*Spoiler Reflections* On Feminism in Flawless

This article contains spoilers for the 2007 movie Flawless (starring Michael Caine and Demi Moore)

When the movie Flawless began, I spent the first few minutes rolling my eyes almost constantly. In my opinion, the modern, warped idea of feminism has a lot to do with the problems in this country, and I don't like watching things that have feminist overtones. Although Flawless looked like it was going to be clad in an iron suit of feminism, I was quite surprised by some of the later developments.

At the beginning of the movie, Laura has a conversation with a young female reporter who wants to write about women who forged trails into all-male territory. Apparently she wants inspirational stories for the young women of today. Naturally, she chose Laura as one of her interviews; Laura had been employed by the all-male company of London Diamond in the 1960s. While this made it appear the movie was going to be saturated with themes concerning "oppressed" women, it turned out to be anything but.

When she discovers she's about to be fired, Laura sees her career for what it is: A temporary achievement. Nothing about it would last. She had sacrificed a family, love, and just about everything else for the goal of becoming a London Diamond branch manager, but it was all for naught. Faced with her failure to become a branch manager - her failure to even keep her job - she realizes that a career is not necessarily what it is made out to be. She had searched for "fulfillment" and failed.

In the end, Laura makes a career out of giving. Left with the money Hobbs effectively stole from London Diamond, she puts it to good use by giving it away. Somewhere in the course of her life, she gives herself to a man and a child - the man is her husband (she's wearing a wedding ring), and the child is presumably theirs. Just before she leaves, she tells the reporter that she hopes other young women would be inspired by the example Laura set - not the example of a ruthless business woman, but the example of a woman who gives.

I am not knocking women who want to pursue careers, nor am I criticizing working mothers. However, I think there is too much emphasis put on women finding "fulfillment" by having careers nowadays. Women are built to give. When we lose sight of that, we start down the dark path of modern feminism, which sacrifices everything for "self-fulfillment." This is not to say that men are not built to give as well. But women have become so intent on becoming "fulfilled" whatever the cost to men, children, or even themselves that they have forgotten the most important thing in life is not to satiate every desire, be it sexual, social, political, or business, but to give. Laura discovered this before it was too late. Perhaps our society will one day do the same.