“Towanda!” I hollered as I drove through a yellow light.
“What did you say?” asked my teenage daughter from the passenger seat.
“Towanda!” I replied with glee.
My daughter stared at me blankly.
“You know, Amazon princess,” I finished.
Blank stare
“We really need to watch Fried Green Tomatoes,” I said. “It’s a classic!”
So I added Fried Green Tomatoes to my unofficial “Must-watch-90s-flicks-with-teenage-daughter” list.
Then I thought about a couple other iconic girl-power 90s movies that would speak to my daughter today. Together that makes three 90s classics that will empower today’s teenage girls. Check them out below.
Fried Green Tomatoes
This 1991 flick shares the story of two meaningful friendships set decades apart.
In 1920s Alabama, Ruth and Idgie bond over their love for Ruth’s fiancé and Idgie’s brother, Buddy. Their relationship buoys them through heartbreak, domestic violence, racism, and a health crisis. These themes definitely resonate today.
Meanwhile, in the 1990s, a bored middle-aged housewife, Evelyn, befriends Ninny during visits to a nursing home. Ninny tells Evelyn about Ruth and Idgie’s adventures, inspiring Evelyn to make changes in her own life.
The movie encourages girls to find and nurture a friendship bond as strong as the one between Ruth and Idgie or Ninny and Evelyn. And, it also encourages them to shout out “Tawanda!” as an empowering anthem.
Twister
Way before it became trendy to encourage women to pursue careers in STEM, Helen Hunt played a brilliant but flawed scientist chasing tornados in this 1996 box office hit.
Besides inspiring future female scientists, Twister sparks conversations about technology and special effects. After all, the movie’s whirling tornados and flying cow were considered cutting-edge when the movie debuted.
This is a fast-paced, fun action movie for those nights when you just want to be swept away (pun intended).
Double Jeopardy
This Ashley Judd flick showcases a kick-ass woman who takes the law into her own hands.
Warning: there’s a racy husband-wife sex scene near the beginning of the movie. Just cover your teen’s eyes (or your own!) for a minute, then sit back and enjoy the movie centered on a strong female lead character.
And the twisty plot?
While not necessarily believable in today’s world dominated by Google and smartphones, Double Jeopardy’s story was plausible enough when filmed during the internet’s infancy in the ‘90s. At least, that’s what I told my daughter when Judd’s character didn’t have a cell phone and the police used a fax machine to identify a bad guy.
I hope these three 90s movie inspire your next movie night with your teenage daughter and empower the teenage girls in your life!
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