Ten pep talks by women in film

Talk of the Nation on National Public Radio did a segment titled, "Best Pep Talks."

"It's the make-or-break movie moment: Backstage, before the starlet's big debut. In the locker room at halftime, when the underdogs are down. Headed into battle, outnumbered 10 to one.

"Just as the music swells, a brave soul steps forward and delivers the game-changing pep talk. Talk of the Nation movie buff Murray Horwitz has a whole list of pivotal pep talks on film."

I listened to the entire segment and not one of the top ten pep talks from either Murray Horwitz or the callers ever mentioned a Pep Talk by a woman. Well, I take that back. Horwitz had to rule out Queen Elizabeth I at Tilbury rallying the troops because it had been shown on television, not in a movie.

I wondered, are there feminine pep talks that rile up and motivate the behavior of her audience?  Perhaps not so much the classic variety that men seem to consider pep talks.  Well, those but also the kind of pep talks that deliver a game change in people's hearts.

Women have their classic sports pep talk moments.  I couldn't find the entire speech Sandra Bullock delivered to her adopted son Michael.  But I did find commentary that was pretty interesting, with a quote in the middle from the movie that might tweak your memory.  In an attempt to determine whether or not women could possibly coach men, Wide Rights commentator Pete Olson writes:

"On this topic, the football practice scene from The Blind Side comes to mind (if you haven’t seen the movie yet, go rent it). In it, the Michael Oher character is new to practice with his coach trying to teach him techniques of blocking. With progress slow, Oher and his coach both get frustrated.

"Then, Oher’s adopted mother Leigh Anne Tuohy, played by Sandra Bullock, walks up to Michael and says, “This team is your family, Michael. When you look at him, you think of me. Now you have my back. Are you going to protect your family, Michael?” He responds, “Yes, ma’am,” and from that point forward is a dominant left tackle.

"I don’t know if this is one of those iconic scenes from the movie that is true or Hollywood-embellished, but it illustrates the point: there are various ways to get everyone to perform and sometimes it is the non-traditional, other-gendered perspective that is most successful."

Inspiring troops to go into battle is another form of the classic pep talk.  With fewer female heads of state, there are fewer recorded pep talks of this nature, but I did find a couple.

QUEEN ELIZABETH 1: I know that I have the body of a weak and feeble woman. But I have the heart and stomach of a king - and a king of England, too. And I think foul scorn that Spain or any prince of Europe should dare to invade the borders of my realm. To which, rather than face that dishonour, I will myself take up arms beside you. I will be your general and your rewarder for your virtues in the field. We know that you already deserve rewards and crowns, and we do assure you in the word of a prince, this shall be paid to you. And take heed too of my Lieutenant General. For no prince ever commanded a more worthy or noble subject as he. By your obedience to him, by your valour in battle, we shall yet win a famous victory over these enemies of God. Of my kingdom. And of my people.
.

Sometimes rallying the troops only means encouraging someone you love.

SARAH LAWSON: I know this looks crazy, but... but... I just got carried away. I mean, I couldn't resist these! These... are miniature horses! Aren't they small? I was only going to get one, but then I figured they'd get lonely, and if you have one, you may as well have two, and so I just - come on, sweetheart! - Anyway, the goat... the goat gives milk so that's not a waste. And the chickens, and the duck, well, uh, they'll have eggs... eventually and we can eat those. And they'll all live here at the park! Well, we'll talk about it in a minute. I'm going to take these in, and... and give them a little food and water, because it was really hot coming over."

Women who are Moms know what it is like to give pep talks to the kids! Although it doesn't change the action, mother and superhero Helen attempts to motivate her children in this scene...

Helen's plane is targeted by Syndrome's missiles
HELEN: India-Golf-Niner-Niner transmitting in the blind guard, disengage, repeat, *disengage*.
She releases anti-missile devices, begins evasive maneuvers
HELEN: Disengage, repeat, *disengage*!
MR. INCREDIBLE: No! Call off the missiles, I'll do anything!
SYNDROME: Too late! Fifteen years too late...
HELEN: Friendlies, at two-zero miles south-southwest of your position, angels ten, track east, disengage, over! Vi! You have to put a force field around the plane!
VIOLET: But you said we weren't supposed to use our powers!
HELEN: I know what I said! Listen to what I'm saying *now*! Disengage, repeat, *disengage*!
[missiles close in]
DASH: [frightened] Mom?
HELEN: *Violet*! Mayday, mayday, India-Golf-Niner-Niner is buddy spiked! Abort, abort, there are children aboard, say again, there are children aboard this plane!
MR. INCREDIBLE: NO!
HELEN: [shouts] Put a field around us, *now*!
VIOLET: [frightened] But I've never done one that big before...!
HELEN: Violet, do it NOW! Abort, abort, abort!
The missiles close in, Violet tries to create a force field but can't
HELEN: Abort abort abort!
The missiles hit; Helen envelopes the children as the plane explodes around them

Mom is pretty motivating when she says, to her panicking children, having just survived a plane crash HELEN: Stop it! We are not gonna die! Now, both of you will *get a grip*! Or so help me, I will *ground* you for a month. Understand?

