Reese Witherspoon, Julie Roberts, Anne Bancroft, Jennifer Jones and now Sandra Bullock. Each of these women won the Oscar for Best Actress. But what do they really have in common? They brought to the big screen the real-life, not–so-everyday women who are among us doing remarkable things.
From Erin Brockovich to Anne Sullivan, June Carter to St. Bernadette, and now Leigh Anne Tuohy, we see the remarkable presence and influence these women had on people. The women portrayed were and are strong, smart and sassy women who didn’t let barriers stand in their way.
They made a difference. A young June Carter mastered hard work and deep commitment to become a leading lady in country music. An out-of-work single mom spear headed one of the biggest class action lawsuits against a multi-billion dollar corporation who was poisoning residents of Hinkley, CA with toxic chemicals. A lonely Anne Sullivan taught a strong-willed Helen Keller overcame her silence to give her gifts to the world. And Bernadette Soubirous survived extreme poverty, cholera and public doubt to carry a message to the world through the apparition known as Our Lady of Lourdes where more than 5 million people visit yearly.
They didn’t accept no. They stood up when someone told them to sit down. They followed their intuition and doing what they knew was right. They acted with determination and spunk.
They are ordinary women influencing extraordinary results.
I love the movies, especially when I am inspired by other women who remind me I can do it.
Thank you Erin, June, Anne, Bernadette, and Leigh Anne.
