Plan Your "Women of Grown Ups Film Festival"

Weve got six movies that serve the leading ladies of the latest comedy about overgrown boys better.

With this weekends Grown Ups 2, once again Salma Hayek, Maya Rudolph, and Maria Bello will be drafted into onscreen service as the wives of Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and Kevin James. All three of them are in roles that dont begin to approach the capabilities of these actresses. So rather than bum yourselves out contemplating the lack of good roles for women in Hollywood, you could take a pro-active approach and catch these three women in movies that are more worthy the talents of Hayek, Bello, and Rudolph. Six movies that didnt approach half of the box-office take of the Grown Ups movies (the original took in $162 million domestically). And whats more fun than a self-styled film festival? Nothing, thats what. Allow us to plan this one out for you.

Film #1: Savages

Box Office: $47.3 million

Reported Budget: $45 million

Its always good to kick these things off with something thats high on energy, and nothing fits that bill better than Oliver Stones underappreciated carnival of sun-burned drug-war intrigue. Salma Hayek in particular is a scream as the drug-lord widow whose ruthlessness is only barely tempered by her instincts as a mother. Savages was treated like a middling effort by both critics and audiences, but its truly a whole heap of fun, with John Travolta giving his best performance in some years, and Aaron Johnson and Blake Lively getting suuuuper sexy.

Film #2: A Prairie Home Companion

Box Office: $20.3 million

Reported Budget: $10 million

Maya Rudolph isnt in this film, Robert Altmans last, very much, but in her role as a verrrry pregnant stage manager, she gets to wander through any number of scenes and case such brilliant side-eye. It was an early stepping-stone for Rudolph and the chance to work with a master in his final days. More importantly, with and without Rudolph onscreen, the film is an addictive delight, so comfortable in its musical and comedic chops, and featuring great performances from Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Lily Tomlin, and Lindsay Lohan (no, really!).

Film #3: A History of Violence

Box Office: $31.5 million

Reported Budget: $32 million

Try not to get whiplash from the change in tone, but its important to take things into a more serious direction, and David Cronenbergs meditation on the violence of men certainly is that. Bello came within a hairs breadth of an Oscar nomination for her work here as the wife of Viggo Mortensens hitman-in-hiding. Her performance is sexy, smart, and quick on its feet as she moves from suburban normalcy to something closer to a nightmare.

Film #4: Frida

Box Office: $25.8 million

Reported Budget: $12 million

You could use some culture in your film festival, and theres no better showcase for Salma Hayeks talents as a Serious Actress than her performance as Frida Kahlo in this passion project. Enjoy the crossroads of sex, art, and politics that converge in the film, or assess the merits of Hayeks lone Oscar nomination, or just marvel at that unibrow. Either way, youll have a great better sense of Hayek as a performer.

Film #5: Coyote Ugly

Box Office: $60.7 million

Reported Budget: $45 million

Who says that a film festival has to be all serious and no fun? Who says that it has to be all auteurs like Altman and Stone and Cronenberg? You deserve to have some light, silly fun, and Coyote Ugly does that job. What, are you too good for dancing? Singing? Tyra Banks and John Goodman? Bellos performance as the bar owner is flinty and charismatic, even if she never does get up on that bar to dance.

Film #6: Away We Go

Box Office: $9.4 million

Reported Budget: $17 million

Look at that box-office number. Its criminal. Sam Mendess film of a script by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida is episodic and a bit erratic in parts, but its also a film that builds steadily, from one setting to another, until the final 2-3 "segments" land with a significant emotional weight. That weight doesnt exist without the strong throughline of lead performers John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph. By the time they reach the end of their road, staring out onto the water, trying to imagine their wonderful, scary future, its all just so satisfying. Such a great way to end any film festival.

Previously: 10 Movie Robots We Loved Like Humans

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