Female Driven
Female Driven
Emily Ollero Jones
Hey, y’all! We’re Kristen and Emily! Besties who love talking about female-driven cinema. Come along for the ride (pun intended) as we talk about landmark films with female writers, directors, actors, and producers. We aim to highlight womens’ stories and the characters they bring to life on the big screen. So, buckle up and join us on this female-driven journey!
Chicago (2002)
To quote Lady Gaga during her House of Gucci press rounds: "We don't believe in the glorification of murder. We do believe in the empowerment of women." That's right, passengers! In this episode, we're covering the 2002 major motion picture musical, Chicago! (Cue jazz hands.) Topics include: embarrassing/life-changing movie theater experiences, the iconic 2003 Academy Awards' Best Actress lineup, which Cellblock Tango murderess is our favorite, Kiki and Emily's baja blast misadventure in Ohio, and an indulgent pop girlie tangent. You'd be lying if you told us that the sound of someone chewing has never made you want to choose violence.
Apr 26, 2025
1 hr 2 min
The Hours (2002)
Greetings, passengers! Rachael and Emily have been a waiting a long time to cover this 2002 masterpiece. Starring the Holy Trinity of actresses, Meryl (God), Nicole (Jesus) and (Julianne), it's The Hours! Get ready for breathtaking closeups of women looking in mirrors, Philip Glass' iconic score, and a Kath and Kim reference to end all others.
Mar 14, 2025
1 hr 16 min
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (again!)
Hello again, after quite a hiatus! Emily couldn't resist gleaning Rachael's thoughts on the modern masterpiece and timeless love story, Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), brought to us by writer/director Celine Sciamma, with a cast including Adèle Haenel, Noémie Merlant, Luàna Bajrami, and Valeria Golino. Happy Valentine's Day, passengers!
Feb 12, 2025
1 hr 13 min
Twilight
Kristen, Emily and Rachael were on ground zero during the Twilight phenomenon of the mid-to-late aughts. Join us on this meandering foray into the first of the Twilight movies saga! We talk Kristen Stewart, Catherine Hardwicke, Robert Pattinson, the film's inherent Mormon-ism, and a whole lotta wigs! Buckle your seatbelts, passengers...we're headed to Forks!
Oct 6, 2024
1 hr 7 min
Mamma Mia and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Howdy, passengers! 'Tis the season for Mamma Mia and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants! This episode was a lot of fun to record, in good part because Rachael doesn't like musicals (but does like ABBA). We try to decide which of the Pants girls each one of us is, and go down a Gilmore Girls rabbit hole. Fasten your seatbelts! We hope you enjoy this as much as Meryl seemed to enjoy bouncing on the bed in overalls.
Aug 31, 2024
59 min
Titanic
What more can be said about Titanic? Hopefully Kiki, Rachael and Emily provide some entertaining commentary on James Cameron's 1997 magnum opus, starring Kate Winslet (insert heart eyes) and Leonardo DiCaprio! Buckle in!
Apr 15, 2024
1 hr 27 min
Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar (2021)
Are you ready for your soul douche? Join Emily, Kiki and Rachael in a lively discussion of the delightful 2021 comedy Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar, written by and starring Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo. Fasten your seatbelts - this one's a real tit-flapper!
Feb 20, 2024
1 hr 5 min
Carol Season: A Celebration
Happy Carol Season!!! I was thrilled to have Murtada Elfadl as my guest on this, the final episode of our Carol Trilogy. Murtada is a culture writer and critic for Variety and The A.V. Club, a programmer for NewFest and DOC NYC, and certified Cate Blanchett super fan...making him the perfect person to extol the virtues of Carol! We spend a fun-filled hour discussing the elements that make this movie a new Christmas classic to cherish. Please check out Murtada's podcasts: @sundays with cate and @impictureshow with the wonderful Izzy from @bk_rewind.
Dec 15, 2023
1 hr
Carol (Part 2)
Happy Carol Season! We're back with part two of the Ballad of Aird and Belivet. In this episode, our two leading ladies embark on the romance of the midcentury, heading west to Waterloo in Carol's 1949 Packard. We glory in the glamor, the drama, and the unabashed romanticism of the visual storytelling and the wonderful performances of Mara and Blanchett, and swoon over one of the best movie endings of all time. Buckle up, passengers!
Dec 5, 2023
1 hr 1 min
Carol (Part 1)
There's no point in trying to contain our excitement, y'all...it's Carol Season! Join Emily and Rachael in part 1 of our Carol celebration. In this episode, we cover the incredible story behind this gorgeous film, gush over its beautiful score, costuming and cinematography, and praise the performances of Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett as Therese Belivet and Carol Aird (Emily in particular freaks out at length over Cate as Carol). We also recount our own shop girl experiences and discuss hot women smoking in cinema without endorsing it in real life. Fasten your seatbelts!
Nov 24, 2023
1 hr 7 min
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