How tough it is to find good movies for young women! Reel girls are often relegated to secondary status as girlfriends or sidekicks for the action heroes. Beyond super-heroines like Lara Croft and Electra, where can real girls find cinematic role models?

A Walk to Remember (2002) celebrates a young Christian woman. Although wrapped in mousy sweaters, Jamie Sullivan’s convictions impress bad boy Landon Turner. Author Nicholas Spark created Jamie as a tribute to his sister Danielle, who found love and marriage while battling cancer. Jamie’s innocence made audiences nostalgic for an earlier era. Are girls with standards stuck in the past? Is Kit Kittridge: An American Girl overmatched against today’s Bratz? Thankfully, we still can find a few reel girls to admire.

Jess is raised in a traditional Sikh family in Bend It Like Beckham (2002). She’d rather run on the British football field than cook Aloo Gobi. Do religious rites keep women from pursuing their talents? Young Christians may find solidarity with Jess’ struggles. Bend It Like Beckham celebrates girls and their giftedness.

Whale Rider (2002) follows a ‘tween torn between Maori tradition and her vibrant imagination. Paikea’s grandfather refuses to recognize her role as tribal leader simply because she is a girl rather than a first-born boy. Will New Zealand tribal culture adapt to change? Will Paikua have the opportunity to ride a whale? This contemporary fairy tale is pure movie magic.

Magdalena’s 15th birthday celebration is cancelled in Quincenara (2006). A rather miraculous pregnancy severs Magdalena’s relationship with her family. Kicked out of her home, Magdalena finds refuge with her gracious tio, Tomas. Her uncle also makes room for her cousin, Carlos. His homosexuality has made him an outsider amidst the cholo culture of Echo Park in Los Angeles. This trio of outcasts forms an unlikely family. Quincenara is a moving alternative to the usual urban gangster stories.

A study by the University of North Carolina concluded that 65 percent of American women between ages 25 and 45 have disordered eating behaviors. Two documentaries address issues of self-image for teenage girls. Thin (2006) follows four women battling anorexia and bulimia at a Florida treatment center. The hospital staff attempts to modify the girls’ behavior without addressing larger cultural and spiritual issues. It also demonstrates the power of cliques even amidst places designed to make us healthy.

America the Beautiful (2008) places our self-image problems in a broader context. It follows a teen model, Gerren Taylor, as she’s confronted by a fashion industry that labels her as “obese” even as a size 4. Youth workers must take the lead in promoting God’s perspective for young women. One good place to start is www.truecampaign.org