Summary
Movies have finally taken a more recent step into showcasing the women’s rights movements, and providing audiences with some inspiring and genius female characters, rather than relegating them to side characters or those simply there for sexist reasons. These movies' portrayal of cleverness among the female leads is one interesting angle to look forward to.
Capturing the essence of what it means to be a woman, as well as what goes beyond what is expected from them in a male-dominated environment is what makes these movies never fail to spark intriguing conversations. Characters such as Elle Woods fromLegally Blonde (2016)to Katherine Johnson fromHidden Figures (2016)are smart and clever, despite being underestimated in their journeys.
7Elle Woods
Legally Blonde (2001)
“You got into Harvard Law?”, asked Warner. “What? Like, it’s hard?”. This iconic line from Ms. Elle Woods herself will forever remain one of the bestclapback responses to a commentthat underestimates any woman’s determination to succeed in whatever they set their heart on.
Legally Blondetells the story of a young blonde and girly merchandising student, Elle Woods, who gets her heart broken after her ex-boyfriend broke up with her after being accepted to Harvard and-to date a girl who is not, in his words, “the Marylin-type”. Elle Woods then did her best to also be accepted in the same Law School, despite her wobbly beginnings. After being mistreated and facing harassment from her boss during her internship, she successfully solves the legal battle with a convicted murderer who is then proven innocent by Elle’s cleverness and analytical skill.
6Ellen Ripley
Alien (1979)
Directed by Ridley Scott,Alientells the story of a commercial space crew who are dealing with the great danger of a malignant extraterrestrial creature that attached itself to one of its members named Kane. The spaceship then falls into havoc after the monsters kill the members one by one.
Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), as one of the two female members of the crew, and one of the few surviving members, is facing a huge plot twist. An android is infiltrating the group, wanting to destroy Earth by bringing the aliens back home. After numerous thrilling chases by the now-advanced aliens, due to her skills and perseverance, Ripley successfully avoids her ultimate demise and has proven that her ability deserves praise.
5Erin Brockovich
Erin Brockovich (2000)
Starred by theever-talented heroineJulia Roberts, the movie lead she plays is a true example of perseverance mixed with intelligence. This legal drama is based on the true story of Erin Brockovich, and her legal battle over a groundwater pollution incident.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is proven guilty of endangering its employees and exposing them to a highly carcinogenic material called hexavalent chromium, all thanks to Erin’s sharpness and dexterity. For the lawsuit to be successful and for the company to legally pay the settlement of the victims, Erin successfully influenced 634 of them to work together to testify, something that takes hard work and dedication.
4Tess McGill
Working Girl (1988)
This romantic comedy-drama film is not like any other, as it is about how women are oftentreated in the workplace. Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith) has been treated like a bimbo throughout her career, no matter how hardworking and smart she is. Her boss constantly took advantage of her ideas and intelligence, yet she was never taken seriously by them.
She subsequently quit her job and got hired as an assistant to Katharine Parker, a young associate in another company. At first, Katharina was very supportive of Tess’s wonderful ideas, but then she found out that her new boss was trying to pass on Tess’s ideas as her own, leading her to start her plan. This movie delves into how not only men treat women in the workplace, but also how women treat other women from a very intriguing angle.
3Hermione Granger
Harry Potter Franchise (2001-2011)
Throughout the year after the first film of theHarry Potterfranchise first launched in the early 2000s, Hermione Granger has become synonymous with studious, quick-witted, hardworking figures. Her character has become asymbol of determination and dedication, filled with curiosity and thirst for knowledge and education. Her ambitious manner is ever-commendable and admirable, and she seems to fit the idea of a lifetime learner.
As the only girl in the golden trio in the magical world ofHarry Potter, her cleverness has been proven to be exemplary, setting a high standard for the other characters. In every movie, she has shown great adaptability and is quick to analyze difficult and complex issues, providing suggestions and information to any challenges they face,proving her high problem-solving skills and ability.
2Maud Watts
Suffragette (2016)
To think that a century ago, women did not have the right to vote is mind-boggling. This thought is also expressed in the movie by Maud Watt, a 24-year-old laundry worker who has experienced gender-based discrimination throughout most of her life. The majority of the film takes place in the 1912 United Kingdom, based on women’s struggle in society, not only for the right to vote, but also rights over their children, and the same voting rights as men.
This movie delves into gender-based violence as well, specifically in the workplace as well as in weddings. Other than that, this film is also driven by the historical moment of the death of Emily Davidson, an English suffragette who was constantly imprisoned for her involvement in several women’s rights protests and movements. She passed away after running into King George the Fifth’s horse while carrying the banner of the movement.
1Katherine Johnson
Hidden Figures (2016)
This award-winning movie is a great commentary on what was–and is–wrong with society, especially regarding race and gender. Taking place in 1961’s Langley Research Center in Virginia, the protagonist of this film is Katherine Johnson, an African-American woman along with 2 co-workers who share similar backgrounds as her.
Amidst race segregation and gender-based discrimination, Katherine, although she has proven her intelligence in solving complexmathematical equations for spaceship productionover and over, constantly faced unfair treatment such as walking half a mile to the restroom, as at that time, the toilets for races other than Caucasian is seen as “dirty”–to have a different coffee station. This biographical drama is an important trigger for discourses on race and gender, especially for women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
