Netflix Summer Project

In case ya'll don't remember, every summer I pick four actresses and I try to watch as many films as I can that they have been in. It's been a great way to see movies I might not otherwise see, and get to know some ladies that I admire and respect.

So once again, I picked ladies whose body of work is pretty substantial and I didn't end up seeing EVERY movie they were in, but as you can see from the below list, I watched a lot of movies this summer. What I love about each of these women is the wide range of their films. Some were funny, some were cheesy, many made me cry. And it was lovely.

Whoopi Goldberg
 - The Color Purple: Oh my gosh...so many tear drops. When Sugah brings in the letter from Nettie to Celie...oh goodness, I was a blubbery mess. But seriously, this is now one of my all time favorites. Albeit, it's not a movie I would watch any day, but friends, it was so beauitful.
- The Lion King
- Farce of the Penguins: I am not going to lie, I watched five minutes of this movie and decided it was a waste of my time.
- Girl, Interrupted
- Homie Spumoni: I am hard-pressed to think of anybody that woudln't be personally offended by this movie. It was like Sasha Baron Cohen's playground. Italians, Africans, Irish, Jewish, gay people, deli workers.... A movie that can offend the whole family.
- Sister Act: Probably one of my favorites of the Whoopi Goldberg collection. So much fun and listening to the music makes me so happy.
- Sister Act2 2: Back in the Habit
- The Associate: Kind of like Mrs. Doubtfire, but instead Whoopi gets made up to look like an old rich white guy. It was actually funnier than you would think.
- The Little Rascals
- Alice in Wonderland:  This movie reminded me of Donnie Darko...in that it would probably be better if you were high. Ugh...such a weird story. And Whoopi as the Cheshire Cat was way creepy.
- Sarafina: Awesome music, such a sad story about apartheid in South Africa.
- Corrina, Corrina: A pretty tender chick flick.



Marion Cotillard
- Inception: One of the most perfect films in existence. I so sincerely love it.
- Midnight in Paris: I loved this movie. Which is funny because I am not a huge Owen Wilson fan.
- Nine:  Stupid Daniel Day-Lewis, breaking Marion's heart like that. I am sincerely holding a vendetta against the actor for his character's actions.
- La Vie en Rose: So beautiful. I totally balled my eyes out in the final scene of Edith singing. And when Marcel was killed in the plane crash.
- Toi Et Moi
- Big Fish: So I know people adore this film, but not me. It just doesn't strike the same chord with me that it does with other people. I'm sorry but that's the way it is.
- Public Enemies: Friends, I have to be honest I have never been a big Johnny Depp fan. Sure I liked Sweeney Todd, but mostly for Miss Helena. But this movie won me over. It was beyond lovely.
- A Good Year: The only movie with Marion that I sincerely did not like. Perhaps it was Russell Crowe trying too hard post-Gladiator. In general, the movie seemed like it had too many storylines and the romance between Marion and Russell was too rushed.
- Contagion: I was disappointed that her storyline was a bit underdeveloped... but maybe just because I love Marion Cotillard and wanted more of her in the film, rather than Gwyneth Poopy-face Paltrow.

Kate Winslet
- Sense and Sensibility:  For starters, I am a bit jealous she got to hook up with Alan Rickman, he is such a man-cougar. I love how Kate Winslet is getting even more beautiful as she gets older. Seeing her so young was fun, and she didn't show off her boobies in this film, which I was thankful for.
- Finding Neverland
- The Reader: So much Kate boobage... whole scenes where she is talking sans shirt.
- Hamlet: Form whence my Kenneth Branagh man-crush began.
- Revolutionary Road: This movie was pretty profound. And weird. It has Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kathy Bates in it, so it was like a Titanic reunion. I am surprised no one drowned.
- Titanic: You don't know me if you aren't aware of my deep, passionate, eternal love for this film. I think I love it so much because it came out when I was in 8th grade and some friends and I ditched school early to go see it...and I was just starting to develop an idea of what love is and because of this film, I now equate being in love with sinking on a ship in icy water with someone. When I ponder if I truly love someone, I wonder if I would jump off the lifeboat to get back on the sinking ship to be with them. You think I am kidding, but I'm not.
- Quills: Oh boy, I am pretty sure this is the most "adult" film of the summer. Very naughty.
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Let it be known that I hate Jim Carrey in anything but The Grinch and thus, this movie took me a few days to get through simply because I got sick of looking at his fugly face. Probably won't be watching this one again.
- Contagion: I really enjoyed Kate's character in this film, but it made me realize something: Kate Winslet dies in almost every movie she's in. But I love ill-fated characters, and so I don't mind that much.


Susan Sarandon
- Elizabethtown: Goodness, I hated this movie. It was like an even more contrived and over-done version of Garden State. It was so forced, and although I love Kirsten Dunst in Marie Antoinette, I've decided that I kind of hate her otherwise. And poor Susan's character in the movie was so dumb.
- Little Women
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show: This is the kind of movie that you either abhor or adore. And I fall into the latter. The more times I watch it, the more I giggle and love it.
- Thelma and Louise: I wasn't sure I would like this one, but I ended up loving it. It was like an 80s and female version of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
- Enchanted
- The Exonerated: I have never believed in the death penalty, but holy hannah, I am more against it now than ever. The movie itself was so powerful. Just the actors speaking to camera, hardly any music, no special effects, just pure word for word description of what our criminal justice system put people through.
- Dead Man Walking: More teardrops. This movie was about a nun that is the person that spiritual advises this guy on death row in the days before he is executed. A beautiful display of why killing-people- to- teach- them- that- killing- people- is- bad doesn't make sense. One giant cycle of hurt and violence.
- Peacock: Like Mrs. Doubtfire for psychotic killers with Mommy issues.
- Stepmom: Definitely one of my favorites for both Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts. There's a few spots where the script isn't amazing, but I love the dynamic between these two ladies. And I cried.
- Witches of Eastwick: Come on, how can I not love a movie with both Cher and Susan Sarandon?!
- The Hunger: Lesbian vampires, David Bowie... it was awesome.

Next Netflix Projects: For the rest of August through to the beginning of October I am not really sure what to watch. I was thinking of just generally watching movies made in the 1940s or earlier. Black and white classics. The other option was to try and watch all the movies discussed in the documentary "The Celluloid Closet" so that I can be more knowledgeable about gay cinema.

But in October, I am planning a B-grade horror film saga. Really silly scary movies that are somewhat ridiculous and not too traumatizing.

Next Summer Ideas: I know I want to have Julia Roberts as part of my project next summer, but some other ladies I am pondering are Glenn Close, Kathy Bates, Meryl Streep, and Angelina Jolie.