CT: Smart Girls

So it's no secret that Cait and I have really, really enjoyed the summer movies so far. We've had some of the best science fiction and action storytelling I've seen in a long time. But even beyond that, something has felt special, even more exciting, about the most recent crop of movies to hit theaters, and I couldn't put my finger on it until last night. 

As is tradition when I visit home, my dad and I went to the movies last night. He's a gigantic Disney buff, so we went to see Tomorrowland. And it was an awesome time. It felt like some of the classic Disney adventure stories from when I was young: exciting and optimistic and funny. But what I liked best is what it turns out I've been enjoying a lot this summer... It was a movie about smart girls. 

Now I just love a smart female character. I'm all about the women that can kick some serious ass, but I like it even better when they're actively problem-solving, curious people. As much as we all dig Tom Hiddleston (because he is the most aggressively charming person since Cary Grant), the best part of Thor and Thor 2 was Jane Foster nerding out about her science. 

Those smart, creative, hardcore girls have been all over the summer movies so far and I freaking love it.

Cait already gave you a rundown of Mad Max: Fury Road, which completely blew my mind with how many women it had. Because it wasn't just Furiosa (even if she was so amazing I don't have words to say it). Even though the warlord's wives were gorgeous, they weren't empty characters. They knew ammo, they were strategizing their own escape, they worked as a team. And don't even get me started on the matriarchal motorcycle tribe. I'm pretty sure I passed out for a second when they came onscreen. 

The ladies of Tomorrowland fit right in with this. Britt Robertson's character, Casey, is all about science and astronomy and (as she says over and over) "finding out how things work". Casey is stubborn in her love for science, and one of the first things we see of her is her as a little girl proclaiming that she wants to go to the stars. The second thing we see is her trying to save the NASA launch site by sabotaging the cranes that are there to dismantle it. 

Then there's the adorable and badass Athena. I've never seen this actress in anything but I officially love her. Athena is in charge. Period. She loves her job, which is to recruit "dreamers" for Tomorrowland, and nothing is going to stand in her way. Not killer robots, not George Clooney, not even Casey's insecurities. I know that I'm fully grown, but all I could think during the movie is how I want to be just like her when I grow up. 

The other movie that lit up my brain with its smart girl-ness is Ex Machina, which I've already professed my undying love for. Even though Ava is a robot, she's one of the most interesting characters I've ever seen onscreen. She's not coldly intelligent, like Spock, and her feelings drive her actions all way through the film. But she's still a force to be reckoned with. She plays the two male characters against each other perfectly, and I think the strongest scene in the film is her demanding of Caleb, "Is there someone who tests you and might turn you off?"

I'm sure I'm missing movies and characters here, and I'm hopeful that this trend keeps up. It sure does make going to the movies more fun. Smart, curious, scientific girls are some of our favorites to write, and hands down our favorites to watch. 

Cheers to the smart girls!

CT