1

Effects of the Women’s Movement on Popular Culture: An Examination of Top-grossing

Films

Maggie Phillips
This paper will examine the effects of the women’s movement on mainstream American
society. In order to do so, the most popular films from each decade since the 1960s will
be examined. The films that are the most profitable should reflect mainstream American
thought, so any changes instigated by the women’s movement should become apparent
upon investigation. The five top-grossing films from each decade will be examined. A
broad overview of each decade and its films will be provided, along with a closer
examination of one film from each period.
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When looking to examine changes in a society’s ways of thinking, a product

geared to a mass audience should echo that audience’s beliefs. Films, or rather,

Hollywood films, are made to sell. The most profitable of these films should reflect the

dominant ideologies of American culture. Any changes in popular thought should be

mirrored in these films, and by studying them over a period of time these changes should

become evident. Therefore, to learn whether or not American attitudes toward women

have changed in response to the second wave of the Women’s Movement, this paper will

examine the five top-grossing films of each decade from the 1960s to the present. This

paper will provide an overview of themes present in the films, as well as give a more

detailed account of one film from each decade.

These films are, in order of popularity: 1960s—The Sound of Music, Doctor

Zhivago, The Graduate, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Mary Poppins;

1970s—Star Wars, Jaws, The Exorcist, Grease, and The Sting; 1980s—ET, Return of the

Jedi, The Empire Strikes Back, Batman, and Raiders of the Lost Ark; 1990s—Titanic, The

Phantom Menace, Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump, and Independence Day; 2000—Harry

Potter, Lord of the Rings, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Cast Away, and Rush Hour 2

(www.imdb.com).

1960s

The 1960s was a turbulent time in American history. The second wave of the

women’s movement began in this decade, and by the time NOW was founded in 1966, it

was a strong force (Davis, 49). It was during this time that women questioned many

aspects of American life, beginning with the publication of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine

Mystique. Women within other movements, such as the Civil Rights Movement,
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questioned the sexual inequality within the Movement, and began sharing their

experiences with other women. However, while these women were organizing for

change, there were other, more conservative groups working against them (Rosen).

The films released in this decade covered a wide range of themes. Earlier films

such as Mary Poppins (1964), The Sound of Music (1965) and Doctor Zhivago (1965)

show little change in attitudes toward women. This is to be expected because they were

released before the movement really gained momentum. The women in these films have

little purpose other than wives, mothers, and servants. As Mr. Banks sings in Mary

Poppins, “It’s the age of men.”

Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music both show women as primary caregivers

for children. The characters Mary Poppins and Maria are responsible for caring for other

people’s children because the mother is absent and the father has other priorities. In Mary

Poppins the mother is always out working as a suffragette, and in The Sound of Music the

mother is dead. The nannies are expected to discipline the children, amuse them, care for

them whey are sick, and help them with their studies.

One important aspect of Mary Poppins is its portrayal of the suffrage movement.

Mrs. Banks is a suffragette, but she treats the cause as more of a social event than a

political movement. At the beginning of the film she tells her servants, “We had the most

glorious meeting…You should have been there!” She tries to keep her husband from

noticing her activities, and at one point tells the maid to put her sashes away because the

cause angers her husband. Later she is dressing to attend a rally, but when Mr. Banks tells

her not to go she stays by his side. Finally, the movie ends with her using her sash as a
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tail for the kite the children have made. It is clear that the filmmakers thought little of the

suffrage movement.

The women in Doctor Zhivago are mostly there for the benefit of the male

characters. Zhivago feels free to cheat on his wife, even though she is loyal to him and

tries to make him happy. Tonya has to manage their household even though they have

few resources because of the revolution. She helps convince Zhivago to leave Moscow

because she understands better than he the danger they are in because of his poetry. She

does not even express anger over his infidelity in her letter to Zhivago after he escapes

from the army. She tells him that he can join her and their children in Moscow if he likes,

even though he has lied to her for months. Komarovsky is the lover of Lara’s mother, but

he feels no remorse in having an affair with Lara as well. He takes advantage of her and

then tells her that she is a ‘slut’. Pasha marries Lara, but he leaves her and their child to

fight in the war. She volunteers as a nurse for the army in order to find him, but is later

told that he is dead. He is not, though. He changed his name to Strelnikov and has

become a leader in the revolution. He feels free to abandon his wife and daughter, even

though he took her away from her home and family to an unfamiliar place. It is never

stated what she does to survive after the war, but somehow she manages to support

herself and her child. The men in this film never consider what the consequences of their

actions towards the women will be; they think only of how the women can help them,

and once they are no longer useful the women are discarded.

