Wonder Women! The untold story of American Superheroines
Quick name a Superhero that’s had a movie.
What immediately comes to mind is Superman, Spider-Man, X-Men, Iron Man, The Avengers, Green Lantern, Captain America, Ghost Rider, Hellboy, and The Incredible Hulk.
And of course, there’s Batman, who doesn’t actually have superpowers but has plenty of tricks up his sleeve and he’s good enough to have a mega empire of comics and films. So let’s count him in.
Anyone missing from that prestigious list?
Where is the gold-braceleted and lassoed Wonder Woman? How come there’s never been a Wonder Woman movie?
That’s just one of the questions explored in Kristy Guevara-Flanagan’s documentary Wonder Women! The untold story of American Superheroines.
The film takes a look at superheroines from Wonder Woman who first popped up in 1941, to Ellen Ripley, Sarah Connor, Xena, and Buffy.
For a mere one-hour documentary, the film has a lot going on.
Lynda Carter discusses her role as Wonder Woman.
Women and girls discuss what superheroines mean to them, and the empowerment and motivation they get from Wonder Woman and other strong female icons.
There are also a number of interesting tidbits, such as Gloria Steinem’s explanation as to why Wonder Woman was chosen to grace the first cover of Ms. magazine, and how Wonder Woman in the comics went from being a strong Amazon princess to a period to just plain old weak and weepy. Perhaps as a backlash to the women’s rights movement?
And then there’s a terrific interview with Lynda Carter, perhaps the best-known symbol of Wonder Woman, who starred in the namesake TV series from 1975 to 1979. (She still looks great today!)
So how come there hasn’t been a Wonder Woman movie? Good question. Kristy Guevara-Flanagan has some answers.
Watch the Wonder Women! video (for free) until June 14 on PBS.org
Expect the Unexpected 