Mamma Mia is a blockbuster film made and watched by women alike. Major blockbusters at the time were made for men and created by men: this was the norm. Mamma Mia’s success opened a door for the female audience, not to just be the sidekick (or the oversexualized supporting women) but to be the women you see every day furthermore, not contributing to these archetypes engraved in the film industry. 

Mamma Mia tells a story about friendship, love, and heartbreak. It is a masterpiece of the time. With a budget of 52 million dollars and a gross of 661 million dollars it was the biggest movie of 2008. A rating of 55% on ‘Rotten Tomatoes’ totally confuses lovers of this movie as to why it is so low. There is one apparent reason - the movie is for women NOT men.  

The guardian reports that 77.8% of ‘Rotten Tomato’ reviews are written by men and 22.2% by women. This figure is absurd and will negatively impact the tiny number of films made for women. What does this mean for us? This ratio tells you about the film industry and its ultimate bias for men, we can learn about society's flaws and how progression for gender equality is a tough challenge in male dominated Hollywood. Womens’ work is unappreciated and struggle to be accepted in an industry, built and shaped by the man.  

Here is a quote from Laura Mulvey who coined the term ‘male gaze’ 

 "Women as images. Men as bearer of the look"

So, what is so different about this film? Humor, joy, and romance fill the air of Kalikari Island. One thing that stood out for many people is that the actors you see starring are not the people you would expect to see in a ‘chick flick’ genre. But this connotates playfulness and the imperfectness to the audience, something women are rarely shown and not what they are taught. 

There are very few women in Hollywood that are just known as ‘icons’ just because of their talent. Women in this industry are judged on their looks. We recall many talents like Marilyn Monroe but at the time of her booming success she was not treated nor respected like today. It is sad as society was finally treating her and the legacy of her right after her death: an overdose that was caused by her mistreatment by the media around her. Her broken legacy and early death were the result of the male gaze and mistreatment of women in film. 

Films like Mamma Mia reverse the male gaze and give female actors the space to express creativity and be seen beyond their looks. Young girls and women alike see representation of women that is not often seen, when women a lot of the time are put there too be on the side of the male protagonist. As a society we can learn from films like Mamma Mia and how society can progress