I found this fitting as it came out in March, a month said to be for celebrating women and their empowerment. Moxie, a Netflix original, is entirely about the young girls at a high school, banning together to fight the sexism they face on a daily basis.
Girl power, am I right?
Sexism, although highly disregarded, is a challenge most women face in the workplace, at home and at school. The seriousness of the topic however, doesn’t sway this film away from its ability to incorporate comedy and lightheartedness.
The movie centers around shy, 16 year old Vivian (Hadley Robinson) who finds courage and confidence from her mother’s (Amy Poehler) rebellious young days. Vivian anonymously publishes a magazine calling out, by name, the sexist students and faculty at her school. They challenge anyone who gets in their way despite the harsh outcomes it could bring and in spite of the authority figures who try to silence them.
The main characters are a wide range of spirited, confident young women. Lucy; the confident new girl at school who’s the new target for the football jock, Emma; the cheerleader who’s struggling with whether to speak up, Claudia; who’s between a rock and a hard place with a strict mother and a revolutionary best friend, Kiera & Amaya; the athletes who are trying to prove girls can do anything boys can do, Kaitlyn; who faces discrimination because her body is more advanced than others and CJ; the transgender teenager that can’t seem to escape her old life.
While these girls stand behind Moxie, we acknowledge the few boys/ men who stand with them. As much as we hope something like this would bring about real change in the real world, how effective would Moxie be in today’s world?
Are you all for finding your voice and supporting women’s rights? Moxie gets two thumbs up.
