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Gone are the days when movies showed women as the damsels in distress. Movie makers nowadays showcase the strengths of women and focus on a narrative that shows nothing is impossible for them. Here are some movies of 2015 that are all about independent women who have achieved whatever they wanted. You! takes a look...
Joy
‘Joy’ is a biographical movie that is inspirational for all women who want to do something great in life. The movie follows the life of Joy played by Jennifer Lawrence, the woman behind ‘the miracle mop’ and her career as an entrepreneur. Lawrence once again weaved her magic and has impeccably portrayed the role of real-life character of Joy Mangano.
The movie begins with introducing Joy, a girl who has always been fascinated by creating things. However, only her grandmother supports her in this pursuit. Unfortunately, things don’t turn out as planned and Joy ends up in a position where she has to take care of her family. She forgoes her life plans, doesn’t attend college, and has an unsatisfying job as an Eastern Airlines ticket clerk. Amidst all the work load and failed dreams, inspiration suddenly hits Joy and she begins to work on her latest idea ‘the miracle mop’. She takes loans, experiences numerous disappointments but continues to struggle till she finally makes big. The movie focuses on how one can achieve all their dreams if they refuse to give up and have faith in themselves. Definitely an inspiration for many women out there who have wonderful ideas stored up in their heads, but are too scared to act upon them.
Brooklyn
The movie Brooklyn is based on the 2009 novel by the same name. The narrative of the movie tells a story of Eilis Lacey, a young woman from a working family in 1950. She’s intelligent and bubbling with ambition. However, there are not much meaningful opportunities for her in her small Irish town. For her, things finally take a positive turn when her sister and an Irish priest work on finding her a job in United States, Brooklyn.
Eilis leaves her sister and mother and travels to a new country alone. One day she meets a super-friendly Italian-American fellow named Tony. Just as things are getting serious between Tony and Eilis, she is called back to her home as her sister dies. Back in her old home town, she finds it hard to return to Brooklyn due to societal and family pressure. The final decision she makes regarding her life is what makes this movie inspirational and a lesson for all women. Eilis is a role model for everyone who wants to build a career and gives the message that you can achieve all that you want if you stay strong.
The intern
The movie kicks off by introducing a 70-year-old widower Ben Whittaker, who discovers that retirement is boring and a waste of his 
talents. Seizing an opportunity to get back in the game, he becomes a senior intern at an online clothing retail company ‘About the Fit’ founded and run by Jules Ostin. The film then moves on to introducing Jules who is overly responsible, ambitious, helpful, and treats the company like her baby. She is so busy in her job as the CEO that she hardly ever finds time to eat. This is where Ben steps in. He is assigned to be Jules intern and initially he has a tough time keeping up with her, but soon Jules and Ben become best friends. The movie revolves around one big decision that Jules has to make for her company, which is to hire another CEO. Does she give up on her brainchild due to work pressure or does she find a way to make it work? Well, that is something you will find out when you watch the movie.
Another interesting idea the movie brings forth is the concept of a stay at home husband. Yes, Jules is married and has a daughter and it is the support of her husband that makes it possible for her to run her business and manage her home.
Definitely an awe inspiring flick that will give women the push they need to fall out of the forced norms of society. Being a woman doesn’t mean you give up on your dreams just so you can have a family, because the right man will recognize your potential and support it.
Sicario
Sicario shows women in an entirely different light. The lead lady is an FBI agent Kate Macer, who is good at what she does. Sicario opens with a nightmarish look at the battle between U.S. law enforcement and the Mexican drug cartels along the Arizona border. While tracking leads in a kidnapping case, Kate and her team make the horrific discovery of a mundane Arizona home that has been serving as a cartel graveyard. The trauma of that event stokes agent Macer’s burning need for justice and she joins in on a mission to eradicate the responsible drug cartel. The movie is not only an action thriller but also reveals a mystery at the end.
However, what’s noteworthy about this flick is the character of Kate, which is at par with the men in the movie and at times even better. Not only does she have the brains but also has the brawn needed to deal with criminals. The character of Kate shows women in a positive light and stresses on the fact that women can do anything and no job is above them.
By the sea
Directed by Angelina Jolie, ‘By the sea’ stars Brad Pitt and Jolie. The story is about an American couple in France in the 1970s. Angelina plays a former dancer Vanessa and Pitt plays her husband Roland, a successful writer. They drive to a hotel on a beautiful quiet bay on the sea coast. Roland is hoping to write a story while they are there. The way the couple interacts makes it obvious that they are barely on speaking terms, the wife withdrawn and grieving for an unknown reason. While the husband appears to drink too much and seems very unhappy that his wife is no longer interested in him sexually. However, their stay at the motel changes everything. They meet the hotel owner, a fisherman and a young couple. Gradually their experiences in the hotel enable Vanessa and Roland to start patching up their relationship. As Vanessa and Roland leave the hotel and drive away, we discover that it was two miscarriages that caused Vanessa’s lasting grief and withdrawal. The movie is a great look into how relationship that was once amazing can change over time due to certain experiences. ‘By the sea’ also focuses on Jolie’s strength as a woman who is assertive and intelligent. Her grief just affected the way she interprets life but she did not let it destroy her. A must watch for all women who have haunting experiences from the past that pull them down. The movie is meant to be a guide to women who are stuck in the abyss of their pain.
