Women's pictures used to be guilty pleasures: No more! Now they're kicking butt, getting respect, and grossing huge. From frothy romances to whale-riding adventures, these films show us who we are, where we've been, what we can take, and better yet, what we can dish out.

If you don't find all your own favorites here, old and new, that's for a happy reason: A truly inclusive list would be four times as long and growing fast. In the meantime, enjoy!

From the July 2004 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine