I love girly movies. And when I'm talking about girly movies, I don't necessarily mean films starring girls and women, or created by women. I definitely don't mean romantic-comedies, though some of the movies below have romance and comedy in them. I'm talking about the movies that are unapologetically, unabashedly, aimed at women. These movies center on the female POV and treat the preferences, concerns, and tastes of women and girls seriously in a world that too often doesn't. And though there are a few bittersweet entries, I find that the best girly movies focus on positivity and uplift, and are great for boosting my mood.
Legally Blonde - I resisted the charms of Elle Woods for a long time, but in the end it was impossible. I love the character and I love this movie. I love the notion of the ultra-feminine, bubbly blonde glam girl also being a whip-smart law student who uses her powers for good. She can be a girly girl and do important, serious work. She can reject the snobbery and privilege of the elites and choose sisterhood and solidarity, while still being her most fabulous self. Is it a fantasy? Yes. Is it one we need? Hell yes.
Catherine, Called Birdy - Easily the least popular film on this list, but it's such a great encapsulation of adolescent growing pains. Catherine is growing up in an era where the rules of love and womanhood are completely out of step with how she wants to live her life, and her well-meaning father just doesn't understand. And really, is that any different than how things are for some girls in every era? And Bella Ramsay is perfect at embodying Birdy in all her rebellious, mischievous, stubborn impossibility.
Pitch Perfect - It's "Glee" if it were from the creators of "30 Rock," which is more or less what happened here, because the main writer/producer of the series is Kay Cannon. Honestly, the three "Pitch Perfect" movies have all blended together in my mind at this point, but I remember the first one being the funniest and it helped give Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson a significant boost in visibility. And I appreciate that the comedy came first, inspiring other films like "Bottoms" to follow suit.
One of Them Days - Let's hear it for the ones keeping it real. Dreux and Alyssa, played by Keke Palmer and SZA, are just trying to come up with their overdue rent money and get through a bad day that keeps getting worse. There are not enough theatrical comedies like this anymore - the right size and scope, aimed at the sorely underserved black audience, with the right combination of talent involved to give everybody the opportunity to shine. A sequel is reportedly in the works, and I can't wait to see it.
Bring it On - This has spawned six direct-to-video sequels so far. Six! Released in the year 2000, this barely made the cutoff date, and honestly this feels like a 90s movie more than a 2000s one culturally. However, the impact of "Bring it On" is undeniable, a mixture of high energy sports movie, dance movie, and high school movie, with Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union showing that they could carry a movie as they were transitioning from teen roles to leading lady status. It holds up better that you'd think.
Lady Bird - There's probably too much Greta Gerwig on this list, but I had to have some Saoirse Ronan representation, and the best Saoirse Ronan movie is "Lady Bird." She's an exceptional young woman, but like so many exceptional young women, she's got all the same problems that everyone else does growing up. As the movie explores Lady Bird's universe, it's also a love letter to Gerwig's hometown of Sacramento and the benefits of a Catholic school education - not something you see much of in the movies anymore.
The Devil Wears Prada - Yes, part of the impetus for me writing this list was the hype for the arrival of "The Devil Wears Prada 2." Do you remember in the mid-2000s when there was all this media about the fashion industry like "Project Runway" and "Ugly Betty" and "America's Next Top Model"? Meryl Streep in this movie may as well have been the queen of that universe - a nightmare boss, but a figure of consummate taste, talent and professionalism to be admired, feared, and never taken for granted.
Barbie - Everything about the promotional campaign, and later the awards campaign was so positive and fun. It injected a burst of color and shine into the pop culture when we really needed it. And Gerwig and Baumbach clearly understood the assignment, making a film that loves, hates, subverts, and pays homage to the titular toy representation of American femininity. I would have liked it to be a little deeper, but then again I suspect America Ferrera's monologue and Ryan Gosling learning that he was Kenough via dream ballet was probably as much as the general audience could handle.
Bend it Like Beckham - There were lots of good contenders for girly sports movies like "Whip It!" and "Blue Crush," but "Bend it Like Beckham" ended up being the one I couldn't leave off. It's such a great snapshot of growing up as an immigrant kid, trying to balance all the competing demands of different cultures, parental expectations, and new opportunities. It has one of the most genuinely sweet lesbian panic situations ever. Oh, and this is the movie where most of us first saw Keira Knightley.
Kpop Demon Hunters - Finally, this is an unlikely charmer that I didn't see coming. I've never really understood the appeal of K-pop. However, the soundtrack is such an important part of why this movie works, delivering earworm after earworm to help enliven a familiar story about forbidden love and being a secret half-demon warrior. The snazzy animation, wild humor, and some gentle ribbing of the music industry don't hurt either. Thus, "Josie and the Pussycats" got edged out of the Top Ten.
Ahem.
Josie and the Pussycats
Little Women
Whip It
Turning Red
The Princess Diaries
Romy and Michele's High School Reunion
Booksmart
Mean Girls
Polite Society
Eighth Grade
Bridesmaids
Frances Ha
Wicked
Miss Congeniality
Easy A
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