Movie Recs | What to Watch with Mrs. America

a show recently premiered that seemed to intersect really well with what I do on this channel so even though we usually talk about film here I'm gonna do something a little bit different today and talk about TV obviously I'm talking about Mrs America if you haven't seen Mrs America that's totally fine this video doesn't really veer into the details of the show beyond what would be in a good history book but it does have a ton of great context and ideas for your watch lists that I hope you'll find useful even if you never plan to watch the show so Mrs America tells the story of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment from two perspectives conservative organizer and nightmare Phyllis Schlafly on one side and major figures from the liberation movement like Gloria Steinem betty Friedan and Shirley Chisolm on the other we follow these leaders throughout the 1970s as they lobby for their respective causes and I have to say I've really been enjoying the show the pace is great each character feels fully developed and I absolutely cannot get enough of what margo martindale and Tracey Ullman are doing but two things jumped out at me that aren't much criticisms as they are paths of inquiry one Mrs America is a task or a political drama we see how each side organizes fails succeeds there in Congress at the White House at conventions even in meetings with political figures you might recognize today mr. Cheney might recognize sorry too this man the political maneuvering is fascinating to watch but on a certain level it's also only part of the story because Mrs America focuses on the leaders of these movements the issues at hand are largely described in the context of intellectual debates the two sides stake out their turf on a TV show for example and discuss the impact of the ER a on women there are prominent professional players not untouched by discrimination but also by no means experiencing the same America as the average woman so while the show can stress the weight on the shoulders of these leaders which is its purpose and it does that well it can't demonstrate the stakes felt by the women they were fighting for it can't show us the urgency of a single mother trying to make ends meet - most stories that take place in the past tend to use language or references that modern audiences will understand kind of like emotional shorthand so a viewer doesn't have to do mental gymnastics to empathize with a character so when someone tells Phyllis Schlafly to smile don't forget to smile what it's easy for us in 2020 to stop and think hey I recognize that because that's a common example of casual sexism that women have used recent years obviously America has changed a lot since the 1970s but the sad truth is it hasn't changed that much first I want a big smile I imagine Mrs America was produced in part because it is so relevant so I began to wonder what are the things we've left behind what things like telling women to smile have we yet to abandon so we had these two thoughts about the regular low profile women and the details that distinguish now from then and I was wondering how does one explore this where can we get those perspectives well who better to enlighten us than the women of that time period so here we are what to watch if you're watching Mrs America in this video I'm going to break down some of the themes of the show and recommend things you can watch that are in dialogue with those themes these recommendations aren't meant to fact-check or necessarily clarify historical details rather they aim to paint a broader picture of the era what was the mood what logic did women have to adopt in everyday situations and how did artists grapple with those issues there were several challenges in putting this list together finding stories about women made by women from mainstream American Studios in the 70s I mean that's basically like looking for unicorns only 16 women were hired by Studios to direct commercial films between 1967 and 1980 many of these films don't have readily available rentals online and the ones you can pirate are nearly unwatchable when you wide in the field to include male filmmakers you find that only a small percentage of speaking rolls went to women so not a ton to work with obviously I don't want to recommend anything that would require an extensive hunt on a sketchy web site so I'm going to try to keep this list as accessible as possible while reaching out to Europe and independent filmmakers to kind of build things out links for where you can find full-length films are in the description below along with a letterbox list of every film I mention in case you really want to go hard not every film is the perfect 2020 image of feminism not all are easy to watch but my hope is that if you're at home right now with some time you choose to take a look at some of these films and think about what these women were trying to say and how that reflects or doesn't reflect what we experienced today Society teaches us that when we reach the age of twenty-one we are free to live our lives as we choose but by the time a woman comes of age what choices does she really have for most of American history women grew up with a familiar set of expectations marry have children keep the house and take care of your husband as episode one shows us Phyllis Schlafly clearly believed in that path and protecting that status quo motivated her work as an anti ara activist but by the time Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972 the tide had already turned against domesticity as the only option for a woman's future the women's liberation movement demanded a comprehensive re-examination of women's roles in society the frustration contradictions excitement and confusion that drove women to action I was feeling that my education at Smith hadn't prepared me for being just a housewife inevitably made its way into film the mother made Phi Beta Kappa Smith but I don't think she can make a four-minute egg so women's films from this era have a definite spirit of rebellion but also a palpable sense of disorientation like you're forging your own path but the path is made of eggshells different filmmakers presented this in different ways Barbara Loudon's Wanda expresses a numbing disillusionment showing the aimless wandering of a woman who was never really sure what she wanted only sure of what she didn't the Stepford Wives imagined the horror of losing your individual identity in the role of a submissive housewife Gillian Armstrong's my brilliant career captured the determination and grit required to achieve one's professional goals as a woman one exploration took a woman's time and space broke them down and without saying very much at all poignant ly commented on who we expect to do certain kinds work tries on deal mom you know it's in French and I can't say the full title so here