Films either about strong women (Aliens, All About Eve, Auntie Mame, The King and I, Miss Jane Pittman) or coming-of-age stories (To Kill a Mockingbird, Digging to China, Lawn Dogs, My Fair Lady, Walkabout, Whale Rider) I thought this was an appropriate July 4th topic as women got their 'freedom' after African slaves here, not allowed to inherit their husbands property until the late 1800's (Oregon was the first state here, around 1886), and getting to vote well after that. New Zealand was well ahead of us there, by a quarter century!
[Updated 10.5.11]
Those with links we reviewed at 1000 Dvds to See, click to jump to that review
A Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) The first Oscar® for Cissy Spacek
A Face in the Crowd (1957) bw
A Good Year (2007) - as director Ridley Scott stated, "We like strong women (said to Russell Crowe); this film has five strong women" (Marion Cotillard and Abbie Cornish leading the pack)
A Room With a View (1985)
A Very Long Engagement (2004) France- a beautifully shot war romance
Adam's Rib (1949) bw Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy are married lawyers who hilariously take opposite sides of a spousal infidelity case, my favorite film of theirs together, Tracy is terrific ("see.. tears")
Alice (1990)
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1975) The first Oscar® for Ellen Burstyn
Aliens (1986)
All About Eve (1950) bw [AA] (photo top, theater newcomer Anne Baxter faces off with her idol, established star Bette Davis, who of course says "fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night")
All About My Mother (1999) Spain
An Education (2009)
Anna and the King (1999) A Jodie Foster drama filmed earlier as a musical, The King and I (1956)
As Good As It Gets (1997) The first Oscar® for Helen Hunt ; the 3rd Oscar® for Jack Nicholson
Auntie Mame (1958)
Australia (2008)
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1973) tv The first Emmy® for Cicely Tyson
Baby Boom (1987)
Beautiful Girls (1996)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) bw [AA] The 2nd Oscar® for Fredric March
Body Heat (1981)
Born Yesterday (1950) bw The first Oscar® for Judy Holiday
Brazil (1985)
The Breaking Point (1949) Patricia Neal is amazing, tempting a cynical John Garfield in a more faithful adaptation of Hemingway's To Have and Have Not, his own personal favorite film of his novels - dropped by the studio when Garfield was accused of being a commie by HUAC, so it's gone unnoticed
Broadcast News (1986)
Brothers (2004) Denmark stunning Connie Nielsen won five int'l acting awards for her performance
Bull Durham (1988)
Carmen (1983) Spain My favorite dance film, the flamenco version from Carlos Suare
Central Station (1998) Brazil
Chaos (2001) France
Chicago (2002) [AA] The first Oscar® for Catherine Zeta-Jones
Chocolat (2000) France
Clueless (1995)
The Color Purple (1985) - underrated and controversial Steven Spielberg film from Alice Walker's novel that deals with domestic abuse of an African-American wife (Whoopi Goldberg) by her misogynist husband (Danny Glover)
Contact (1997)
Crazed Fruit (1956) Japan, bw
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) China Leno said, "I didn't see a tiger or a dragon in this - I guess one was crouching and one was hidden"
The Cuckoo (2002) Russia
Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
Defending Your Life (1991)
Digging to China (1998)
Double Indemnity (1944) bw
Driving Miss Daisy (1989) The first Oscar® for veteran Jessica Tandy
Educating Rita (1983)
Election (1999)
Elevator to the Gallows (1958) bw
Elizabeth (1998) This links to all the 29 awards this won, most by actress Cate Blanchett, who lost the Oscar® to Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love
Emma (1996)
Erin Brockovich (2000) The first Oscar® for Julia Roberts, a true story of an environmental lawyer
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Selective erasing of your worst romances - I could definitely use this
Frances McDormand, dissolves into her characters,
was the archetypal Minnesotan lady sheriff in Fargo
(photo by Richard Phibbs)
Fargo (1996) The first Oscar® for Frances McDormand, wife of director-writer Joel Coen
The Fighter (2010) The first Oscar® for Melissa Leo
Fire (1995)
Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
Funny Girl (1968) The first Oscar® for Barbra Streisand
Gadjo Dilo (1998) Romania
The Gay Divorcee (1934) bw
The Girl in the Cafe (2005)
The Graduate (1968) [photo rt]Gun Crazy (1949) bw
Heat and Dust (1983)
Heathers (1989)
Heavenly Creatures (1994) New Zealand
Hero (2002) China [see photos at top in our banner]
His Girl Friday (1940) bw
House of Flying Daggers (2004) China
House of Games (1987) lead actress Lindsay Crouse is the wife of author-director David Mamet, this is a terrific collaboration
