CyndiA's Top Ten Chick Flick list - HEY! Girls need movies and beer.
Feb 01 '03 (Updated Feb 06 '03)
The Bottom Line Girls just wanna watch movies. We do like some dramas, but it goes beyond that. Let's hear it for Chick Flicks.
No boys allowed. No kidding. There are some things that you guys just don’t “get.” You can read about periods, yeast infections, and childbirth all you want, but you’d really have to “be there.” Actually, I doubt you would want to read on those topics, and you probably won’t love these movies either if you’re lacking high levels of estrogen. Na na nan ah.
These are for all those bathroom challenged folks out there who can’t whip it out and write in the snow. Who wants to do that anyway? Well, OK, it would be convenient, but you can’t read when you’re standing up.
My list includes a range of movies from different decades and for different occasions. I’m pretty sure most bra-wearing folks will find something they can relate to. If not, then write your own list (-: I’m always game to find new films that touch my girly side.
Here it is . . . CyndiA’s favorite chick flicks—top 10 list:
1. Thelma and Louise - Don’t know how you could make a chick flick list and pass on this one. Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Surandan) are off for a weekend of girl fun. When they stop at a honky-tonk for a couple of cold ones and a few dances, some fellow gets way too fresh with mousy Thelma (she is just so rooster pecked you won’t believe it), so good-old-girl Louise does the only logical thing—she shoots the SOB with the banana in his pocket. The girls are on the run from the law (and the boring lives they were living) and come across some interesting characters including the bandit (Brad Pitt). Heck, this one is worth watching just to see Pitt. He’s never been as cute and sexy as in this short appearance. He’s a star now, but he sure was hot in this one.
Great for . . . those days when you wonder how you ended up living the dull life you’re living. Did anyone ever say: I want to grow up and have to clean the bathroom and rinse out the garbage can? No. I didn’t think so. This one gives you a chance to vicariously hit the road and leave it all behind.
2. How to Make an American Quilt (90s) – Great generational flick to watch with all the girls in the family. Finn (Wynona Ryder) is spending the summer with her grandmother. She’s working on her thesis while the wise women of the tribe are making a wedding quilt pieced together with memories of the past. If you’re not familiar with quilting, then most are made from scraps of material from old clothes that have stories behind them. My grandmother and my mom both quilt, and I always love the stories that go with each swatch stitched together to make something useful and meaningful. The movie is a springboard for family stories and especially of the female inspired variety.
Great for . . . an evening with Mom or Grandma. If you’ve ever rented the wrong movie (like The Son-in-Law) for your conservative female relatives, then you will thankful to find this one very tame. No f words or steamy sex.
3. 9 to 5 – Franklin Hart (Dabney Colmen from Major Dad) is a male chauvinist pig, and the girls in the office are about tired of that stuff. Doralee Rhodes (Dolly Parton), Judy Burnley (Jane Fonda) and Violet Newstead (Lilly Tomlin) mange to poison the jerk and then have to cover that up. During these PC days when you can’t tell an off color joke in mixed company, this one rings a bit odd. But, there are lots of women out there who ended up making the coffee for years and years. I always made some gosh-awful java on purpose during the 80s, and the guys jumped all over themselves to demote me from coffee duty. If you can’t beat em, then trick em. Even if you can’t relate to the plotline, the movie is a hoot.
Great for . . . a belly laugh after you get home from work after doing some rush work that wasn’t your responsibility to start with. Tell the guys in your life they have to figure out dinner, and click this one in the DVD tray.
4. Flash Dance (80s) – Alex (Jennifer Beals) is a welder by day and an exotic dancer after dark. Her dream is to be a ballet dancer. Even if you never thought you wanted to be one, you will start to get that toe en pointe feeling. Alex’s boss and boyfriend, Nick, tries to tip the scales to get this spunky girl what she wants (an audition and spot in the dance company), but she doesn’t want it if she can’t earn it outright. This puts a kink in that relationship, but when has love ever been smooth sailing? You’ll want to get up on the coffee table and dance when you see this one. It’s not all Swan Lake. You get plenty of Dirty Dancing too. Even if you can’t dance for beans like me, this one is a shaking video.
Great for . . . a pick-me-up when you’re feeling like you can’t reach your dreams. I always finish this one feeling like I’m ten foot tall and bulletproof.
5. Love Story (1970) – Jenny (Ali McGraw) is from the wrong side of the tracks and Oliver (Ryan O’Neil) is a rich prep school kid. Against all odds, they hook up for happily ever after . . . almost. I won’t tell you what happens, but you will need a whole box of Kleenex. The classic line “Love means never having to say you’re sorry” comes from this movie. Though I think there are times when “sorry” is in order and especially with loved ones, this movie has always been one of my favorites. It’s a wonderful love story, and my mom’s high school picture looks for the world like Ali McGraw. No. I don’t take after her side of the family. But that’s OK too.
Great for . . . a rainy evening when you want to cry and don’t care who sees you with red eyes and a runny nose.
