UP WITH WOMEN (2)

Inspired by Hillary Clinton’s near-miss run for president and Kamala Harris’ election to vice-president, I recently wrote an article about films celebrating women. But I ran out of room- hang on- I’ve got more!

In My Brilliant Career (1979) Judy Davis is a headstrong young woman bound to make her way in Australia at the turn of the century. She is also determined to maintain her values of civility and her love of the arts. This is a very tough go in a very rough place, not noted for sophistication or equality for females. 

Michael Caine has seldom been better than as the somewhat shopworn professor in Educating Rita (1983). But Julie Walters, as his working class student trying to move up in the world, steals the movie outright. The film brilliantly shows us her life and why she wants a change. That none of her friends and relatives seem to sympathize or even understand her ambitions only makes her more determined. This is a very good film; a lovely secret no longer kept. 

Another fine film from the same director, Lewis Gilbert,  features the superb Pauline Collins as Shirley Valentine (1989). Shirley is somewhat discontented with her middle class existence and she takes off on a vacation on her own (without husband) and sort of discovers herself. You might remember Miss Collins as the saucy Sarah in the wonderful Masterpiece Theatre series, Upstairs, Downstairs. 

Annette Benning is the other side of wonderful as the title character in Being Julia (2004). She is a middle-aged actress married to producer Jeremy Irons. Both have flings, which doesn’t seem to bother either of them. An ingenue appearing in the same play as Julia does her best to hog the stage. Bad mistake! Find out for yourself the delicious revenge exacted on this whipper-snapper. 

Sally Field is a brand new widow left with a cotton farm and a bevy of variously disabled helpers in Places In The Heart (1984). She must get the cotton crop in to save the farm, and the odds are awfully long. But hey, this is Hollywood! Ms. Field is just wonderful in this part. She won the Oscar and made her famous “You really like me” acceptance speech. Ed Harris, John Malcovich and Danny Glover provide good support. 

And thanks to daughter Nancy, who pointed out one I missed: 9 to 5 (1980) with Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin turning the tables on boss-from-hell Dabney Coleman. 

All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. There’s  nothing to keep kids away except that the stories are really for grown-ups.