Looking for recommendations for great women ensemble films!
February 1, 2014 11:29 AM Subscribe
Just saw Mona Lisa Smile for the first time and loved the acting in it. Now I'm on the hunt for great recommendations for all-women or prominently women ensemble movies. Release the hounds!
Thelma and Louise. Fried Green Tomatoes. How To Marry a Millionaire. The Women. Ooh ooh! Antonia's Line! Whatever Happened To Baby Jane. Bridesmaids.
posted by Specklet at 11:42 AM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Specklet at 11:42 AM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
Rachel Getting Married
A Thousand Acres
White Oleander
Grey Gardens
The Hours
Devil Wears Prada
Dancing at Lughnassa
posted by fshgrl at 11:50 AM on February 1, 2014 [2 favorites]
A Thousand Acres
White Oleander
Grey Gardens
The Hours
Devil Wears Prada
Dancing at Lughnassa
posted by fshgrl at 11:50 AM on February 1, 2014 [2 favorites]
Call the Midwife, tv series, British.
posted by effluvia at 11:52 AM on February 1, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by effluvia at 11:52 AM on February 1, 2014 [2 favorites]
August: Osage County is primarily a female cast with some male fillers.
posted by srboisvert at 11:52 AM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by srboisvert at 11:52 AM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
Oh, and Heathers. And The Descent!
posted by whistle pig at 11:56 AM on February 1, 2014
posted by whistle pig at 11:56 AM on February 1, 2014
8 Women.
I'll save everyone the trouble of looking for "all female cast" on IMDB. Its not helpful. And fairly depressing.
posted by biffa at 11:57 AM on February 1, 2014
I'll save everyone the trouble of looking for "all female cast" on IMDB. Its not helpful. And fairly depressing.
posted by biffa at 11:57 AM on February 1, 2014
In French, but the version I own is subtitled: 8 Femmes. It's a film adaptation of a play, with eight women and one man, whom you rarely see.
---preview---
Dammit, biffa!
posted by Liesl at 11:59 AM on February 1, 2014
---preview---
Dammit, biffa!
posted by Liesl at 11:59 AM on February 1, 2014
The Women is a sublime classic. No males--even the dog is female.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 11:59 AM on February 1, 2014 [7 favorites]
posted by Admiral Haddock at 11:59 AM on February 1, 2014 [7 favorites]
Boys on the Side
Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day
posted by fourpotatoes at 12:00 PM on February 1, 2014
Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day
posted by fourpotatoes at 12:00 PM on February 1, 2014
Picnic at Hanging Rock, which takes place on Valentine's Day, 1900, when the young women of Appleyard College are given a brief respite from the rigidity of their campus (and the formidable Mrs. Appleyard, played by Rachel Roberts) to see the sights of Hanging Rock. It's eerie, otherworldy, and altogether captivating.
The Descent. A gang of sportive friends gather – for the first time since Sarah's husband died – for a weekend of camaraderie and spelunking. It's a well-structured, harrowing film. (I recommend you look for the original ending, not the U.S. theatrical ending.)
Enchanted April. Four women, strangers to each other, combine their modest resources to rent a villa in Italy and escape the dreary, damp spring of 1920s London. Miranda Richardson and Joan Plowright won Golden Globes for their roles; Joan Plowright was Oscar nominated, as was the screenplay.
9 to 5. Three office workers (Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda) team up to take on their chauvinistic, exploitative boss (Dabny Coleman). I caught this recently on TV (so, the edited version) and was surprised how well it held up, fantasy sequences and all.
posted by Elsa at 12:00 PM on February 1, 2014 [4 favorites]
The Descent. A gang of sportive friends gather – for the first time since Sarah's husband died – for a weekend of camaraderie and spelunking. It's a well-structured, harrowing film. (I recommend you look for the original ending, not the U.S. theatrical ending.)
Enchanted April. Four women, strangers to each other, combine their modest resources to rent a villa in Italy and escape the dreary, damp spring of 1920s London. Miranda Richardson and Joan Plowright won Golden Globes for their roles; Joan Plowright was Oscar nominated, as was the screenplay.
9 to 5. Three office workers (Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda) team up to take on their chauvinistic, exploitative boss (Dabny Coleman). I caught this recently on TV (so, the edited version) and was surprised how well it held up, fantasy sequences and all.
posted by Elsa at 12:00 PM on February 1, 2014 [4 favorites]
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, featuring Maggie Smith's unforgettable, Academy Award-winning performance in the title role. (Some male roles, but mostly women/girls. The novel it is based on was also by a woman.)
posted by trip and a half at 12:32 PM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by trip and a half at 12:32 PM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
A League of Their Own
The Watermelon Woman
Whip It
If you can only pick one off this list, I'd say The Watermelon Woman. The cast are clearly having fun, and these days it's a fascinating study of just how hard it was to track down obscure information pre-Internet.
posted by ActionPopulated at 1:23 PM on February 1, 2014
The Watermelon Woman
Whip It
If you can only pick one off this list, I'd say The Watermelon Woman. The cast are clearly having fun, and these days it's a fascinating study of just how hard it was to track down obscure information pre-Internet.
posted by ActionPopulated at 1:23 PM on February 1, 2014
Personal Velocity is very good. But then I love Parker Posey.
