With their smarts, sass and sharpshooting skills, these strong females are taking over the screen and our hearts.
TEXT: MORGAN AWYONG
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK
We’ve come a long way from fairytales. Rather than being princesses in towers waiting for their shiny knights, the emancipation of women figures in stories has demonstrated that girls can indeed run the world – and even save the day.
And this doesn’t necessarily mean that they need to take on masculine characteristics as well. Women have found authority in their own ways – sometimes as the sassy ingenue brimming with good intentions, other times as the nurturing protective mother who can dispense wisdom as much as bullets.
Through the decades, representations of the empowered female in entertainment has been an inspirational force towards equality. Here are eight shows that have made their mark as classic examples of girl power.
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991)
If someone were to tell you that a massive cyborg is hunting you down to kill you, it’s likely most would just quake in their boots and beg for mercy. Not Sarah Conner.
Linda Hamilton, who plays the character, evolved beautifully through the first movie Terminator. She goes from running prey to stoic defender, but it was in the sequel that she really blossomed as a different creature thanks to motherhood. Protecting her son turned her into a fearless goddess, and while the series might have made Arnold Schwarzenegger an international star, Hamilton’s spirited one-liners in the face of her enemies have endeared her to many as a classic heroine.
SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)
Jodie Foster’s filmography runs impressive, but ask around and most will likely point to her portrayal of detective Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs as one of her best award-winning achievements. In the process of baiting an incarcerated psychiatrist for information to find a psychopathic killer, the investigator has to share her own personal trauma. It was this blend of vulnerability and steely resolve that made her pursuit riveting to watch.
The actress’s own personal process to obtain the role was just as inspirational. While the opportunity was first given to actresses like Michelle Pfeiffer and Meg Ryan, they rejected the controversial character. Director Jonathan Demme eventually gave Foster the role after considering her passionate and repeated requests, and her subsequent performance clearly showed just how capable she was.
LEGALLY BLONDE (2001)
It’s not fair, but when you’re a blonde barbie who draws reference from pop culture, people are not going to take you seriously. This was the case for Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde, where she is Elle Woods – a seemingly ditzy girl who cares more about fashion and frivolous things. This became reason enough for her senator-aspiring boyfriend Warner to dump her, fuelling her motivation to win back his love for the rest of the movie.
Proving the adage correctly to not judge a book by its cover, our heroine proves pundits wrong by scoring a place in Harvard and even winning people over with her unorthodox ways. So yes, this movie proves that being girly and powerful are not mutually exclusive.
MEAN GIRLS (2004)
Mean Girls similarly focuses on teen schoolyard politics in America, but through the power play, one gets a sense of the life values that really matter as events unfold.
As the new girl in school, Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan), is just trying to get by and not get into trouble. She makes friends with some of the outliers but is soon noticed by the school’s most “elite” girl trio, Regina, Karen and Gretchen. While she thrives well in their protection, she soon realises her false friendships and proceeds to orchestrate a fitting lesson for the backstabbing Regina.
With its memorable lines, charming cast and flaky humour, this comedic romance sidesteps mean girl values to find heart as a cherished trait and is a classic worth rewatching over and over again.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006)
Two titans clash in this comedy-drama, with Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway coming head-to-head as an untouchable fashion editor and her co-assistant.
When Hathaway enters fashion magazine, Runway, as new graduate Andrea Sachs, her cherished academic dreams quickly disintegrate under the withering looks of the respected editor, Miranda Priestly. As she leans into the world to prove her worth, she gains acceptance but loses her old priorities, and spends the rest of the movie trying to figure out what is most important to her despite the outward success and recognition.
Adapted from Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel of the same name, The Devil Wears Prada is a light-hearted look at a woman’s path to authenticity and standing up for her principles.
GHOSTBUSTERS (2016)
As an iconic movie in the 1980s, Ghostbusters was a classic that was hard to beat. In this 2016 reboot, many couldn’t deny the chemistry between the four members of Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones.
Witty, sharp and full of the self-deprecating humour famous in the original, the four gave geeky girls across the world a chance at the spotlight by saving the world. Whether as an engineer or physicist, helping out with their paranormal knowledge or street smarts, the quartet showed the spirits who’s boss in this raucous comedy.
ENOLA HOLMES (2020)
In one scene, Sherlock Holmes suggests to his younger sister that their missing mother “wants to change the world.” To this the spritely girl retorts, “Perhaps it’s a world that needs changing.”
Full of spirited adventure and brain-boggling mystery, Millie Bobby Brown (of Stranger Things fame) acts as the resilient female lead showing us how to battle societal norms even as she seeks out her disappeared parent. The single mother and daughter pair is a riot to watch, and Brown gives the titular character plenty of charm with her outstanding acting. Truly a heroine for a new generation.
NEVER HAVE I EVER (2020-2023)
Adults may have plenty of responsibilities to keep to, but for teenagers like Devi Vishwakumar played by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, growing pains are the worst – especially when your father suddenly passes away.
Never Have I Ever is a series that charts her tumultuous journey through high school in Los Angeles, and tackles everything from peer pressure, emerging sexuality to overbearing parents. Ramakrishnan breaks boundaries with her ethnic representation, while debunking stereotypes and sharing cultural points in one swoop. Feisty and assertive, the teenage comedy is today’s beacon of female empowerment, no matter where you might come from.
Catch these titles for a dose of girl power and see how these female leads continue to inspire with their personal power. Or if you’re an avid movie buff, leverage our HomeTeamNS all-day, everyday 1-for-1 movie ticket deals at Cathay Cineplexes.
We’re celebrating the unwavering contributions of the ladies behind every Home Team National Serviceman! With Everyday HERoes, a new Family Membership with expanded female-centric perks launched by HomeTeamNS, participate in giveaways with prizes worth up to S$6,000. Membership sign-ups will run till 30 Nov 2023. For more information on Everyday HERoes and other amazing perks, visit our website.
Like our stories? Subscribe to our Frontline Digital newsletters now! Simply download the HomeTeamNS Mobile App and update your communication preference to ‘Receive Digital Frontline Magazine’, through the App Settings.
