I really enjoyed seeing Noah Baumbach's 2012 film Frances Ha starring Greta Gerwig at the time of it's release, and even more last night when I watched it again in preparation for this post.
A few days ago I came across @lilyraabe's clever and light-hearted contest calling for movies that pass the Bechdel Test. Have you ever heard of this test? I have to confess that I hadn't and was so pleased to learn about this clear and oh so telling litmus test that asks these 3 deceptively simple questions:
(1) Does it have at least two women in it?
(2) Do these women talk to each other?
(3) And do they talk about something besides men?
It's surprising how few movies actually pass this test and this fact speaks volumes about how women are viewed and valued in our society. While I've watched and noted how females are portrayed in both books and films for many years and it has always played a significant role in how I much I respect the writer, director and film as a whole., I find it incredibly heartening that as early as 1985 the Bechdel Test was created. I only wish I had learned about it that year as I was graduating high school! It certainly would have made a difference in how I viewed my own value as a woman and had a tangible way to gauge how the society around me did as well.
I chose Frances Ha for my entry into this contest because it's about how important we as female friends are to each other. This is a small independent film and I love the simple and creatively constructed scenes that are shot in black and white to highlight the interactions and body language. It is a story of a young woman reaching to find her feet in her own life and coming into herself in the way that we do in our later 20s. And my most favorite scene is of Frances running and dancing with abandon down the streets of Brooklyn on her way to work.
But the underlying theme throughout is how deeply this woman Frances needs her closest female relationship and how this friendship is actually the glue that gives her life context and joy. It's the foundation for her safety and sense of self and with this friendship she feels secure in growing personally, creatively and knows her place in the scheme of things.
As I write this I wonder if some might view this as unhealthy, but I truly don't, not at all. In our lives we all need people in different ways at different times. For some of us it's our family, for some of us it's our friends that give us the foundation, safety and springboard from which we can jump back and forth into life. We can grow and challenge ourselves and find our courage partially because we have this base, this kinship and support that we can return to over and over again to nourish ourselves and help make sense of things.
We're all unique and each of our particular challenges can look quite different, so I don't presume that Greta Gerwig's Frances represents all women, nor all people, but her story is one that I can relate to. I was and am still a person who also has relied heavily on my friendships as the glue that has bound my life together. I'll also say that some of my biggest heartbreaks have been when I hit up against the limits of those relationships. When I wanted them to continue growing and holding importance despite the additions of much loved husbands, children and co-workers.
I have always been a person for whom relationships are the catalyst for everything, even my sense of self. I count myself extremely lucky to still have 2 super close friends of 40 years and one of 22 years and these are still my touchstones in life. Regardless of anything else, family, husbands, work, these 2 women have never lost their place in my heart and life. And honestly, I would say that there's a chance I wouldn't be alive without them.
my best friend of 40 years Laura and me last year
Thank you @lilyraab for this opportunity to think about women, women in film and to do some reflection on the role of female friendships in my own life through preparing this post.
As always, your support is noticed and appreciated! Stay tuned for more ceramic artwork and process soon.....