Seconding Heathers, The Hours, and Enchanted April.
Also, Mystic Pizza.
posted by Blitz at 1:32 PM on February 1, 2014
Seconding Heathers, The Hours, and Enchanted April.
Also, Mystic Pizza.
posted by Blitz at 1:32 PM on February 1, 2014
nthing The Women, the original, not the weak-assed remake.
Not a man in sight and the dialogue sparkles!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:48 PM on February 1, 2014 [2 favorites]
Not a man in sight and the dialogue sparkles!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:48 PM on February 1, 2014 [2 favorites]
Bridesmaids
Friends With Money
Waiting to Exhale
The Help
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
NOT the 2008 remake of The Women--it's unwatchable
St. Trinian's
Little Women
Charlie's Angel's, if you're in the mood
’Night, Mother
The Craft, once again, you have to be in the mood
posted by Ideefixe at 2:47 PM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
Friends With Money
Waiting to Exhale
The Help
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
NOT the 2008 remake of The Women--it's unwatchable
St. Trinian's
Little Women
Charlie's Angel's, if you're in the mood
’Night, Mother
The Craft, once again, you have to be in the mood
posted by Ideefixe at 2:47 PM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
Made in Dagenham is a wonderful movie with an incredible British cast.
posted by Ziggy500 at 2:50 PM on February 1, 2014
posted by Ziggy500 at 2:50 PM on February 1, 2014
Pitch Perfect!
posted by mismatched at 4:11 PM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by mismatched at 4:11 PM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is one of my favorites for this
posted by Mchelly at 4:51 PM on February 1, 2014
posted by Mchelly at 4:51 PM on February 1, 2014
Cry "Havoc" (1943), Army nurses during the fall of Bataan.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:04 PM on February 1, 2014
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:04 PM on February 1, 2014
The Group, based on the novel by Mary McCarthy (which is also great).
posted by book 'em dano at 7:39 PM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by book 'em dano at 7:39 PM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
If you can find it, Altman's Come Back to the Five And Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean fits the bill.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:42 PM on February 1, 2014
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:42 PM on February 1, 2014
Is French okay? Venus Beauty Institute.
posted by madonna of the unloved at 9:12 PM on February 1, 2014
posted by madonna of the unloved at 9:12 PM on February 1, 2014
The Jane Austen Book Club. There are guys in it, and one in a central role, but it's mostly about the ensemble of women.
posted by kbar1 at 10:25 PM on February 1, 2014
posted by kbar1 at 10:25 PM on February 1, 2014
The Magdalene Sisters—excellent acting from the all-female central ensemble.
Old and subtitled, but worthwhile: Mädchen in Uniform
posted by Orinda at 10:42 PM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
Old and subtitled, but worthwhile: Mädchen in Uniform
posted by Orinda at 10:42 PM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
All About My Mother (Todo sobre mi madre) is brilliant. Most Almodovar films fit the bill, I think.
Definitely seconding Antonia's Line. I loved this film.
Since the wonderful series Call the Midwife has been suggested, too, I'm going to recommend The Bletchley Circle.
Precious
Bend It Like Beckham
posted by sively at 1:54 AM on February 2, 2014
Definitely seconding Antonia's Line. I loved this film.
Since the wonderful series Call the Midwife has been suggested, too, I'm going to recommend The Bletchley Circle.
Precious
Bend It Like Beckham
posted by sively at 1:54 AM on February 2, 2014
Bagdad Cafe -- not all women, but the 2 female leads are great!
posted by I'm Brian and so's my wife! at 11:25 AM on February 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by I'm Brian and so's my wife! at 11:25 AM on February 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
Now and Then!
posted by anotheraccount at 8:33 AM on February 3, 2014
posted by anotheraccount at 8:33 AM on February 3, 2014
Most Almodovar films fit the bill, I think.
I agree, and thought I'd mention Volver since it hadn't come up yet.
posted by bcwinters at 6:05 PM on February 3, 2014
I agree, and thought I'd mention Volver since it hadn't come up yet.
posted by bcwinters at 6:05 PM on February 3, 2014
« Older How do non-students get more than just the... | I can't do too much... even though it seems like I... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by fresh-rn at 11:35 AM on February 1, 2014 [1 favorite]