Over the last few years feminism has really made a step forward. Woman are becoming more powerful and there are more female heroines than ever before. The dynamics of the woman are changing on the big screen. Check out Birds of Prey for example. Harley didn’t find another guy after her break up she went and kicked arse and stood up for herself. The one exception from the noughties rom coms would be Bridget Jones, she sets herself up and does not let a bad situation define her.
Let me give you a few examples. Look at 27 dresses. I used to be addicted to this film. The woman is a great friend and helps out all her friends but the only way for her to feel fulfilled is for the same thing happens to her. Her wedding of a life time defines her and when her sister copies it she is broken. What would be after that dream? Why does she need marriage to be complete? Love would come all along and she lives happily ever after. This film made me feel like oohh that could be me one day and as time goes on like why has it not happened yet?
Another Katherine Heigl movie as an example is the ugly truth. She was a strong woman at work became intimidated when a man came in and had to change everything about herself to make her more desirable for his standards. The ideal woman and when she became herself then she wasn’t going to get the happiness but she ended up with the different guy who had been hurt and fell for her. I saw this at 15 and went through a phase of thinking I needed to change for men to be liked.
Down with love: I do love this film. It has an amazing air and you can just fall for Ewan McGregor’s blue eyes and smile. But Nancy had to change everything about herself to get the guy she wanted. Act like a man to be treated like an equal. She was a bad ass career woman who came into her own element but she wanted “What every girl wants”, to get married and settle down. Where is the after story of them running an empire together or showing more. This film was so close but I was so disappointed when she went for him after the what was manipulation.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall, as bloody funny as this show is. He characters that Kristen Bell plays is annoying and a cheat but she wanted more and tried to find it with someone else which didn’t go well but she was portrayed as a bitch for wanting more. And don’t even get me started on fifty shades of grey.
These films and so many others portray women having to change themselves to suit the idealism of men, all they want is marriage. Men get put in the friendzone and then come out of it. It is their ambition; all they want their wedding day. How things have changed for the better even over the last 5 years. I will admit there are some really good ones like the notebook, she’s the man etc. But when we look back on these films with our current values and portrayed life is all about the happily ever after. It explains so many insecurities of the past which were driven by the media and made worse by the films I used to worship. What do you think?
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