20 Iconic Female Monologues From Movies & TV Shows That Are The Ultimate Pep Talk
20 female monologues that are sure to be a good pep talk.
getty When you are feeling less than inspired and need someone to look to for empowerment, it's always a good idea to draw from some iconic female monologues from movies and shows we love.
Even though there is a long list of movies and TV shows starring men to fuel the masculine audience to be stronger and proud of who they are, now, that list is matched with movies and TV shows starring strong women.
The stories of modern women bring to light the adversity women have faced in the quest for equality and to be taken seriously. Many want to see themselves on the screen, this time doing what they have wanted to for so long.
Whether it’s living the fantasy of leaving your troubles behind or fighting back against those who try to bring you down, these monologues from movies and TV shows will empower every woman to succeed in life.
So sit back and let yourself be proud to be a woman.
Best Female Monologues from Movies
1. Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed in "Wild" (2014)
“Here's some questions I've been asking myself. What if I forgive myself? What if I was sorry? What if I could go back in time? I wouldn't do a single thing differently. What if all those things I did were the things that got me here?"
Driven to the edge by the loss of her beloved mother (played by Laura Dern), the dissolution of her marriage and a headlong dive into self-destructive behavior pushed Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) to make the decision to halt her downward spiral and put her life back together again.
With no outdoor experience, a heavy backpack, and little else to go on but her own will, Cheryl sets out alone to hike the Pacific Crest Trail — one of the country's longest and toughest trails.
2. Madonna as Mae Mordabito in "A League Of Their Own" (1992)
“...And what am I supposed to do, huh? Go back to taxi dancin'? Ten cents so some slob can sweat gin all over me? I'm never doin' that again! So you go back there and you tell ol' rich Mr. Old Chocolate Man that he ain't closing me down!”
As America's stock of athletic young men is depleted during World War II, a professional all-female baseball league forms in the Midwest funded by the publicity-hungry candy maker Walter Harvey (Garry Marshall). Competitive sisters Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis) and Kit Keller (Lori Petty) spar with each other, scout Ernie Capadino (Jon Lovitz), and grumpy has-been coach Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) on their way to fame.
Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell co-star as two of the sisters' teammates.
3. Sandra Bullock as Gracie Hart in "Miss Congeniality" (2000)
“Well, I would say that I used to be one of them. And then I came here and I realized that these women are smart, terrific people who are just trying to make a difference in the world. And we’ve become really good friends. I mean, I know that we secretly wish the other one to trip and fall on her face, but oh, wait a minute, I’ve already done that! And for me, this experience has been one of the most, rewarding and liberating experiences of my life. And if anyone, anyone, tries to hurt one of my new friends, I would take them out. I would make them suffer so much, that they’d wish they were never born. And if they ran, I would hunt them down. Thank you, Kathy.”
When a terrorist threatens to bomb the Miss United States pageant, the FBI rushes to find a female agent to go undercover as a contestant. Unfortunately, Gracie is the only female FBI agent who can "look the part" despite her complete lack of refinement and femininity. She prides herself on being "just one of the boys" and is horrified at the idea of becoming a girly girl.
4. Geena Davis as Thelma in "Thelma and Louise" (1991)
"I feel really awake. I don't recall ever feeling this awake. You know? Everything looks different now. You feel like that? You feel like you got something to live for now?"
Meek housewife Thelma (Geena Davis) joins her friend Louise (Susan Sarandon), an independent waitress, on a short fishing trip. However, their trip becomes a flight from the law when Louise shoots and kills a man who tries to rape Thelma at a bar. Louise decides to flee to Mexico, and Thelma joins her.
On the way, Thelma falls for sexy young thief J.D. (Brad Pitt) and the sympathetic Detective Slocumb (Harvey Keitel) tries to convince the two women to surrender before their fates are sealed.
5. Dolly Parton as Doralee Rhodes in "9 to 5" (1980)
"Well, that explains it. That’s why these people treat me like some dime store floozy…They think I’m screwin’ the boss…And you just love it, don’t you? It gives you some sort of cheap thrill like knockin’ over pencils and pickin’ up papers…Get your scummy hands off of me. Look, I’ve been straight with you from the first day I got here. And I put up with all your pinchin’ and starin’ and chasin’ me around the desk ’cause I need this job, but this is the last straw…Look, I got a gun out there in my purse, and up until now, I’ve been forgivin’ and forgettin’ because of the way I was brought up. But I’ll tell you one thing: if you ever say another word about me or make another indecent proposal, I’m gonna get that gun of mine and I’m gonna change you from a rooster to a hen with one shot! Don’t think I can’t do it."
This movie is an office satire about three female secretaries who decide to get revenge on their tyrannical, sexist boss by abducting him and running the business themselves.
