Wendell at Dell on Movies is celebrating his annual blogathon Girl Week! An occasion to highlight women in films. The criteria of the blogathon allows for movies with a female protagonist or directed by women.
I started out with a list of best female buddy movies which was way too long, so I narrowed it down to the 90s. Unquestionably there are films I missed, I tried to include what defined the decade for the female friendship aspects.
Thelma & Louise (1991)
(Paving the way for great roles for women, a female version of 1969’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, with two anti-hero rebels facing adversity. Directed by Ridley Scott, a dark yet empowering road movie. Beautifully lensed and well-acted, the ending is unforgettable)
Career Girls (1997)
(UK drama. An overlooked and rewatchable gem in Mike Leigh’s filmography. About two university friends who reunite and how their relationship has changed, or maybe not changed. At first we wonder why they are even buddies, they show it in very different ways. Funny and heartfelt)
Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
(A warm-hearted crowd pleaser based on the 1987 book Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. Evelyn (Katy Bates) is bored in her marriage. Things change when she meets Ninny (Jessica Tandy) at a nursing home and hears her stories. Ninny talks about her friendships of the past. Possibly too sappy for some viewers)
The Dreamlife of Angels (1998)
(French drama. Elodie Bouchez and Natacha Regnier both won Best Actress honors at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. I liked the friendship depicted, even though the blonde is making stupid decisions. I wonder sometimes when characters are supposedly without money or a roof to sleep under, why they don’t just go on the dole, but it does have excellent performances. Powerful story)
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
(A long time since I watched but left a mark .Takes place in a psychiatric hospital for women in the 1960s. Angelina Jolie stands out as the mischievous Lisa whom Susanna (Winona Ryder) befriends)
The Craft (1996)
(I can see why has become a cult favorite, definitely rewatch potential. Apparently the lead is not the girl from Gilmore Girls. The opening 45 minutes are especially enjoyable, the second half is a bit over the top. According to what I’ve read, Fairuza Balk (Nancy) was an actual practicing Wiccan for a while. Yikes)
Clueless (1995)
Mean Girls (2004) owes a lot to this 90s high school classic. Written and directed by Amy Heckerling, Clueless offered examples of the occasionally foreign way teens communicate, introducing new phrases into the teenage vernacular. Very entertaining and quotable. About popularity while also a clever satire of Beverly Hills)
Yet to watch:
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997)
Poison Ivy (1992)
Spice World (1997)
What do you think? As always, comments are welcome
moviesandsongs365.wordpress.com 
Beautiful Creatures (2000) is a British crime film starring Susan Lynch (No relation!) and Rachel Weisz is a darkly humorous movie. As with most decent films it’s not scored well on IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes which are dominated by 12 year old American boys who only enjoy superhero movies or films featuring women with unfeasibly large breasts. And I think American film critics lack any sense of humour. But what can you say for a country that thinks Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller are funny.
I liked “Ghost World” too. .
LikeLiked by 1 person
@Lynchie: I almost have enough films to do a list on the 2000s with the suggestions in the comment thread. Haven’t seen the first one you mention but sounds interesting. Thora Birch is so funny in Ghost World.
LikeLike
Hello Chris! How are you? Uh I love Dreamlife of Angels! I still watch it time to time. So moving. Love them both, but especially Marie.
It’s really interesting to see how these girls manage their lives so differently but at the same time together.
Tomatoes, Thelma & Louise and Girl… are amazing. All of them left a mark on me.
If I could add a couple more I
would choose, of course, The double life of Veronique but also The Secretary (just love the story).
I’m watching Isabelle Huppert’s films now. And i recently discovered Nicola Walker. Wonderful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
@Ana:: I’m well thanks
I’m overdue a rewatch of Dreamlife of Angels. I own it on dvd
Double life of Veronique is a great film from the 90s. I don’t know if I’d label it a female “buddy” film though you could somehow make that argument I guess! 🙂
Isabelle Huppert. Piano Teacher and Elle are great. Things to Come (2016) is overrrated
LikeLike
Oh I don’t understand what “female buddy film” means ja. Just talking about films with great roles for women, sorry!!! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, The Secretary is almost there, 2002 🙂
Take care!
LikeLiked by 1 person
@Ana: The Secretary is the kind of unpredictable story where you don’t know what’s going to happen next!
You too, take care.
