Beliefnet Movie Highlights: Movie Underdogs
Posted on June 10, 2009 at 8:00 am
Be sure to check out Kris Rasmussen’s great gallery on the top Hollywood underdogs (if that’s not a contradiction in terms). She includes some of my favorite movies, like “October Sky” and “Babe.” Some of my other favorite movie underdogs are the kids in “The Sandlot” and the teams in “Hoosiers,” “Bull Durham,” and “Miracle.”
Other than “Pretty Women”, all these admittedly terrific choices are men/boys (even Babe, I think). Are there any great female underdog characters? Why aren’t there more?
You are so right, Pam — generally in movies the female characters are less the “underdog” than the “ugly duckling.” Movies with female leads often focus on some sort of makeover — as in “Cinderella,” “My Fair Lady,” “Gigi,” “Working Girl,” etc. You’ve made an important point and I am going to post something more about this, so please take a look and let me know what you think.
There are no female underdog movies!!!! And i prefer them to the male i guess because i can relate more to them. These are the only ones i can think of really: She’s all that, sixteen candles, and pretty in pink what else is there?
You came up with some great examples, Kelleigh! And what about “Cinderella” and “My Fair Lady?” And “Erin Brockovich?” And “Norma Rae?”