Selection of Films:
With Valentine's Day coming around the corner, I chose to center my selection of films around 2000's Chick Flicks.

Chick flicks are enjoyed by so many women because they are “feel-good” movies filled with dialogue and relationships. It’s no secret that Hollywood has a woman problem. Women are underrepresented behind the camera in shocking numbers. They rarely have the opportunity to lead a blockbuster. And the only genre of film they do dominate in is the romance/romantic comedy.

13 Going on 30
13 Going on 30 pic

In 1987, geeky Jenna Rink yearns to be popular, but can only persuade the "Six Chicks" – the ruling clique led by "Tom-Tom" – to attend the party for her thirteenth birthday by doing their homework. Jenna's best friend and next-door neighbor, Matt "Matty" Flamhaff, who is secretly in love with her, gives her a pink dollhouse he made himself, and a packet of "magic wishing dust" he sprinkles on the dollhouse roof.

The Six Chicks arrive with the cutest boys in class, and trick Jenna into playing "seven minutes in heaven". While Jenna waits blindfolded in a closet, expecting to kiss one of the boys, the Six Chicks and the boys leave with their completed homework, and Matty finds Jenna alone. Humiliated, she tearfully wishes to be "30, flirty, and thriving", as the wishing dust falls on her. The next morning, Jenna awakens in a luxurious Fifth Avenue apartment – her wish has come true – it is now 2004, and Jenna is 30, with no memory of the intervening 17 years. In the apartment, there is a naked guy of whom Jenna has no memory.

Jenna discovers she works as an editor for her favorite fashion magazine, Poise, with her co-editor and best friend, Lucy Wyman. Poise has been scooped so often by rival magazine Sparkle that editor-in-chief Richard believes someone is tipping them off. Jenna finds Matty's address and races to Greenwich Village where the adult Matt, a struggling photographer, is unable to fill her in on her past, as she apparently had become the head of the "Six Chicks" and stopped speaking to him. Lucy is revealed to be the adult Tom-Tom, having had plastic surgery.

Main Characters: Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer

Director: Gary Winick


Writers:Josh Goldsmith, Cathy Yuspa

Jenna's plans to save Poise are a rousing success, while Lucy's presentation fails. Lucy lies to Matt, claiming Jenna decided not to use his photos. While looking for Matt to deliver the good news, Jenna finds Wendy, who reveals that their wedding is the next day. Richard informs Jenna that Lucy has become the new editor-in-chief of Sparkle after presenting them with Jenna's material, including Matt's photographs. Jenna confronts Lucy, who scornfully reveals that Jenna was the one conspiring with Sparkle and sabotaging Poise; Lucy merely stole the job Jenna was to receive.

Jenna reawakens to find herself back in 1987 on her thirteenth birthday. This time, when Matt finds her alone in the closet, she embraces and kisses him, and realizes that Lucy was never a true friend. She rips up the homework she did for them and with this second chance, Jenna lives the intervening 17 years differently, with her and Matt emerging in 2004 as a newly married couple. They share their favorite childhood candy, Razzles, while moving into a pink house identical to the dollhouse.

Legally Blonde
Legally Blonde pic

Fashion merchandising student and sorority girl Elle Woods is taken to an expensive restaurant by her boyfriend, Warner Huntington III. She expects a proposal, but he breaks up with her instead. Intending to go to Harvard Law School and become a successful politician, he believes that Elle is not "serious" enough for that kind of life. Elle believes she can win Warner back if she shows herself capable of achieving the same things. After months of studying, Elle scores a 179 on the Law School Admission Test[5] and, combined with her 4.0 GPA, is accepted to Harvard Law School.

Upon arriving at Harvard, Elle's SoCal personality is a complete contrast to her East Coast classmates, who frequently distrust her. She soon encounters Warner but discovers he is engaged to his old girlfriend, Vivian Kensington, who considers Elle a fool. Later, Elle tells Warner that she intends to apply for one of her professor's internships, but he tells her that she is wasting her time as she is not intelligent enough. Realizing that Warner will never take her back or take her seriously, Elle finds motivation to prove herself by working hard and demonstrating her understanding of the subject.

One night, Callahan tries seducing Elle, who now believes that is why she got the internship. Devastated, she quits and nearly returns home to California, telling Emmett what happened. When he tells Brooke, she fires Callahan, replacing him with Elle under Emmett's guidance; as she is only a law student, Brooke cites a Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling that law students may represent clients if they do so under the supervision of a licensed attorney.

Main Characters: Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair

Director: Robert Luketic


Writers: Amanda Brown, Karen McCullah, Kirsten Smith

Elle begins to cross-examine Brooke's stepdaughter, Chutney, and catches her in a lie when she discovers significant inconsistencies in her story: Chutney testified that she was home during her father's murder but did not hear the gunshot because she was in the shower after getting her hair permed that morning. Elle says that washing permed hair within the first 24 hours would deactivate the ammonium thioglycolate, pointing out that Chutney's curls are still intact. A distraught Chutney admits her culpability in inadvertently killing her father as she really intended to kill Brooke because she hated the fact that her father married someone the same age as her.

