Although I had seen Iron Jawed Angels several times before we watched it in class, I was once again enthralled in the story and detail of the Women's Suffrage Movement portrayed in the film. Hilary Swank does a magnificent job as the fiery instigator Alice Paul, but the addition of Patrick Dempsey as a love interest is deplorable and takes away from the authenticity. It is irksome to see that "theatricality" and making sure that nobody thought Alice Paul was a lesbian determined major changes from the history to the film's plot. I mean, I will be the first person to tell you that being a feminist/fighting for women's rights does not mean in any way, shape, or form that she is a lesbian or man-hater, but deviating from the true story of Alice Paul, during a small portion of her life when she was a driving factor in women's struggle for suffrage, minimizes her efforts and contribution. I think that the movie definitely sends the wrong message in that way; that a homogenized group of white, straight, educated middle class women organized the "rest of" the women to stand up for themselves. I guess it just rubbed me the wrong way when I watched the film this time, maybe I was not as critical the past times viewing it.
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This is very interesting. I never thought that the fictional love interest was perhaps installed to ensure her sexuality. I never actually thought about the sexuality of any of the women. It is something to ponder.
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