Women in Positive Roles on Screen

Someone asked this question, and it is a good one, so the write up.

Various shows come to mind, from Ally McBeal to Practice to Good Wife - I am sure there are a lot of others - and Friends does show Monica as leading the group in a mother of the group role (without her providing the space and food there might not be a setting so comfortable where so much happens). Even Penny in Big Bang Theory is intelligent enough to match the scientists and more, just not grown up in circumstances that would encourage her to pursue a more intelligent career, but the other two are more than a match for the males, and so is Leslie who looks down her nose at Sheldon quite openly because she is able to correct him. Mayim Bialik who plays Amy is by the way actually a neurologist with a doctorate.

West Wing has the two women rise up from relatively junior positions to what they deserve. Scandal obviously has several of them. Brothers and Sisters has several, and Revenge at least one (Emily Van Camp). Even Three Is Company and its original English Man About The House had Janet the smart one.

Films, begin with Courage Under Fire, I don't offhand have a list but there are more. Mona Lisa Smile is a good one. Catherine Hepburn had a few, then there is Ingrid Bergman's Joan of Arc.

Hitchcock's first version of The Man Who Knew Too Much had a woman expert at shooting who saves her daughter due precisely to this skill. That was set in English background, where it was normal. Later he remade the film in US and accordingly dumbed down the mother who saves her son by singing but needs to be put under sedation by the husband to begin with.

Ingrid Bergman's Notorious has the woman play a very crucial role in fighting for allies using her life. The film about Christina the queen of Sweden (hope I am right about the names here) has Greta Garbo in a good role, and her Ninotchka is pretty good.

The films I saw about Catherine of Russia - Young Catherine, perhaps television movie - and Elizabeth I were good generally, the characters being inspiring.