Role Reversals in Romance and Action Films

As I said in the last entry, traditionally masculine and feminine movie genres have had a gender swap over time.  Third wave feminists complain that there aren’t enough strong female leading actresses, and they herald the advent of Wonder Woman.  I loved the movie, however Gal Gadot was preceded by Lynda Carter in television series during the late 70s.

When “guy flick” is mentioned, people think of hyper-masculine, muscle-packed action movies, but there are romance films that reveal men’s emotions.  The term, Bromance, has circulated and become known as the counterpart for Chick Flick.

Here I show you Then and Now lists for Action and Romance films.  I am sticking to the classics and well known titles within the genres, with a few exceptions.  Some of these titles cross over the decades, and sometimes the genre gender swap was ahead of its time.  To keep it simple, I’m excluding sequels.  If there is a trilogy, I note that.

Then:  Action Movies with Male Leads

1.  Death Wish (1974) – Charles Bronson

2.  Rambo/First Blood (1982) – Sylvester Stallone

3.  The Terminator (1984) – Arnold Schwarzenegger

4.  Predator (1987) Arnold Schwarzenegger

5.  Lethal Weapon (1987) – Mel Gibson, Danny Glover

6.  Die Hard (1988) - Bruce Willis

7.  Speed (1994) Keanu Reeves

8.  The Matrix (1999) Keanu Reeves

Later Action Films with Men
9.  The Scorpion King (2002) – Dwayne Johnson

10. The Tales of Riddick (2004) – Vin Diesel

11.  Sherlock Holmes (2009) – Robert Downey Jr.

12.  Most Marvel movies

Now:  Action Films with Female Leads
1.  Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) – Linda Hamilton, Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes

2.  Captain Marvel (2019) – Brie Larson

3.  Wonder Woman (2017) – Gal Gadot

4.  Ghost in the Shell (2017) Scarlett Johansson

5.  The Hunger Games (2012) – Jennifer Lawrence

6.  Sucker Punch (2011) – Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish

7.  Ultra Violet (2006) – Milla Jovovich

8.  Aeon Flux (2005) - Charlize Theron

9.  Kill Bill (2003, 2004) – Uma Thurman

10. Underworld (2003) – Kate Beckinsale

11. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) - Angelina Jolie

Early Action Films with Leading Women

12.  Aliens (1986) - Sigourney Weaver

13.  Tank Girl (1995) – Lori Petty, Naomi Watts

The next set of lists are the Then and Now of Chick-Flicks and Bromances.  These lists are not definitive, and some may argue what counts as part of the genres.  Here are the criteria I used to label the films.

Chick Flick - 1.  Female protagonist(s).  2.  Focuses on female emotions and attitudes.  3.  Plot traditionally consists of romance, but in recent years friendships, and/or female empowerment have been added to the mix.  For the sake of consistency, the lists are romance based.  The stereotype-defying examples are listed in the previous entry, Feminist Chick Flicks.

Bromance – 1.  Male protagonist(s).  2.  Focuses on male emotions and attitudes.  3.  Plot consists of romance, friendships, and/or overcoming obstacles and life lessons.  This is almost the same as Chick Flicks, hence it’s the counterpart.

Then:  Chick Flicks

1.  Gigi (1958)

2.  Grease (1978)

3.  Pretty in Pink (1986)

4.  Moonstruck (1987)

5.  Dirty Dancing (1987)

6.  Titanic (1997)

7.  Legally Blonde (2001)

8.  Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)

Later Chick Flicks

9.  The Notebook (2004)

10. Twilight saga (2008 - 2012)

11. Valentine’s Day (2010)

12. Winter’s Tale (2014)

2000s:  Bromances

1.  The Hangover (2009)

2.  Superbad (2007)

3.  Wild Hogs (2007)

4.  Hitch (2005)

5.  Wedding Crashers (2005)

6.  The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

7.  Anchorman (2004)

8.  Harold and Kumar trilogy (2004 - 2011)

Bromances that were ahead of its time

9.  Wayne’s World (1992)

10. The Great Gatsby (1974)

11. Harold and Maude (1971)

12. That one movie title I just can’t remember; 80s flick where ugly guy who looks like Uncle Fester gets turned into a Patrick Swayze lookalike to get the pretty girl.

Originally a Facebook Note posted: December 9, 2017

Updated: March 5, 2020; March 25, 2020

Feminist Chick Flicks

There are numerous chick flicks that make women look dumb.  They focus on average women’s mindsets or at least in their stereotypical form.  These films can be a great cheat sheet for men who want to understand women’s feelings.  On the flipside, bromances are the male counterpart of chick flicks.  They highlight men’s feelings in romantic situations, often in an exaggerated fashion.  The macho action films that used to star Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone were later headed with names like Kate Beckensale, Angelina Jolie, and of course Gal Gadot.

