The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999)
Joan of Arc: Warrior General, led her country's army to victory over England. Alternate Biopics: Joan of Arc (1948), Saint Joan (1957), The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
◄ IMDb Polls
Poll: Inspirational Women's History Trailblazer Biopics
Each March in the USA, we recognize female achievements during Women's History Month. Biographical movies are a great way to educate the public about landmark events in the struggle for gender equality. At the same time, these movies honor and celebrate each woman's achievement with the star power they deserve. Bios Source: Wikipedia.com
Which trailblazing or pioneering female* in their field inspires you the most, or alternatively their biopic? * Explorers, Scientists, Pioneers, Discovers, Rebels, Etc.
Women's History Month Companion Polls Leader Biopics : Trailblazer Biopics : Humanitarian Biopics : Sports Biopics : Writer Biopics : Singer/Musician Biopics
Make Your Choice
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Amelia (2009)
Amelia Earhart: Aviator, was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and inspiration to millions of girls worldwide. -
Hidden Figures (2016)
Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan or Mary Jackson: NASA Pioneers, who helped get the space program off the ground and into space. -
Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
Dian Fossey: Naturalist, who was a pioneer in the fields of zoology, primatology, anthropology and a fervent conservationist. -
Boys Don't Cry (1999)
Teena Brandon: Trans Man, whose story highlighted the legal and medical discrimination she suffered to live as a transgender man. Her murder led to the establishment of hate crime legislation and a better understanding and acceptance of transgenders. Alternate Biopic: The Brandon Teena Story (1998) -
Coco Before Chanel (2009)
Coco Chanel: Chanel Founder, a pioneering lifestyle designer and business founder who changed the look of women's fashion far beyond couture clothing. Alternate Biopic: Coco Chanel (2008) -
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Bonnie Parker: Bank Robber, an American legend participating in more than hundred or more robberies. Although, her portrayal was greatly exaggerated by the press during the hardscrabble times of Great Depression, but nonetheless elevated her to mythical stature in her day and beyond. -
Agora (2009)
Hypatia: Professor, a Greek mathematician, astronomer, educator and philosopher. While in Egypt, she made notable scientific contributions, championed human rights for all and paid the ultimate price for her beliefs. -
The Post (2017)
Kay Graham: Newspaper Publisher was the first female publisher of a major American newspaper. She led The Washington Post for more than two decades, overseeing its most famous period and also won a Pulitzer Prize for her memoir. -
Julie & Julia (2009)
Julia Child: French Chef was a Le Cordon Bleu trained chef, best-selling author and television pioneer. -
Norma Rae (1979)
Crystal Lee Sutton: Union Organizer whose early labor organizing work at the J.P. Stevens mills in North Carolina in the 1970's was the basis of this semi-fictionalized account. -
Mary Magdalene (2018)
Mary Magdalene: Disciple, one of the original advocates of the teachings of Jesus and influential spiritual leader. Alternate Biopics: Mary Magdalene (2000) plus others. -
Radioactive (2019)
Dr. Marie Curie: Scientist, who won not one but two seperate Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry. Alternate Biopic: Madame Curie (1943) w/Greer Garson -
Battle for Sevastopol (2015)
Lyudmila Pavlichenko: Sniper, credited with 309 kills and regarded one of the top military snipers of all time. She was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union medal, the Soviet military's highest military decoration. -
Domino (2005)
Domino Harvey: Bounty Hunter, a former Ford model who excelled and was well-regarded in the male-dominated bail recovery field. -
Temple Grandin (2010)
Temple Grandin: Scientist, animal behavioral expert and autism pioneer whose advanced work in the autism field led to the invention of the "hug box". Her shared personal autism experiences led to a better understanding and acceptance of autism. -
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999)
Dorothy Dandridge: Actress, first African-American actress to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in the 1954 film Carmen. Dandridge's second nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Porgy and Bess demonstrated her widespread appeal to audiences of all races. -
Annie Get Your Gun (1950)
Annie Oakley: Sharpshooter, whose shooting prowess was legendary, well-deserved and unrivaled. Alternate Biopic: Annie Oakley (1935) -
The Far Horizons (1955)
Sacajawea: Explorer, showed Lewis and Clark how to get from one end of United States to the other. Upcoming Biopic: Sacajawea: The Windcatcher (????) -
The Josephine Baker Story (1991)