The Graduate (1967) and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) were

influenced by the women’s movement, although in different ways. The Graduate shows

that women are more than just wives and mothers. Mrs. Robinson, although a housewife,
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tells Benjamin that she had gone to college to study art, but had to quit school and marry

when she became pregnant. Her character is more developed than the character of Lara,

who also plays the part of the adulterous woman. Other than Komarovsky’s comment

that she is a slut, it is never expressed why Lara sleeps with him. The portrayal of Mrs.

Robinson in this manner reflects a growing realization of what women suffer because of

society’s attitude toward them.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid responds differently to the women’s

movement. It was one of numerous buddy films that were made in the late 1960s and

early 1970s. These films depict a world centered on men, where women are present

solely for their benefit. Butch and Sundance live in a world almost devoid of women.

Even when they are at the brothel, they spend more time outside on the balcony than they

do inside with the women. They decide to let Ellen travel with them because she would

provide good cover for them. But eventually she too is excluded from their world, and

leaves them in South America.

Buddy films also show men to be dominant over women. The first time Ellen is

shown, Sundance has a gun pointed at her and is telling her to undress. Although it is

revealed that they have a relationship, it is clear that he is the one who is in control. He

comes and goes as he pleases, and she can never be sure if he will come back. He also

tells her how to behave before they leave for South America. Sundance tells her that if

she whines or becomes a nuisance to them he will leave her wherever they happen to be.

Women in these films are housewives, mothers, nannies, cooks, maids,

prostitutes, teachers, nurses, nuns, factory workers, seamstresses, students and mistresses.

Although there are a great variety of positions, most reflect traditional roles for women.
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Most of the women portrayed seem willing to make whatever sacrifices needed in order

to please men. In Doctor Zhivago it is revealed that Tonya turns off the heater after her

husband leaves for work because she wants to conserve the fuel for him. She puts his

well being over that of herself and her child.

One of these sacrifices women make for men is to forego their education. Lara is

shown studying at the beginning of Doctor Zhivago, but after her relationship with

Komarovsky she seems to forget her desire for schooling. Elaine is willing to quit

college and marry Carl at the request of her parents, just as Mrs. Robinson quit school to

marry her husband when she became pregnant with Elaine.

The Graduate

The Graduate, released in 1967, is an interesting film to examine. Of the

characters, only Benjamin and Mrs. Robinson are fully developed. Elaine’s motivations

are never really clear. It is strange that she would want to marry her mother’s former

lover after only one date, especially when she was so willing to quit school and marry

Carl at her parents’ request. It is never even stated what she is studying.

Mrs. Robinson is a housewife, but she tells Benjamin that in college she had

majored in art. She had to quit college, though, and marry her husband when she became

pregnant with Elaine. She would have been in college in the late 1940s/early 1950s, at a

time when the birth control pill was unavailable and abortions were illegal. As a woman,

society expected her not to have children out of wedlock. Her choices were limited, so

she married and had a miserable relationship with her husband. The two did not share a

bedroom, and Mr. Robinson’s fidelity is questionable. Yet, when he learns of Mrs.

Robinson’s affair, he decides to divorce her.

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Although Mrs. Robinson is a housewife, this film shows that there is more to a

woman than her ability to have children and manage a house. The Graduate depicts an

older woman as sexy and desirable. Benjamin has his first sexual relationship with Mrs.

Robinson, but he does not have romantic feelings for her. They are both using each other;

Mrs. Robinson is using Ben to make herself feel younger and more desirable, and Ben is

using her for sexual pleasure.