6. Carrie (70s) – Stephen King’s first book-to-movie adaptation and a real horror classic. Carrie (Sissy Spacek) is an ordinary picked-on high school girl with bad hair and pimples. But, she has a gift—a very, very special gift. When the she-she girls at school decide to ruin the prom for this kid who has already suffered a little too much . . . well . . . let the games begin. I have always loved Spacek. She’s not a classic beauty, but she sure can act.
Great for . . . any girl who thinks her ears are a tad too big or for those times when you DON’T even get asked to the prom.
7. The Bad News Bears (70s) –Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau) decides to pick up a few bucks by coaching a Little League team. This over-the-hill pool cleaner who drinks beer instead of Gatorade discovers that he has the worst team ever. Then he signs up Amanda Whurlitzer (Tatum O’Neal) to pitch and starts to whip his losers into shape. One problem—girls didn’t play Little League during the 70s. Well, a few did. But, it was hard going. I know, because I was the only girl on my team. Amanda is up against it, but the guys figure out that she has what it takes—guts and talent. This one is funny and has a good message too. Amanda was my hero when I was a kid. I didn’t care that this was fiction. It just felt good.
Great for . . . a family movie night. It’s just a blast from the past that doesn’t hurt anyone. Kids today won’t even know why it’s such a big deal for a girl to pitch, but they will know this one is funny.
8. Boys Don’t Cry – This is a real chiller, and it’s based on a true story. Brandon “Teena” (Hilary Swank) feels like a guy, but she is trapped in a girl’s body. She poses as a guy and does everything in her power to fit in and be accepted. When some of the redneck guys she hangs with figure out that she is a chick, they rape her and shoot her. I don’t care how anyone feels about lesbianism, it’s not OK to hurt people. This one is a hard watch, but it’s a well-done true story drama that highlights a problem in our society. Some people think they can terrorize women in ways that cut to the core of personhood. Boo, hiss on the guys who did this awful thing. In fact, boo hiss on anyone who hurts other people.
Great for . . . a wake up call. Our sisters come in all packages. It’s not OK to stomp on girls no matter how they look or act. This girl just wanted to fit in, and she paid one heck of a price for trying.
9. Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood (90s) – It’s a bit on the flaky side, but this is a good rent for a relaxed evening when you don’t want to spend too much energy thinking about the plot. Sidda writes a magazine story about her childhood, and mom is none too happy. Well, she wasn’t that great a mom. The old buddy bitty crowd kidnaps Sidda to help her learn about her mom and about her redeeming qualities. We’re all a little bit good and little bit bad, and they want Sidda to see that. As farfetched as this one plays, it does make you want to get out the rhinestone jewelry and make-up and have a slumber party.
Great for . . . a group thing. If you can’t swing a slumber party, then rent it for Friday evening and get rid of the men and the kids for a couple of hours.
Here is my review on YaYa at: http://www.epinions.com/content_66746945156
10. The Little Princess (90s) – This is one of my all-time favorite movies. It’s based on a book and then a movie starring Shirley Temple from the 60s. Although it was billed as a movie for kids, it’s just great for all ages. I required this one for a college class on media criticism. A few students grumbled to start with, but it turned out being a class favorite. It’s now listed as a cult flick. The basic story is that a little motherless girl goes to boarding school. When the school believes her dad to be dead in the war, they decide to use her as a servant. This kid maintains her dignity and spunk and is kind to all the kids including the little servant girl who is her best friend. It’s a little like Annie but it’s better and more universal in the message. I can’t think of one reservation I would have about suggesting this one.
Great for . . . everyone. Though it has a strong female slant, it doesn’t have any male bashing either. The Little Princess is a class act. She’s female, but goodness goes way beyond gender. This is a hero for all times and all people.
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Now I don’t usually talk any “site” stuff at Epinions. But, I do want to know why we don’t have a Chick Flick category. Can anyone out there make it happen? I would love to see some of the women here check in with films that appeal to the folks with the bigger hips and smaller feet. I’m a mom raising little guy people, but I sure do like to get in touch with my girly self from time to time. Here’s my contribution for Chick Flicks, and here’s hoping that other women can throw out some more good ones.
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If any of the women out there want to add to the list, I'll link here. Hey, guys can join in too. I'm easy. Just toss out movies that you love or that your girl buds love. No time limit. If you don't like to do full lists, then toss out ideas in the comment section.
Connie was the inspiration for my review when she liked my suggestion for Tortilla Soup for a girly evening. She worked up a great list. You can see Connie's Top 10 Chick Flick List at:
http://www.epinions.com/content_3095437444
2buzy is my twin. Gramie "discovered" both of us and told me that she thought we would hit it off. She was right on target. We use a lot of the same products, and we tend to love and hate the same things when we write about stuff. She has a super list with some I need to check out. See that here:
http://www.epinions.com/content_3096289412
Sordid and I have been bosom buddies since the Scarlet Letter. Don’t ask. I won’t tell. You gotta admit it takes some testoserone to rise to the challenge of writing about flicks for chicks. It also takes a case of beer. For a good chick flick time with a money back guarantee, dial this link:
http://www.epinions.com/content_3100549252
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Epinions.com ID:
CyndiA
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Member: Cyndi
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Reviews written: 1167
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About Me:
If you beat your head against the wall long enough . . .
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