Aug 26, 2016 6:39 PM

It's Women's Equality Day, So Watch These 10 Movies About Badass Women

It's Women's Equality Day. Celebrate with a feel-good feminist binge-watching session.

SUSAN SARANDON amp GEENA DAVIS THELMA amp LOUISE THELMA AND LOUISE

Happy Friday! And happy Women's Equality Day! Now, let's just get this out of the way. Gender inequality? Still an issue. Especially on the Internet. And at work. And everywhere. But especially in the year when a major political party has nominated the first woman candidate for president of the United States, we have have cause to celebrate. The holiday was created in 1971 by Congresswoman Bella Abzug to commemorate when women (finally) get the right to vote in 1920. Now, in 2016, that celebration takes place most visibly online. That social media response has been, predictably, a mixed bag. For our part, we've collected our a few of favorite feminist movie anthems for you to stream today. (We have definitely missed some, and feel free to tell us which ones in the comments!) They all have one important thing in common: unapologetic female badassery. So fire up your favorite streaming service, enjoy a day of optimism and affirmation, and remember to never read the comments.

There's no crying in baseball, and there was no leaving this one off the list. World War II leaves Major League Baseball embarrassingly short on dudes, and a special women's league is born. The story follows two sisters (Geena Davis and Lori Petty) as they make their way on and off the field, and their curmudgeonly, somewhat washed-up coach (Tom Hanks). That's already a good set up for the Bechtel test. And how can you say no to a strong and sassy Geena Davis? __Where to stream__ Amazon, iTunes, Google Play.
Unhappily married Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates) meets Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy), who tells her stories about women she used to know. This one is a feminist classic for a reason---not the least of which is the greatest scene involving Saran Wrap that's ever appeared on the silver screen. There are female friendships. The (albeit ambiguous) loving lesbian relationship. The older women who are given substantive, meaningful screen time. The message of empowerment and self-determination. The cannibalism! Yes, it has everything. Just go watch it. (__Where to stream__: Amazon, iTune, Google Play.)

At this point, we expect Kerry Washington to play powerful women, and in *Confirmation* she plays a real life feminist hero. The film is HBO's treatment of the all-too-real controversy around Judge Clarence Thomas's Supreme Court nomination. Washington plays Anita Hill, who throws a big old wrench into the proceedings by testifying about the sexual harassment to which Thomas had subjected her. If you're up on the news, you should know that Clarence Thomas does make it the SCOTUS bench (he's still there, in fact), but Hill's testimony kickstarted the national conversation around workplace sexual harassment. (__Where to stream__: HBOGo.)
This movie won Julia Roberts an Oscar and about every other award you can think of, which is probably reason enough to watch it. But in case you need more convincing, the movie follows Erin Brockovitch (Roberts), a single mother who goes from unemployed and struggling to feed her kids to brilliant legal assistant who (SPOILER ALERT)single-handedly takes down a power company for polluting a town's water supply with cancer-causing waste. The best thing about this movie is it's not fantasy. It's real. And Erin Brockovich, the real life hero, is still out there fighting for the health and rights of Americans. Feel good and true? Yes. (__Where to Stream__: Netflix.)

To look at Frida Kahlo's eyebrows is to know she did not give a damn, and loved it. In this biopic, artist and icon Frida Kahlo (played by Salma Hayek) is as bold and unapologetic in her personal life as she is in her artwork. Whether you're here to geek out over Kahlo's masterpieces or to fangirl over Salma Hayek stepping outside the bounds of heterosexuality, *Frida*'s got you covered. (__Where to stream__: Hulu, Amazon, iTunes, Google Play.)
Yes, this is a children's movie. Yes, Dick Van Dyke's British accent is terrible. But Mary Poppins is an independent, free-wheeling, single working lady. And can we talk about Michael and Jane's mom for a second? Because Women's Equality Day is basically about her. She's only in a couple scenes, but her one big song is "Sister Suffragette," which has incredible lyrics: "We're clearly soldiers in petticoats/ And dauntless crusaders for woman's votes/ Though we adore men individually/ We agree that as a group they're rather stupid!" She's not a regular mom, she's a cool mom. Mrs. Banks for President. (__Where to stream__: Amazon, iTunes, Google Play.)

Furiosa. Furiosa! FURIOSA! That is all. (__Where to stream__: HBOGo.)
*Nashville*, written and created by Callie Khouri (who also wrote *Thelma and Louise*), is a nighttime soap opera. Unlikely feminist anthem, you say? Well, get this: the drama centers first and foremost around the careers of two high-profile women, who are unapologetic about their ambition and unstoppable in their work ethic and refusal to compromise. Sure, they have love lives, but the show treats those as secondary to their work. This is frankly revolutionary on TV, and it makes this show a must-watch. Plus, the music is really good. Even if you think country music is silly; you're wrong. (__Where to stream__: Hulu, Amazon and ABC.com.)

Yup, another Geena Davis movie. Sorry, we're not sorry. The lady is a feminist hero. Our titular heroes, Thelma (Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon), are in unhappy relationships with subpar men. So one day they take off in a '66 Thunderbird and (mild spoilers) murder a would-be rapist. The rest of the movie is (quite literally) a wild ride, and kicks the patriarchy straight in the teeth. (__Where to Stream:__ Amazon, iTunes, Google Play.)
On paper, Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon) doesn't seem like someone who'd be getting the feminist nod---she's pretty much a minor league baseball groupie who chooses a new lover/student every year---but, at the end of the day, there is nothing more feminist than a woman who lives on her own terms. People will try to tell you that this is a Kevin Costner movie, but we argue that he is just also there. (__Where to Stream:__ Amazon, iTunes, Google Play.)

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Emma Grey Ellis is a staff writer at WIRED, specializing in internet culture and propaganda, as well as writing about planetary science and other things space-related. She graduated from Colgate University with a degree in English, and she resides in San Francisco. ... Read More

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Topicsgender National Affairs voting women's rights

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