September Marks Women of Achievement Month

September marks Women of Achievement Month celebrating the accomplishments, big and small, of all women. Many of these accomplishments are featured in movies. But women have also made significant contributions to the film industry itself.

In the 2010 film, Hillary Swank plays the indomitable Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly across the Atlantic in 1928. Edith Wharton, the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize (in 1923 for her novel The Age of Innocence) is referenced in the movie Adam, the story of a lonely man with Asperger’s Syndrome. The first women’s rights convention convened in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848. Actress Glynis Johns plays a suffragette from that time period in the Disney classic Mary Poppins. In 1943, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was organized for professional female players. The story of these players comes to the big screen in A League of Their Own. The life of Beatrix Potter who penned The Tales of Peter Rabbit is featured in the movie Miss Potter.

Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Director. She earned the award for her 2010 film The Hurt Locker. At age 13, Keisha Castle-Hughes earned the title of youngest person to be nominated for Best Actress for her role in the movie Whale Rider. Gloria Stuart was the oldest person to be nominated Best Supporting Actress for Titanic at age 87. Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress following her portrayal of Mammy in Gone With the Wind. During her career, Meryl Streep has received the most Oscar nominations (14) for her film roles which include parts in productions such as Julie & Julia, Doubt and The Devil Wears Prada.

Sandra Bullock plays a determined mother who pushes aside racial prejudice to make a difference in the life of her adopted son The Blind Side.