Movies About Feminism

From Sergio Leone, starring Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Treat Williams
Rated R

Once Upon a Time in America is a 1984 crime drama directed by Sergio Leone, starring Robert De Niro and James Woods, and set in New York City. The epic story chronicles the lives of four lifelong friends and gangsters, Noodles, Max, Patsy, and Cockeye, over the course of 50 years. It begins in the 1920s, in an immigrant Jewish ghetto in the Lower East Side, as the boys are just starting out as teenage gangsters. As they rise in the criminal underworld, they build a nationwide crime syndicate, becoming powerful and respected figures in the process. However, their loyalty is tested as Noodles is betrayed and sent to prison for 33 years. Upon his release, he embarks on a journey to avenge the wrongs done to him and his friends. The film is an exploration of friendship, loyalty, betrayal, greed, and the corruption of power.

From Tate Taylor, starring Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard
Rated PG-13

The Help is a drama set in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s. It tells the story of a young white woman, Skeeter, who decides to write a book from the perspective of the African-American maids who work for white families. Despite facing racism and backlash from the white community, Skeeter and the maids work together to create a piece of literature that will expose the racism and injustice in the town. Along the way, Skeeter forms powerful bonds with the maids, Aibileen and Minny, and begins to understand the difficulties they face as African-Americans living in a segregated society.

From Theodore Melfi, starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner
Rated PG

Hidden Figures is a 2016 American biographical drama film directed by Theodore Melfi, starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe. The film follows three African-American women working at NASA during the Space Race of the 1960s. Katherine Johnson (Henson) is a brilliant mathematician, Dorothy Vaughan (Spencer) is the first African-American supervisor at NASA, and Mary Jackson (Monáe) is an aspiring engineer. The film follows their struggles as they work to succeed in a highly discriminatory workplace. Despite the odds, the three women persevere, and make important contributions to the success of the U.S. space program. Through their resilience and determination, they are able to overcome the racism and sexism of the time, and become pioneers in the field of space exploration.

From Steven Spielberg, starring Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery
Rated PG-13

The Color Purple is a 1985 American coming-of-age period drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Menno Meyjes, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Alice Walker. The film tells the story of Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), a young African-American woman in the early 20th century, who is oppressed and abused by a brutal, controlling husband (Danny Glover) and the several other men in her life. Despite the obstacles she faces, Celie ultimately finds her voice and the strength to triumph over her circumstances. The film follows Celie's journey from a childhood of relentless abuse, to a newfound strength and independence as an adult. With the help of her friend, the free-spirited blues singer Shug Avery (Margaret Avery), Celie learns to stand up for herself and demand the respect she deserves. The Color Purple ultimately celebrates the empowerment of its female characters, as they strive to find love, inner strength, and the courage to overcome their circumstances.

From Mike Leigh, starring Imelda Staunton, Jim Broadbent, Heather Craney, Richard Graham
Rated R

Vera Drake (Imelda Staunton) is a hardworking, middle-aged housewife in 1950s London. She lives a simple life with her kind, devoted husband (Philip Davis) and her two grown children. Vera is a selfless woman who devotes her time to helping others, often putting them ahead of her own needs. Her secret is that she provides illegal abortions to desperate women, performed in her own home. Despite her good intentions, Vera faces legal and moral consequences when her secret is discovered. As the film follows Vera and her family, it explores the difficult choices she made and the effects of those choices on her loved ones.

From Ridley Scott, starring Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Harriet Walter
Rated R

From Lee Daniels, starring Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey
Rated R

From Brian Gibson, starring Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, RaéVen Kelly, Virginia Capers
Rated R

From Mimi Leder, starring Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux, Sam Waterston
Rated PG-13

From Kornél Mundruczó, starring Vanessa Kirby, Shia LaBeouf, Ellen Burstyn, Iliza Shlesinger
Rated R

From Sarah Gavron, starring Carey Mulligan, Anne-Marie Duff, Helena Bonham Carter, Meryl Streep
Rated PG-13

From Jay Roach, starring Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, John Lithgow
Rated R

From Harry Bradbeer, starring Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, David Thewlis, Louis Partridge
Rated PG-13

From Directors: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris, starring Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, Sarah Silverman
Rated PG-13

From Kasi Lemmons, starring Cynthia Erivo, Janelle Monáe, Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn
Rated PG-13

From Maggie Gyllenhaal, starring Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson, Ed Harris
Rated R

From Tommy Lee Jones, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto
Rated R

From James Gray, starring Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Renner, Dagmara Dominczyk
Rated R

From Tom Harper, starring Felicity Jones, Eddie Redmayne, Himesh Patel, Vincent Perez
Rated PG-13

From Mike Newell, starring Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Rated PG-13

From Hugh Wilson, starring Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, Diane Keaton, Maggie Smith
Rated PG

From Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman, starring Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard, Sharon Stone, Juno Temple
Rated R

From Ridley Scott, starring Demi Moore, Viggo Mortensen, Anne Bancroft, Jason Beghe
Rated R

From Julie Taymor, starring Julianne Moore, Alicia Vikander, Janelle Monáe, Ryan Kiera Armstrong
Rated R

From Andrea Berloff, starring Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss, Domhnall Gleeson
Rated R