If you’re at the 2013 edition of the Austin Film Festival, you already know where the ladies is at. Am I riiiiiiiiiight?

I am, for once. They’re at the filled-to-capacity panel called The Heroine’s Journey. A panel lead by Callie Khouri and Jenji Kohan. Which is awesome on so many levels.

There were really only two female-centic panels at the fest this year, that one and one called Chicks with Bics (which, incidentally, was also full and really could have used a bigger room). I can’t tell you how either panel went- they were both completely packed before I even got near them. So all I can report back is that they were both very popular.

In the spirit of those panels and, coincedentally, this blog, I found an old post about the movie Bridesmaids that I thought made sense to exerpt here. After this, I’ll try not to shamelessly self promote:*

… Bridesmaids does not fall anywhere on the spectrum of the stereotypical Hollywood Female Drama (HFD), which I would have to guess is almost always written by men and is generally limited to choosing one of the following plotlines:

-”You stole my (boyfriend/husband/manatee/sweater)! I hate you (other woman/man/manatee/Baldwin Brother)!”

-”I am a very young, attractive woman who really likes (unattractive/old/fat/weirdo) men and will persue them to the ends of the earth, blind to the fact that there are much better men out there.”

-”I am a (supportive/evil) mother who is (proud/supportive/concerned about) her children.”

-”I am (super-supportive/upset) with my (husband/boyfriend/partner) as he pursues his (dreams/goals/ambitions/other women/men/manatees).”

In an HFD version of Bridesmaids, the women would either have to be at each other’s throats fighting over a guy or trying way too hard to “You go girl!” each other. Neither of those things happens- they’re just women with real ambition and struggle.

Sigh. I mean, I know it was only two years ago, but great movies starring women haven’t really gained too much momentum since Bridesmaids, have they? The curse of the HFD hasn’t diminished, has it? Again, sigh. But we’ll keep working on it…

*I’m lying. I’m here to shamelessly self-promote. After all, the word blog comes from the latin expression “Blogus aboutus yourselfus”**

**Also, my latin is rusty