How to Make an American Quilt (1995) - complex plot literally weaves together the stories of several women in a quilting club
Innocence (2004) France
Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
Jackie Brown (1997) Another Tarantino romp
Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring (1986) France This four-hour French epic is one of the best ever, taken as one film (they are two halves of one novel, only split up so theatre-goers could see them in one day or two)
Jezebel (1938) bw
Johnny Guitar (1954) A female gunfight concludes Nicholas Ray's bizarre western
Julia (1977) The first Oscar® for Vanessa Redgrave
Kapó (1960) Italy
Kill Bill (2003-4) I think I prefer the Japanese original samurai films more, this is kind of campy, with the plucking of eyeballs and other such excesses, however, the first has fun energy, but the second lags with a slow pace
The King and I (1956) The first Oscar® for Yul Brynner, a role he was born to play
Klute (1971) The first Oscar® for Jane Fonda
The Lady Eve (1941) bw
La Femme Nikita (1990) France
Lolita (1962) bw
Lawn Dogs (1997)
The Madness of King George (1994) Helen Mirren as the queen takes charge of the throne while her husband is mad with disease
The Major and the Minor (1942) bw
Mary Poppins (1964) The first Oscar® for Julie Andrews
McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)
Mildred Pierce (1945)
Million Dollar Baby (2004) [AA] Hilary Swank's performance is one of the best ever, earning her a well-deserved 2nd Oscar®, she's now two-for-two like Vivien Leigh
The More the Merrier (1943) bw
Morgan! (1966) bw
Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002) India
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) bw
Mrs. Miniver (1942) bw [AA] (photo rt) Did anyone not fall in love with Greer Garson after seeing this Oscar® winning performance? Garson was not a star, Gloria Swanson turned down the part as 'too mature'
Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
My Brilliant Career (1979) Australia
My Fair Lady (1964) [AA] Oscar® for Rex Harrison
My Man Godfrey (1935) bw
Network (1976) Oscars® for Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight
Norma Rae (1979) The first Oscar® for Sally Field
Not One Less (1999) China
Nothing But the Truth (2008)
Nowhere in Africa (2002) Germany Oscar® for foreign film
Out of Africa (1985) [AA]
Out of the Past (1947) bw Jane Greer was Howard Hughes’ 22 yr-old girlfriend in her first starring role
Outrageous Fortune (1987)
Paper Moon (1973) bw Tatum O'Neal was the youngest Oscar® winner ever
Pat and Mike (1952) bw Another high quality but mild Tracy-Hepburn comedy, suffers from not aiming too high and hitting it's mark
Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)
Persona (1966) Sweden, bw
The Promise (2005) China
Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002), Australia 14-yr old half-caste Molly takes charge of her sisters as they escape a prison school and head into the outback
The Reader (2008) The first Oscar® for Kate Winslet
The Replacement Killers (1998)
Ronin (1998)
Run Lola Run (1998) Germany
Ruthless People (1986)
Shakespeare in Love (1998) [AA] The first Oscar® for Gwyneth Paltrow
Shall We Dance? (1995) Japan
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) The second Oscar® for Jodie Foster
Sin City (2005) bw
Steel Magnolias (1989)
Sunset Boulevard (1950) bw
Sweeney Todd (2007)
Temple Grandin (2010) The first Emmy® for Clare Danes
Thelma and Louise (1991)
Thirteen (2005) [photo left]To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) bw
Two Women (1960) Italy The first Oscar® for Sophia Loren
Under the Sun (1998), Sweden
V for Vendetta (2005)
Vatel (2000) France
Walkabout (1971) Australia
Water (2005) India-Canada
We of the Never Never (1982) Australia
Whale Rider (2003) New Zealand
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (1962) bw
What's Love Got to Do With It? (1993) - the fictionalized story of Ike and Tina Turner, features a strong (and gut-wrenching) Oscar®-nominated performance by Angela Bassett
Whistle Down the Wind (1961) bw (photo rt) Some children find a wanted convict hiding in their barn and think he's Jesus so they shelter, feed him, and keep him a secret (the story of E.T. was eerily similar to this); adapted from a novel by Hayley Mills' mother Mary Hayley Bell
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) bw The 2nd Oscar® for Elizabeth Taylor; the first Oscar® for Sandy Dennis
Winter's Bone (2010) Sundance winner got Oscar® nominations for best picture and 18-yr old actress Jennifer Lawrence
The Women (1939) bw
Women in Love (1970) The first Oscar® for Glenda Jackson
Zelary (2003) Czech Republic
Best Picture winners on this list:
All About Eve, Chicago, Million Dollar Baby, Mrs. Miniver, My Fair Lady, Out of Africa, Shakespeare in Love
[Thanks to Linda Pace for some suggestions for this post]
