Girls on Film

[slightlyoffaxis]

I try to be a good movie audience member. For the most part, I think I am. The majority of times, I go into movies wanting them to succeed on their own terms. I rarely try to figure out twists before they happen-I think looking for clues takes you out of the movie-so I'm often surprised by obvious plot turns. I'm always telling people that there's

Comments

[anonymous]

This is interesting. Have you heard about the Bechdel Test for movies? It comes from Alison Bechdel, who draws the comic Dykes to Watch Out For. One of the characters in that says that she doesn't see movies unless the meet three conditions:
1. There are more than two female characters who have names.
2. They talk to each other.
3. About something other than a man.

It's amazing how few movies pass.

-Craig

[slightlyoffaxis]

Yikes! A lot of movies I love probably fail that test (Scott Pilgrim, Inception).

In general, I'm kind of against that kind of attitude--the "I won't see this unless it fits my definition of what a movie should be about!"(And how does she know about how many named female characters there are and what they talk about unless she sees the movie?)

But, on the other hand, she probably never sits at a movie and screams inside her head, "THIS IS WHAT YOU THINK I WANT TO WATCH!?" ("This leash demeans us both.")

[rockmarooned]

Inception fails the test -- which I've heard of, and intellectually understand why it's completely reasonable, yet at a gut level sounds to me like "if I HAVE to watch a movie then it BETTER..." which is to say, made for people who really don't like movies very much, which I guess I use as an all-purpose counter-criticism, oh well -- mainly by not having its female characters talk to each other, which I think is why I find it kind of a flimsy rule (if, certainly, how instructive it is on how few lady-centric movies there are that aren't awful). The female characters in that movie are totally interesting and cool, and not solely relationship-focused (even though one is "the wife"), but because they don't chat with each other, it doesn't count.

Wait, maybe they're the only two women in the movie with names? I guess that's possible. Oh well.

But for that matter, Morning Glory would pass that test because McAdams and Keaton talk about the show they're working on. And yet: I can't imagine it would delight many female moviegoers who are

[slightlyoffaxis]

I don't know, in Morning Glory, McAdams and Keaton mostly talk about the male co-host!

[slightlyoffaxis]

Hey, you know what I just watched that does pass this test? Eat Pray Love. So yeah, I'd never want to be the person who adheres to the rules set forth by that test, because that's more punishing for the person than the movie industry. I just wish for all our sakes that better movies pass it.

i have just one symbol for you:

[dancinqueenv]

$

Re: i have just one symbol for you:

[slightlyoffaxis]

Hopefully, one day there will be a movie that:
*Is unarguably awesome,
*Features women being awesome outside of their relationships to me, and
*Makes money

Re: i have just one symbol for you:

[dancinqueenv]

From your mouth to Spielberg's ears!!