The trio, one of whom has been passed over for promotion because she is a woman, spend a night together having drug-induced fantasies of killing the slave-driving chauvinist. One of them panics the following day when she suspects she really has poisoned the tyrant.
6. Saoirse Ronan as Jo March in "Little Women" (2019)
"Women have minds and souls as well as hearts, ambition, and talent as well as beauty and I’m sick of being told that love is all a woman is fit for."
In the years after the Civil War, Jo March lives in New York and makes her living as a writer, while her sister Amy studies painting in Paris. Amy has a chance encounter with Theodore, a childhood crush who proposed to Jo but was ultimately rejected. Their oldest sibling, Meg, is married to a schoolteacher, while the shy sister Beth develops a devastating illness that brings the family back together.
7. Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich in "Erin Brockovich" (2000)
"How 'bout this for a number? Six. That's how old my other daughter is, eight is the age of my son, two is how many times I've been married — and divorced; sixteen is the number of dollars I have in my bank account. 850-3943. That's my phone number, and with all the numbers I gave you, I'm guessing zero is the number of times you're gonna call it."
Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) is a woman in a tight spot. Following a car accident in which Erin is not at fault, Erin pleads with her attorney Ed Masry (Albert Finney) to hire her at his law firm.
Erin stumbles upon some medical records placed in real estate files. She convinces Ed to allow her to investigate, where she discovers a cover-up involving contaminated water in a local community which is causing devastating illnesses among its residents.
8. Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean in "Ocean’s 8" (2018)
"I just wanna say, thank you. The last three weeks have been amazing for me, and we've all worked very hard for this moment. So whatever happens tonight, I want you to remember one thing, you are not doing this for me. You are not doing this for you. Somewhere out there is an eight-year-old girl lying in bed, dreaming of being a criminal. Let's do this for her..."
Five years, eight months, 12 days and counting -- that's how long Debbie Ocean has been devising the biggest heist of her life. She knows what it's going to take — a team of the best people in the field, starting with her partner-in-crime Lou Miller. Together, they recruit a crew of specialists, including jeweler Amita, street con Constance, suburban mom Tammy, hacker Nine Ball, and fashion designer Rose. Their target — a necklace that's worth more than $150 million.
9. Kathy Bates as Evelyn Couch in "Fried Green Tomatoes" (1991)
"I never get mad, Mrs. Threadgoode. Never. The way I was raised, it was bad manners. Well, I got mad and it felt terrific. I felt like I could beat the shit out of all those punks. Excuse my language; just beat them to a pulp. Beat them until they begged for mercy. Towanda, the Avenger! And after I wipe out all the punks of this world I’ll take on the wife beaters, like Frank Bennett, and machine-gun their genitals. Towanda on the rampage! I’ll put tiny little bombs in Penthouse and Playboy, so they’ll explode when you open them. And I’ll ban all fashion models who weigh less than 130 pounds. I’ll give half the military budget to people over 65 and declare wrinkles sexually desirable."
On one of the trapped housewife Evelyn Couch's (Kathy Bates) Wednesday nursing home visits, she encounters Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy), a colorful old woman who brightens Evelyn's outlook on life by sharing tales from her past.
As Ninny recounts the exploits of her free-spirited sister-in-law Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterson), owner of a small Alabama café in the 1920s, and the bond Idgie shared with her friend Ruth (Mary-Louise Parker), Evelyn gains the confidence to change her own life for the better.
10. Julia Roberts as Katherine Watson in "Mona Lisa Smile" (2003)
"Quiet! Today you just listen. What will the future scholars see when they study us? A portrait of woman today? There you are, ladies. The perfect likeness of a Wellesley graduate, Magna Cum Laude doing exactly what she was trained to do. Slide. A Rhodes scholar. I wonder, is she reciting Chaucer while she presses her husband's shirts? Slide. Heh, now you physics majors can calculate the mass and volume of every meatloaf you ever make. Slide. A girdle to set you free! What does that mean?... What does that mean?... What does it mean? I give up. You win. The smartest women in the country... I didn't realize that by demanding excellence I would be challenging... what did it say?">
Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts) is a recent UCLA graduate hired to teach art history at the prestigious all-female Wellesley College in 1953. Determined to confront the outdated mores of society and the institution that embraces them, Katherine inspires her traditional students including Betty (Kirsten Dunst) and Joan (Julia Stiles) to challenge the lives they are expected to lead.
Best Female Monologues from TV
11. Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan in "Once Upon A Time" (Season 1, Episode 4)
"People are going to tell you who you are your whole life. You just got to punch back and say ‘No, this is who I am.’ You want people to look at you differently? Make them. You want to change things? You’re going to have to go out there and change them yourself—because there are no fairy godmothers in this world."
