Strong women

I like films with strong women. I don’t mean the ball-busting, man eating kind but women of all shapes and personalities who display courage, determination and perseverance in the face of adversity. Even if things don’t pan out in a Cinderella, happily ever after way, it is their strength that really shines. Think of your favourite Austen or Bronte heroine. These are the women I’m talking about.

Now I’ve gone on about the Katharine Hepburns and Deborah Kerrs of the classics, but you don’t have to go that far back to find great examples of strong women. And you don’t have to look at remakes of classic novels either - though these are a cheap and easy solution. There are strong women all around us, every day; ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It might be an act that has pioneered something for the rest of us. Or their extraordinary act may be something that the rest of us do every day without a second thought. These are inspiring characters and they make film that much more watchable.

I have a couple of staple movies that I always keep on hand because of the women in them. If I find my motivation to exercise beginning to wane, a bit of GI Jane gets me in the spirit. Bad day at work? Throw on North Country to put things in perspective. One of my favourite films is Paradise Road, the story of female English, Australian and Dutch prisoners of war in Sumatra . But more about this one next month!

What should you get?

If you regularly read this column, you’ll know that I like to recommend films located in the weekly section. This month I am recommending a new release, a bit unknown but a real gem, Waitress.

I picked up this film simply due to the great cast but was won over completely by its quirky charm and, at times, laughed out loud. Shelly has a unique directorial style and it takes a little while to get into the groove. But once you’re there, this is a small-town tale told in a delightful new way.

WAITRESS

PLOT: Jenna makes unusual but phenomenal pies at the local diner. She’s trapped in a miserable marriage to the controlling, immature Earl, and has just discovered, most unhappily, that she’s pregnant (“It must’ve been the night he got me drunk”). Her only hope of leaving is to win the prize money in an upcoming pie contest. Then she meets the new, handsome, married gynaecologist. The resulting affair injects her with confidence and gives her a shot at happiness.

DIRECTOR: Adrienne Shelly

CAST: Keri Russell (Felicity; Mission Impossible 3), Nathan Fillion (Serenity; 2 Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place)

LOCATED IN: Comedy section

FOR MORE STRONG WOMEN IN FILM SEE:

• The Contender
• The Constant Gardener
• North Country
• Paradise Road
• Courage Under Fire
• Brokedown Palace
• GI Jane
• The Missing
• Me Myself I
• The Gift
• Veronica Guerin
• Charlotte Gray
• Enough
• What Lies Beneath
• “The Buccaneers” miniseries
• Erin Brockovich
• Sliding Doors
• Jane Eyre
• Pride & Prejudice
• Emma
• Sense and Sensibility
• Fried Green Tomatoes
• Raising Helen
• No Reservations
• Quills

TRIVIA
The director also plays Dawn in the film. The film is especially poignant given her understated but brilliant performance and the fact that it was her last. She was brutally murdered before the film was released.Pick your favourite pie: I love the names Jenna comes up with for her creations e.g. “baby-screaming-its-head-off-in-the-middle-of-the-night-and-ruining-my-life pie”.