Elaine is presented as a younger version of Mrs. Robinson, innocent and naïve.

This is clear when Ben takes her to the strip club on their date. The image of Elaine is

juxtaposed with that of the stripper, who is dancing in front of her. Elaine runs from the

club crying, and Ben runs after her to apologize. He realizes that she is not her mother, at

least not yet. At the end of the film, when Elaine tries to leave the church with Ben, her

mother tells her, “It’s too late,” and Elaine responds, “Not for me!” She knows that if she

stays with Carl she will become her mother, bitter and unhappy.

1970s

The 1970s were a bit more radical than the 60s. It was during this decade that the

women’s liberation movement reached its peak. Abortion was legalized, women won

several discrimination suits, and laws and acts benefiting women were passed. In

response to these advances, however, there was a strong conservative backlash (Rosen).

These advances and their responses are reflected in the films of this decade.

Buddy films continued to be popular, including The Sting. Violent attitudes

toward women became more prolific in this decade as well. The first person killed in

Jaws is a young, naked, woman. She goes into the water in the early morning after

partying all night. She tries to entice a young man into the water with her, but he passes
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out. The film shows that wild behavior from women will not be tolerated; the woman dies

because of her actions. Regan, a young woman with no religious beliefs, suffers a violent

possession by the devil in The Exorcist. Her body is violated, and her mother is unable to

do anything to help her. It is only through the help of men that the demon is exorcised.

Men, not women, are shown to be in control of the female body.

Star Wars, on the other hand, shows women in a different manner. Leia is a

beautiful princess, but she is also a very strong-willed woman, and it is her intelligence

and quick thinking that saves her friends and the Rebellion several times. She is,

however, a woman, and is subjected to the stereotypical portrayal of woman as a love

interest. From their first meeting with her, both Luke and Han are attracted to her. She is

also the one who comforts Luke in a maternal way after Obi Wan is killed. Leia is a

much stronger character than most women, but she still has to be rescued by Luke and

Han. It is also significant that she is the only woman, besides Beru, in the entire film.

Society was not ready to accept more than one strong female.

Women in these films are housewives, mothers, actresses, students, waitresses,

nurses and princesses. There is not as much variety of roles for women in this decade as

there are in others. Women were trying to advance their position in life, and in response

male-dominated Hollywood created a fantasy world that limited their possibilities. It is

significant that not only do the main characters hold these positions, but the extras do as

well. In The Exorcist several nurses are shown, all of whom are women. The doctors,

meanwhile, are all men.

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The Exorcist

The Exorcist reveals the backlash towards the women’s movement. Not only is

the film very violent towards women, but there are also more subtle aspects of the film

that degrade a woman’s independence. Chris MacNeil is a woman trying to raise her

daughter alone, but failing because of forces beyond her control. The people she goes to

for help are all men: doctors, psychiatrists, and priests.

The filmmakers show that other people think Chris needs a husband and Regan

needs a father. Regan asks her mother if she is going to marry Burke Dennings, but Chris

responds that they are just friends, and she loves Regan’s father. Even though they are

separated, and Regan’s father ignores the two of them, she still wants him in her life. The

psychiatrists tell her that being separated from her husband could be the cause for

Regan’s condition

At one point Chris tells the psychiatrists that neither she nor her daughter have

any religious beliefs. Since women are supposed to be more spiritual than men, she has

gone against the natural order and it is her fault that her daughter has been possessed.

However, even though they have no expressed beliefs, Regan is able to use the ouija

board to contact spirits, showing that women are more spiritual.

1980s

Although there was some success for women’s rights in the 80s, there was also a

great deal of backlash towards feminism. Several organizations worked against the Equal

Rights Amendment, and accomplished their goal when it was failed to gain the number of

states necessary for ratification. Various court rulings counteracted some of the gains

made by feminism, and many people came to think of feminism in a harsh light (Rosen).
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Although motherhood is a key aspect of society’s expectations for women, during

this decade it was the father who received more attention in films. It is revealed that

Darth Vader is the father of Luke and Leia, but no mention is made of their mother.