LikeLike
I love The Dreamlife of Angels as that is a phenomenal film. I also enjoyed Clueless, Career Girls, Girl, Interrupted, and Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion. Thelma & Louise is OK while The Craft hasn’t aged well for me. I can’t watch Fried Green Tomatoes, it’s too sappy for me and way too safe for my tastes. Spice World is OK if you don’t take it seriously while Poison Ivy I don’t think is a female buddy film but rather an erotic drama. One film I would suggest is Manny & Lo about 2 sisters who go on the run as one of them is pregnant as they kidnap an odd sales clerk to help them with the baby as it’s a film that features an early lead role from Scarlett Johansson.
LikeLiked by 1 person
@ninvoid99: I’m glad you discovered Dreamlife of Angels, I think we talked on it when I wrote a mini-review a while back. Based on the trailer, the “female friendship” in Poison Ivy looks quite calculating. The Craft has a 55% Rotten score though I enjoyed it, especially the first half. I’ve not seen Manny & Lo, those low-budget indie movies can be very good sometimes.
LikeLike
I still haven’t seen Girl, Interrupted… or Thelma & Louise! I’ve seen Fried Green Tomatoes (a bit sappy, but hey, it’s a nice Sunday afternoon flick) and I used to like The Craft quite a bit, but haven’t seen it in a long time.
My favourite female buddy movie is The Descent. That counts, right?
LikeLiked by 1 person
@J; Fried Green Tomatoes is a bit sappy but sometimes that is what I need.
The Descent (2005) is a good choice if I ever did a similar female buddy list about the 2000s.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My word, you’re right… for some reason I was thinking The Descent was released late 90’s.
LikeLiked by 1 person
” According to what I’ve read, Fairuza Balk (Nancy) was an actual practicing Wiccan for a while. Yikes”
And “Yikes” because….?
LikeLiked by 1 person
@sati: The unfortunate thing about movies is they sometimes promote negative stereotypes of witchcraft, paganism, cults, etc. I shouldn’t be scared but after films like Midsommar I’m uncomfortable. I’ve read Wiccans are mostly benign, I guess I was disrespectful to those who practise this religion.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nah, you are totally right. As a Wiccan who has been practicing for years every year I go on killing spree around Halloween. Dozens of dead. We all do. Just like in the movies.
LikeLiked by 1 person
@sati: lol
LikeLike
I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve only seen a couple of these. More embarrassed to admit Thelma & Louise is one of the ones I haven’t seen. It’s actually on my blind spot list this year, but I’m having trouble getting through that at the moment. Thanks for contributing and giving me lots of movies to track down.
LikeLiked by 1 person
@Wendell: Will look out for your thoughts on Thelma & Louise
LikeLike
I love your suggestions. I haven’t seen many of them so I will hunt them down. For these ones you want to see…Spice World – I think I did see this and it was a bit silly, it is about the Spice Girls at the height of their fame, it might be good for a laugh now though. Romy and Michele – it’s OK for a light comedy if that is what you’re after. Poison Ivy is an erotic thriller rather than a chick flick I think.
LikeLiked by 1 person
@Content Catnip: Nice to hear you liked the post. Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997) looks like an American counterpart to Career Girls (1997)
Spice Girls were everywhere when I was a teenager and I can’t really imagine the 90s without their music. I’m a little apprehensive about watching the movie due to its poor reception though looks like harmless fun! Who knows, might be a film to go on the so-bad-it’s-good list 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too, me too. It reminds me of my teens too hehe, it was a good time. It scarily seems not too long ago though and I wonder where the time has gone. I can’t imagine the 90’s without them either. Romy and Michelle is pure 90’s as well, I think you will love it too
LikeLiked by 1 person
The only ones I’ve see are Girl Interrupted (which I liked) and Clueless (which I didn’t) It’s a bit embarrassing that I’ve missed some of these.
LikeLiked by 1 person
@Brittani: Thelma & Louise and Fried Green Tomatoes are two films that got a lot of buzz in the early 90s for their feminist stance. Though I personally prefer Career Girls and The Dreamlife of Angels for the realism.
LikeLike
Nice point about the quotability of Clueless, as if!
LikeLiked by 1 person
@stephen1001: It’s funny how we use quotes from entertainment in our daily lives. I sometimes use Columbo’s “one last thing” when I’m about to leave
LikeLiked by 1 person