There are loads of fabulous writers out there, and many of them are women. But when it comes to Hollywood women writers are a bit hard to find. As a matter of fact, only about 11% of writers in Hollywood are women, even though about 52% of movie goers are women.
Odd, don’t you think?
Anyway, I decided to highlight some of the feminine talent out there with a list of wonderful movies that owe all or part of their entertainment value to, you guessed it, a woman. Maybe she wrote the screenplay, the original story, or was one of a whole crew of writers.
Whatever she did, she deserves the credit.
And yes, I’ve watched all of these. After all, I can’t say it’s a worthwhile movie to watch if I haven’t watched it.
Anyone else ever notice how hard it is to find writer’s names on movies?
And sorry if I missed your favorite, woman written flick. It was unintentional.
A Beautiful Mind. Book by Sylvia Nasar
Amazon Falls, Story by Katrin Bowen
Amarican Graffiti. Written by Gloria Katz
Austenland. Screenplay by Jerusha Hess and Shannon Hale
Beauty and the Beast. Animation screenplay by Linda Woolverton. Story by Brenda Chapman
(The) Big Sleep. Screenplay by Leigh Brackett
Brave. Screenplay by Irene Mecchi. Story by Brenda Chapman
Bridesmaids. Written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo
Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
Bridget Jones’s Baby. Screenplay by Helen Fielding and Emma Thompson
Carrie Pilby. Screenplay by Kara Holden. Based on a novel by Caren Lissner
Casablanca. Play by Joan Alison
Casper. Written by Sherri Stoner and Deanna Oliver
Chicago. Play written by Maurine Dallas Watkins
Clueless. Written by Amy Heckerling
Coffee Shop written by Theresa Preston
Contact. Based on a story by Ann Druyan
Descendants by Josann McGibbon & Sara Parriott
(The) Devil Wears Prada. Screenplay by Aline Brosh McKenna. Novel by Lauren Weisberger
Dirty Dancing. Written by Eleanor Bergstein
Divergent. Screenplay by Vanessa Taylor. Novel by Veronica Roth
E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Written by Melissa Mathison
Erin Borckovich. Written by Susannah Grant
Frozen. Screenplay by Jennifer Lee
Ghostbusters: Answer the Call. Screenplay by Katie Dippold
Girl vs Monster. Story and teleplay by Annie DeYoung
Gone with the Wind. Story by Margaret Mitchell
Guardians of the Galaxy. Written by Nicole Perlman
(The) Hand that Rocks the Cradle. Written by Amanda Silver
(The) Heat. Screenplay by Katie Dippold
(The) Help. Novel by Kathryn Stockett
Hidden Figures. Screenplay by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi. Book by Margot Lee Shetterly
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Screenplay by Gloria Katz
Inside Out. Screenplay by Meg LeFauve. Additional dialog by Amy Poehler
(The) Intern. Written by Nancy Meyers
(The) Jane Austen Book Club. Screenplay by Robin Swicord. Book by Karen Joy Fowler
Julie & Julia. Screenplay by Nora Ephron, book by Julie Powell. Julia Child also credited
Jurassic World. Screenplay by Amanda Silver
Kingsman: The Secret Service. Screenplay by Jane Goldman
Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Screenplay by Jane Goldman
(The) Last Mimzy. Screen story by Carol Skilken. From a short story by C. L. Moore
Legally Blonde. Screenplay by Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith. Novel by Amanda Brown
(The) Lion King. Screenplay by Irene Mecchi and Linda Woolverton. Brenda Chapman, story supervisor. Additional story material by Jenny Tripp.
(The) Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Screenplay by Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens
(The) Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Screenplay by Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens
(The) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Screenplay by Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens
(The) Lovely Bones. Screenplay by Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens. Novel by Alice Sebold
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Screenplay by Jane Goldman
Moana. Story by Pamela Ribon
Monsters, Inc. Original story by Jill Culton
Mulan. Screenplay by Rita Hsiao. Screenplay by Eugenia Bostwick-Singer
(The) Mummy. Screen story by Jenny Lumet
My Little Chickadee. Screenplay by Mae West
Night Will Fall. Written by Lynette Singer
(The) Outcasts by Dominique Ferrari and Suzanne Wrubel
Pitch Perfect 1, 2, and 3. Screenplay by Kay Cannon.
Safe Haven. Screenplay by Dana Stevens
Saving Mr. Banks. Written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith
(The) Secret Garden. Screenplay by Caroline Thompson. Book by Frances Hodgson Burnett
(The) Shining. Screenplay by Diane Johnson
Singin’ in the Rain. Story by Betty Comden
(The) Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Screenplay by Delia Ephron and Elizabeth Chandler. Novel by Ann Brashares
Sleepless in Seattle. Screenplay by Nora Ephron
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. Screenplay by Leigh Bracket
(The) Terminator. Written by Gale Anne Hurd
Terminator Genisys. Written by Laeta Kalogridis
Their Finest. Screenplay by Gaby Chiappe. Novel by Lissa Evans
Tinker, Tailor Soldier Spy. Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor
To Kill a Mockingbird. Novel by Harper Lee
Unbroken. Book by Laura Hillenbrand
What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Screenplay by Shauna Cross and Heather Hach. Book by Heidi Murkoff
Whip It. Screenplay and novel by Shauna Cross
(The) Wizard of Oz. Screenplay by Florence Ryerson
You’ve Got Mail. Screenplay by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron
Zootopia. Story by Josie Trinidad and Jennifer Lee
Movies I’ve found on ‘best’ or ‘favorite’ lists, but I haven’t yet watched:
American Psycho. Screenplay by Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner
Before Sunrise. Written by Kim Krizan
Before Midnight. Written by Julie Delpy. Characters by Kim Krizan
Belle. Written by Misan Sagay
(The) Bling Ring. Written by Sophia Copola and Nancy Jo Sales
(The) Boxtrolls. Screenplay by Irena Brignull
Celest & Jesse Forever. Written by Rashida Jones
Cinema Paradiso. Collaboration writer – Vanna Paoli
Dallas Buyers Club. Written by Melisa Wallack
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Written by Amanda Silver
(The) Debt. Screenplay by Jane Goldman
Downfall. Book by Traudl Junge and Melissa Müller
Enough Said. Written by Nicole Holofcener
Gone Girl. Screenplay and novel by Gillian Flynn
(The) Handmaiden. Screenplay by Seo-kyeong Jeong. Inspired by novel by Sarah Waters
Home Again. Screenplay by Hallie Meyers-Shyer
How to Train Your Dragon. Book by Cressida Cowell
Howl’s Moving Castle. Novel by Diana Wynne Jones
(The) Invisible Woman. Screenplay by Abi Morgan. Book by Claire Tomalin
(The) Iron Lady. Screenplay by Abi Morgan
Jane Eyre. Screenplay by Moira Buffini. Novel by Charlotte Brontë
M. Written by Thea von Harbou
Metropolis. Screenplay and novel by Thea von Harbou
Middle of Nowhere. Written by Ava DuVernay
Rebecca. Novel by Daphne Du Maurier. Screenplay by Joan Harrison
Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Written by Amanda Silver
Room. Screenplay and novel by Emma Donoghue
Shutter Island. Written by Laeta Kalogridis
Smashed. Written by Susan Burke
Stardust. Screenplay by Jane Goldman
Twelve Monkeys. Screenplay by Janet Peoples
When Harry Met Sally. Written by Nora Ephron
Witness for the Prosecution. Novel by Agatha Christie
Wreck-It Ralph. Screenplay by Jennifer Lee
Enjoy!