The Women

I have an awesome husband.  He takes such good care of my son and I, he works really hard to provide for us, he makes me laugh, and holds me when I’m sad.  He’s loving and giving, respectful and honest, supportive and encouraging…. Regardless of whether we’re out running errands or spending time with our son, I truly enjoy his company. But there are some things that men just don’t quite understand about us women.  Like when I cry at commercials, stress about my leftover baby weight, or feel the need to call him 20 times a day to say hi and give him a running tally of what I’ve done all day.  These are the moments when I look to my female friends for support, advice, and a listening ear.

When Dove first launched it’s Campaign for Real Beauty in 2004, it initiated global discussion about the true meaning of beauty.  The campaign seeks to redefine the meaning of beauty, broadening it to include women whom society would not conventionally stereotype as “beautiful.”  How freeing it is to see real women, of all shapes, sizes, and colors, in Dove ads on TV and in print.

Out of this campaign emerges a film for women, about women, directed by a woman, starring a cast comprised entirely of women.  The Women is a remake of the 1939 classic film of the same name and stars Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Cloris Leachman, Bette Midler, and Candice Bergen.  The movie is clever, sassy, and moving.  It’s a story about relationships, weaving in themes like body image, self-esteem, female empowerment, acceptance, and true beauty.  It’s about love and mistakes, forgiveness and second chances.  I laughed and cried and walked away with a broader definition of beauty.  It made me think about how our society dictates the definition of beauty and inspired me to work just as hard on my inner beauty as I do on my outer beauty.

So what is true beauty?  Discuss amongst yourselves!

And don’t forget to grab a girl friend and go see The Women.  You can watch a preview here:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3TCy9EqpBA&hl=en&fs=1]

I also highly recommend watching Dove’s exclusive mini documentary, The Women Behind The Women, created “to encourage women to challenge today’s beauty stereotypes, celebrate opportunities for women to empower one another and explore the diverse definitions of beauty, through interviews with some of the cast and crew of The Women.”  You’ll find it on Dove’s website here.

Profuse thanks to Dove and the Family Review Network for the opportunity to review The Women.

Win It!  Dove is giving away 100 tickets to The Women every day through September 19, 2008.   Head on over for your chance to win!