Ever since I was a little kid I have been passionate about movies. I would (and still do) get very emotionally invested into the lives of the characters on screen. Due to my empathetic nature I would launch myself into the protagonist's shoes and feel what they were feeling in every scene, in their highs and in their lows.
Every movie that I would watch next would become "my new favorite movie" as the plot would stick with me days following the screening. However, there are a handful of movies that have remained at the top of my list due to my ability to both relate and aspire to be the characters on screen.
Growing up, my dad and brother would constantly watch classic sports movies such as "Field of Dreams," "Rudy," "Invincible" and "Sandlot," all movies that happened to be focused on male sports. However, it was the day that I was introduced to the movie "A League of their Own" that my movie watching experience began to change.
Photos: IMDb
This movie had not just one strong female lead, but an entire cast of women depicting hard working female athletes. Taking place in a period of time where female sports were relatively non-existent, it was inspiring to learn about this true story of overcoming adversity and breaking down gender barriers. As a fifth grader just starting to play on her first travel softball team, this movie was a breath of fresh air and motivated me to work harder.
Thankfully, as the years passed, I began discovering more and more sports related movies with female leads. I now not only had movies about men's baseball and men's football to look forward to, but now I had movies about women's soccer, baseball, boxing, surfing, and many more to find inspiration in.
In addition to "A League of their Own" and its cast of female baseball players in the 1940s, movies like "The Sandlot 2," "She's the Man," and "Soul Surfer" all have women-centric messages or female characters changing the sports cinema landscape.
Photos: IMDb
While most would overlook the character Hayley Goodfairer in The Sandlot 2, as a young girl watching the movie it was hard not to be excited seeing a female character "beat the guys at their own game." Despite the male characters' skepticism at the beginning of the movie with her skills as a baseball player, she proved them wrong and eventually played with them side-by-side leaving gender stereotypes behind.
This movie taught a great lesson about gender expectations when playing sports that I was never introduced to in the past. While I always knew I could do anything a boy could do, it was refreshing watching a movie that portrayed that on-screen.
Photos: IMDb
"She's the Man" is a movie that has the same underlying lesson, but puts a spin on its presentation. After the women's soccer team gets cut at the protagonist Viola Johnson's school, she disguises herself as her brother in an attempt to attend his boarding school and play on the men's soccer team. Her skills matched her male teammates and went unchallenged up until her disguise was compromised. Despite her teammates finding out the real her, her ability to play kept her on the team.
Like "The Sandlot 2," this film also encourages the idea that female athletes work just as hard and can be just as successful as male athletes. While this movie was definitely not appropriate for a little kid to be watching (sorry mom), I understood the lesson to be learned and continue to carry it with me going forward!
Photos: IMDb
Finally, the sport of surfing and surfing competitions was very foreign to me before going to see "Soul Surfer" in theaters. Prior to seeing the movie, when I pictured a surfer in my head it was most definitely male. This movie was especially inspiring to me because it not only depicted a female lead participating in sport, but Bethany Hamilton's ability to overcome adversity through hard work and perseverance. While I couldn't relate to the sport of surfing itself like I could other movies, the extremely ambitious and hardworking main character was something I aspired to be.
Many people tend to overlook representation in movies and the need for female leads in sports related movies and beyond. Now looking back on the impact movies like the ones I mentioned, I am realizing how lucky I am to have grown up in a time where this little bit of representation exists. In today's current social climate, I have faith in future movies to continue to progress and include not only more women, but other underrepresented groups on the big screen.
Vocabulary list:
Empathetic (adj) — To understand the feelings of another person.
Screening (n) — the showing of a movie
Non-existent (adj) — not real or present
Skepticism (n) — doubt in the truth of something
Protagonist (n) — the lead character in a film
Underrepresented (v) — to have not enough representation
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hailey Womer is a third-year student at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York pursuing a dual major in Public Relations and Political Science. With interests in communications, public diplomacy, and politics & government, she hopes to use communication to grow the passions of the public and advocate for others. In her free time, you can find her editing social media content, engrossed in the fashion trends of the season, catching up on the latest political buzz, or on a philanthropic mission to make the world just a little bit brighter!