Women's Equality Day commemorates the addition of the 19th amendment to the Constitution that granted women the right to vote. This marked a major milestone in women's quest for equality, but that fight still continues to this day. Every August, honor the fierce, hard-working women in your lives by adding this list of titles to your library collection. Exploring the truths about gender relations exposed by these films provides insight into issues of sexuality and justice. These titles all share a pining for justice; they cry out for fairness for women and for freedom.
On the Basis of Sex
On the Basis of Sex relates the events surrounding the early moments of Ruth Bader Ginsberg's life with her husband, Martin, and the only case that they ever argued together in 1971. It is a tense, but warm drama.
The case argued in On the Basis of Sex is that of a man suing for the right to declare his caring for his elderly mother as caregiver expense on his taxes. Before that case, only women were thought to be people who had the "nurturing instinct" needed to care for someone else.
While Martin is chopping celery in the kitchen, Ruth is enforcing discipline in the household after working at Columbia University all day. The point is not that Martin is emasculated by his chopping the celery but that he and Ruth are equal partners, and he is not confined to performing the role that society would have him play. This film shows that freedom for women means freedom for men also from the bondage of typical roles.
"The word woman does not appear once in the U.S. Constitution."
"Neither does the word freedom." - Ruth Bader Ginsberg
Read our review here
Suffragette
Suffragette is about what leads a soft-spoken laundress in early twentieth-century Britain to join the most militant arm of the women's rights movement. It is not as tender as On the Basis of Sex; the film shows the brutality that women endured in order to gain the right to vote.
The film is inspired by the actual events surrounding the militant British women's equality movement. A mother is quietly raising her son and caring for her husband when her life is turned upside down by violent protests in London. The plot is tight and one is always outraged at the conduct of those who were supposed to be upholding the law. This is the stuff of history books and, like Ginsberg's story, watching it creates a visceral reaction.
Suffragette shows what women sacrificed and went through to make sure that we have three women sitting on the U.S. Supreme Court and that we have a female Vice President.
Read our review here
9 to 5
For laughs, we turn to 9 to 5, in which three women find themselves having to go to extraordinary lengths to protect their freedom from a wicked, conniving boss. 9 to 5 is a wacky movie that is a bit dated in its costumes and situations, but it shares the focus on justice, fairness, and freedom with these other serious films.
This film centers on the agency of women in the workplace. People should be free to have a non-toxic environment at their workplace.
When the women take over, they make their workplace free from fear and that is huge. The executive secretary doesn't have to worry about sexual harassment; the assistant doesn't have to worry about someone stealing her ideas; the secretary is free from threats and bullying; a woman who is fired unjustly gets her job back.
9 to 5 relays these serious issues related to a woman's need for justice and freedom with a gentle fun that makes the point without yelling about it.
The Associate
In The Associate, more laughs follow the exploits of a career stockbroker who is sick of her cheating partner taking credit for her hard work and great ideas. There are some big names on Wall Street such as Jackie Zehner of Goldman Sachs, Jane Fraser of Citigroup, Adena Friedman of NASDAQ, and Stacey Cunningham of the NYSE. These women are pioneers of the business world and have broken many glass ceilings.
Whoopi Goldberg plays a Wall Street Broker who is constantly being cheated out of promotions, perks, and deals by her partner. She quits to start her own firm which proves difficult. Everything is on the line and she has to get creative to survive. She says that she is an honest person, but she has to compromise that in order to land a deal.
She is not the only tragic type in the movie. There is the female secretary who is brilliant, but because she is a woman, never seems to get ahead; a female assistant to the CEO who is brilliant but lurks in bedrooms because there is no other way for her to gain power; a sleazy news reporter who banks on her cleavage and hairdo to get the ratings. All of these types exist, but the Wall Street world is changing. They are all archetypes of women in the business world chained to antiquated gender roles that forbid them from expressing their true selves. The truth is revealed in the lens.
The Breast Archives
The Breast Archives features real-life women discovering their femininity via the power of their breasts. They talk about the freedom and empowerment that comes with being more comfortable with their breasts.
One woman comments on the backward nature of public ordinances prohibiting breastfeeding. She says that she finds it odd that men were known to have said they could not control what they would do if they saw a woman's naked breast. Another woman talks about how wonderful she feels about her breasts and how she does not understand why she needs to wear a bra.
The documentary makes the point that women should be proud of their bodies, full or slight. There should be no shame in what makes a woman womanly. It is about the freedom to simply be oneself without constraints.
Read our review here
Discussions of gender inequality and freedom do not stop with these titles. Countless films have been made which explore this topic. No matter what, questions about films and freedom should never be silenced because our predecessors in the women's movement deserve their voices amplified. Their ideas and their struggles should be seen by young women who will be able to fly planes, own property, vote, and wear short skirts without being shamed. This is our "her story."