The Wall of Wisdom
Social Commentary

The 5 Movies Which Set The Stage for Modern Women

For The Best And Mostly The Worst

1) Pretty Woman

The former whore who becomes the wife. It is the story of a prostitute who falls in love with a wealthy businessman. A successful, established man will take her out of the streets and give her a second life. Eventually, her past is irrelevant, and she does not have to suffer the consequences of prior choices, and she still gets the man of her dreams whilst enjoying youth and discovery.

This introduced the idea that her body could be the highway to many men, and a charming prince would take her off the streets.

2) Legally Blonde

The Boss Babe, who outgrew her former love through her career, can be that hot and intelligent girl. She doesn't need a man to validate herself, and she becomes more valuable in the process. She was ditched by her former boyfriend because, in his appreciation of her, she was a dumb blonde with no ambition. This introduced the idiotic idea that men would value a career accomplished by a 30+-year-old more than the younger version of herself. Once she reaches her goal, she foregoes the idea of returning to her ex, who was the origin of her path.

3) The Diary of Bridget Jones

The 30+ yo Leftover who thinks she still has it and can bag successful men. In reality, it is a "podgy" office drone who attracts a commitmentphobic who happens to be her boss (Daniel - Hugh Grant) but is at the crossroads of her life and must make a choice as there is another option who represents what would be on the surface the more reliable man (Mark - Colin Firth): intelligence, integrity, and professionalism.

This contrasts with the self-serving and unreliable Daniel. In the end, although she initially felt attracted to the Chad Boss Daniel, she chose the Dutiful Clean-up Man Mark.

This movie provides the illusion that she can still choose between an established publishing house owner and a successful barrister past her due date.

4) The Devil Wears Prada

Independence and Fulfillment is achieved through her self-discovery. It is the story of a girl idealising working for a top publication but dealing with a very demanding female boss who eventually divorces after struggling in her marriage. The young woman realises she does not want to become like Miranda (her Boss) as she is making sacrifices, such as giving up on her personal life and values. She eventually chooses to become a journalist, which resonates with her most. It reinforces that she will mostly be satisfied through her working activity rather than through love.

5) Eat Pray Love

Divorce Porn production which emphasises that something better is down the line. She divorces her loving and supportive husband because she feels stagnant and living according to societal standards because "I am not happy". They tried to work out their issues but to no avail. She goes on a travelling binge. She goes to Italy for the love of food and other pleasures. She then goes to India to discover herself spiritually before ending up in Indonesia, where she shacks up with the local Brazilian, who teaches her the marital capoeira. But more importantly, she can find love without losing herself. This introduced the wishful thinking that leaving a good man is OK because it is settling for less.

Share this post