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I'm not against Valentine's Day, but sometimes it communicates to people that they aren't complete if they aren't in a romantic relationship. This is, of course, a problem if you're single, like I am, because the day can leave you feeling lonely and inadequate. However, I also think it's a general cultural problem as well. Telling anyone (single or coupled) this, is to encourage them to seek/retain a romantic relationship to the destruction of other things, such as other types of relationships (familial relationships, friendships, etc) or their own abilities and dreams. It can tell people that it's better to take on traits to impress potential/current partners than it is to be your vivacious, intelligent, outspoken, etc. self and single. (I think of the intelligent woman who "plays dumb" to impress a man who likes feeling more intelligent than the person he dates.) I would imagine that men experience this pressure, but I know from experience that many women do. Many women see their worth as being wrapped up in their significant other or lack thereof, and I wish it weren't that way.
In light of my dream that women will not be valued based on their relationship status, I've rounded up a list of 10 movies that include romance, but also feature a female protagonists who can use their particular brands of strength to move mountains, destroy stereotypes, and change the world. I think they're perfect for both satisfying the "love" aspect of Valentine's Day and encouraging women to remember that they're capable and valuable regardless of whether or not they have a love interest. To help you quickly find what you want, I've divided them into the following three categories: Live-action, Animated, and Teen Movies. So please, grab a friend or a boyfriend/husband, or just a comfy blanket and watch one of these for Valentine's Day.
And guys, I'm sorry I'm leaving you out with this list. You deserve a list of films about men who don't need romantic relationships to be valuable, but I don't think I know enough about being male to put together anything meaningful. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them in the comments, though. If I get enough suggestions, maybe I'll compile them into a post, too.
LIVE-ACTION MOVIES
Legally Blonde (2001)
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When sorority president Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is dumped by her politician-in-training boyfriend, she enrolls in Harvard Law School to prove that she is exactly the kind of girl who will help his career succeed. She ends up proving that she is an intelligent, capable woman who needs neither a man nor her valley girl persona to help her take on the world. I love watching the main character ditch the sorority girl stereotype and become a Harvard Lawyer, which still managing to keep her flair for the feminine and flamboyant because it shows that women can be whatever they want to be without sacrificing their personalities. I also love this movie because the romance element, though present and very sweet, is played down; it seems that the creators are trying to prove that Elle, and by extension all of the female viewers, shouldn't define success by their relationship status because there are more important markers, including their careers and moral strength. Information from IMDB page, available HERE. |
Penelope (2006)
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Thanks to a curse that was placed on her aristocratic family generations before, Penelope (Christina Ricci) was born with a pig snout. To avoid media attention, her parents have kept her in isolation for over twenty years, but now that she's of age, it's time to find someone of "her own kind" to marry, the only thing that can break the curse. So, her mother (Catherine O'Hara) begins a campaign to find her a husband. She carefully interviews the men who come to the house, forcing each one to sign a gag order so that he can't out the family to the press. The problem is that every aristocratic suitor who lays eyes on her is terrified and runs, and one man finally manages to flee without signing the gag order. He and a reporter send in Max (James McAvoy), a down-and-out aristocrat, to capture a newspaper photo of the snout-nosed woman. However, when he sees Penelope and doesn't run, everything changes. In fact, he inspires her to create her own life and learn to appreciate herself exactly the way she is. I think the romance between the innocent Penelope and the roguish Max is adorable, but I also love how this movie encourages women to find strength in loving themselves and each other. Information from IMDB page, available HERE. |
Snow Queen (2002)
  | Gerda (Chelsea Hobbs) falls in love with the Kai (Jeremey Guilbaut), the bellhop at her father's hotel and the first person to bring joy to her life since her mother died. Therefore, when Kai disappears, seemingly under the influence of a beautiful but icy guest (Bridget Fonda), she has only one option: find him. In order to save Kai, she must pass through Spring, Summer, and Fall, meeting the mysterious and magical sisters who represent them, and defeat the Snow Queen in Winter before the Winter Solstice. Everything about this movie screams girl power. The protagonist, who must save the charming gentlemen in distress, is female; the villain is female; even most of the minor characters are female. And all of them are full of power and personality. Photo and Information from IMDB page, available HERE. |
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In this Cinderella-goes-girl-power movie, the mistreated step-daughter Danielle de Barbarac (played by Drew Barrymore), masquerades as a French Comtess to protect a household servant and accidentally captures the heart of Prince Henry (Dougray Scott) in the process. She must figure out how to preserve the now-failing household her late father left behind and keep the heart of the prince despite her less than royal identify. I recommend this movie for Valentine's Day because the romance between Danielle and the Prince is moving (maybe the best out of any of the movies listed here). However, it's also a class A girl power film because Danielle is an intelligent, educated, witty heroine, who is more capable of saving the day than many of the movie heroes I've seen. Information from IMDB page, available HERE. |
Pride and Prejudice (2002)
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Elizabeth Bennett (Keira Knightly) isn't quite like the women around her. Though her father isn't wealthy and she should be focused on marrying the best positioned man she can find, she instead spends her time reading and being annoyed with pompous men. Therefore, when the wealthy, influential, and famously pompous Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) begins to fall in love with her despite himself, she isn't interested. In order for the match to work, Darcy must be willing to marry beneath his station and Lizzie must be willing to see past both his pride and hers. I love this as a girl power movie because it depicts a woman who, despite the financial and social pressure to get married, refuses to be for Darcy anything other than the intelligent, witty woman she is. |
Information from IMDB page, available HERE.
