MovieChat Forums > Mona Lisa Smile (2003) Discussion > Fake presentation of female relationship...

Fake presentation of female relationships?

posted 12 years ago by Jane2005
14 replies | jump to latest

I don't know about any other women here, but I was turned off by the way they portrayed college female relationships.

Maybe things were different back in the '50s, but I've never seen women kiss each other and fall all over each other as Giselle does with Connie in some of the early scenes.

I'm not implying anything inappropriate, but I think men believe (or fantasize) that women hang all over each other and kiss each other as friends. I don't know any women who do that except in greeting.

I've seen the same thing in other movies, and I think that's just how men think women act around each other.

Anyone else?

-Jane

[–] spinflux 12 years ago

It's always been normal for the women I know.

[–] stayprettystockholm 12 years ago

I know. I assumed a movie like this would be written by women and I cant imagine why women would include such a scene, so men make sense. Juvenile, ignorant men typical of Hollywood writers I guess.

buthen again it could have been the kind of female writers who are worse versions of Katherine and the nurse in the movie who think showing how horny and touchy feely Giselle is that it makes her some sexually empowered free spirit and a fun time or some silly notion.

"I do pretend I am a princess, so that I can try and behave like one."

[–] Sunflower64 12 years ago

I went to an all-girls school (high school, not college) and this wasn't uncommon with my good friends. We didn't flat out kiss each other, but we weren't shy about hugging. We also made crude jokes to each other all the time (jokes about sex and about our periods), and didn't have any qualms about lying in bed together. It happens in all-girls environments. There are no boys around so you let your guard down. The scene between Giselle and Connie felt natural--if a little over the top--to me.

Also talking about female writers who are "worse versions of Katherine and the nurse" seems a little regressive to me.

A young girl passes / in a hurry. Hair uncombed. / Full of black devils. --Kelly Link

[–] electrictroy 8 years ago

I know women who are extremely friendly with one another. They hug, kiss, have sleepovers in lingerie..... of course they are millennials, who tend to be more "open" about such things. I don't know how things were in the 50s.

[–] KonekoTsukino 10 years ago

(sorry, I know this is a super old topic but I saw it and couldn't resist!)
I didn't even sort of see anything unusual about it because this is how my friends and I have already been around each other. I've pecked many of my friends regardless of gender on the lips in a purely "I love you friend!" type of way (although yes, it was typically in greeting or departure), we would all snuggle and lay on top of each other before and after school and at rehearsals (yes, we were all theatre people, so maybe that explains it...) So yeah, to me it was a very natural and realistic looking moment.

[–] idca 10 years ago

I didn't even sort of see anything unusual about it
[…]
to me it was a very natural and realistic looking moment.

Same here. I was surprised by the OP and to read that a woman was turned off by how the film portrayed female friendship because I always thought it was really well done. In contrast to what OP thought, that "that's just how men think women act around each other", I thought "that's just how many women act around each other". I know I certainly have been like that with many of my female friends. Not all, because of course not everyone is open to that kind of physical expression, but several. I really like it personally, I think it's very sweet.
I really love the film overall. Most films are so male-centred and whenever I watch something like Mona Lisa Smile I'm reminded of how much I appreciate watching women interact with other women in a natural way on screen.

[–] fiatlux-1 10 years ago

I wasn't put off by the characters doing this ( I also noticed it was mostly Giselle that did this, a character that tended to be inebriated much of the time).
What struck me was, with the exception of bitchy Betty, how close and nice all these girls were with each other!
Women (and I am one) are seldom true friends. They're competitors. They tend to try to one-up each other, often NOT in an obvious manner.
But the women here seemed like true-blue friends constantly. Odd, to me at least.

I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus.
Didn't he discover America?
Penfold, shush.

[–] Frantastic_Miss_Fox 10 years ago

how close and nice all these girls were with each other!

You found that odd?! That's how women/girls are or at least should be with each other. That's what proper friendships are like, all the friendships that I have with other girls are based on how nice and genuinely close we all are, yes I've had experiences with nasty girls in the past but then I simply don't choose to be friends with them.

Women (and I am one) are seldom true friends.

That is definitely not true and it makes me kind of sad that you feel this way. Yes, some women can be horrible but it's actually not the majority.

They're competitors. They tend to try to one-up each other, often NOT in an obvious manner.

Sadly, I think this is a view that a lot of people have and in some cases it can be true but I honestly don't believe this to be true for the most part. Women aren't always competing against, usually they're helping each other or boosting each other up. I think the media i.e. magazines, newspapers, TV sometimes force that competition onto women when it doesn't need to be there.

[–] ChocolateButt 10 years ago

I see some internalised sexism at work in fiatlux.

"Don't you dare Google me!"

[–] Frantastic_Miss_Fox 10 years ago

Sadly, me too! It's the kind of mentality that makes some women say 'I'm not like other girls' or 'Girls cause too much drama'. Why do some women feel the need to differentiate themselves from other girls/women to try and make themselves seem better? Like something is wrong with being typically female. It's such a bad viewpoint to have and it makes me sad!

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] tyshimah3 9 years ago

It has everything to do with her running.
If she were male, her judgment wouldn't be questioned. She would actually (probably) be revered, but because her gender is of the minority, it's an issue.
I'm proud that she's running to win.

"Do you even remember what you came here to find?"

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] KatrinaW 8 years ago

What struck me was, with the exception of bitchy Betty, how close and nice all these girls were with each other!
Women (and I am one) are seldom true friends. They're competitors. They tend to try to one-up each other, often NOT in an obvious manner.

I disagree. I have 3 or 4 true friends, who I'm very close with. So your statement isn't the norm.

But, I do know some women are are 'just one of the guys', and seem to have only guy friends and not many, if any, close girlfriends.