The Critics Were Wrong- Honey (2003) and Coyote Ugly (2000)

In the early 2000’s, Hollywood starting cranking out movies about young women who had dreams of careers in entertainment, but their dreams were stymied by life’s circumstances.

In Honey (2003), Honey Daniels (Jessica Alba) has dreams of becoming a professional choreographer.  Michael Ellis (David Moscow) is a record producer who can make her dream a reality. But when Michael wants more than a professional relationship, Honey finds that her career maybe over before it has begun.

Are the critics wrong? Yes and no. Is the movie predictable and too reliant on dancing to move the plot forward? Yes. But at the end of the day, the movie is fun and harmless. Sometimes we need a movie that is fun and harmless.

In Coyote Ugly (2000), Violet Sanford (Piper Perabo) is an aspiring singer/songwriter who has just moved to New York City. Unable to start her career, she takes a job bar tending at Coyote Ugly. The owner, Lil (Maria Bello) is initially unsure about the new hire, but Violet soon comes out of her shell, both a singer/songwriter and a bar tender.

Are the critics wrong? Again, yes and no. Is Violet’s story new? Absolutely not. But Coyote Ugly is one of those movies that is perfect for a rainy weekend afternoon. It’s not Shakespeare and it’s far from Oscar worthy, but it’s not a bad way to kill a couple of hours.

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Respect

In Hollywood news, Jessica Alba announced that she will no longer be taking roles where nudity is required.

I applaud her  decision and the public announcement that followed.

There are still too many movies  and television series where a female character wears nothing or next to nothing. She is there to be a sex object to the male characters and the male viewers.  She does not have any intelligence or any ambitions or goals.  She may as well be a walking and talking mannequin.

As a mother of young girls and as a performer whose fanbase includes young women, I applaud Ms. Alba’s decision. It’s time to see more female characters using the education, their intelligence and the experience to get by. Perhaps with this announcement, other actresses will do the same and change the way women are portrayed on screen.

Respect.