18 Movies every woman must see
Like, yesterday. And if you finish this list early, an optional #19 is the seminal Love and Basketball.
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1. Now and Then
Four best girlfriends who came of age in the 1970s reunite in the 1990s when one of them is about to have a baby. Features the incomprehensible morph of Christina Ricci(young Roberta) into Rosie O'Donnell (old Roberta) and a chain-smoking, black-clad Demi Moore. Pre-Ashton, obviously. Important because Friendship, and also because Brendan Fraser has a cameo as an almost-too-sexy Vietnam Warvet.
2. The Way We Were
Robert Redford/Barbra Streisand classic that enjoyed a resurgence in popularity after Sex and The City famously referenced it at the end of Season 2. But it stands on its own because it tells a story we've all heard (or lived): High-strung, conscientious, a-little-too-intense not-quite-pretty girl falls for somewhat lazy, entitled, extremely handsome boy. She straightens her hair. He falls for her back. Then it inevitably falls apart, because she wants to make the world better, and he's okay with the world the way it is. She stops straightening her hair. So many bittersweet tearz are shed.
3. The Philadelphia Story
When it comes to the Hepburns, you can aspire either to be an Audrey or a Katharine. This movie will sway you towards Katharine, all quips and flashing eyes, who carries Jimmy Stewart ANDCary Grant's balls in her purse through the whole movie. (Metaphorically.)
4. Casablanca
There will come a time in your life, maybe, when you will love two dudes. You'll medium-love one of them, but really, really love the other one. But sometimes, you need to stay with the first one no matter how much you love the other one, because the first one needs you by his side while he is stopping World War II.
5. Titanic
First and foremost, James Cameron's classic will remind you that old jalopys are great to have sex in. It will also remind you to wait for your version of Jack Dawson, the guy who adorably flicks his hair out of his eyes, who you might have to live on string cheese with until you get your tax returns back, but who will always keep things interesting and see the best in you, instead of winding up in a patronizing, passionless, financially-secure relationship that "makes sense."
6. Thelma and Louise
Neo-feminist shoot-em-up road movie that features the complete liberation of a repressed Arkansas housewive played by Geena Davis. And also Brad Pitt's glistening naked torso, if that didn't sell you. It's like a great, intelligent version of Crossroads that won't leave you feeling like an Azkaban dementor sucked your soul out of your mouth. When it is over you will want to drive around with your best friend shooting rapists and having sex with Brad Pitt. (In other words, Tuesday.)
7. Lake of Fire
You're basically not allowed to have an opinion on abortion before you see this documentary. It's hard to watch, but necessary, especially given recent events.
8. Gone With The Wind
A plantation belle, post-Civil War devastation, becomes a resilient, emotionally-stunted badass. The real lesson here is that we waste time chasing people who aren't one-fifth of what we are: Scarlett spends the entire movie going after the wishy-washy milquetoast Ashley and crapping on lovable scoundrel Rhett, who is just as much of a manipulative jerk as she is, and is basically perfect for her. By the time she realizes it, he is out the door. The lesson here is to let your (boring) Ashley have his (boring) Melanie, because he can't handle someone as intimidating and independent as you. Also, don't eat raw turnips.
9. All About Eve
The Mean Girls of the 1950s and a brutal depiction of the self-hatred of aging A-list actresses.Bette Davis is a star who's turning 40 and insecure about losing everything, including her career and her younger director boyfriend. In waltzes Anne Baxter (Eve), who pretends to be a naïve fan and lands a personal assistant job. She then proceeds to mess up all of Bette Davis' life in order to sabotage her and steal her career.
10. Dirty Dancing
Many of the best movies for women remind us that sexuality and intelligence aren't mutually exclusive; this one is for the girls who know they're smart but don't think they're sexy. You are sexy! Like a sweaty working-class resort dance instructor Wizard of Oz, what Patrick Swayzebrings out in you is something you've had all along.
11. The First Wives Club
You don't own me. Also, while Bette Midler and Goldie Hawn's husbands are basically stereotypes, Stephen Collins' character - Diane Keaton's ex - is a hyper-realistic nightmare. (To this Cosmo girl, anyway.)
12. Muriel's Wedding
Offbeat comedy out of Australia that's a tonic for all the dumb wedding-is-the-goal romantic comedies we've grown up with. Muriel is an overweight outcast who has dreamed her whole life of getting married - but over the course of the movie, she matures and realizes that she's more interested in loving herself than finding someone to love her.
13. Silence of the Lambs
Jodie Foster's character epitomizes dignity, professionalism, and grace under pressure. Clarice is basically a superhero. And underneath the serial killer plot and Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecterone-liners ("I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti") is a subtle depiction of toughing it out a female agent in the boys' club of the FBI.
14. Broadcast News
A similar setting as Sorkin's The Newsroom, but the exact opposite of his misogynistic take - this movie is all about the professionalism of producer Holly Hunter. A love triangle forms between her and two colleagues - one who's a brilliant mind and not much in the looks department, the other who's sexy and charismatic onscreen, but sort of a moron offscreen. In short, it's about a woman who prides herself on prioritizing intelligence above all else, and has no idea what to do when she starts falling for the pretty boy (see also #2).
15. Belle de Jour
A French film by Luis Buñuel, who often made movies about the discrepancy between the fetish and the fetishizer. This one's about beautiful, blonde, and bored Catherine Deneuve (here, she is 23), who is frigid in her marriage to a young surgeon, but has frequent fantasies of being dominated and humiliated. She decides to secretly fulfill these fantasies by working at a brothel, because what could go wrong? A lot.
16. Breakfast at Tiffany's
For the most part, this is not a list of movies that prioritize helpless, waifish party girls in need of male rescue, because that is Not How I Roll. However, Holly Golightly is enough of a style icon (and you have probably met one or two of them by now, pretty young women who never work but whose expensive rent is always mysteriously paid) that, hey, why the hell not.
17. Heathers
Because teenage girls talk that way.
18. Tootsie
You would not think a movie whose main character is a cross-dressing Dustin Hoffman - as a cranky, insensitive out-of-work actor who poses as a woman in order to land a soap opera role - would be on this list. I can see why you'd be confused. But the character learns how hard it is to be a woman, he begins to fight against the gross, sexist work environment of the soap opera and appreciate the women in his life. Specifically, a beautiful, complicated single mom (Jessica Lange, who is wonderful) and a neurotic loser friend of his who's always had a thing for him (Teri Garr, also wonderful). Oh, and also Bill Murray is in it and improvises all of his lines and the whole thing is funny as hell.
