Philadelphia Globe Explores The Second-Wave of Feminism In 2020

Philadelphia Globe Explores The Second-Wave of Feminism In 2020

By John Saeger

It is not uncommon that certain topics or characters receive batch interest within the cultural zeitgeist. Fate and events occasionally intertwine multiple television, movie, theater, or music projects. Some receive greater attention than others, but streaming is allowing interested audiences to go heavier on select creative media than ever before. One unusual convergence of projects is occurring in 2020 through a heavy dose of second-wave feminism. 

A similar creative wave in 2017 focused on British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Two Churchill biopics, Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, and a season of The Crown featured stories on (or involving) the U.K. politician’s definitive moments within months of each other. Outside of Hollywood’s constant probing of World War II stories, there is no tangible reason for the resurgence of interest in Churchill. The awards received by these projects indicate that it is possible for different aspects of the same story to operate in the modern media climate. 

There are three major projects that focus on the same era of the feminist movement that are coming to fruition this year.

Cate Blanchett in Mrs. America

The first, Mrs. America, was an FX on Hulu mini-series featuring Cate Blanchett as a bedeviling Phyliss Schaffly. Blanchett headed an ensemble cast that portrayed a large variety of real-life roles. These characters reflected critical and lesser-known figures that were competing over various aspects of women’s liberation and the Equal Rights Amendment. 

Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Misbehaviour

Two other projects are due to hit cinemas at the end of this month. The first, Misbehaviour, goes across the pond and back in time to the 1970 Miss World Pageant. The U.K. film stars Keira Knightley and Greg Kinnear as the world of scholarship contestants and women’s lib collide. The 1970 competition is known for the interruption of its telecast by protestors. It also marks the clash of societal conceptions of beauty as Miss Grenada and Miss Sweden compete for the pageant’s crown. Kinnear will play pageant host Bob Hope. Kinnear last lampooned beauty pageantry in the 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine. 

Misbehaviour, which is directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, sets up obvious questions on the superficial value of pageants. It also appears to mine unexpected conversation on how beauty contests can progress perceptions of idealized women. Lowthorpe directed two episodes of The Crown that raised questions on the dangerous value of archaic institutions in the modern world. Look for Misbehaviour to continue that dialogue. 

Julianne Moore In The Glorias

The next film is The Glorias. The biopic features four different actors portraying Gloria Steinem at different phases in the activist’s career. The lead actors (who include Julianne Moore and Alicia Vikander) will be supported by Bette Midler (playing Bella Abzug) and Janelle Monae (Dorothy Pitman Hughes). This is the second biopic for Julie Taymor. The director, who is mostly known for theatrical work, also helmed the 2002 project Frida. 

The Glorias has a tough act in following Mrs. America. The series was able to dive into a spectrum of complex issues involving second-wave feminism. While the movie will not be as comprehensive as the nine-episode series, the feature offers the chance to examine Steinem’s life at greater length. The coincidence of these projects coming to fruition at the same time offers a unique storytelling opportunity. 

Unlike the Churchill pieces, the sudden resurgence of interest in these overlapping productions makes sense. It is likely that this flood of work is rooted in the recent women’s marches and Hillary Clinton’s historic presidential candidacy. With some distance between Steinem’s peak influence and the current projects, women who grew up with her as an influence have the chance to tell stories that also present objective questions. 

There are so many different aspects of second-wave feminism that allow room for these projects. While watching Mrs. America, I found myself caring about Shirley Chisolm’s trailblazing election bid as much as Cate Blanchett’s fiery turn as Schaffly. Many micro-stories are brought to the forefront by looking at Chisolm, Steinem, Schlaffly, and Betty Friedan more closely. 

It is important to understand their lives because they were the driving forces behind issues that are still being tackled today. Negative factors like racism and homophobia within the women’s movement present shortcomings that might not have been included in creative media two decades ago. Audiences are more willing to explore these nuanced issues. Through social media, viewers are also open to conversation pieces presented by a film’s story long after the credits roll. 

Feminism, like other broad social movements, is a big tent with room for many longstanding issues. The second-wave’s 2020 productions indicate that there is an audience ready to be challenged with tough questions in their entertainment. Recent sociopolitical events have placed these stories back into the forefront of our daily lives. The events of yesteryear are very much in play now.

About the Author: John Saeger is a music and film writer from Philadelphia. Since 2017 he has been writing his pop-culture blog Long After Dark, a site dedicated to the arts in the City of Brotherly Love and beyond. Email / Twitter