There is also never any mention of Leia’s foster mother, although she does speak of her

foster father. In Raiders of the Lost Ark Marion’s father is mentioned as part of the story,

but her mother is never discussed. Mary’s abilities as a mother are questioned in E.T.

When she does not believe Elliott’s story of an alien, he tells her that his father would

believe him. When Elliott is missing, she has to call the police for help. The male police

officer suggests that it is her fault he is missing because she and her husband are

separated.

The women in these films are mothers, photographers, mistresses, tavern owners

and political leaders. They are more likely to work outside the home than in previous

years, but being a wife and mother is still a key aspect of women’s characterizations in

film. Women who do not fall into traditional roles, such as tavern owners like Marion,

are likely to fall into trouble and need the help of a man. Women are depicted as being

dependent on men for their happiness and security.

Batman

In Batman it becomes apparent that men still view women as sex objects. There

are only two major female characters in the film, Vicki Vale and Alicia. Alicia is the

mistress of Grissom, and almost every time she is shown she is wearing tight clothes and

carrying shopping bags. She is not called by name until the fifth time she appears;

Grissom and Jack both call her “honey,” “sweetheart,” and other nicknames. Jack feels
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free to treat her as he likes, and experiments with her face, calling it ‘art.’ When she kills

herself he is unperturbed, and says, “You can’t make an omelet without breaking some

eggs.”

The first image of Vicki in the film is of her legs. Alexander Knox walks to his

desk and sees her with her legs propped on his desk. He greets her, “Hello, legs.” From

this instance it is clear that her appearance is more important than her ability as a

photographer. Throughout the film Knox expresses interest in her, and is jealous of her

relationship with Bruce Wayne. After seeing her picture, Jack too becomes interested in

Vicki and tries to take her for himself.

This film shows that men are still capable of keeping women in a subordinate

position. The filmmakers chose to make the characters Vicki and Alicia beautiful and

glamorous because they would help to advance the plot more if they were desirable.

Films such as this show that society’s attitudes toward women have not changed much.

1990s

Many of the advances made by the women’s movement, such as those against

sexual harassment and rape, are immersed in mainstream culture by the 90s. There is still

a great deal of negativity towards feminism, however, and many women who take

advantage of these advances still think badly of the movement (Rosen).

While these films tend to show women in a better light than those of previous

years, this trend is not seen throughout. Jurassic Park and Phantom Menace both feature

strong female characters. Independence Day, on the other hand, shows women that are

dependent on men for their survival. The women of this film suffer when they do not

listen to men, as the First Lady does when she does not listen to her husband’s advice to
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leave Los Angeles. The women see their men off to war, and are there to greet them

when they return victorious. Without their men, these women would die

The women in these films are housewives, mothers, scientists, waitresses,

strippers and political leaders. Unlike previous decades, in the 90s women are shown as

scientists. This reveals society’s increased acceptance of the fact that women are more

than just bodies. However, a woman’s appearance is still considered very important, as

can be seen from the fact that Jasmine is a stripper.

Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park has two female characters, Dr. Ellie Sattler and Hammond’s

granddaughter Alexis. Dr. Sattler is depicted as a very intelligent woman; she is a

paleobotanist. She is shown to be more than just a sex object. Through most of the film

she wears clothes similar to those of the male characters; she is not scantily clad as

women in most films are. There are several instances in the film in which her knowledge

of dinosaurs and plant life is displayed. However, she is still portrayed as the love

interest for Dr. Grant, and Dr. Malcolm is interested in her as well.

Although Dr. Sattler’s character is not as conservative as most female characters,

she is still shown in the role of mother. The audience is repeatedly reminded that she

wants to have children, and she sees Hammond’s grandchildren as an opportunity to

show Dr. Grant what having children is like. She is a nurturing character, and nurses Dr.

Malcolm after he is wounded.

Women are depicted as more independent in this film than in many others. Dr.