is someone who can design indeed man thanks kid Yuka mass just gets closed on books in this 1975 film from Chantal Akerman is a meticulous depiction of three days in the life of a widow each day we watch her strict regimen of chores and I mean literally watched from start to finish until her routine begins to unravel and something shocking breaks the cycle once and for all as Yvonne margulies wrote for the New Criterion Collection the film works like a time bomb stretching its title characters daily household routine into long stark takes Ackerman's films simultaneously allows viewers to experience the materiality of cinema its literal duration and gives concrete meaning to a woman's work the film can feel claustrophobic and quiet it might I grant you sound boring to watch someone do chores but there is something radical about shun his construction is absolutely mesmerizing and perfect for when you want to feel immersed in every detail of a woman's world producer before me made $50 a week more than I do oh because he was a man the revolt against domesticity as a life sentence freed more women to enter the workforce than ever before according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics female participation Rose exponentially in the 60s and 70s and at a much higher growth rate than men's mrs. America shows us at least one place of employment in particular in which women saw unprecedented representation when the 93rd Congress begins its work in January it will have more women members than ever before 14 yes that's right a full 14 women were elected to Congress in 1972 sure some women had gained influence in politics before but very few earned recognition as elected officials it follows that there weren't very many portrayals of women holding political office in movie and if there were they were usually fantasies or a joke in 1953 s project moonbase a woman serves as president in the distant future the year 1970 1964 s kisses for my president is essentially one long gag about how ridiculous it is that a man is first lady madam president never appears especially incompetent but then obviously she gets pregnant and is advised by her doctor to resign Mrs America gives us multiple examples of real women as movers and shakers in Washington as organizers advisors and as part of that massive class of congresswoman episode three follows Shirley Chisholm's historic run for president and if you want to build upon the themes in that episode try shirley Chisholm unbought and unbossed this documentary chronicles Shirley's career outlining how she defied though Democratic Party bosses to win her congressional seat and bravely did so again to take on Richard Nixon for the presidency interviews with Chisolm and her campaign staff made this an invaluable resource for understanding the implications of race and womanhood on her candidacy and to better know one of the most outspoken advocates of equality ever okay so getting to the workplace is one thing being treated well after you've arrived is another thing entirely episode 6 confronts that issue head-on from the weird little inappropriate moments to systemic abuse of power these secretaries have confided in me that sexual favors are an expected part of this plot echoes the me2 movements the stories told by thousands of women who like Jill were taught to accept that type of behavior or who like Shirley tried to speak up and were shut down films explored the gamut of this wide-ranging issue acknowledging these power dynamics across industries capturing real conversations that mirror the ones we still have today perhaps too closely for comfort and even indulging in campy exploitation that exact advice on men who had harmed women I Spit on Your Grave probably the most famous film dealing with this issue is a kind of elevated revenge fantasy I pray you have already seen this but if you haven't try to five nine to five stars Jane Fonda Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton as office workers suffering under a sexist egotistical lying hypocritical bigot of a boss he insults them steals their ideas tries to pick them up and they fantasize about getting rid of him until one day things kind of spin out of control and their plot eventually becomes real it's 1980 release was incredibly timely premiering the same year that the EEOC issued guidelines clarifying that sexual harassment was unlawful under title seven of the Civil Rights Act that's not a coincidence 9 to 5 was produced by IPC films Jane Fonda's production company screenwriter Patricia Resnick told Rolling Stone Jane had piles and piles of documentation about clerical workers but she knew she wanted a comedy because it would make the social message more palatable the point was to be political to unveil the working conditions everyday women faced and I have to say I appreciate they did that by making Lily Tomlin a murderess Snow White well I feel like I can feel empowered when I see anything that closely relates to me as possible and as a black woman I see very little of that one persistent criticism of the women's liberation movement was that it was primarily concerned with white middle-class women mrs. America doesn't shy away from exposing the imbalance in episode 4 the sole black writer at a MS magazine editorial meeting feels alienated as the group ignores her attempts to highlight issues that specifically affect black women Shirley Chisholm's candidacy for president brought to light how quickly white feminists can endorse positions that disproportionately affect women of color for the quote-unquote greater good these inequities extended to the film industry all of the women who made feature films in the 1970s were white the first film directed by an african-american woman with a general theatrical release and distribution was Julie Dash's daughters of the dust in 1991 meanwhile black actresses could only reliably find roles in excellent exploitation films like Foxy Brown or in independent films one film in particular does a nice job of dissecting these racial divisions and how they affected the feminist community try Lizzie Borden's 1983 film born in flames born in flames takes place in a near-future New York City ten years after a social democratic war of liberation after a famous political activist is arrested and suspiciously dies in police custody four groups of women separately gather to organize a counter-revolution as a pressure for action mounts the groups debate whether and how they should unite uniquely outlining how perspectives and experiences differ yet how vital intersectionality is when seeking justice Borden said in a 1983 interview I was very distraught coming to New York and living here a long time and finding out that this group of feminists didn't deal with that group of feminists class and race really did divide people so the film was really about creating a context and reason to