Aside from gender comparisons, there are classic films that not associated with the popcorny genre, chick-flick.  However, the following films have some attributes in common with chick-flick that deserve consideration.  Chick flicks are stereotyped to be shallow and romance focused, but some classics are romances starring women, or they bring out a heroine’s best qualities.  Here are my lists to debunk the callow perception of chick-flicks, and also to suggest some good movies you may not have seen yet.

Serious, Smart Chick Flicks

1.  Gone with the Wind (1939) – This timeless classic involves the ongoing love obsession of the main character.  In the midst of the Civil War, all Scarlet cares about is a man she can not have.  Despite Scarlet O’Hara’s anti-social qualities, it’s identifiable for someone to be centered in chaos and for unrequited love to still feel worse.

2.  The King and I (1956) – A woman brings peace between two nations and teaches children.

3.  The Sound of Music (1965) – A singing nun helps a family escape the Nazis, and touches the hearts of everyone.

4.  Titanic (1997) – A woman rejects an arranged marriage to a wealthy man, and ventures into the sinking ship to save her true love.  Unfortunately, she could not save him twice.

5.  Love Actually (2003) – Romantic and comical at times, this film merges the narratives of various people in different backgrounds, displaying love in its different forms.

6.  The Silence of the Lambs (1991) – An FBI agent interviews an incarcerated cannibal to help crack the case of a serial killer who preys on women.

7.  Penelope (2006) – The protagonist is a physically deformed woman, seeking love but also freedom.

8.  Hidden Figures (2016) – Three awesome black women work for NASA!

9.  Serendipity (2001) – It’s a love story involving chance, and love doesn’t happen immediately, only if the couple meets again.

10.  Amelie (2001) – It’s an artsy film about a woman lives life to understand what drives her, and wants to help others around her.  She seeks to return an item belonging to a previous tenant in her apartment unit.

11.  Persepolis (2007) – This film is based on an autobiographical comic book about a woman who lived through the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

12.  Ever After (1998) – It’s a Cinderella story taking place in the French Renaissance.  Drew Barrymore’s character wins the prince with her intelligence, and she doesn’t need to be rescued from the lecherous secondary villain.

Non-Romance Chick Flicks – or just not romance-centered.  Premises involve aspirations, friendship, womanly strength, fighting injustice, or shoes – with love being kept warm on the backburner.

1.  Tank Girl (1995) – A woman in a near-apocalyptic world seeks to overthrow a ruthless tyrant and saves a woman from her sexually harassing boss.  The duo and a pack of mutant kangaroos team up to stop the unjust government hoarding the world’s water supply.

2.  Bend it Like Beckham (2002) – Female soccer players aspire to win a championship while dealing with parental issues.

3.  Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) – Four friends with different personalities pass on an equally fitting pair of jeans throughout the summer.  Each girl leaves memoirs of their summer vacation on the jeans.

4.  Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997) – Two best friends who design their own clothes prepare for their high school reunion and dealing with their bullies.

5.  Nine to Five (1980) – Three female office employees exact vengeance on their male chauvinistic boss who is habitually rude and commits sexual harassment daily.

6.  View from the Top (2003) A woman aspires to leave her trailer park background behind to become a flight attendant and see the world.

7.  Miss Congeniality (2000) – An FBI Agent saves women by infiltrating a beauty pageant.

8.  Girl, Interrupted (1999) – The story surrounds a group of female psychiatric patients with varying disorders.

9.  G.I. Jane (1997) – A woman trains to pass the first step of becoming a Navy Seal in order for women to be integrated into the program.  Despite expectations of failure, she insists on meeting the men’s requirements.

10.  Sucker Punch (2011) – Seeing through the main character’s wild imagination, a group of female psychiatric patients empower each other, but their adventure ultimately leads to self-sacrifice.  This is more action; a chick-flick-kick film.

11.  She-Devil (1989) – This is the opposite of romance.  A woman gets revenge on her ex-husband, like a modern Medea.

12.  The Wizard of Oz (1939) – Referring to the meme’s caption:  Two chicks are fighting over shoes!  Enough said.

Originally a Facebook Note posted: October 23, 2017
Updated for Blogger: February 28, 2020

 

Corona Care – Seven Ways to Help During the Corona Virus Outbreak

In the midst of this pandemic, I think it’s important to interrupt the regular scheduled programming of happy, fun entries with something addressing the seriousness of our current state of affairs.  Most of us are not virologists on the brink of creating the vaccine for the Corona Virus, but here are little ways that you can help yourself and others.  The obvious things are handwashing and disinfecting surfaces.  Then there are other ideas circulating the internet that deserve to be more viral than the virus itself.

