One of my favorite romantic comedies of recent years is a little holiday film aptly named The Holiday. Part of the reason I enjoy this movie so much is because of a scene between Eli Wallach as Arthur Abbott and Kate Winslet as Iris Simpkins. In this scene, Arthur calls Iris out on her poor relationship behavior: “Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason you are behaving like the best friend.” This little challenge hits home for Iris and ultimately leads her on the path to discovering something called “gumption”.
That one beautiful word brings real Hollywood glamour to my mind. I immediately get visions of Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, and Katherine Hepburn – women who lit up the screen with their feminine wiles and backbones of steel.
But good female roles are hard to find in today’s movies. So often women are cast as the “girlfriend”, the “best friend”, or the “mother” – all brave new titles for what years ago amounted to “the secretary”. Out of all these roles, none offends more than the women of comic book lore who find their sole purpose in screaming for Spiderman’s help (a la Kirstin Dunst) or flouncing around half dressed (a la Megan Fox). Perhaps it is precisely because good roles are hard to find that women who display brains and wit streak across the screen like a blinding meteor. All hail the wonderful brilliance of gumption.
To honor the women who dared to be different; who won’t take nothin’ from nobody, I offer you my favorite women of gumption. This list is nowhere near conclusive, but it does present the highlights.
1. The Women (1939): This movie is the end-all be-all of gumption. Every woman in the cast rapid-fires witticisms and fights like a man when it comes to keeping her man. A must buy for any collection; this movie captures exactly what was great about classic Hollywood, despite the drama that went into its production. (Do yourself a favor, however, and Run, Run Away! from the remake.)
2. His Girl Friday (1940): No one can speed talk a confession out of a hardened criminal with quite such feminine aplomb as Rosalind Russell. Whether she’s handling grifters or her shifty ex-husband (brilliantly played by Cary Grant), Russell’s Hildy Johnson proves once and for all that she can out write and out report any man on the news circuit, and look damn good doing it.
3: The Philadelphia Story (1940): Gumption is not gumption without the crack wit of a raging redhead and who better to bring that to the screen than Katherine Hepburn. This time it’s Hepburn’s turn to show Cary Grant what a woman scorned can do in this fast-talking comedy – a must own for any collection.
4: The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio (2005): Not all gumption is loud and boisterous. Sometimes it is quietly taking a stand and refusing to let life’s curveballs rob you of joy. That is the lesson that Julianne Moore’s character teaches her children in this largely underrated film. Her quiet confidence more than earns her a right to a position in the top five as well as in everyone’s personal collection.
5: Erin Brockovich (2000): Julia Roberts is another raging redhead in this movie about corporate greed. Her refusal to give up on the families she protects, the children who wait for her at home, and her undying belief that what she is doing is right leads her to greatness in this film that is based on a true story.
Honorable Mention: Kate Winslet in The Holiday (2006)
No matter how you rate yourself as a speed talker, take the time to bring a little more “gumption” into your life.
-Stephanie
I wish they had cut Jude Law and Cameron Diaz out of that movie. I loved Iris. These are all great movies. We need more movies about women with gumption (and men too).