We like to think 2015 has seen Hollywood re-define womanhood with various movies depicting unusually interesting roles for women. Some, of course, are true stories or documentaries, but others truly mark a true progression in the film industry. Here are just a few of this year’s movies that have done women proud.
Charlize Theron is as badass as it gets in ‘Mad Max’
1. Mad Max: Fury Road – We haven’t seen a character as badass as Furiosa in movies for a while, and Charlize Theron really nailed it as a shaven-headed renegade with a mechanical arm who had grown up around men. She rescues the five wives from her tyrannical boss and gives Max a run for his money with her ability to fire a weapon.
Amy Schumer is someone all women can relate to
2. Trainwreck – Amy Schumer represents the real women of the world in all their curviness, hilarity and awkwardness and that’s only amplified tenfold in her awesome new comedy. What’s interesting is that people still don’t get the point, and the actress is constantly having to defend her party-loving character from the media’s suggestions that she’s a ‘tramp’.
Emily Blunt has a habit of playing strong female roles
3. Sicario – It just shows that it’s not just men who make badass FBI agents. Having said that, Emily Blunt shies away from the kind of ‘strong woman’ label choosing to recognise instead the benefits of the vulnerability of her character in a male-centred occupation and, indeed, mission.
Even ‘Star Wars’ is progressing with its new female characters
4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Where do we even begin with ‘Star Wars’? First of all you’ve got Princess Leia who’s now a General, then we’ve got our lead protagonist who is Rey played by Daisy Ridley, and we’ve even got our first ever female villain with Gwendoline Christie’s stormtrooper character Captain Phasma. The best thing to note about the latter is how costume designers have resisted the urge to feminise her hefty armour.
The ‘Pitch Perfect 2’ stars prove they aren’t just pretty faces
5. Pitch Perfect 2 – These movies are great in not just showcasing the power of these women’s voices, but also in highlighting all their unique traits and faults. The fact that they are totally awkward and funny, not to mention gorgeous but all in their own unique ways. Rebel Wilson just forces everyone to channel their own inner Fat Amy.
Every girl should want to be Katniss
6. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 – Obviously, ‘The Hunger Games’ film series finally ended this year, and we’re rather sad to see it go. Jennifer Lawrence plays the remarkably strong Katniss Everdeen, whose skill at survival and archery have made her a huge role model to young girls. Plus, Lawrence herself is a strong advocate for self-appreciation, not taking oneself too seriously and equal pay.
Because women can be astronauts too
7. The Martian – Yeah, the film’s about a guy getting trapped on Mars, but we were pleased to see that the mission leader was a woman played by Jessica Chastain. Becoming an astronaut is usually thought to be a little boy’s dream, so it’s thrilling to see women depicted in such roles.
‘Joy’ shows how important women have been to the world of business
8. Joy – Steve Jobs came out this year, following the career of admittedly one of the most important entrepreneurs in the world, but what about those influential female business owners? Jennifer Lawrence stars in ‘Joy’, exploring the career of single mother Joy Mangano going from poverty to prosperity with the invention of the Miracle Mop.
Malala Yousafzai is one of the most accomplished teenagers around
9. He Named Me Malala – Malala Yousafzai is a woman who needs no introduction. Since the age of 12, she has been campaigning for the rights of girls to be educated in her home country of Pakistan. Even after been targeted by assassins and getting shot in the head, she moved to the UK and recovered, going on to win the Nobel Peace Prize. If this documentary doesn’t demonstrate what feminism is all about, we don’t know what does.
The original story of feminism
10. Suffragette – Of course, we can’t list the most feminist movies of 2015 without including ‘Suffragette’. Starring Carey Mulligan and Helena Bonham Carter, it’s all about the early protests for equal rights for women in the UK, and the subsequent violence that escalated for these women to finally be heard.
Ellen Page and Julianne Moore play women fighting for their rights in Freeheld
11. Freeheld – It’s about two real life women whose lives are tragically torn apart when one of them is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Because they are not married (and not allowed to be so) the dying woman is unable to leave her hefty pension as a police detective to her younger girlfriend in order for her to keep their family home. These women to everything they can to fight for their financial rights as human beings in love.
CEO is a woman’s favourite position
12. The Intern – Nancy Meyers wrote and directed this comedy starring Anne Hathaway as the owner of a successful fashion site. It’s always nice to see women in CEO roles for a change in movies (especially when they’re not crazy, ‘Devil Wears Prada’ type bosses), but it was equally heartwarming to see the character welcome an older intern into her world with open arms.
More: We’re seeing a lot more female directors these days
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