Josephine Baker: Entertainer, was a civil rights activist/pioneer, a French Resistance agent and a symbol of the Jazz Age and the 1920's. Baker was the first person of color to become a world-wide entertainer and to star in a major motion picture, Zouzou (1934). -
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (2017)
Hedy Lamarr: Actress, a mathematical prodigy and little-know inventor who co-developed with composer George Antheil a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes. It pioneered spread spectrum and frequency hopping technology to defeat the threat of jamming by the Axis powers. The principles of their work are the foundations upon which Bluetooth, CDMA (wireless phones) and Wi-Fi are built. This work led to their induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014. -
Sister Kenny (1946)
Elizabeth Kenny: Medical Pioneer, who developed a polio treatment that ran counter to conventional medical wisdom of the day. Kenny showed the need to exercise muscles affected by polio instead of immobilizing them. Her principles of muscle rehabilitation became the foundation of physical therapy, or physiotherapy we know today. -
Rosalind Franklin: DNA's Dark Lady (2003)
Rosalind Franklin: Scientist, led pioneering work on the molecular structure of DNA and viruses before an early death at 37 years old. Her work garnered two Nobel prizes for others with her own omission only due to the Nobel Committee's policy against posthumous nominations. -
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017)
Henrietta Lacks, progenitor of the HeLa immortalized cell line, one of the most important medical research discoveries ever made. The theft of her cells for commercial purposes made a groundbreaking impact on medical research. While highlighting concerns for both medical privacy and patients' rights. -
Margaret Bourke-White (1989)
Margaret Bourke-White: War Correspondent, who is best known for her work as a world-traveled photojournalist for Forbes and Life magazine. -
Florence Nightingale (1985)
Florence Nightingale: Nursing Pioneer, who forever bettered society in a number of ways. She professionalized nursing through the establishment of the first nursing school. She improved health care for all classes, elevated the treatment of the war wounded and established an new, acceptable female profession, when there were few. Upcoming Biopic w/Elisabeth Moss -
Being the Ricardos (2021)
Lucille Ball: Studio Founder, the star comedian dominated the airwaves for over a decade. The first woman to run a major television studio and the executive responsible for some of the 1960's biggest shows. (updated 25 January 2022)Alternate Biopic: Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter (1991)
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The Queen of Code (2015)
Grace Hopper: Computer Pioneer, one of the first computer programmers and greatly shaped the direction computer science. She was one of first women to achieve the rank of admiral in the US Navy. -
Nancy Wake, the White Mouse (2014)
Nancy Wake: British Spy, one of the most decorated servicewomen of the war by the Allies. She topped the Gestapo's most wanted list with a 5-million-franc bounty on her head.Alternate Biopics: Nancy Wake Codename: The White Mouse (1987), Charlotte Gray (2001) (fictionalized)
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The Godmother of Rock & Roll: Sister Rosetta Tharpe (2011)
Rosetta Tharpe: Rock & Roll Pioneer, was one of the earliest rock-and-roll musicians. Other pioneers including Little Richard, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, all cite her music as influential to them and the foundation upon Rock & Roll was built on. -
America's Victoria: Remembering Victoria Woodhull (1998)
Victoria Woodhull: First U. S. Female President Candidate who is best known for her presidential campaign run in 1872. She also was the first female stockbroker Wall Street, a brokerage firm founder and newspaper editor/founder. (updated 01 February 2022)Upcoming Alternate Biopic: Victoria Woodhull (????) (starring Brie Larson)
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A Dangerous Method (2011)
Sabina Spielrein: One of the first Female PsychoanalystsAdded 15 August 2019
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On the Basis of Sex (2018)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: the second female U.S. Supreme Court Justice who as an ACLU lawyer argued and won five of six U.S. Supreme Court gender equality cases (for both men and women) between 1973 and 1976 and later became one its leading voices on the bench for over a quarter of century on a range of issues.Added 15 August 2019
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Harriet (2019)
Harriet "Moses" Tubman: the first female to lead an armed expedition in the U.S. Civil War. Prior to the U.S. Civil War, the tireless abolitionist conducted thirteen missions leading southern slaves to freedom using routes of the Underground Railroad. During the war, she served as a scout and spy, highlighted by leading Union troops on the Combahee Ferry Raid freeing some 750+ slaves.Added 08 October 2019