Emma Swan, a young woman with a troubled past, is drawn to a small town in Maine where fairy tales are to be believed ... When she arrives, Henry, her supposed son, tells her that she is their Savior that will wipe out a curse that has trapped all the known fairy tale characters in the real world.
12. Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in "30 Rock" (Season 4, Episode 13)
"I don’t need anyone. Because I can do every single thing that a person in a relationship can. Everything. Even zip up my own dress. You know, there are some things that are actually harder to do with two people. Such as monologues."
30 Rock is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live, takes place behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy show depicted as airing on NBC.
13. Kylie Bunbury as Ginnie Baker in "Pitch" (Season 1, Episode 3)
"Half the guys around me are misogynists who don’t think a woman deserves a shot, and the other half are worse — because they’re good guys who just want to protect orphan Annie, and I just want them to see me as a regular ballplayer."
The series, set in the confines of Major League Baseball, sets its focus on a young pitcher known for her screwball pitch as she becomes the first woman to play in the Major Leagues when she is chosen to play for the San Diego Padres.
14. Kara Zor-El in "Supergirl" (Volume 5, #33)
"Some days you wake up and want to change the world. Others, you just want to break the same world in two. But most of the time, you just have to get on with the business of living."
"Supergirl" is an action-adventure drama based on the DC Comics character Kara Zor-El, Superman's (Kal-El) cousin who, after 12 years of keeping her powers a secret on Earth, decides to finally embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be.
15. Emily Deschanel as Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan in "Bones" (Season 5, Episode 14)
"Two plus two equals four. I put sugar in my coffee, and it tastes sweet. The sun comes up because the world turns. These things are beautiful to me. There are mysteries I will never understand, but everywhere I look, I see proof that for every effect, there is a corresponding cause... even if I can’t see it. I find that reassuring."
Bones is an American crime procedural comedy-drama television series created by Hart Hanson for Fox. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology.
Each episode focuses on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains found by FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) to forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel).
16. Katie Stevens as Jane Sloan in "The Bold Type" (Season 2, Episode 6)
"Push to dig deeper even when it is too painful. What matters most isn't your byline or these awards. What matters most is the story and the truth. In our personal lives and the stories we tell, the truth must always come first."
The series centers on a trio of millennial women — Jane Sloan (Katie Stevens), Kat Edison (Aisha Dee), and Sutton Brady (Meghann Fahy) — living in New York City. The three best friends work for Scarlet, a fictional global women's magazine spearheaded by its editor-in-chief, Jacqueline Carlyle (Melora Hardin). The young women navigate their lives in the big city, including their career trajectories and romantic relationships.
17. Lily Tomlin as Frankie in "Grace and Frankie" (Season 1, Episode 4)
"It is good isn't it? When you left, I thought my life was over. I can't sleep in that big f***ing bed without him. But I did it. And now I love having that bed to myself, it's fantastic, I sleep in a giant X! You know what this means? Im okay, and I'm going to be okay. Ta-da, congratulate me.”
Grace and Frankie is an American comedy web television series created by Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris for Netflix.
The series stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the title roles of Grace and Frankie, two unlikely friends who are brought together after their husbands announce that they are in love with each other and plan to get married.
18. Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope in "Scandal" (Season 2, Episode 20)
“I am not a toy you can play with when you’re bored or lonely or horny. I am not the girl the guy gets at the end of the movie. I am not a fantasy. If you want me, earn me.”
Scandal is an American political thriller television series starring Kerry Washington. Washington's character, Olivia Pope, is partially based on former George H.W. Bush administration press aide Judy Smith, who serves as a co-executive producer.
The show takes place in Washington, D.C., and focuses on Olivia Pope's crisis management firm, Olivia Pope & Associates (OPA), and its staff, as well as staff at the White House and the surrounding political scene.
19. Alison Brie as Ruth in "GLOW" (Season 2, Episode 5)
"I've been acting pretty much my whole life, and it's always just another audition, another meeting, another year of waiting for someone to give you permission to do the thing you wanna do. But finally, I'm getting to do something, and it feels different, you know? I feel different. Strong. In control."
GLOW is an American comedy-drama web television series created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch for Netflix. The series revolves around a fictionalization of the characters and gimmicks of the 1980s syndicated women's professional wrestling circuit, the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (or GLOW) founded by David McLane.
20. Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones in "Jessica Jones" (Season 1, Episode 4)
"You think you're the only ones who've lost people? You think you're the only ones with pain? You think you can take your sh*t and dump it on me? You don't get to do that! So you take your God damned pain and you live with it, a**holes!"
Jessica Jones is a super-powered woman who had a brief superhero career until an incident where the villainous Kilgrave caused her to kill someone. After that incident, she became a private investigator. When Kilgrave resurfaces, Jessica must rise up to stop him.
Isabell Tenorio is a YourTango editorial intern.