work with very different kinds of women for something with a little more of a mainstream pace try claudine this 1974 romantic comedy stars Diahann Carroll as a single mother who falls in love with a garbage collector played by James Earl Jones absolutely yes you love to see it sounds pretty straightforward accepts because Diane's character is on welfare that you have to navigate the irrational rules of a system that honestly does to disadvantaged people than anything else unlike many films that focus on white middle-class women Claudine isn't about breaking some glass ceiling as a symbol of empowerment it's a funny adorable love story but it's also about survival a snapshot of the hoops black women had to jump through to make ends meet and how that affects the black community as a whole I highly recommend this film and as a bonus the soundtrack is full of bob's sung by Gladys Knight so you really cannot go wrong here episode 7 of Mrs America highlights another group the movements leadership was slow to embrace early on as Bella Abzug organizes the National Women's Conference in Houston she initially denies lesbians a spot on the agenda though Bella comes around Phyllis identifies lesbians as great villains for her pro-family agenda who would work if there are two housewives given that the Supreme Court ruled that laws prohibiting private homosexual activity were unconstitutional in 2003 it's not like we're filmmakers have had the freedom to openly and proudly express their lifestyles in mainstream cinema so for most of film history representation has come in the form of coding or the imagery and vocabulary that hint at queer culture without overtly including it sometimes that coding can be kind of fun and subversive other times more so in the 50s and 60s coding or innuendo was used simply to vilify a character walk on the wild side and night of the iguana both hint at unhealthy lesbian relationships between an older woman and her subordinate for example 1961 s the children's hour treats the vilification seriously and sympathetically painting a chilling portrait of what it meant to be accused of being or to actually be a lesbian at the time it's a trope at this point that lesbians always die or they're evil or man-hating and I don't want to recommend a film that employs any of those devices or that sidelines lesbians to a minor plot point one movie from 1996 still checks the boxes for this theme while offering a more empowering sense of identity try the watermelon woman director Cheryl duner plays a fictionalized version of herself an aspiring filmmaker balancing a day job at a video store with her journey to complete a documentary about a mysterious black actress from the 1930s known only as the watermelon woman as she uncovers the actresses identity she begins conversations about representation that merged with her life and experiences this was the first feature film directed by a black lesbian and dunya absolutely understands the scope of that history or rather lack of history she came up with the film's premise during graduate school out of frustration at how few marginalized women were allowed to tell their stories or were not credited for their work at all it's very funny and sincere and engages classic cinema in a way that is so imaginative [Music] one episode of mrs. America shows the immediate aftermath of the passage of roe v wade the Supreme Court decision which protects a woman's right to choose an abortion safeguarding this right becomes a top priority for the women's movement while dismantling it becomes a rallying cry for the right I wouldn't say America's relationship with women's bodies has been let's say a healthy one and it's not difficult to see how the messages women received about pregnancy and children in film have ranged from unbelievable to upsetting for decades you couldn't even say the word pregnant or show a pregnant woman as if this were a disgusting distasteful thing to look at plenty of films made pregnancy seem shameful something that could drive you mad that you'd have to hide or that would force you into a relationship you never wanted on the other hand it's a blessing no woman would be complete without a child rarely does a woman have agency to control her life in these stories its fate understand what society expects of you and adjust your life accordingly two films use humor to turn that principle on its head Jack Tammy's a slightly pregnant man imagine a world where sis men could get pregnant a few years later a Joan Rivers directed a similar film called rabbit test it's a fun thought experiment to shift the burden of a pregnancy but the real world of course could be much more grim Amelie Rothschilds 1972 documentary it happens to us reveal the troubling reality of a pre ro world with so little control over their own bodies and over the storytelling apparatus of Hollywood it comes as no surprise that sympathetic examinations of pregnancy from a woman's perspective were extremely rare so of course we turn to Agnes Varda try one sings the other doesn't this 1977 film follows pom an aspiring singer who helps her French Susanne raise money for an illegal abortion when she fears she won't be able to care for another child the friends separate but eventually reconnects and become pen pals documenting how their lives permanently changed by the women's movement punk songs pour out her political messages as she joins protests confronts her husband's expectations of her and refuses to sacrifice her sense of self director Agnes Varda is I mean she's basically though gia God everything and any number of her films could fit on this list somewhere but this film is a wonderful portrait of female friendship choice self-actualization and for what it's worth maybe my favorite critic Molly Haskell once wrote that where she given two blurbs she'd have call it the film we have been waiting for even if you never watched any of these movies even if you never watch mrs. America I hope some of this history sits with you a little bit this show and these films are good reminders of what we've accomplished and also how far we have to go it's especially important right now to be attuned to where an equities lie and the methods others have used to mitigate them this list isn't entirely comprehensive I know there are gaps in my film knowledge so let me know in the comments what else would you recommend are there phones that don't stem from this era that you think would do a good job of unpacking these themes I hope that if any of these films are new to you that you choose to check them out or that you revisit them if they aren't thanks for watching now go watch a good movie [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Be Kind Rewind

Views: 81,966

Rating: 4.945086 out of 5

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Id: wYwufGqkDP4

Length: 22min 40sec (1360 seconds)

Published: Tue May 19 2020