February is all about celebrating love, but in all the chaos to properly fete our significant others, we can’t forget about Galentine’s Day. Thanks to Parks and Recreation, we now recognize February 13 as the day to toast our lady friends, and these movies show some of the best female friendships on screen.
1. A League of Their Own (1992)
“There’s no crying in baseball,” but there is crying every time I watch this modern classic. The relationship between sisters Dottie (Geena Davis) and Kit (Lori Petty) feels authentic, but I even love every interaction between Mae (Madonna) and Doris (Rosie O’Donnell).
2. Bad Moms (2016)
This movie is smarter than it needs to be, but it has no problem getting delightfully dumb and dirty. Kathryn Hahn is at her comedy peak here, and I could watch the supermarket scene on repeat.
3. Now and Then (1995)
This ’90s-era favorite deserves to be known as more than just the “female version of Stand by Me,” but its perfectly nostalgic approach to the friendship of four girls in the past and present stands well all on its own.
4. Bridesmaids (2011)
The movie that made everyone else realize what I had known for years (Melissa McCarthy is one of the funniest people alive), Bridesmaids may be set around a wedding and feature two potential suitors for Kristin Wiig’s character, but it is all about the lady friendships and their complicated dynamics.
5. Bagdad Cafe (1988)
Quirky characters populate this indie drama, but it’s the friendship between Brenda (CCH Pounder) and Jasmin (Marianne Sagëbrecht) that set the film apart from other film festival fare.
Watch Bagdad Cafe for free on Tubi TV.
6. Steel Magnolias (1989)
The film itself proclaims, “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion,” and it lives by this statement. Set in a beauty parlor in Louisiana, this star-studded movie is known as much for its quotable lines as it is for the gut punch that comes at the end.
7. Afternoon Delight (2013)
The relationship at the core of this dramedy from Transparent‘s Jill Soloway is the unlikely one between Kathryn Hahn’s stay-at-home mom and Juno Temple’s stripper. It’s evidence of how people who you don’t expect to interact with can change your life for the better.
Watch Afternoon Delight for free on Tubi TV.
8. Thelma & Louise (1991)
As essential a film about female friendship as it as a road movie, this classic stars Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon as two women on the run. You may know how it ends, but the joy is in the journey and in the chemistry between the two leads.
9. Mad Money (2008)
Queen Latifah, Diane Keaton, and Katie Holmes make for unlikely pals–and collaborators–in this heist comedy. I love seeing a movie with female leads that isn’t centered on a romance.
Watch Mad Money for free on Tubi TV.
10. Frozen (2013)
This cartoon captures the complex dynamic between sisters better than most live-action films. The great thing about this princess movie is that it’s not driven by a traditional love story; instead, it’s the relationship between Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel) that makes its heart beat.
11. Arranged (2007)
Two women– one an Orthodox Jew and the other a Muslim–bond over their shared experience in this low-budget drama. It’s insightful and even more timely than when it was released a decade ago.
Watch Arranged for free on Tubi TV.
12. Hidden Figures (2016)
The bond between the three women at the heart of this award-winning crowd pleaser is part of what drives them to succeed in the face of adversity. The car trouble scene at the start of the movie gives us early cues of how strong their friendship is and reveals the dynamics between the characters.
What Bechdel Test-passing overachiever is your favorite? Weigh in below or on Facebook and tell us about the cinematic female friendships that remind you of your BFF.
