Thank you for reading the March 2023 issue of This Awful Awesome Life. Previous issues are available to read on our website. Go to www.thisawfulawesomelife.com and start scrolling or you can enter specific search criteria.
Next month we will be celebrating Spring and enjoying the great outdoors. Whether you like to garden, hike, take a walk or just sit on your porch/deck, let’s get outside and safely absorb some Vitamin D.
We’re thinking about spring and longing to see some green and a few flowers. We seem to be having some warm weather, but anything goes in the North and Midwest at this time of year. Are you ready to think about Spring Cleaning?
Lilly Kauffman, Orlando Bartro, Linda Cahill, and I will be back with interesting articles and recipes for you.
We’ll be continuing our reading recommendations, streaming articles, “What’s in a Word?” and “Dare to Believe.”
It’s a new year for quizzes, Q&A’s, and book reviews.
Stay safe. Stay well. You are important, and you are loved.
All my best,
Fran
Answers to the March 2023 Celebrating Strong Women in Films Quiz
1. Phiona is a ten-year-old living in a slum in Uganda. Her life begins to change when she learns to play chess, and discovers she has the ability to become a champion and lift her family out of poverty. Queen of Katwe - Madina Nalwanga, Lupita Nyong’o
2. Ana, a first-generation Mexican American struggles with body image issues and the expectations of her parents who remain deeply rooted in their Mexican heritage. Ana wants to go away to college, but her parents expect her to get a job and help support the family after graduation.
Real Women Have Curves - America Ferrera
3. Outer space is no place to pick up a stowaway and Warrant Officer Ripley is in for the fight of her life. Alien - Sigourney Weaver
4. In this film directed by Penny Marshall, when the men go off to war, these women keep the home fires burning and morale up by playing America’s favorite past-time.
A League of Their Own - Madonna, Geena Davis, Rosie O’Donnell
5. This is a biopic of a famous artist and her tempestuous relationship with her husband, Diego Rivera. Frida - Salma Hayek
6. This animated film is about a plucky Hawaiian girl who befriends an alien.
Lilo and Stitch - Daveigh Chase
7. From an island ruled by women, this superhero can do it all. Wonder Woman - Gal Gadot
8. Based on the true story of Crystal Lee Sutton, this film celebrates of courage of a woman who helps bring union protections to textile workers. Norma Rae - Sally Field
9. This biopic focuses on the life of a young Ruth Bader Ginsberg. On the Basis of Sex - Felicity Jones
10. This film acknowledges the contributions of a group of African American women to NASA’s space program. Hidden Figures - Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe
11. This is the story of a young girl who dreams of leading her people even though chiefs are never women. Whale Rider - Keisha Castle-Hughes
12. This is the story of Anita Hill’s testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee about her allegations of sexual harassment committed by Clarence Thomas. Confirmation - Kerry Washington
13. A group of friends in dire financial trouble, out of time, and out of options, team up to rob banks. Set it Off - Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Kimberley Elise, Vivica A. Fox
14. A medieval tale about a young woman’s fight for control of her own fate. Catherine Called Birdy - Director Lena Dunham, Bella Ramsey
15. A chronicle of one woman’s 1,100-mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent personal tragedy. Wild - Reese Witherspoon
16. Alice Walker’s iconic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African American woman living in the South who survives abuse and bigotry. The Color Purple - Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg
17. A coming-of-age tale directed by Olivia Wilde about a friendship between two academic overachievers. On the eve of graduation, they decide to experience all the high school hijinks they missed out on in one night. Booksmart - Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever
18. In this animated film, the daughter of an island chief must complete a dangerous journey to save her people. Moana- Auli’i Cravalho, Rachel House
19. A teenager in India discovers her love for a sport much to the dismay of her traditional parents.
Skater Girl - Filmmaker Manjari Makijany, Rachel Saanchita Gupta, Amrit Maghera
20. In San Francisco, a group of Chinese women meet regularly to trade stories about their families while playing Mahjong. The Joy Luck Club - Rosalind Chao, Ming-Na Wen, Kieu Chinh
21. When her boyfriend, an undercover cop is murdered, this woman goes undercover to catch the killers in this 1974 film. Foxy Brown - Pam Grier
22. Based on a graphic novel, this film, set in Iran, traces a woman’s growth from child to rebellious teen. Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi (writer), Chiara Mastroianni
23. An artist is commissioned to secretly capture the likeness of a reluctant bride before her wedding. As the pair interact, they begin a forbidden relationship.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire - Adèle Haenel, Noémie Merlant
24. The real-life story of a woman who discovers a cover-up involving contaminated water that’s causing serious illnesses among the residents of a local community.
Erin Brockovich - Julia Roberts