Sattler makes decisions on her own, and even leaves the others in order to turn on the

power and save them all. She does not panic as the typical female character does.
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Although Alexis panics when she sees the dinosaurs, she is not depicted as helpless. She

and her brother each have their own talents. He is an expert on dinosaurs and does not

panic like she does. Alexis, however, is able to save them all because of her computer

skills. Her brother calls her a computer nerd, but it is her abilities that save them from the

dinosaurs.

21st Century

It is now more acceptable for women to hold positions of authority, and to be

something other than just a wife and mother. However, as the first few films of this

decade show, there is still resentment towards women, and a desire to keep women in a

subordinate position.

Lord of the Rings and Cast Away create worlds almost devoid of women, while

Rush Hour 2 objectifies women more than any other film examined in this paper. Harry

Potter shows Hermione to be more capable than the male students, but they resent her for

her abilities. Women who threaten male dominance are snubbed by society.

The women in these films are housewives, mothers, teachers, witches,

government agents, villains, mistresses, pilots, receptionists, artists and students.

Although women are sometimes portrayed in jobs they would not have been a few

decades earlier, such as pilots, they are still most often portrayed as housewives and

mothers. It is apparent that although society’s views toward women have altered, there

has not been a complete revolution in thinking as had been previously hoped.

Cast Away

Although most of Cast Away creates a world that includes only one man, Kelly is

still an important part of the story. Chuck thinks of her in order to survive the island, and
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he covers the cave walls with drawings of her. Thoughts of Kelly inspire Chuck to live

when he is close to death.

Before Chuck was stranded on the island, he and Kelly were living together and

probably going to marry. She was also working on her PhD. When Chuck comes back he

finds things have changed. Kelly has married Chuck’s dentist and they have a child. It

seems she was unable to live without a man in her life. She also gave up working on her

degree and is a housewife. The message seems to be that women may try to have an

identity outside the home, but eventually they will come back to being a wife and mother.

Observations

Marriage is still seen as a crucial part of a woman’s life. In all of the movies

examined here, the dominant role for a woman is that of wife and mother. If a woman is

single, then she is expected to marry, and a large part of the film revolves around her role

as a potential mate. Except for young girls, most women appear as romantic interests.

Even strong characters like Princess Leia and Queen Amidala fulfill this purpose.

Women are portrayed as being incomplete without a man.

Women are also depicted as nurturing figures, and when they do not have their

own children, they care for other people. When a character is wounded, unless a doctor

is available, it is invariably a woman who cares for the character. However, the doctors

are all men.

Women have traditionally been seen as more spiritual than men, and this belief is

reflected in many of the films. Mary Poppins uses magic to help the children with their

chores and to take them on wonderful outings. In The Exorcist, Regan is possessed by the

devil. In Return of the Jedi, it is revealed that Leia is Luke’s sister and also is strong in
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the force. In Harry Potter Hermione is better at casting spells than any of the boys. And

finally, in The Lord of the Rings the only two female characters in the film both have

magical powers. Arwen Undomie is an elf and uses her powers to protect Froto, while

Galadriel is a powerful elf sorceress. It is evident that society’s views of women have not

changed on this matter.

Single mothers are looked down upon by male authority figures. This is the case

in both The Exorcist and E.T. Chris MacNeil tries to find help for her daughter, and takes

her to several doctors. One doctor says that Regan’s condition is caused by a nerve

disorder, possibly because her parents are separated and Regan’s mother is raising her.

He implies that Chris is incapable of caring for her daughter herself, that she needs a man

to help her. This sentiment is echoed in E.T. when Elliott is missing. The police officer

tells Mary that Elliott may have run away because she and her husband are separated,

even though Mary assures him that Elliott is happy

A woman’s appearance is still considered a key aspect of her character. In some

films the importance of a woman’s attractiveness is not as obvious in others. Mary

Poppins dresses very conservatively and does not flaunt her body like women in some

other films, but Burt’s remark that she is beautiful shows that beauty is a trait of the ideal

woman. Whenever she sees a mirror she stops and checks her appearance, and she

repeatedly powders her face. Mrs. Robinson is more concerned about her appearance, and

asks Benjamin what he thinks of her several times. The first time Luke sees Leia in the

holographic message, he says, “Who is she? She’s beautiful.” In The Exorcist, through

the ouija board Regan asks Captain Howdy if he thinks her mother is beautiful. Anakin

asks Padme if she is an angel because she is so beautiful. People congratulate Cal on his
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engagement to a pretty woman like Rose in Titanic. The women in Rush Hour 2 wear

tight and revealing clothes, and at one point Carter says, “I want the men and the ugly

women on the left and the fine women on the right.” Hardly any attention is paid to how

the male characters look. Other than a scene in which Indiana Jones’ female students

stare at him, the appearance of men is virtually ignored.

