Iron Jawed Angels

This movie was the complete opposite of what I thought it was going to be- and I mean that in a good way. I had no idea that it was made so recently, I thought it was just going to be another documentary on women activists. I was surprised right away when the movie started and there was a popular song playing while it showed a scene from the early 1900s. Within the first 30 seconds it had completely contradicted my expectations. I thought that this film was a very effective way to portray this time in American history to a modern day audience. It appealed to the typical “movie watcher” of today, yet it portrayed an important part of history that is often taken for granted. I learned a lot about the first wave of feminism through this film.
Even though there were some fictional parts (for example the Patrick Dempsey love interest), I felt that the message that these slight additions created were beneficial to a better understanding of US history and made it more relatable for the viewer. Watching this film made me appreciate the struggles that these women went through for my rights so much more. I think that it was because it was easier for me to relate to these women through the contemporary music and familiarity of their faces that I felt more appreciative of their fight for equality.