Women have their own issues and some of them are with men.  Here is Louise attempting to elicit an apology from a Trucker, while motivating Thelma to action...

LOUISE: You say you're sorry or I'm gonna make you fuckin' sorry.
TRUCKER: Oh Jesus!
THELMA: I bet you even called us beavers on your CB radio, didn't ya?
TRUCKER: Yeah! Sure did!
THELMA: Damn. I hate that. I hate being called a "beaver," don't you?
LOUISE: Are you gonna apologize or what?
LOUISE: I don't think he's gonna apologize.
THELMA: Nah, I don't think so.
TRUCKER: Aarrgghh! You bitch from hell! You're gonna have to pay for this! I'm gonna make you pay for that! You hear me?!
THELMA: Ohh! Whoa! Oh my God!
LOUISE: Where did you learn to shoot like that?
THELMA: Oh, off the TV. How about you? Where did you learn to shoot like that?
LOUISE: Texas.

I suppose for some women, men are their war.

Erin Brokovich wants to change the world, or at least the world around her and in this moment delivers a profound pep talk that does just that...

MS. SANCHEZ: Let's be honest here. $20 million dollars is more money then these people have ever dreamed of.
ERIN BROKOVICH: Oh see, now that pisses me off. First of all, since the demur we have more than 400 plaintiffs and... let's be honest, we all know there are more out there. They may not be the most sophisticated people but they do know how to divide and $20 million isn't ****** when you split it between them. Second of all, these people don't dream about being rich. They dream about being able to watch their kids swim in a pool without worrying that they'll have to have a hysterectomy at the age of *twenty*. Like Rosa Diaz, a client of ours. Or have their spine deteriorate, like Stan Blume, *another* client of ours. So before you come back here with another lame ass offer, I want you to think real hard about what your spine is worth, Mr. Walker. Or what you might expect someone to pay you for your uterus, Ms. Sanchez. Then you take out your calculator and you multiply that number by a hundred. Anything less than that is a waste of our time.
Ms. Sanchez picks up a glass of water
.ERIN BROKOVICH: By the way, we had that water brought in specially for you folks. Came from a well in Hinkley.
MS SANCHEZ: I think this meeting is over.
ED MASRY: Damn right it is.

Hermione Granger in Harry Potter's seven novels works offers varied pep talks to rally Harry and Ron.  But the most effective pep talk involving Hermione occurs as images in Harry's brain as he attempts to fight off Voldemort.  Is this a pep talk?  Can there be non-verbal pep talks?  It certainly changes the direction of Harry's fate. 

Hermione: "Well, if you two are going to chicken out, fine. I don't want to break rules, you know. I think threatening Muggle-borns is far worse than brewing up a difficult potion. But if you don't want to find out..."

Ron: "I never thought I'd see the day when you'd be persuading us to break rules."

As loving friend, images of Hermione save Harry in the end, giving him final courage to fight against Voldemort's spell.

Marge Gunderson gives a pep talk on the meaning of life, trying to ease some sense into a killer's head... but who is she really motivating?

MARGE: So that was Mrs. Lundegaard on the floor in there. And I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper. And those three people in Brainerd. And for what? For a little bit of money. There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don'tcha know that? And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day. Well. I just don't understand it.

MARIA: "We shall build a tower that will reach to the stars!" Having conceived Babel, yet unable to build it themselves, they had thousands to build it for them. But those who toiled knew nothing of the dreams of those who planned. And the minds that planned the Tower of Babel cared nothing for the workers who built it. The hymns of praise of the few became the curses of the many - BABEL! BABEL! BABEL! - Between the mind that plans and the hands that build there must be a Mediator, and this must be the heart.

JUDITH: "Don't, Ann. I'm happy, really I am. Now let me see, is there anything else? Oh yes, one more thing. When Michael runs Challenger in the National, oh, and he'll win - I'm sure he'll win - have a party and invite all our friends. Now let me see, silly old Alec, if he's back from Europe, Colonel Mantle and old Carrie and, oh yes, and don't forget dear old Dr. Parsons. Give them champagne and be gay. Be very very gay. I must go in now. Ann, please understand, no one must be here, no one - I must show him I can do it alone. Perhaps it will help him over some bad moments to remember it. Ann, be my best friend. Go now. Please.