In many films, women serve the purpose of reassuring the audience of the man’s

heterosexuality. This is the case in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the original Star

Wars Trilogy, and Rush Hour 2. In these movies, there is a strong emphasis on the

friendship between two men. Butch and Sundance spend a great deal of time together,

and so there will be no confusion about their sexuality, the filmmakers make it clear they

were both heterosexual. Besides the visits to the brothel, Sundance has a relationship

with Ellen, and Butch seems to have romantic feelings for her as well. Leia in the Star

Wars movies is more than just a love interest, but she does serve that purpose as well. In

the first film, a bit of a rivalry sparks between Luke and Han over Leia, and this

continues through Return of the Jedi, when Han asks Leia how she fells about Luke, only

to learn that they are brother and sister. In Rush Hour 2 Carter is quite clear that he is

heterosexual. Perhaps in a response to the increase in homosexual characters in film and

television in the last few years, the filmmakers want to assure the audience that the stars

of the film are heterosexual. Carter treats women as objects, constantly calling them

‘baby’ and other such terms. Most of the women in the film wear skimpy clothes, and

Carter and Lee even watch Isabella through the window as she undresses.

It is common in some films for women to change their identity in some way in

order to please a man. Two examples of this can be found in Grease and Lord of the
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Rings. In Grease, Sandy is a wholesome young woman and Danny is a hoodlum. At the

end of the film they each try to make the other happy by changing their identities. Sandy

perms her hair, wears tight clothes, and smokes cigarettes. Danny wears a letterman

sweater for track. But as soon as Danny sees that Sandy has changed for him, he drops

the sweater and resumes his former identity. When they are driving into the sky at the

end, Danny grabs Sandy and she jumps, but she does not protest like she did earlier in the

film. She has abandoned her morals in order to be with him. As an elf, Arwen Undomiel

of Lord of the Rings is immortal. However, in order to be with the man she loves, she

chooses to relinquish her powers and become mortal.

Men by far outnumber women in these films. Even non-human characters such as

droids have male personalities. Strong female characters are rarely shown, and in those

films in which they are, there are very few female characters. The more dominant

portrayal of women is that of the wife and mother dependent on a man for her well-being.

Conclusion

The world depicted through these films is one in which men are dominant over

women. Although their power over women may have diminished over the years due to

changes instigated by the women’s movement, society still favors and is dominated by

men. The images of women presented in these films are ones that adhere to mainstream

societal standards for women. The films studied here show that although there have been

many advancements in society’s treatment of women, the dominant culture still works to

keep women in a subordinate position. Much has changed, but much has remained the

same.
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Sources

Batman (1989)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Cast Away (2000)

Davis, Flora. Moving the Mountain: The Women’s Movement in America Since 1960.
Simon and Schuster, New York: 1991.

Doctor Zhivago (1965)

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

E.T. (1982)

The Exorcist (1973)

Forrest Gump (1994)

The Graduate (1967)

Grease (1978)

Harry Potter (2001)

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

Independence Day (1996)

Jaws (1975)

Jurassic Park (1993)

Lord of the Rings (2001)

Mary Poppins (1964)

The Phantom Menace (1999)

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Return of the Jedi (1983)

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Rosen, Ruth. The World Split Open: How the Modern Women’s Movement Changed
America. Viking, New York: 2000.

Rush Hour 2 (2001)

The Sound of Music (1965)

Star Wars (1977)

The Sting (1973)

Titanic (1997)

www.imdb.com