FEMALE AGENCY/POWER/AUTHORITY SCORE: +10
THE MALE GAZE SCORE: 0
[no issues]
GENDER/SEXUALITY SCORE: -5
WILDCARD SCORE: +5
Is there anything either positive or negative in the film’s representation of women not already accounted for here? (points will vary)
Much of the film’s humor springs specifically from a woman’s perspective on the world, including anxieties about attraction and dating that are often treated in pop culture as worries only men have. There is also comedic focus on cultural expectations of women, from how we’re supposed to dress to how we’re supposed to be “nice” and self-sacrificing.
TOTAL SCORE: +35
IS THE FILM’S DIRECTOR FEMALE? No (does not impact scoring)
IS THE FILM’S SCREENWRITER FEMALE? Yes (Paula Pell) (does not impact scoring)
BOTTOM LINE: Two screwed-up female protagonists who desperately need to grow and change as people, a female antagonist whose villainy isn’t gendered, and humor that looks at the world from a uniquely female perspective and that understands women’s fears and worries. This is what we need to see more of at the movies.
Click here for the ongoing ranking of 2015’s films for female representation.
NOTE: This is not a “review” of Sisters! It is simply an examination of how well or how poorly it represents women. (A movie that represents women well can still be a terrible film; a movie that represents women poorly can still be a great film.) Read my review of Sisters.
See the full rating criteria. (Criteria that do not apply to this film have been deleted in this rating for maximum readability.)
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