Being Geek Chic is a blog about one woman navigating the male-dominated industries of production and tech. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi, Founder, CEO and Director of Mighteor - one of the world's first internet video production companies. Learn more about Mighteor here.
This whole thing started with a mission: support female led films on opening weekend whenever possible.* If you want to read more about why, you can read that post here.
Now that the Oscars are over, we are about to hit a real serious slump in the quality of movie offerings in our local cinemas. But fear not, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 is coming back to remind us just how funny family comedies can be. I’m not even kidding. I’m super stoked for this movie. Really. Seriously.
MARCH 4th:
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (Starring Tina Fey)
When reporter Kim Barker’s life needs something more, she decides to ‘shake it all up’ by taking an assignment in a war zone. There, in the midst of chaos, she finds the strength she never knew she had. Sometimes it takes saying 'WTF’ to find the life you were always destined to have.
They Will Have to Kill Us First (Directed by Johanna Schwartz)
Musicians unite to organize a concert in Timbuktu, Mali, after Islamic extremists ban all forms of music in the country.
MARCH 11th:
Hello, My Name is Doris (Written by Laura Terruso and Starring Sally Field)
With help from her best friend’s (Tyne Daly) granddaughter (Isabella Acres), a smitten woman (Sally Field) concocts schemes to get the attention of a younger co-worker (Max Greenfield) in her office.
About Scout (Directed by Laurie Weltz and introducing India Ennenga)
A rebellious Goth girl embarks on a road trip across Texas with a suicidal young man in an effort to find her little sister.
Lolo (Directed by Julie Deply)
A workaholic in the fashion industry surprises herself by falling for a computer geek.
MARCH 18th:
Sweet Bean (Directed by Naomi Kawase)
Sentaro runs a small bakery that serves dorayakis—pastries filled with sweet red bean paste. When an old lady, Tokue, offers to help in the kitchen, he reluctantly accepts.
MARCH 25th:
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (Written by and Starring Nia Vardalos)
The Portokalos family gathers for a massive wedding after Toula’s (Nia Vardalos) parents learn that they were never legally married.
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One additional note before I go: I am not able to tell you if these movies are objectively good or feminist friendly, as I have not seen all of them. The point of this list is to give you a place to start. The truth is that we don’t have a lot to choose from, but part of the battle is giving you the information. Information is power. However, shared knowledge is also key. So if you see one of these films or have seen an early screening, please let us know if you recommend it or not in the comments.
This whole thing started with a mission: support female led films on opening weekend whenever possible.* If you want to read more about why, you can read that post here.
When it comes to women in Hollywood, we get three identities: mom, daughter and romantic lead. Maybe it’s because it’s February. Maybe it’s the stereotype. But whatever it is, this is the month of women falling in love. I would love to see this kind of movie from a man’s perspective, but alas. This month, we’ll settle for Gilly’s attitude and a film on being single as our reprieve.
FEBRUARY 5TH:
All Roads Lead to Rome (Directed by Ella Lemhagen; Screenplay by Cindy Myers; Starring Sarah Jessica Parker)
Logline: Maggie is an uptight, single mother and college writing teacher from New York City. In an effort to reconnect with her troubled teen daughter Summer, she decides to embark on a journey to a Tuscan village where she frequented in her younger days. Upon arrival, Maggie runs into Luca, a handsome former lover who is still a bachelor and lives with his eighty-year-old mother, Carmen. Summer (missing her “bad boy” boyfriend in NYC) and Carmen (secretly planning a wedding against Luca’s wishes to Marcelino, her one true love in Rome) impulsively steal Luca’s car and race off to Rome. Maggie and Luca quickly pursue allowing the two mismatched couples to spend some time together and develop a new understanding of each other.
FEBRUARY 12TH:
How to be Single (Screenplay by Dana Fox and Abby Kohn; Starring Rebel Wilson and Allison Brie)
Logline: New York City is full of lonely hearts seeking the right match, and what Alice, Robin, Lucy, Meg, Tom and David all have in common is the need to learn how to be single in a world filled with ever-evolving definitions of love.
Tumbledown (Screenplay by Desiree Van Til; Starring Rebecca Hall)
Logline: A young woman struggles to move on with her life after the death of her husband, an acclaimed folk singer, when a brash New York writer forces her to confront her loss and the ambiguous circumstances of his death.
Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong (Directed and Written by Emily Ting)
Logline: An attraction forms when a Chinese American girl visiting Hong Kong for the first time meets an American expat who shows her the way, but timing may not quite be on their side. A walk and talk romance set in the beautiful city of Hong Kong, the film asks the question - what happens when you meet the right person at the wrong time?
FEBRUARY 19TH:
The Great Gilly Hopkins (Starring Sophie Nelisse and Kathy Bates)
Logline: 12-year-old wisecracking Gilly Hopkins finds herself shuffled from foster home to foster home until she meets Maime Trotter.
FEBRUARY 26TH:
Marguerite and Julien (Directed and Written by Valérie Donzelli)
Logline: An aristocratic brother and sister embrace passion and hope as they flee from society. A story of desire, love and death beyond all morality.
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One additional note before I go: I am not able to tell you if these movies are objectively good or feminist friendly, as I have not seen all of them. The point of this list is to give you a place to start. The truth is that we don’t have a lot to choose from, but part of the battle is giving you the information. Information is power. However, shared knowledge is also key. So if you see one of these films or have seen an early screening, please let us know if you recommend it or not in the comments.
