Women don’t need to be told this, but we kick ass all the damn time. For the past few days a large part of the national news has been stories about Tammie Jo Shults, the pilot who safely landed a Southwest flight in Philadelphia after one of the engines exploded at over 30,000 feet. Sadly, one woman later died of injuries sustained in the incident, but it’s universally agreed that Captain Shults’ “nerves of steel” and skill kept the situation from being catastrophically worse. It’s no surprise that she was more than able to rise to such an occasion, because she was one of the first women in the U.S. Navy to fly fighter jets. Look at her freakin’ go.
When Tammie Jo went to an aviation lecture as a high school student, the male instructor asked her if she was lost, and assured her that even though she was interested in flying there were no professional female pilots. That guy can drown in his own male tears today because she’s a damn American hero, and he’s no one. I’m a nervous flyer, and after reading all the details of this story I may never take to the skies again unless Tammie Jo is my pilot. We had better get a movie about this in a few years. Clint Eastwood and Tom Hanks teamed up to make Sully about the pilot who landed a plane on the Hudson. Not that these things need to be compared, but the details of the incident from a few days ago are quite a bit more harrowing. Get it done Hollywood.
In the meantime…there are a few newly released trailers for movies coming out this summer that I was thrilled to see are focused on female characters and stories. As an added bonus, all three of these are from different genres, so women of all kinds with tastes of all kinds can see themselves represented.
Ocean’s 8
Julie wrote about the first trailer for this movie last year, saying that we were all in for it. With the release of the second trailer last week it’s safe to say that’s still the case. This movie is going to work on so many levels: the actresses are fabulous, female characters from all walks of life are teaming up, the clothes are envy inducing, and it’s pissed off fanboys big time. It’s like Ghostbusters all over again. In Ocean’s 12 Julia Roberts played a character who pretends to be Julia Roberts, and there is an actual plot point in which a rich, playboy criminal breaks into a museum by doing a techno dance to dodge security lasers. But this movie is “unnecessary.” Sure.
Ocean’s 8 will be released on June 8th.
Mary Shelley
I’ve been anticipating this movie for quite some time. A period piece about a vital woman in history helmed by a female director? That’s a different kind of Holy Trifecta. Lord Byron and Percy Shelley do not come out of this trailer looking good, with their patronizing 19th century jackassery. It’s a comfort to know that even though Mary Shelley wasn’t taken seriously by the men around her at the time, of the three writers, her work has had the most lasting impact. Silent movies, monster films, Young Frankenstein, Herman Munster, an oddly touching Christmas commercial for Apple—Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus has more than stood the test of time. Meanwhile, everyone reads Percy Shelley and Lord Byron’s poetry in college and then never again.
Mary Shelley will be released on May 25th.
Incredibles 2
The very long awaited sequel to The Incredibles will finally be released this summer, and the latest trailer gave us the first really good look at the story details. While the first one centered around Mr. Incredible rediscovering his sense of self as a superhero, this one will center on Elastigirl fighting crime in order to bring superheroes back into the good graces of the public. (Helen’s offended face at her husband’s incredulity that she’s the best person for that job is right on.) Even though it’s not expressly stated, the first movie takes place in the early 1960s. So not only is Elastigirl out there kicking ass while Mr. Incredible is at home taking care of the kids, they’re doing those things at a time when gender norms dictated that the exact opposite should be happening. It looks like Violet will have more to do this time around, and Edna Mode is also back, whose stoic confidence is inspirational to women everywhere. #Mode2020. And though we still haven’t seen her, Frozone’s wife reprises her bit from the first movie at the end of this trailer, although they’ll be hard pressed to recreate the brilliance of that moment.