1.  Restaurant Gift Cards.  People are avoiding dining out to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.  If you love a restaurant and want it to stay open, you can support it during this economic crisis by purchasing a gift certificate.  The business will have some cash inflow, and then you can spend it later when the pandemic is over.

2.  Don’t Hoard ALL the Hand Sanitizer!  You just need enough for yourself and your family.  Other people need hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes too – so that they don’t contract the virus and give it to you!  You wouldn’t hoard all the vaccines.  You just need one, and others need them too so disease doesn’t spread.  If everyone is protected, we can keep the Corona Virus under control.

3.  Hand Lotion.  With all the handwashing, hand sanitizing, and use of disinfectant wipes, your hands are going to be very dry.  As a compulsive handwasher, I have experience with using different hand creams, and I also notice when my hands are at their driest.  In a way, I have already prepared myself for this pandemic.  After using disinfectant wipes, it’s important to use cold water to wash off the chemicals.  If you use hot water, your hands will be aridly dry.

For lotions and creams, my favorites are:

·   Aveeno Moisturizing Lotion – (I like the Stress Relief one in purple, but the blue, scentless one is good for those with allergies.)

·   Elizabeth Arden’s 8 Hour hand cream

·   Neutrogena Hand Cream

·   Yube Moisturizing Skin Cream (I use this one before going to bed.)

·   O’Keeffe’s Working Hands hand cream. (For when my hands are extra dry.)

4.  Disinfect Things You Touch.  We don’t usually think about every single little thing that comes in contact with our fingertips.  If you have children, this is significantly more complicated.  Here’s a list of things to wipe down when you go into human-tornado-cleaning-mode. 

·         Office: the phone, mouse, computer keyboard, swivel chair armrests, keyboard armrest, the on button for your computer and monitor, cubicle drawer handles, stapler, hole puncher, and other stationary equipment.

·         Retail: your cash register, counters, signing pads/stylus, pens; keep hand sanitizer at your register and use it after every transaction.

·         Personal items: your cellphone, house keys, the clip to open your purse, iPod, iPad, etc. 

·         Kitchen: Cabinet knobs, refrigerator handles, countertops, faucets, oven dials, microwave buttons, and that lever underneath to open the dishwasher. 

·         Other home items: doorknobs, especially the ones outside your house, door bells, door knockers, light switches, remote controls, video game controllers, the alarm clock snooze button, etc.

5.  Give Cleaning Tips.  If you have any cleaning ideas, speak up and tell people, your employer, and local businesses.  You would be helping prevent the spread of disease.  Even if it’s something little, like telling the janitor at work to disinfect the slide-locks on the bathroom stalls, you are still helping out.  Even if your idea isn’t that great or not implemented, at least you tried.  You can also post your cleaning tips on social media to spread the word – not the virus.

6.  Hermitage Hobbies.  If you’re an extrovert, self-isolation can be a hellish exodus.  Surfing the internet seems like the obvious option, but you can get creative.  Here is a list of fun activities to do while holing up in your house, apartment, or your underground pandemic shelter.

·         Read – books, magazines, articles, etc.

·         Watch movies and TV.

·         Play a board game with family or friends.  (Disinfect the game pieces)

·         Write short stories and/or poetry.  (Microsoft Word is your oyster!)

·         Draw – You don’t have to be Da Vinci or a Walt Disney animator.  Anything you draw is your way of drawing.

·         Meditate – You don’t need to be a Yoga instructor to meditate.  Close your eyes, listen to the sounds around you, let your mind fall into silence or let your mind drift happily to random thoughts.

·         Listen to music – sing, dance – as long as your apartment neighbors aren’t bothered.

·         Exercise – Do crunches and pushups.  Get out the exercise DVD.  You could do Yoga, but make sure you’re doing it safely and correctly.

·         Theater – If you have kids, have them act out a play or do a dance routine.  It’s free entertainment; no need for Ticketmaster.

·         Ghost stories – At night, gather the family, your friends, or roommates in a circle with a flashlight, and tell scary stories.  You could even have s’mores.

7.  Thank the Helpers.  Let the janitors know how vital their jobs are in this pandemic.  They kill millions of germs and prevent the spread of disease, and that is their everyday act of heroism that goes unnoticed regularly.  They are helping us survive.  Who else helps with our survival – the people who provide the food and cleaning gear!  When you’re at the grocery store, be extra polite to the employees.  They are hard at work, stocking, helping customers, and managing the chaos.  They deserve respect.  The last and most commonly respected link in the survival chain is the people in the medical field.  Doctors and nurses are the goalies keeping death from scoring.