Movies every girl should watch in 2017

Whether you’re single, in a relationship, committed to never dating again, or somewhere in between, we’re all girls, and we’re all always fighting the good fight.

So for inspiration, strength, and reassurance in continuing to do so, I’ve rounded up a number of movies you absolutely need to watch if you haven’t already.

Because, I’m convinced the confident women in these kick-ass, female fronted movies are all of us.

Frances Ha

“Sometimes it’s good to do what you’re supposed to do when you’re supposed to do it.”

Written by two women, and fronted by one of those two women, this movie is a lesson about acceptance. Frances, the female lead, is a 27-year-old dancer who moved to New York to pursue her dreams of being a dancer.

Between fall-outs with roommates, struggles with money, and failure in her career, any girl who watches this movie will be able to empathize with Frances in one way or another.

It’s a movie about the mundane things in life. Sometimes we’re so obsessed with where we’re going, that we forget to look around and appreciate where we are. In settling, Frances teaches us a lot about stigmas surrounding being content with normality, and inspires us to be our most normal selves.

Wild

“There is a sunrise and a sunset every day, and you can choose to be there for it.”

Based on Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, this film follows the life of a divorced, drug addict who has chosen to take control of her life again.

She gets an abortion upon finding out she’s pregnant, and decides to hike 1,100 miles of the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail to redeem herself.

This movie is about taking it all back, even when it feel like you have nothing left.

The Joy Luck Club

“You must think for yourself, what you must do. If someone tells you, then you are not trying.”

This 1993 film adaptation of the 1989 best-selling novel written by Amy Tan, is a story about the relationships between Chinese-American women and their mothers.

The film follows four older women, with daughters of their own, as they tell of their past loves, lives, and struggles coming to terms with such clashing cultures.

The movie is a powerful depiction of the bonds between women and family — bonds that far outweigh any other.

Almost Famous

“I always tell the girls, never take it seriously, if ya never take it seriously, ya never get hurt.”

Penny Lane is a girl who knows what she wants, is not afraid of anything, and still knows how to be the life of the party no matter where she is. She alway has one foot out the door.

She knows where she wants to go and how she is going to get there, but she is also more loyal to her girlfriends than anyone else in her life

She manages to balance love, life, and friendship, all while staying entirely true to herself and her refusal to settle down.

Gone Girl

“He took and took from me until I no longer existed. That’s murder”

Whether you’re reading it or watching it, this thriller is an absolute must for single girls (especially after a break up, if you’re newly single, or a little bit crazy like me).

When Amy finds herself unhappy in her marriage to Nick, she goes above and beyond divorcing him. On the day of their fifth wedding anniversary, she “goes missing” and sends Nick through hell to clear his name in her supposed murder.

All along Amy has the control — up until the bitter end.

Frozen

“I don’t care what they’re going to say. Let the storm rage on.”

Has there ever been a cooler Disney movie? Let’s face it, “Let it go” is a power-anthem about being good enough for yourself. It’s okay to be alone in life — being alone often means freedom, and for many people, that’s sweeter than any relationship.

When Elsa’s sister Anna says “I’m going to get engaged,” her response is “You can’t marry a man you just met.”

Now I don’t know about you, but I’ve a seen a lot of disney movies where a woman meets a man, falls in love, and runs off to marry him immediately. What if he’s a psychopath, or emotionally abusive? Thank you for this one Disney. We’ll take our sweet time deciding if someone is worth us.

Pariah

“I am not running, I am choosing. Running is not a choice from the breaking.”

Alike, a 17-year-old woman spends this film coming to terms with herself, her sexuality, and her family’s refusal to accept these very aspects of her being.

It’s a story that tests friendships, relationships, and the strength of one girl to push through it on her own.

After forming a bond with a professor, she begins to put her academics before everything else, and starts forging her own path.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

“I, too, can command the wind, sir!”

This movie is an inspirational movie about a woman, Elizabeth I, who put her own life in the public sphere, despite how hard it was to be even an average woman at the time, as well as putting her life on hold so she could fulfill her duties.

She struggled in nearly all her relationships because she was constantly on watch, and had nearly no privacy.

Known as the Elizabethan era, she brought to life things such as drama and art. And although she became quite unpopular towards the end of her reign, she managed to survive, despite it all.

Whip it

“Let’s celebrate mediocrity!”

After finding out her boyfriend, Oliver, cheated on her, Bliss burns his jacket, and refuses to get back together with him, even when he denies than anything happened.

She begins to focus on her own interests, and puts everything into the Hurl Scouts, the roller derby team she’s made her new life.

Even though she doesn’t get everything she wants, she learns a lot about herself, her ambition, and her strength along the way.

The Devil Wears Prada

“If Miranda were a man, no one would notice anything about her except how great she is at her job.”

This movie is a must see for any girl graduating from college, or looking to begin a career for herself.

Andrea Sachs, a college graduate heads to New York City and lands a job as the co-assistant of Miranda Priestly, a powerful fashion magazine editor.

While it is a movie about putting oneself first, especially when it comes to the world of work, the story is also a powerful narrative about choosing a path for yourself, by yourself, and with only yourself in mind. If you wouldn’t let a boy change you, you shouldn’t let a job change you too much either. You are in control of all of your successes on this Earth — no one else.

Brave

“Our fate lives within us, you only have to be brave enough to see it.”

When I said there was no Disney movie better than frozen, I may have lied. Merida, 16, is horrified upon discovering she is to be betrothed to the son of one of her father’s allies.

In a competition between the sons for her hand in marriage, she decides to compete herself. This movie is one about about a strong girl refusing to settle for anything less than she wants.

Though, at times, her parents complain she is being selfish, I believe being selfish is a form of self-love. It’s stating you know what you deserve, and in 2017, that’s something all girls should be open to recognizing within themselves.

How to be Single

“The thing about being single is, you should cherish it.”

No, this is not a literal guide on ‘how to be single.’ This movie is more about how to be there for yourself, than how to not be there for someone else.

It is a movie of friendship, self-love, and endurance in one of the hardest places to be single in on Earth – New York City.

It’s natural when living such a fast-paced, hectic life to want someone to lean on, but in this movie, Alice learns there’s more to being young than being with someone. In fact, the majority of our growth happens when we’re forced to rely on ourselves — it’s when we realize we don’t need someone else.

@carolinephinney