GUEST COLUMN: 10 Movies Every Female Entrepreneur Should Watch

(Image: entrepreneur.com)

(Image: entrepreneur.com)

10 Movies Every Female Entrepreneur Should Watch

by Cheryl Hearts

Some people call the business world a place where men rule. It might seem so since there are many successful men who have managed to create their empires and to have an impact on the industry. But the good news is that women are not too far behind and they can compete with male entrepreneurs. And it seems that the filming industry is willing to show in their movies that women can be powerful too.

The movies mentioned below are about strong women who are not afraid of obstacles and can solve their problems. These movies won’t portray women who are simply girlfriends of successful men or secondary characters in a male world. These women can lead and they are inspiring.  

Leading women in these movies can show you that difficulties in our lives is not something that should stop us. Any woman can be powerful enough to take control over her own life and to become successful. Difficulties should stay in our way and even during difficult times we shouldn’t give up. Some of these movies are based on real stories, others are 100% fiction (even though inspiring). Hopefully, these movies will inspire you and help you to regain strength. 

The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Priestly

 A movie based on a novel written by American author Lauren Weisberger. The novel and the film has attracted people’s attention since it gives a hint that it was based on a true story. But it doesn’t really matter since the story is portraying a very powerful woman who earned her reputation with hard work. It is one of the most loved and iconic bosses portrayed in the cinematography, especially considering the fact that Miranda was portrayed by Meryl Streep.

Miranda is intimidating and causes every employee to fear her in the company, but at the same time her efforts has helped her to build one of the most powerful empires in the cinematographic history. If talking about the movie, Miranda is not the only powerful woman figure here. While watching this movie, you will learn about the hard work behind the success and about the story of Miranda’s life.

Joy, Joy Mangano

The movie reveals the story about real figure - Joy Mangano. A woman-inventor who has become one of the most powerful women and has created her company. The character is portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence and the actress even won the Golden Globe for portraying Joy Mangano. 

The movie starts with showing a single mother Joy who struggles to earn for her living by working as a booking agent. She is divorced and the overall conditions in which her family is living is not the best. But even though facing a lot of difficulties and being humiliated by her sister, she is not giving up. 

Joy finds strength and courage to start something new by inventing a self-wringing mop - this is the true story behind the movie. While working on her household company, she will face a lot of difficulties, but they will help her to become a woman who is now known as one of the most successful women in business.

The Intern, Jules Ostin

The story portrays a woman, Jules Ostin, who has created her e-commerce startup from scratch which has transformed into a big company just over 18 months. The movie is inspiring in different ways since it is focusing on more than one character. For instance, 70-year old Ben Whittaker portrayed by Robert De Niro, who shows that even after retirement you can start something more interested and you can still get a job. 

 Jules Ostin is married and has a daughter, her husband has decided to give up on his career so that his wife can have more time to build her empire. The movie shows that even successful people can have difficulties but they can deal with everything and continue living their own lives. The film is inspiring and extremely interesting.

Sweet Home Alabama, Melanie Smooter

Portrayed by Reese Witherspoon, Melanie Smooter is a fashion designer living in New York. Even though the film is focused on romantic relationship between the main heroes, it can inspire women. Melanie Smoother is successful and hard-working. Unlike women from other movies, she refuses to sacrifice her job over relationships - something that a lot of movies lack. Overall, the film portrays a woman who is powerful and can deal with everything without anyone’s help.

Chocolat, Vianne Rocher

The movie tells the story of Vianne Rocher who is a professional chocolatier. The events start in 1959, in a small French village ruled by the mayor Reynolds. Vianne is a controversial figure for that time, she has a daughter even though she wasn’t married, she has opened a shop and owns her own living - and pretty successfully. She wears brighter colors than other women from the village. 

She is everything that a local woman is not supposed to be like, and at the same time she inspires other people, including local women. The movie is extremely interesting, with amazing cast and a lot of significant characters. It is inspiring and a “must watch”.

Bridesmaids, Annie Walker

You can tell from the name of the movie that it is not focused on the business world, but it has a character that might inspire you. Annie Walker is depressed since she is in her thirties, she is not married, and she is losing her business. But the movie shows us a strong figure who can find a new meaning in life to become happy.

You’ve Got Mail, Kathleen Kelly

Even though it is more of a romantic comedy with main rivals, unexpected turns and life problems, the main character of the movie can teach us all some lessons. For instance, how to overcome business and financial problems no matter what. How to stay strong even if your opponent seems to be stronger. Overall, the movie shows us a strong woman who does not give up and overcomes all the problems she faces.

The Associate, Laurell Ayres

Portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg, Laurell Ayres struggles to become more significant in the financial world ruled by males. She is a financial analyst, and she is extremely good at her job, but because she is black and a woman, she can’t get a promotion she deserves so much. So she decides to quit and start her own company - as a male white man. It’s an extremely fun movie that will inspire you not to give up on your dreams.

Steel Magnolias, Truvy Jones

The story portrays four women who accidentally meet in a small hair salon owned by Truvy Jones. It shows us how these women overcome their difficulties. Truvy Jones is depicted as a strong woman, an owner of a business, who can take responsibility and help others.

Mildred Pierce, Mildred Pierce

This movie gives hope for sure. It might be less convenient for some people to watch it since it is black and white (released in 1945), but it is a “must watch”. It shows a woman left by her husband with two children. It’s enough that it is hard to cope with the fact that your husband left you because of another woman, but it’s even more difficult to earn for the living, to be a great mother and to cope with the difficulties.

It shows an extremely powerful and strong woman, who eventually opens her own restaurant and successfully raises her children. It shows that here are no dead-end situations and you can be successful while being a single working mother.

Conclusion

Fictional or based on true stories, these movies show that anyone can regain control over their lives. It’s important not to give up and to accomplish your dreams. Female bosses portrayed in these films are powerful and inspiring, giving hope that women can overcome all the difficulties in their lives.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cheryl Hearts is a writer and journalist from Boston, Massachusetts. Her passion for writing started at an early age and evolved during the high school years. She enjoyed creating her own stories, so she decided to make writing her career.  After earning a degree in Journalism, Cheryl started running her own blog CherylHearts.com where she’s covering topics of great interest to society.

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