After the trial, Chutney is sent to jail, and Warner approaches Elle and asks her to take him back as she has proven herself. Emmett has started his own law firm and has been dating Elle for two years, with plans to propose to her later that night.

The Devil Wears Prada
Devil Wears Prada pic

At first, Andy fumbles with her job and fits in poorly with her gossipy, fashion-forward co-workers, especially Miranda's senior assistant, Emily Charlton. After a dress trial meeting in which Miranda berates her in front of the entire team, she approaches art director Nigel to help her learn the ropes in the world of fashion. She begins to dress stylishly and makes an effort to accommodate all of Miranda's whims and fancies, which creates problems in her relationship with her boyfriend Nate, who is frustrated that she is always at her new boss's beck and call.

Miranda notices Andy's changed appearance and commitment and begins to give her more responsibility and complicated tasks to handle. Slowly but surely, Andy becomes more glamorous and absorbs the Runway philosophy. She gradually outperforms Emily at her job. Emily, meanwhile, is consumed with the thought of attending Paris Fashion Week as Miranda's assistant, which motivates her to attempt extreme diets which damage her health. When Emily is feeling too unwell to remember important details about the guests at a charity benefit, Andy steps in to save Miranda from embarrassment and is rewarded by being asked to replace Emily as Miranda's assistant at the Paris Fashion Week. Miranda tells Andy to inform Emily that she will not be going to Paris, but when Andy calls Emily, Emily is hit by a car and ends up in the hospital. Andy then tells the recovering Emily the news and Emily is furious. When Andy tells Nate the news, he is angered that she has become what she once ridiculed and they break up.

Main Characters: Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Adrian Grenier

Director: David Frenkel


Writers: Aline Brosh McKenna, Lauren Weisberger

At a luncheon later that day, Miranda announces Jacqueline as the new creative director to Holt, leaving Andy and Nigel stunned. Later in the car, Miranda explains to Andy that she already knew of the plot to replace her and sacrificed Nigel to keep her own job. When Andy is repulsed, Miranda points out that Andy did the same with Emily by stepping over her and agreeing to go to Paris. When they arrive at their destination, Andy walks away from Miranda and throws her cell phone into the fountain of the Place de la Concorde and returns to New York.

Sometime later, Andy meets up with Nate and apologizes. Nate tells Andy he has a new job as a sous-chef in Boston, and reconcile without rekindling their relationship. The same day, Andy is interviewed and accepted to work at a major New York publication company. The editor recounts how he called Runway for a reference, and was informed by Miranda that while Andy was one of the biggest disappointments she ever had as an assistant, he would be an idiot not to hire her. Andy then calls Emily and reconciles with her by offering her the dresses she obtained in Paris. While passing the Runway office building in the afternoon, Andy makes eye contact with Miranda as she gets into a car. Although Andy waves, Miranda does not acknowledge her but smiles to herself once she is seated in the car.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Dates
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Dates pic

Andie Anderson is a writer for the women's magazine Composure as the subject-matter expert for a series of "How to" articles. She is bored and wishes she could write about more serious topics. Michelle, Andie's friend, experiences yet another break-up, and she becomes despondent and says she is not attractive enough. Andie argues that the problem is rather her needy, excessively emotional behavior with men, and is inspired to write an article titled "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" in order to prove her point; she will begin dating a man and drive him away within 10 days simply by imitating Michelle's behavior.

Advertising executive Benjamin Barry is looking to branch out from his usual remit of beer and sports campaigns, and lead a prestigious advertising campaign for a diamond company. At a bar, Ben's boss, Phillip, questions whether Ben has enough insight into the romance typically associated with diamonds. In response, Ben wagers he could make any woman fall in love with him. Phillip says that if he can achieve this before the company ball that will take place in 10 days, he will allow Ben to lead the diamond campaign. Ben's rivals, Judy Spears and Judy Green, were at the Composure magazine offices earlier in the day and know about Andie's task. Seeing Andie at the bar, they pick her as the woman to be romanced by Ben.

Main Characters: Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, Adam Goldberg

Director: Donald Petrie


Writer: Michele Alexander

Andie and Ben go to the company ball together where Phillip talks with Andie and tells Ben that he "met her, she loves you, you win." To sabotage Ben, Judy and Judy tell Tony and Thayer that Andie knew about the bet all along and was playing along to help Ben win. Tony and Thayer beg Andie to keep quiet, unwittingly making her aware of the bet. Simultaneously, Andie's boss Lana, who is unaware of Ben's role, tells him about Andie's "How To" article. Upon learning of Ben's bet, Andie attempts to humiliate Ben in front of everyone at the party, and the pair argue on stage before breaking up.

Tony shows Ben Andie's subsequent article, in which she explains how she "lost the only guy I've ever fallen for." When he hears she quit her job at Composure (since Lana again refused to let her write about serious topics) and is on her way to Washington, D.C., for an interview, he chases her taxi and stops her. After he accuses her of running away, they reveal their true feelings for each other. Ben instructs the taxi driver to return Andie's belongings to her home - Ben will be taking her now - and then they kiss.