This whole thing started with a mission: support female led films on opening weekend whenever possible.* If you want to read more about why, you can read that post here.
It’s a rough month at the theaters for women. When I say I’m stretching to give you this list, I mean that. But with the Oscars coming and awards season dictating that anything truly good has already hit the theaters, it’s not a huge surprise we don’t have much to choose from. However, we do have Natalie Dormer in a starring role and she is always worth seeing. Always.
JANUARY 8TH:
The Forest (Co-Written by Sarah Cornwell and Starring Natalie Dormer)
Logline: A young woman searches for her twin sister in a Japanese forest only to find herself surrounded by paranormal forces.
JANUARY 22ND:
The Fifth Wave (Written by Susannah Grant and Starring Chloe Grace Moretz)
Logline: Four waves of increasingly deadly alien attacks have left most of Earth decimated. Cassie is on the run, desperately trying to save her younger brother.
JANUARY 29TH:
Kung Fu Panda 3 (Directed by Jennifer Yuh and Starring Angelina Jolie)
Logline: Continuing his “legendary adventures of awesomeness”, Po must face two hugely epic, but different threats: one supernatural and the other a little closer to his home.
Jane Got a Gun (Starring Natalie Portman)
Logline: A woman asks her ex-lover for help in order to save her outlaw husband from a gang out to kill him.
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One additional note before I go: I am not able to tell you if these movies are objectively good or feminist friendly, as I have not seen all of them. The point of this list is to give you a place to start. The truth is that we don’t have a lot to choose from, but part of the battle is giving you the information. Information is power. However, shared knowledge is also key. So if you see one of these films or have seen an early screening, please let us know if you recommend it or not in the comments.
This whole thing started with a mission: support female led films on opening weekend whenever possible.* If you want to read more about why, you can read that post here.
It’s easy to think of December as nothing more than that crazy time when Christians and former Christians give each other presents and spend a ridiculous amount of time pretending they wanted said presents. I have a suggestion: Instead of spending your precious funds on crappy slippers and yet another fad-tech gadget, take your family to a movie. Specifically, one of these movies starring, directed by or written by women.
DECEMBER 4TH:
The Lady in the Van: Starring Maggie Smith
Logline: A man forms an unexpected bond with a transient woman living in her car that’s parked in his driveway.
A Very Murray Christmas: Written and directed by Sofia Coppola
Logline: Bill Murray worries no one will show up to his T.V. show due to a terrible snow-storm in New York City.
*Note, this is a Netflix original, so it will be available in theaters AND on Netflix for streaming. Be an awesome human and stream it the weekend it releases to show Netflix just how much we support their work to be inclusive.
The Letters: Starring Juliet Stevenson
Logline: A drama that explores the life of Mother Teresa through letters she wrote to her longtime friend and spiritual advisor, Father Celeste van Exem over a nearly 50-year period.
Chi-Raq: Starring Teyonah Parris
Logline: A modern day adaptation of the ancient Greek play Lysistrata by Aristophanes, set against the backdrop of gang violence in Chicago.
*Note, this is an Amazon original, so it will be available online on this date. Be awesome and stream it the weekend it releases to show Amazon just how much we support their work to be inclusive.
The World of Kanako: Starring Nana Komatsu and Written by Miako Tadano
Logline: As former detective Akikazu searches for his missing daughter, Kanako, he soon learns she has a mysterious secret life.
DECEMBER 18TH:
Sisters: Written by Paula Pell. Starring Tina Fey And Amy Poehler
Logline: Two sisters decide to throw one last house party before their parents sell their family home.
DECEMBER 25TH:
Joy: Written by Annie Mumolo. Starring Jennifer Lawrence
Logline: Joy is the story of a family across four generations and the woman who rises to become founder and matriarch of a powerful family business dynasty.
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One additional note before I go: I am not able to tell you if these movies are objectively good or feminist friendly, as I have not seen all of them. The point of this list is to give you a place to start. The truth is that we don’t have a lot to choose from, but part of the battle is giving you the information. Information is power. However, shared knowledge is also key. So if you see one of these films or have seen an early screening, please let us know if you recommend it or not in the comments.
Truth: I wasn’t excited about the new Star Wars movie. No trailer could get me jazzed. No BB8 toy. No new apparel. Even the awesome cast couldn’t get me pumped. I attribute this to two things: 1. I feel like the movie has overtaken the new culture for the last few years and it hasn’t even been seen, which feels like a lot of hype for an unknown entity. 2. I don’t totally trust JJ Abrams with female characters. Sorry, JJ.
But then, Shonda Rhimes proudly introduced the new movie clips as part of her tour with her book Year of Yes. On top of that, the film released a new TV spot last week during the Thank God It’s Thursday lineup on ABC that seemed to heavily rely on the story of Daisy, the primary female character we’ve been introduced to in previous trailers and teasers. For those that don’t know, TGIT is the night where Shonda Rhimes’ properties take over the television and nothing else matters but women kicking ass and being represented.
So what does it all mean?
Here’s a theory: this film may be more about Daisy than any other character. And in fact, this is a female led Star Wars movie. And in fact, it’s also a movie with a second lead that’s a person of color.
If that’s the case, then hell yeah, I can get excited. Real excited. Not only would it mean that we are officially living in an era where major properties are putting non-white dudes in the lead, but it means an long-established property with record-breaking presales are going to be pushing that exact narrative. Of course, I have no problem with that. No problem at all.
