10 Great Films About Female Friendship To Watch On Galentine’s Day

Today is February 13, and if you’re a fan of Parks and Recreation, you’ll know what that means… it’s Galentine’s Day!

Galentine’s Day was created by Leslie Knope in season two of the beloved sitcom as a celebration of her female friends and heroes – it’s since become a sort of unofficial holiday, because who doesn’t love an excuse to big up the gals?

We women know how important our mates are to us, but female friendship is not often represented well on the silver screen. You see a group of female friends bitching, alright, but you don’t see them acting goofy and cracking each other up. You see a leading lady drop her best friend as soon as a man enters her life, and the BFF just being, like… fine with it. What’s all that about?

But these films have actually taken the time to accurately show the ins and outs of female relationships – and that’s what makes them perfect Galentine’s movie night fare.

Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids may have some raunchy jokes and that infamous food poisoning scene, but it’s really a nuanced portrayal of female friendship and how weird it can be to see your pals moving on in life when you’re… not. That scene where Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph make each other laugh with food in their teeth? Relatable AF.

Beaches

Did you ever know that you’re my heeeerooooo? Following two women over the course of their lives – through breakups, fights, successes and failures – Beaches shows that the most important relationship in your life can be with your best friend. They ARE the wind beneath your wings!

Lady Bird

Lady Bird got so many things about teenage life painfully right, including the fickle nature of friendship. Our hearts ached for Julie, the best friend Lady Bird dumped to hang out with the cool kids – and grew three sizes when they made up again.

Bend It Like Beckham

After being forbidden from playing football by her parents, Jesminder Bhamra joins the local women’s league – there, she hones her skill as a footballer and meets a friend for life in fellow player Jules. Girls bonding through sport! What’s not to love?

Thelma & Louise

Probably the most iconic female friendship in movie history. After a weekend road trip goes horribly wrong, the pair go on the run and show the real meaning of the term ‘ride or die’.

The Color Purple

Celie Harris (played by Whoopi Goldberg) is meek from years of abuse, first from her stepfather and then from her husband – but through her friendships with the assertive Sophia and glamorous Shug, she finds her self-worth.

Mean Girls

Who said friendship was easy? Mean Girls has become a classic in part because its depiction of teenage girls is an exaggerated version of the truth. The hierarchies, the tiny infractions, the mind games… we’ve all been there.

A League Of Their Own

Director Penny Marshall’s death in December prompted many to reflect on the gem that is A League Of Their Own. The film tells the true story of All-American Girls Baseball League, which was started to keep major league baseball active while American men went to fight in World War II.

The league is initially treated as a joke, but the women band together to support each other both on the field and off.

First Wives Club

Reunited later in life after the death of a college pal, three women embark on a journey of self-improvement, powered by the desire for revenge over their rotten ex-husbands. While the revenge certainly is sweet, the bond they form with each other is even sweeter.

The Craft

Teen witches Sarah, Nancy, Bonnie and Rochelle are the ultimate girl gang. This film looks at the delicate dynamics of female friend groups, and what happens when they start to unravel (in this case, through the darkest of dark magic).

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