SheWired's Complete Fall Movie Preview for The Girls

For movie lovers autumn officially marks the beginning of Oscar season. While this year’s fall movie releases look pretty paltry for heavy hitters and especially for women in strong roles, we’ve cherry picked some fall films to put on your collective radar.

Using The New York Times Fall Movie Preview as a resource we’ve compiled a list of films that feature strong female or queer characters, respected actresses, and documentaries and features about or directed by women.

For movie lovers autumn officially marks the beginning of Oscar season. While this year’s fall movie releases look pretty paltry for heavy hitters and especially for women in strong roles, we’ve cherry picked some fall films to put on your collective radar.

Using The New York Times Fall Movie Preview as a resource we’ve compiled a list of films that feature strong female or queer characters, respected actresses, and documentaries and features about or directed by women.

From the biting and rather hilarious Bachelorette (already out) to the lesbian-themed werewolf flick Jack and Diane to Academy Award winner Kathryn Bigelow’s latest Oscar bait, break out the bucket of popcorn and settle in to fall movies. 

September

Bachelorette - Already Released

Hailed as the indie Bridesmaids Kirsten Dunst, Lizzy Caplan and Isla Fisher comprise a band of dysfunctional, mean-girl bridesmaids who collectively wreck the bride's  -- a girl they tormented in high school -- special day. Rebel Wilson plays the bride. Booze, drugs, sex and strippers abound. 

Hello I Must Be Going – Already Released

LGBT ally Melanie Lynskey –- who’s appeared in queer themed fare including Heavenly Creatures, But I’m a Cheerleader andThe L Word -- stars in this romantic comedy about a divorcee forced to move back to her parents home in Connecticut where she ends up having an affair with a 19-year-old. Blythe Danner plays her mom, which is pretty much worth the price of admission in and of itself. 

Francine - Already Released 

An Oscar winner for The Fighter, and the woman who played Helena’s ex girlfriend on The L Word, Melissa Leo plays an ex-convict attempting to assimilate back into society. She becomes increasingly isolated from humanity when she begins working with animals. WARNING: This is not the feel-good film of the year, but Leo, so compelling to watch when she's digging deep --as in Frozen River -- will no doubt  bring on the pathos. 

The Master - Out Today 

Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s highly anticipated The Master, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix, is loosely based on Scientology L. Ron Hubbard’s life. The movie offers up its share of fairly reprehensible male archetypes but look for the ever-watchable Amy Adams and Laura Dern to costar. 

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