30 Feminist Christmas Movies, Ranked
By Emily Scott
Little Women, Image via Columbia Pictures
Little Women
Little Women, for the uninitiated, is the story of the March sisters – Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy. They live in Massechusetts during the time of the Civil War. Their father is off at battle, so it’s just them and their mother, Marmee. The story follows the girls as they grow up and figure out their goals. Jo, the main protagonist, works towards a career in writing, her passion. While the movie takes place during different seasons, it features Christmas scenes and themes, so it should definitely count.
The Good
- The entire premise of this story is feminist. This is a movie about four girls, sisters, who are very different, but love each other and support each other anyway. Also, they have an awesome, essentially single (for most of the story) mom, who raises them to believe in themselves.
- Seriously, just as a piece of evidence, consider this quote from Marmee, “Do you feel your value lies in being merely decorative? I fear that some day you might find yourself believing it’s all that you really are. Time erodes all such beauty. But what it cannot diminish is the wonderful workings of your mind. Your humor, your kindness, and your moral courage. These are the things I cherish so in you.” Go, Little Women.
- All the women have feminist moments, but Jo’s shining moment might be the most significant. In a world that expected her to be grateful for any male interest, she turned down the proposal of Laurie. It’s not because he was a bad guy; she loved him as a person. She just didn’t love him and wanted better for herself.
The Bad
- There are parts of the movie in which the sisters are catty with each other or sabotage each other. One particularly horrifying moment is when Amy throws Jo’s slaved-upon manuscript into the fire. But no female or sisterly friendship is perfect. These actions that drive stereotype, when combined with the support and love the sisters display in the rest of the film, serves to offer complex and interesting female relationships.
The Ugly
- Despite the overt feminism of this movie, the marriage plot persists. While Jo refuses Laurie, she ends up with Mr. Bhaer. Meg marries John, Mr. March comes back, and Laurie gets the consolation prize of Amy! Single women are unacceptable, obviously. Unless you’re Beth…