ANIMATED MOVIES
Quest for Camelot (1998)
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Kayley (Jessalyn Gilsig), the daughter of a knight of the round table, always wanted a life of adventure, but when her father dies, she gets stuck at home helping her mom take care of the family farm. However, a former knight named named Ruber (Gary Oldman) kidnaps her mother and reveals his plan to kill King Arthur (Pierce Brosnon), launching Kayley into the biggest adventure she could have ever imagined, a quest to save the kingdom. Along the way she makes a host of friends, including the resourceful but cynical Garrett (Cary Elwes), a blind man living a hermit's life in the wilderness. This film was lauded for its music and rightfully so, but I also enjoy watching the spunky but inexperienced Kayley come into her own as a powerful and resourceful woman. Information from IMDB page, available HERE. |
Mulan (1998)
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When the Huns attack China, Mulan's (Ming-Na Wen) disabled father (Soon-tek Oh) is conscripted into the military. Rather than let him go to war and probably die, she takes his place, knowing she'll be executed if she's caught. She must prove herself on the battlefield and protect her identify, all the while not losing her heart to army captain Li Shang. I really appreciate this movie because Mulan, as a fierce woman, still gains the romantic interest of a traditionally masculine man, something that society sometimes tells us isn't possible. Information from IMDB page, available HERE. |
TEEN MOVIES
Motocrossed (2001)
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When professional motocross racer Andrew Carson (Trever O'Brien) gets injured, his twin sister, Andrea (Alana Austin) takes his place in the family's team, without telling their sexist father (Timothy Carhart). In order to save the family's income, Andrea (now going by Andi) has to learn how to race competitively and keep her gender secret, especially from Dean (Riley Smith), the racer she is quickly falling for. Just when she starts to get things under control, her father returns, furious, with a cocky and unprofessional replacement rider. The family must figure out how to rebuild relationships and restore Andrea to her rightful place as a racer. I wouldn't say this is a deep movie, but it I do have a blast watching Andrea dominate in a male-dominated sport, proving to her father that she's just as capable as her bother. Information from IMDB page, available HERE. |
What a Girl Wants (2003)
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Free-spirited Daphne Reynolds (played by Amanda Bynes) leaves her home in China Town, San Fransisco for England, to find the father she's never met. Her father turns out to be an aristocrat and Prime Minister hopeful named Lord Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth), who is on the verge of marrying a power-grabbing woman with a spoiled daughter. Daphne has to choose between fitting into her father's world of debutante balls and garden parties or being the vibrant, idiosyncratic person that she truly is, all the while Henry's fiance tries to get rid of her Though this movie definitely has a romance element (Daphne falls in love with a struggling musician), it primarily focuses on parent-daughter relationships and how every woman needs to find the power to write her own story in a world that tries to write it for her. Information from IMDB page, available HERE. |
Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior (2006) Available on Netflix
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American teenager Wendy (Brenda Song) could care less about about her heritage; all she wants in life is to become homecoming queen. However, when Shen (Shin Koyamada), a monk from China, journeys to California to train her to to save the world from an evil power that seeks to wreck destruction, she has to reassess her priorities and learn a little kung-fu, too. I'm including this movie because, though the romance element is barely there, the girl power element is strong. By the end of the movie, Wendy is a force to be reckoned with, full of both moral and physical strength, as well as a deep appreciation for the culture she comes from. Information from IMDB page, available HERE. |
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