International Women’s Day is here folks. March the 8th. A day in which every woman commemorates the struggle of gender equality, human rights and anti-discrimination based on sex. It’s also a day of observance. And while it’s celebrated in some parts of the world, in some is also ignored.
But here at IndieGala, we decided to mark this day with a post in which we acknowledge and thank the female part of our audience. You’re a special (albeit less numerous) part of our daily workings here at IndieGala. And we just want to say thank you for your devotion and help in our growth.
International Women’s Day: An Annual Inspiration For Equality?
Well, it certainly is for plenty of women around the world. However, in my case, I’m happy that I’m given the task to write this post. As the only woman on IndieGala’s Blog team, I’m happy to do it. And to recommend some great sources of entertainment for March 8th. Both from the gaming perspective and a cinematic perspective.
A Fine Selection For International Women’s Day
Yes, we do have a fine selection of movies and video games here at the IndieGala blog. But before I go any further with my movie list, I should start with the video game portion of this post. Indeed, all of the games I will mention here at available fur purchase, and some of them are true bargains. But one common thing about all of the games here is that all of them have a female protagonist. And a strong female presence.
Such as the point and click adventure Syberia, that I recently wrote about. It’s awesome and you should check it out here. But we have plenty more. Die Young is another great game that I wrote about, and I did my Filmaholic Gamer review as well. But if you’re interested in Filmaholic Game reviews then check out my Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey review. I enjoyed playing the game, and I loved Kassandra too. It’s up to you to pick the best one for you and enjoy.
But what about the movies? Well, I have a fanatic selection there as well. Again, scroll down this post and pick the best flick for you.
Lady Bird
A coming of age drama that not only has one of the most talented actresses in the lead. But also one of the most talented female writers/directors working today. Greta Gerwig. And yes. Saorise Ronan is probably one of the most talented actresses of her generation. For sure. But Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges and Timothée Chalamet are not too shabby either. However, Lady Bird follows Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Ronan). In her senior year of high school no less. But the movie shows us her struggles to navigate her future as well. Her first romance is depicted in the movie, and so is the strained relationship with her mother (Metcalf).
Lady Bird was nominated for 5 Academy Awards but lost in every category. But despite the loss at the Oscars, Lady Bird is still one of the best mother/daughter movies out there. And deserves your attention of course.
Fun fact: Greta Gerwig has said that she was the polar opposite of her lead character “Lady Bird” as she was growing up. She was strait-laced and not at all rebellious.
Mothers and Daughters
A movie that’s a year older than Lady Bird, and with a different ensemble cast in it. But it’s a good movie nonetheless and it deserves your attention. Mothers and Daughters is a movie about exactly that. Stories about the lives of several mothers and the relationships with their daughters. Seen through the lenses of a photographer and a future mother. The cast is top-notch here. From Sharon Stone, Selma Blair, Christina Ricci, Mira Sorvino, to Courtney Cox. Including the real-life mother and daughter. Susan Sarandon and Eva Amurri.
Fun fact: Mira Sorvino and Christopher Backus, who plays her boyfriend Sebastian, are actually husband and wife in real life.
20th Century Women
Greta Gerwig, the director of LadyBird is in 20th Century Women. But this time solely as an actress, and not as part of the crew. Written and directed by Mike Mills, 20th Century Women is about Jamie Fields (Lucas Jade Zumann) and the women in his life. Starting with his mother Dorothea (Annette Bening) and the other women around him. They all helped to raise him and shaped him in a very specific way. But aside from Greta and Annette, Elle Fanning is also in it. So is Alison Elliott. But I can’t forget about Billy Crudup and Alia Shawkat. It’s a great movie with fantastic performances. Especially from Annette Bening. It’s also perfect for International Women’s Day.
Fun fact: This is Elle Fanning’s second film with three multigenerational women at the center. The first was 3 Generations (2015).
Ricki And The Flash
Ricki And The Flash is the first of the two movies on this list that have Meryl Streep in the lead. She’s an icon, and a legend and I just adore pretty much every one of her movies. So, the first of my picks is Ricki And The Flash. And in it, Meryl is the titular character. A woman who abandoned her family to start a musical career. Only to return and try to make amends with her family. And much like with Mothers and Daughters, Ricki And The Flash has a real-life mother and daughter duo. Meryl stars opposite her eldest daughter Mary Willa “Mamie” Gummer. She’s also an actress, and they were great together. This is a movie I recommend. It also has a great supporting cast that consists of Kevin Kline, Sebastian Stan, Rick Springfield. A must-watch.
Fun fact: Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline previously starred in Sophie’s Choice (1982). Streep won her second Oscar for that movie. While pregnant with daughter Mamie Gummer, who played Streep and Kline’s daughter in this film.
Mamma Mia
And let’s end this list with a musical. Shall we? A musical with Meryl Streep in the lead is one of the most beloved musicals of all time. That is if you’re a fan of ABBA as well. But Mamma Mia is about the quest of one bride to be (Amanda Seyfried) to find her biological father. There are three different candidates and lots of singing and dancing in between. But over here in Mamma Mia, Meryl and Amanda are in good company. Stellan Skarsgård, Colin Firth, and the ex Bond Pierce Brosnan. Not to mention, Julie Walters and Christine Baranski. If you’re a fan of Meyl, and the entire ABBA’s discography then this is the perfect movie for International Women’s Day. It has a mother-daughter bonding as a theme throughout the movie, and it’s fun. What else you need?
Fun fact: Pierce Brosnan had no idea what the project was about when he signed on. The producers told him it was being filmed in Greece, and Meryl Streep was starring. Brosnan said he would’ve signed on for anything involving Streep, describing her as “that gorgeous blonde I fancied terribly in Drama School.”
International Women’s Day: What’s Your Pick
What’s your go-to movie/video game pick for International Women’s Day? Did you know that in some countries Mother’s Day also gets celebrated? Let us know in the comment section. We’d love to know all about your favorites.
