Female Ensemble Movies: The Frisky’s Top Five
Posted by: Catherine Strawn
Filed in:
news
1:00PM, Tuesday June 17th 2008
You might think the trailer for the movie The Women makes the movie look lame, and it very well could be, but did you know the movie is a remake of a 1939 classic starring Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Rosalind Russell, Paulette Goddard, Joan Fontaine, Marjorie Main, Butterfly McQueen, Hedda Hopper, and more? Well, both movies are part of the “female ensemble movie” genre, according to a Variety article, and this differs from the “woman’s film” or “chick flick” genre in that there are more than three female leads. See, there are girl movies, and then there are movies with lots of girls in them. For some reason, there aren’t all that many of these movies, Variety says, but we have plenty of favorite female ensemble movies on our list. Keep reading for our top five.
- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants The target audience might be a little younger than us, but that Greek guy was hot. Get excited for the sequel, coming to theaters August 6.
- The First Wives Club Okay, technically there were only three women on screen for most of the movie, but there was a fourth—she just committed suicide at the beginning. So many good parts, including Sarah Jessica Parker playing a skinny bitch, and also a small part for Elizabeth Berkeley, but the best has to be when they walk out of the party dressed in white and singing “You Don’t Own Me.” Yes, I have their version on my iPod.
- The Best of Everything I haven’t seen the movie, but the book is most excellent. It’s about a group of women in the 1950s who work together in New York.
- Joy Luck Club This is a lovely emotional movie about mothers and daughters. The book is decent, too. (And by decent, I mean read in high school English classes across the country.)
- Friends with Money Amelia loved this movie because it was about “complicated adult friendships.” Because “playing” nice becomes exponentially more difficult above the age of four.
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Kiki T
wrote on June 17 2008 @ 01:02 pm: [report]
What? Where is the classic Steel Magnolias!!!???
Amelia
wrote on June 17 2008 @ 01:13 pm: [report]
Oh my god. We have failed you, we have failed ourselves.
thatguyoverthere
wrote on June 17 2008 @ 01:53 pm: [report]
Even as a married straight man (who shouldn’t even KNOW these movies!)... this “list” is somewhat a disappointment.
Notable omissions:
Thelma & Louise (you only need 2 women if they’re REALLY good)
Beaches
Steel Magnolias
A League Of Their Own
Heathers
Amelia
wrote on June 17 2008 @ 02:00 pm: [report]
Beaches is still only two women, as good as they are. A League of Their Own…hmm…I’ll give ya that one.
Heathers I adore. But it’s not really a female ensemble film in that the main female kills the others.
atlgirl
wrote on June 17 2008 @ 02:27 pm: [report]
It’s not really a female ensemble movie, but “All About Eve” is a classic that rocked. Agreed on Thelma and Louise. In general, why do producers have to make women in movies have a dance in the kitchen montage? Great piece about this in The New Yorker awhile back.
Amelia
wrote on June 17 2008 @ 02:28 pm: [report]
That was a hilarious skit performed on an MTV Awards years ago—there’s always a dance in pajamas using cucumbers as microphones scene. It’s annoying. Who does that? Oh wait, me.
atlgirl
wrote on June 17 2008 @ 02:33 pm: [report]
Okay, good point. I dance around with my friends too.
AnchorLicious
wrote on June 17 2008 @ 09:24 pm: [report]
A League of Their Own. Mermaids. Boys on the Side. Waiting to Exhale. Foxfire with early Angelina Jolie.
atlgirl
wrote on June 18 2008 @ 06:32 am: [report]
One of my favorite “bad” female ensemble movies was “Set it Off” with Queen Latifah.
Kiki T
wrote on June 18 2008 @ 10:04 am: [report]
Mystic Pizza!