• Home
  • Katia // Writes, a blog.
  • GET AT ME // Contact Katia
KATHERINE MARIE PRICE

How To Be A Feminist While Netflix-ing

7/11/2014

1 Comment

 
I am unaware of the exact moment or situation in which the idea for this post came from but I think it had something to do with the low number of female protagonists, and also I was noticing an increase in female leads - which is positive but the fact that the world is noticing proves that we still have a lot of work to do. 

Once I started combing through Netflix to find shows and movies with female directors or producers, IT'S A LOT HARDER than you might imagine. 

So then I started to do a little bit more research...
Picture
Picture
These are just a few of the staggering stats that you can find about this topic,I mean, 11% of protagonists are women...are you kidding me?!

Then I started to binge watch everything I could find with female directors.
Picture
We Are the Hartmans is a bit cheesy, especially from the beginning but it has some funny moments, great lessons and an overall heartwarming story line. Director Laura Newman has many  talents besides directing: she is also a composer, writer and has one acting credit. Newman also worked on GASLAND, a documentary about natural gas and fracking. 
Picture
Picture
I effin loved this movie, 16 to Life not only takes place in a small town - it really seems like Minnesota; a few references and the river give it away. 
Hallee Hirsh does an amazing job as main character Kate, her hair is epic and her depiction of being sexually frustrated, 16 and living in a small town during the summer is spot on. And although the city in which I grew up is a skip from downtown Minneapolis, I identified very much. 

Trivia from Hirsh's IMDB page:
Picture
Picture
This movie is BOMB! First off remember Haley Joel Osment?!? Cute little boy from Pay it Forward, Secondhand Lions, etc?! Well he is all grown up now and he ROCKS OUT a role as main character Bethany's father's boyfriend.

At the beginning when you first meet Bethany her room, her closet is all very Molly Ringwold in Pretty in Pink, but within the first ten minutes there is an unexpected twist with the whole graduation scenario. 
The mom (Anna Gunn) from Breaking Bad does an amazing job being a nervous, uptight, overprotective lunatic and the little brother (Martin Spanjers) from 8 Simple Rules is a great addition to the family dynamic. The cast is great and the nuances of the film are super sweet; the coffee mug scene and the parking at 'Dressed Up,' just to name a few.

The message of following your dreams is one that can not be argued with, but I think that it is so cliche that she wants to go to fashion school. I encourage girls to realize that dream isn't as glamorous as it may seem. It could be much more glamorous to save someone's life or invent something that changes our world for the better. 

The message of following your dreams is one that can not be argued with, but I think that it is so cliche that she wants to go to fashion school. I encourage girls to realize that dream isn't as glamorous as it may seem. It is much more glamorous to save someone's life or invent something that changes our world for the better. Although creating pretty outfits is great, (I get high off doing it most days) but find a dream that is more authentic and challenging the arranging and rearranging styles.

Picture
This last movie, I thought this one was important to throw in the mix because it came out in 1996 and takes place outside of the United States. Having varied examples is important to me because women are amazing multifaceted love bugs that all use their wings in different ways. Love Serenade was written and directed by Shirley Barrett who is Australian, and this screenplay takes place in a rural setting off of Australia's Murray River. I LOVE AUSTRALIA (There are one, two and three parts about how amazing my time there was).

This movie is super weird, really hilarious and it won the Caméra d'Or at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. I put it on my Ipad thinking that I would watch half and go to bed, I was so intrigued that I watched the whole thing; I couldn't stop watching this strange, amazing movie that was part Napolean Dynamite, part Lolita and part Jackie Brown (soundtrack).


After I started writing this blog post I was perusing Facebook and I came upon this great blurb shared by one of my favorite organizations to follow, HelloGiggles. I am glad Kiera Knightley and I are on the same page! :)
Picture

The next time you want to watch a movie (and you are spending more time trolling for something to watch then you will actually spend watching the movie) look for a movie with a main character that has tits, or a director with a feminine sounding name. 

This won't change the world, it probably won't  do much - but you and Netflix will know that those movies are just as good as any male-directed Hollywood blockbuster. It will also affirm we want to see more women in leading roles, production and directing positions because they deserve to be there.

Stay tuned this week for a blog about my favorite TV shows on Netflix with female protagonists, way easier to find than movies directed by women! (Unfortunately.)


xoxo, kp

RELATED BLOGS:

- Netflix Movies With Righteous Leading Ladies 
1 Comment
thinkcontext link
12/16/2014 12:59:24 am

You might be interested in thinkContext a browser extension which lets you know which films pass the Bechdel Test on Netflix, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes and in Google searches. It includes a variety of other progressive information sources. http://thinkcontext.org/

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2020
    November 2018
    September 2017
    June 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    May 2013
    November 2012

    ABOUT Katherine Marie Price

    I am on a journey to be the most amazing version of myself that I can be. I always try to do what is right for myself, my planet, my body & my spirit. Living a full life to me means lots of traveling, outdoor adventures, constantly busy, obsessively learning, tons of time surrounded by friends, family and fashion.

    Picture
    Photography: ChaiDez Stevenson

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly