March marks the beginning of Women’s History Month, and one of the best ways to celebrate the long, long, long list of achievements that have been ignored over history is to watch the movies that highlight the victories, the highs, the lows, the emotions, and every cinematic moment that embodies being a woman. Here are five biopics to celebrate Women’s History Month (and a little extra at the end)!
- Marie Antoinette (2006)
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A Coppola classic, Marie Antoinette is a cinematic feast for the eyes as well as a coming-of-age historical drama based on the often embellished true story of the titular Queen of France. On top of taking a modern approach to the script, score, and overall vibe of the film, it also speaks to the loneliness, emotional turmoil, and general frustration that can come with evolving from a teenage girl to a grown woman.
While not every girl was once a teenage Queen of France, they can relate to Kirsten Dunst’s portrayal of Marie Antoinette as a girl being told what to think and the sensation of being used rather than valued.
- FRIDA (2002)
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Frida, based on the Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, adopts many of her real-life surrealist paintings to introduce scenes as well as paint a picture (pun very much intended) of the private life filled with dysfunctional relationships, sordid affairs, heartbreak, and passionate resiliency that fueled many of Kahlo’s pieces.
Not only does it feature a stellar cast, with Salma Hayek portraying the titular artist alongside Diego Molina, but it also gives insight into the emotions Kahlo was diffusing onto the canvas every time she painted.
- A lEAGUE OF thEIR oWN
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One of the only (mainly) comedies on the list, A League of Their Own I think has a special message towards what it means to be feminine, the different ways that that femininity comes through, and how women can do it all too. It follows a much more comedic version of events of the very real All-American Girls Professional Baseball League that formed in the aftermath of the WWII draft.
It’s also one of the few sports movies I can sit through, so thank you, Geena Davis, Madonna, and Tom Hanks for making baseball cool.
- ON THE BASIS OF SEX
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A bit of a personal bias puts this one high on the list for me, as it was in part one of my inspirations for wanting to go to law school. On the Basis of Sex follows a young Ruth Bader Ginsburg juggling studying for law school, caring for a young daughter and an ailing husband, and the discrimination that came with being a woman in the legal field.
Fair warning, a lot of legal jargon is thrown around, but On the Basis of Sex showcases an integral moment in the fight for equal rights and gender-based discrimination that RBG began her illustrious career on.
- hidden figures
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Rounding out the list is Hidden Figures, based on the true story of three African American women who were integral to the Space Race from the 1930s to the 1960s.
Featuring Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae, and Octavia Spencer, the film follows the issue of a “double whammy” of minorities, whereby the characters face discrimination and beat the odds not only because of their gender but also because of the color of their skin in a field traditionally dominated by white men (go women in STEM!).
Honorable Mention: Mona Lisa Smile
While not a true biopic, it is a historical drama! This one is a personal favorite of mine as it features a stacked cast but also a different approach to an understanding of feminism of the era as well as the freedom of choice that is inherent to feminism. It follows Julia Roberts as a young and very progressive art history teacher at the prestigious (and old-fashioned) Wellesley College. Over the school year, both students and professors learn from each other to challenge and adapt to new notions of what womanhood means to them. Not every woman displays their agency in the same way during the film, but by the time the credits roll, they are each happy with their lot in life.