28. Hedda

Before Nicolas Cage recited the alphabet or wooed Cher or stole the Declaration of Independence, he played a punk doofus in Martha Coolidge’s sweet and silly coming-of-age romance VALLEY GIRL. We admire the film’s affectionate skewering of the 80s, its textured female POV, and how singular its male lead is within the canon of teen cinema. Marin also teaches Maggie about the existence of Jake and Logan Paul (the latter of whom starred in a jukebox musical remake of the film).   Follow us on Instagram: @girlhoodmoviedatabase Secondary texts referenced: Clueless (1995) dir. Amy Heckerling Dead Poets Society (1989) dir. Peter Weir Sorry, Baby (2025) dir. Eva Victor Valley Girl (2020) dir. Rachel Lee Goldenberg

Two months after it arrived (and everyone seemed to have an opinion on it), does anyone even care about Emerald Fennell’s “WUTHERING HEIGHTS” anymore? We do, I guess. We both agree this movie would be more interesting if it was far better or far worse, because middling movies just aren’t very fun! We get into the film’s characterization and aesthetics, Emily Brontë’s novel, and how the movie functions, according to Fennell herself, as an act of teenage “wish fulfillment.”    Follow us on Instagram: @girlhoodmoviedatabase Secondary texts referenced: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë The Annotated Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, edited by Janet Gezari Wuthering Heights (2011) dir. Andrea Arnold “The 32 Best (and Worst) Wuthering Heights Adaptations” by Bilge Ebiri Emerald Fennell profile in the Los Angeles Times

What is cinematic pleasure, you ask? We offer Nia DaCosta’s HEDDA (2025) as an answer: stylish formal choices, substantive commentary on gender/race/class, delicious sexual tension, and a transfixing titular character whose antics range from petty revenge to evil. We also manage to put the film in conversation with Saltburn (a far inferior object, Marin argues) and the panned Ryan Murphy legal drama All’s Fair (which Maggie watched during a bout of the flu).    Follow us on Instagram: @girlhoodmoviedatabase

Yes, we’re already a month into 2026, but that’s not going to stop us from reflecting on Girlhood Movie Database’s 2025! We’re awarding our favorite films, performances, and intertextualities that we covered on this podcast, along with additional pop culture that brought us joy. Happy New Year!    Follow us on Instagram: @girlhoodmoviedatabase

Greta Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation of LITTLE WOMEN is one of Marin’s all-time favorite films, while this was Maggie’s first time watching it. We praise Gerwig’s unique screenplay and meticulous blocking, debate if Amy’s character is redeemable in this version, agree that Beth is actually the best March sister, and both almost cry on mic because this film is so moving. (There’s also an extended prologue about our current Botox/filler epidemic and Kim Kardashian’s acting career, so buckle up.)   Follow us on Instagram: @girlhoodmoviedatabase Secondary texts referenced: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Little Women (1994) dir. Gillian Armstrong

This Halloween we’re delving into a horror we like to call “marrying a hot stranger who’s a walking red flag.” Guillermo del Toro’s gothic-horror melodrama CRIMSON PEAK was a formative theater-going experience for teenage Marin and a decade later she’s happy to report that it still rules. We have a lot to say about its pulpiness, violence, and romance, plus some tangents about Ryan Murphy and Charlie Hunnam.      Follow us on Instagram: @girlhoodmoviedatabase Secondary texts referenced: Hereditary (2018) dir. Ari Aster Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Longlegs (2024) dir. Osgood Perkins Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Sometimes a movie just gets that an integral part of teenage girldom is being mean to your mom after she’s nice to you! Hence our fervent praise for Shuchi Talati’s GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS (2024), which is a nuanced and detailed story about a mother-daughter relationship in flux.    Follow us on Instagram: @girlhoodmoviedatabase Secondary texts referenced: Make-Up (2019) dir. Claire Oakley Portrait of A Lady on Fire (2019) dir. Celine Sciamma The Starling Girl (2023) dir. Laurel Parmet

Today we’re discussing a formative text from Marin’s childhood/Girl Scout days: TROOP BEVERLY HILLS (1989). This movie was critically shredded upon release—mostly due to its humane depiction of the upper class—and, well, do we have a newsflash for the critics of 1989: the rich characters in this movie are nothing compared to the 1% ruining everyone’s lives in 2025! We also have a lot to say about expressions of femininity, queer coding, the trad wife movement, and professional critics slinging ad hominem attacks against child actors.  Follow us on Instagram: @girlhoodmoviedatabase

More like “my ass is crying”! We’re talking about Megan Park’s charming, wise, and slightly fantastical coming-of-age film MY OLD ASS (2024), which we wholeheartedly recommend you watch.   If you have arrived at the ARRIVAL SPOILER WARNING, skip to 41:45.   Follow us on Instagram: @girlhoodmoviedatabase Secondary texts referenced: Rabbit Hole (2010) dir. John Cameron Mitchell Arrival (2016) dir. Denis Villeneuve

We’re cleansing our hearts and brains this week by discussing a very good movie with real, human stakes! What a relief. Gina Prince-Bythewood’s LOVE & BASKETBALL (2000) has us cheering, laughing, and appreciating the beauty of sports despite our own personal lack of athletic prowess. Do we question if the male lead proves himself to be a worthy romantic partner? Sure, but those reservations are also connected to the film’s thoughtful portrayal of ambition and its evolving nature. We also appreciate any movie which gives us the opportunity to consider the weird cultural legacy of Tyra Banks.       Special thanks to Jess for providing this episode’s Juvenalia Encore <3   Follow us on Instagram: @girlhoodmoviedatabase   Secondary texts referenced: There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib