calls me a bitch outside of a Hollister.

All evidence points to everyone running out to pick up this book immediately. I'll hopefully get to it by next week, I don't want someone to ruin the ending!

Verging on an EGOT: Kate Winslet

From Clementine to Rose Dawson, and  from Iris, a hopeless romantic journalist, to a real life writer also named Iris (Murdoch that is), Kate Winslet perpetually exudes lovely perfection playing one tough, cool-ass broad, after another.

In her first project released since her overdue Oscar win in 2009, for The Reader, Winslet tackles another classic female character; Mildred Pierce.

First a novel by James Cain, which then became a celebrated  major motion picture (winning Joan Crawford a Best Actress Oscar), and now it has been taken in by HBO for a five-part miniseries.

Cain's novel has been on my list of books to read since a high school teacher made reference to it, and I have never seen the original film, so the question has to be asked; how can I be exuberantly jazzed for something that I really know nothing about?

Well, basically, the reasons are endless:

First of all, nothing gets better than getting sucked into hour after hour of a well crafted miniseries by the BBC or HBO. Have I forgotten to mention my late to the game obsession with, lacking the words to even begin to describe, Angels In America?

Secondly, it takes place in the 1930's, so the costuming, sets, general ambiance (or the mise en scène, for you fancy film folks) is going to be grand. The whole era will be treated even more beautifully with Todd Haynes in tow directing (previously noted in his direction of Far From Heaven).

Also, according to an interview with The View this morning (yes, I watched that), Winslet has 66 costume changes! My brain will probably implode from seeing too much fashion. Even the movie poster is glamorous.

Thirdly, does Winslet ever pick anything not worth watching?  Even if some of her movies are not, I will honestly admit, great, she is always compelling.

Lastly, I may not have read the book, but for anyone who loves a good-old soul clenching drama, the plot line, generally focusing on Mildred's struggles as a single mother, seems truly enthralling.

Reading an excellent review by Stephen King, ruined a lot of the intense details of the plot, although, I am even more pumped now that I learned Evan Rachel Wood's character (Mildred's oldest daughter) is referred to as a monster. I mean, how EVIL is she?

To get a better idea about the story, and also simply for your viewing pleasure, a trailer:





Winslet will definitely be winning an Emmy come fall, so now we just have to get her a role on Broadway, and a big hit single (or spoken word comedy album?), and there we go: she just got an EGOT.

Seriously though, if Tracy Morgan (Editors Note from the future: I meant Tracy Jordan, but I mix that up all the time!) can do it, Winslet could do it twice.

Mildred Pierce begins airing this Sunday on HBO.

Best Picture or Bust

Even though I am only 22 years old, I still think of myself of somewhat of an all purpose media aficionado. When you have dedicated almost every waking breath to watching movies, listening to music, reading books, magazines, and blogs-it is a fair assumption that useless trivia is about all I have to offer in this world. It's okay; I am comfortable with who I have become.

It has dawned on me though, as I have currently graduated from college and thrust upon this wide world after 17 years of education, that no one is forcing me to learn anymore. I have decided to further educate myself in all things I enjoy. Even though I think I know a lot, there is always more to learn.

With this being said another thing to know about me is that I am thrifty and I get as much milage out of everything that I can. This means that I have the cheapest , plan on Netflix, but am stil able to crank through 2-3 movies a week(depending on the promptness of the US mail service). Coming up with movies that I actually want to see has been difficult lately; I have devised a plan that will increase my take on movie history and at the same time make sure I am not wasting money renting movies!

CHALLENGE ONE: Watch every single movie that has won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

Note: not all are available through my favorite online movie renting-so it will be left up to the best of my renting ability.

First Film: The Broadway Melody (Best Picture Winner,1929)


To See The Long List I Am About To Conquer: CLICK HERE