Melanie Griffith in Working Girl
We’re celebrating Go for Broke Day on April 5 by embracing women who risked it all, and won! The phrase “go for broke” means to risk everything, even if it means the potential for total and utter failure. Since Mamiverse is all about empowering women and urging them to live the lives they dream of, we’re happy to present these 10 movie heroines who risked it all, and won!
1. Tess McGill, Working Girl: Melanie Griffith plays Tess McGill, a temp employee who sort of falls into an executive position with a company. She ends up coming up with a big idea to merge businesses and works with love interest Harrison Ford to finish the deal behind her conniving boss’s back. The deal goes through, and Tess ends up with the guy and the professional accolades to win it all in the end.
2. Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games: “I volunteer as tribute!” said no one, ever. But after volunteering to take her sister’s place in the annual Hunger Games, Katniss’s skill and mental sharpness lead her to victory despite the pain and suffering she endures in the process of saving her family.
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3. Diana Guzman, Girlfight: Latina rule breaker Michelle Rodriguez stars in this film about a woman who, behind her father’s back, trains as a boxer and ends up being hugely successful. She fights (and wins) in “gender blind” competitions and proves everyone who ever doubted her wrong.
4. Mattie Ross, True Grit: Hollywood newcomer Hailee Steinfeld plays Mattie Ross, a girl who’s on a mission to avenge her father by teaming up with a U.S. Marshal to find his murderer. There’s excitement, gun-slinging, and a whole lotta determination in this film, all from this unexpected little lady out for revenge.
Demi Moore in G.I. Jane
5. G.I. Jane, G.I. Jane: Demi Moore’s character broke barriers by enrolling in a specialized military team where no women had ventured before. She is repeatedly tested physically, mentally, and emotionally throughout the film. But she ends up victoriously claiming her rightful place with her team.
6. Erin Brockovich, Erin Brockovich: Based on a true story, this film follows unexpected advocate for the people Erin Brockovich as she fights big money insurance companies and industry executives who have covered up environmental tragedy in the surrounding areas. She puts everything on the line, invests it all in this case, and ends up winning a better life for herself and for the victims she helps.
7. Jen, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: This story is a complicated one so we won’t go into all the details but know that Jen hid her talents, lived for love, and in the end, became a legend.
8. Thelma and Louise, Thelma & Louise: These two rebel heroes go on an odyssey that gives a whole new meaning to the term “road trip.” They leave behind very ordinary lives to spend the final, best days of their lives in complete and total freedom. These women stand up for one another and risk everything for each other and we love them for it.
9. Lisbeth Salander, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: This film is dark, sad, and could be a trigger for those who have been abused. That said, the story follows Lisbeth as she puts men in their deserved placed, becomes a more secure human spirit, and solves a crime that would otherwise have been left to die with its perpetrators.
10. Clarice Starling, The Silence of the Lambs: Played by Jodie Foster, Clarice Starling is a young FBI agent who must earn the trust of imprisoned sociopath Hannibal Lecter in order to gain information to help her find a woman held captive by a serial killer. It’s a dark and thrilling ride but Clarice gets the job done brilliantly by putting it all on the line and going with her gut.
