This is a film in which males are relegated to second-citizen status because the women are just so darn capable and able to mostly get along without men. They do not define themselves through men nor do they depend on them.

The film perfectly captures the extraordinary spirit and the strength of the mother-daughter bond. The women of Antonia's line are strong and loving, good and kind, strong yet gentle. The acting in this film is wonderful....it is a movie I hated to see end.

One of the truly special film events. (Rating: 5.00)
Review : I remember seeing this movie in the theatre, first run, knowing nothing about what was to come. I remember thinking as I left, how it was movies like this that made the movies so special. How a story could be so simply, and beautifully told.

There is nothing usual in the world of Antonia. A single mother, she leaves the city with her young daughter to return to the small hamlet that was once her home. It is the time of her mother's death, and Antonia will take over the operation of the now-decrepit farm. She is ill equipped to run a farm at face, yet her force of will and purity of spirit make no task impossible. She is a strong woman, a good woman. She does what has to be done, and uses or finds the necessary tools amongst the chaos at hand.

I believe the English title Antonia's Line (rather than Antonia) refers to the line of people she gathers through her life. This extended family grows from the most unlikely sources. They feast together outdoors weekly at one long table, and as the movie progresses, the size of the table grows and grows to accommodate each and every new member in Antonia's Line.

Antonia is a tale of tales, some mysterious and wonderful, some very basic and also wonderful. And throughout the line grows as Antonia's extended family encompasses more and more endearing souls.

I was hardly surprised when Antonia won a well-deserved Oscar for Best Foreign Film.

Every time I see this film I find I do not tire of it, and every time I see it I come away feeling better.

Race, gender, and the role of motherhood (Rating: 5.00)
Review : Antonia's line is an amazing film about four generations of strong, independent women. While most movies about single mothers stereotype them in both positive and negative ways, Antonia's Line is different. Antonia moves back to the dutch countryside after being away for twenty years. She has to face many difficulties in the town, yet through it all she is a pillar of strength. She knows what she wants, and she acts upon it, regardless of what people think of her. She passes on these same views to her daughter. Antonia's line seems to critique the normal stereotypes by portraying Antonia as a foil to them. Her honesty, and disregard for public opinion sets her apart. The film also works to intersect Antonia's race, culture, gender and class in an amazing web that shapes her character. The influence of Antonia's race is clear in the way that she acts around the people of the town. She explains to her daughter who each person is, and why they act the way that they do. She knows how to handle even the most obnoxious of the town memebers. She is every bit a women, yet she exhaults in her femininity rather than hiding behind it. She makes her opinions and ideas well known. She is not afraid of the judgement that may accompany her views. She entertains suitors, while maintaining an honest attitude about exactly what she wants. She is able to accept her family for who they are without exception. Antonia's Line is a wonderful story with fully developed characters. Antonia and her family portray the true essence of femininity better than any other characters I have seen. Do not let the subtitles stop you. This film is a must see.

what is the perfect mother anyways??? (Rating: 5.00)
Review : Antonia's Line directed by Marleen Gorris depicts the women characters as strong women who do not care about what might be lacking in their lives. Each of the characters is their own person and no one could make them feel any less. This film helps to illustrate to young women that they can reject the silly myth of motherhood and as long as they are their own person, they do not need to be thinking of themselves as what is wrong with them.

Antonia's Line, directed by Marleen Gorris, does not accept the stereotypes of ideal mother. As we all know, mothers are always maternal, wanting to be pregnant, heterosexual and have the need to take care of their children. Yeah right! Antonia's Line does an excellent job of criticizing this stereotype by depicting different types of mother-daughter pairings. Letta was the only woman that would support this stereotype while the other mothers diverge. For example Antonia played by Willeke van Ammelrooy, criticizes the idea that mothers should be married because she refuses to give Farmer Baas her hand. She also works on the farm. Danielle diverges from the simple fact that she is a lesbian. Therese criticizes the idea that all mothers are naturally maternal and always want to have children.

This film also does not completely objectify women to the same effect that most films end up doing. Antonia and the other women really do not 'appear' for the men in their lives. The characters are strong women and they just worry about the many generations of women in their family. Antonia and the other women due to their strong characters, I feel, do not have the need to see themselves through the eyes of their male viewers. Antonia cares a great deal for the well being of her family that she has no need to fix herself up and she does not need a husband around to make her 'whole.' She finds nothing wrong with the way that she is living her life or the way she looks. Another thing that this film does that helps to not objectify the women characters is that the audience is not clued into every aspect and thought of these characters lives. This makes them their own person and not a mere cinematic object that bases their views on the idea of men.

This film is a great movie in making one aware of such women's issues.

Feminist Fantasy (Rating: 2.00)
Review : European trash are not interesting enough for a two hour movie. The characters are all cliche's of village life. The bad guy is a blond (facist) rapist. He rapes his sister and a little girl. He comes back to town in a military uniform. The good people in this movie are all Lefty lesbians and tough grandmothers. This movie is a feminist fantasy of the European variety. The men are stupid and the women are brilliant. The only smart man in the film commits suicide.