Why Mamma Mia Created the feminist movement
By Scarlett Davis
When Mamma Mia came out in 2008, it brought the plot of the 1999 musical of the same name to the big screen. But what did the screen adaption have over the Broadway hit? It had Meryl Streep playing Donna, a hardworking single mother. Meryl Streep brought forward a revolutionary idea - feminism. You can see it in her classic performance of “Money, Money, Money” where she proves “it’s a rich man’s world” or when she brings together every single woman in a inspirational dance scene set to “Dancing Queen”.
Let’s start at the beginning. The movie is Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again. The year is 1979 and Donna is fresh out of Oxford, where she graduated top of her class. This smart, young, independent woman decides to travel the world, and proves for the first time ever that women deserve freedom. She arrives in Greece after a brief relationship with Harry Bright (the message there is about body positivity and the notion that a woman’s worth should not be measured by the amount of partners she chooses), and immediately meets Bill Anderson, a charming boat owner. Along the way to Kalokairi (her final destination), she liberates a fellow female from the prison of a morally unjust marriage and sends her along to her one true lover. See, she can truly do it all. Pursue her own dreams and love interest while supporting and helping other women.
When she finally gets to the island she does a couple of heroic things like saving a horse, performing in a cafe, and buying her first pair of overalls. Fun fact: that was the first time a woman had ever worn pants! She meets another man, and again proves a woman’s decision about her body should only be made by her. He betrays her, but she cheers herself up and makes a pivotal point about how a woman doesn’t need a man to be valid. By the end of the movie she has decided to raise a child with no help, start a successful business that from an abandoned hotel she renovated herself, and employs many local women.
Handiwork? Pant wearing? All small deeds compared to the plot of Mamma Mia. This is when Meryl Streep’s character starts to get heard. She has established a thriving business and runs every aspect of it - from the book keeping to fixing shutters - and she has raised a beautiful and capable daughter, Sophie. Near the beginning of this movie, Donna sings “Money Money Money” a song about how people can’t succeed unless they are upper class and have large sums of money. Not only is this pivotal social commentary on classism and failing economies, it is also the first time someone has spoken up about sexism in the workplace. Thank god for her! And the numbers prove it. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2008 (around the release of this radical movie) women were earning a mere 78 cents for each dollar a man earned. Now women are earning, on average and for the same job, 81 cents for each male earned dollar.
All of this leads up to what I think of as the most powerful scene in all of cinematic history. It portrays women living freely, not burdened by their male companions, their unfair jobs and chores, or society’s prying eyes. Donna and her friends sing “Dancing Queen”, and bring every woman around the world together into a massive dance that tightens the bonds between girls and sisterhood. It uplifts spirits, it challenges social norms, and soars over critic’s heads. They simply didn’t understand how Meryl Streep single handedly defied everything she was taught to do, and raised a new generation of strong and respected women, using unconventional methods.
Read the words of the young and moldable women who have watched the film. “I found it … simply unlike anything I had ever seen. It made me believe I could do anything I set my mind to. I could touch the stars, pursue new careers, develop thoughts beyond those of simple mortal men!” And another, “Astonished, dazzled, my mind has been open in ways I could never imagine. The sheer courage of Meryl Streep to stand up to this sexist world has deepened my understanding of the ways we live our lives.”
Meryl Streep, the songs of ABBA, the character Donna, the supporting actresses, the moving plotline, and more, all worked together in this harmonious film. It broadcasts a message of hope and spirit through angelic and heavenly singing voices. That is why Mamma Mia sparked an entire revolutionary movement, way ahead of its time.
Thank you for reading. I know my comments might be deemed “controversial”, “historically inaccurate” and “disrespectful of the people who actually worked for equal rights”, but you can’t let haters get their way.
