Carrie Sim

This is a polarising movie. There will be a camp of people who appreciate it - even the immature, “out of line” depictions of angst ridden young women coming into their own understanding of feminism. There will also be a camp of people who feel that the show isn’t showing “true” feminism or the “correct” way of being a feminist. And there will also be another camp of people who think that the women are portrayed as victims and all men as bad. That is what I feel makes it an incredible movie. It is uncomfortable to watch, at times frustrating and the main characters act in ways that are immature and misguided - but it’s a teen movie and young adults don’t have it all figured out and shouldn’t be expected to. They make mistakes, they may or may not learn, and sometimes there are repercussions and other times there are none. That is what I believe is an accurate portrayal of learning and growing. And to reviewers who feel that some antics shown were unconstructive, it is, in hindsight. But then again revolutions, rebellions, and those who campaign for cultural change never succeed by playing within the lines but on the edge of them. They shout loudly, dare institutions to push them back publicly instead of silently behind the curtains, such that their challenges are escalated to the attention of the community, society, hoping one day the world will take notice. Amy Poehler holds up a mirror to our beliefs about feminism with this coming of age film. While some of it is relevant, some parts are sugar coated, but most importantly, what you feel and think about is a reflection of you and your beliefs. For that, I give it 4 stars.