Women Up In the Air

During a trip to the movie theater late last year, I discovered a feminist role model who totally amazed and impressed me with her strength, resourcefulness and fresh ideas.  Perhaps more impressively, this woman lived during the 19th century.

As portrayed by Emily Blunt, Queen Victoria of England is the shining heroine of “Young Victoria,” a film that depicts the early life of the British monarch.  Blunt presents Victoria as a woman who cared about the common people and fought for reform.  She dared to voice freely her ideas and opinions, had a great love of books, and dared to marry for love.  Her husband Albert is portrayed as an intelligent, respectful and—OK, I just have to say it—drop dead gorgeous man who supported her goals and aims.

From the opening credits, which announced that the the film was co-produced by Sarah Ferguson, a childhood heroine of mine because of her vivacious spirit and ‘real woman’ charm (though I know she has suffered controversy as of late), to the ending song from Sinead O’Connor, I totally fell in love with this movie.  In an elegant and understated fashion, it depicts Victoria’s struggle to gain respect among peers and family members, so she can serve her people to the best of her ability.  I definitely count “Young Victoria” as my favorite film of last year.

I’m sad to report, though, that another recent favorite let me down in terms of its female characters.  I did enjoy the much lauded “Up in the Air,” a film that intelligently and humanistically explores the way that work—and the loss of work—affects our lives.  George Clooney turned in a great performance as a man who makes his living firing people, while leaving little time for a personal life or meaningful connections. My problem with the film lies in one scene that Clooney’s character shares with two key people in his life:  Alex, his on-again, off-again lover, and Natalie, his ambitious young co-worker.

Initially portrayed as a strong, resourceful young woman, Natalie falls apart when her longtime boyfriend leaves her.  She reveals that she gave up her dream job in San Francisco to follow this young man to Nebraska.  Yet instead of expressing anger at him (OK, I personally would have been pulling out the voodoo dolls and verbal crotch kicks at this point—verbal, mind you, not physical), she laments that all of her success means nothing without someone to share it with, and that—at the ripe ol’ age of 23—she thought that she would be married and have at least one baby by now.

A sympathetic Alex reaches out to Natalie in a way that’s sweet and touching, to be sure; in the same breath, though, she tells the young woman that, at her advanced age—it seems the “ancient” Alex is all of 34—she has surrendered all romantic ideals.  She says she doesn’t care about how her dates look (odd, considering that she’s sleeping with George Clooney) and is far more concerned with finding a man who makes more money than she does.  Otherwise, she insists, the relationship just won’t work.

OK Ladies, can we all say it together now?  “Arghhhhh!”

As a thirty something journalist and fiction writer who is single by choice, I take great pride, and even greater joy, in my work.  Whenever I write an article that helps or informs people, or a story that inspires or entertains,  I feel that I’ve truly made a difference.  I also have a wonderful extended family that includes a mother I adore, a late father I remember and love, sisters, nephews, cousins and wonderful friends who share and celebrate my success.  I resent the implication that a single life is an empty life.

True, this particular implication was made in a movie; a form of fictional entertainment.  In a world of rape, domestic violence, and global warfare, we as women have far more serious things to worry about than a few lines and characters in a motion picture.  I’m strongly anti-censorship, and I think that films can serve as a marketplace of ideas and beliefs; some of which I’ll agree with, others of which will provoke the before-mentioned “Arghhhhh!” reaction.

I just think it’s rather sad that a character from Victorian times (Queen Victoria, in fact, kind of started the whole Victorian times thing, didn’t she?) would come across as stronger, more willful, and more self-assured than one who represents the present day.  Also, in reading the many reviews and discussions of “Up in the Air,” I have yet to see a single reviewer or Internet poster question the ideas presented by the film’s heroines (though I did see an IMDB post from an anti-feminist enraged that George Clooney’s character is referred to as a ‘man-whore’ at one point).

And while I didn’t have to travel more than a few blocks to see “Up in the Air,” which played at virtually every theater during its initial run, I had to go to an out-of-the-way art house theater to see “Young Victoria.”  Mainstream movie houses should be showing more quality feminist-themed films, so that more people can see them—and show them to their daughters.

I think that we as women—and enlightened men—should go out of the way to see and support films that present positive female role models.  This doesn’t mean that every film we enjoy has to have a feminist message or that every trip to the movies has to be politically motivated.  I am an unapologetic B-movie fan and sometimes will check out a movie in search of a little escapist romance, comedy or action, or maybe because the lead actor is hot.  It simply means that we shouldn’t be afraid to openly support, defend and create feminist film works, while constructively criticizing films that fall short of the mark.

More importantly, we should render ourselves as the heroines of our own lives; living and embracing our dreams, unapologetically and without reservation.  We can be the role models we seek at the movies; casting our dreams ‘up in the air’ to see which ones fly, while keeping both feet planted firmly on the ground.