Itty Bitty Titty Committee
Encyclopedia
Itty Bitty Titty Committee is a feminist
, lesbian
-related comedy
film
directed by Jamie Babbit
. It was released on 28 September 2007.
The film had its premiere at the international film festival Berlinale on 9 February 2007, where it was nominated for a Teddy Award
for Best Feature. It had its American premiere at SXSW in March where it won the Jury Prize for Best Feature.
The film was produced by non-profit organization POWER UP
.
group. Anna soon gets in touch with her radical feminist side. She takes part in illegal activism with the group, becomes more aggressive in her daily life.
Anna starts falling for Sadie, who has been involved with an older woman named Courtney for years. Courtney works with a more mainstream feminist organization and disagrees with the C(i)A's method of creating awareness through public art, which usually involves vandalism.
The group travels to take part in a gay marriage protest - instead of being for or against it, they argue that marriage is the wrong goal, as it's an institution founded in sexism. Despite being warned by another member of the C(i)A, Meat, that Sadie uses people, Anna shares a night of passion with her while they stay in a hotel. At the rally the next day, the outspoken Shulamith ends nearly coming to blows with a protester. The fight is caught by a local news crew and the group's message has been misconstrued as violent and homophobic
. Meat also reveals that their website - which they considered the center of their activism - has not received any hits from anyone besides themselves.
C(i)A attempts to have a meeting at Courtney's home, but personal conflicts come to a head. Anna believes Sadie is going to leave Courtney to be with her, but Sadie remains dependent on her partner. Meat and Shulamith announce that they're giving up on the group, Sadie stays behind with Courtney, and Aggie (a transgender
man, the only guy allowed in the group) comforts Anna, who is heartbroken over Sadie's rejection and the loss of the C(i)A. They end up partying together and having a one-night stand. In the morning, Aggie has prepared breakfast and procured a flower for Anna, who only considers him a friend. Sadie arrives to talk about what happened the night before. Anna tries to explain that her night with Aggie meant nothing. He overhears and is deeply hurt. Sadie leaves and Anna finds herself truly alone.
In an attempt to fix things, Anna formulates a master plan to get C(i)A national attention. Meat and Shulamith like her idea, but insist she must make things right with Aggie. Anna apologizes, Aggie forgives her, and the four carry out the plan, without Sadie.
Anna attends her sister's wedding, bringing joy to her family, but leaves early to execute her part of the plan - sneaking into the studio of a popular talk show with Aggie and Meat. Courtney is appearing on the show to argue about the appropriateness of a celebration an arbitrary anniversary of the construction of the Washington Monument, which she feels is a distraction from real issues. When the host requests a live shot of the monument, the C(i)A feeds their footage in. With the expert help of one of Shulamith's lovers, Calvin (who was expelled from the military for being a lesbian under Don't Ask Don't Tell), and Meat's prowess with sculpture, a giant phallus has been erected atop the Washington Monument
and is blown off with explosives. Back at the studio, Anna pulls the fire alarm and the group escapes.
In the getaway car waiting for Anna, she is surprised to see Sadie, who has finally broken it off with Courtney. Sadie apologizes for her behavior, and the two agree to just be friends, but then kiss. Through text in the epilogue, it is revealed that Shulamith and Calvin volunteered to take the fall for the explosion, and received a reduced sentence because no one was hurt. Aggie started hormone therapy, started a new feminist group for men and got a girlfriend. Meat's sculpture appearing on TV launched her art career. Courtney took the talk show host, Marcy, out to dinner after fleeing the building together. Marcy subsequently left her husband to move in with Courtney. Anna and Sadie remain together, and Anna now attends college, where she has created a group focused on positive body image called the Itty Bitty Titty Committee.
and Super 16
film to give it a grainy look. Babbit received permission from the Guerrilla Girls
to use their slogans in the film.
, Itty Bitty Titty Committee was still criticized as weak and overly cliched. Also, the humor has been criticized as "juvenile", with the comment that the humor is probably intended to draw in a teenage girl audience.
Characterization was also criticized as being two-dimensional, but the portrayal of Anna's family as accepting of her homosexuality
was considered refreshing.
Some critics felt that the treatment of radical feminism could have pushed into more daring political territory. TV Guide
opined that the foray into radicalism
was "embarrassingly obvious," and wouldn't be understood by people who didn't already like activism. The LA Weekly
said that Anna's "dogmatic, undergrad feminist speeches" needed a "satiric
spark," and that she "often comes off as a pill."
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
, lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
-related comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Jamie Babbit
Jamie Babbit
Jamie Babbit is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She directed the films But I'm a Cheerleader, The Quiet and Itty Bitty Titty Committee. She has also directed episodes of television programs including Gilmore Girls, Malcolm in the Middle, United States of Tara, Nip/Tuck and...
. It was released on 28 September 2007.
The film had its premiere at the international film festival Berlinale on 9 February 2007, where it was nominated for a Teddy Award
Teddy Award
The Teddy Award is an international film award for films with LGBT topics, presented by an independent jury as an official award of the Berlin International Film Festival . Here, an "independent jury" implies that its members are not officially selected by the committee of the Berlinale...
for Best Feature. It had its American premiere at SXSW in March where it won the Jury Prize for Best Feature.
The film was produced by non-profit organization POWER UP
Power Up
POWER UP is an American non-profit organization and film production company with the stated mission "to promote the visibility and integration of gay women in entertainment, the arts, and all forms of media". It was founded in 2000 by film producers Stacy Codikow and Amy Shomer...
.
Plot
Anna has been rejected by her college, her girlfriend broke up with her, and her big sister is getting married. She meets Sadie, who invites her to join the Clits In Action, or C(i)A, a radical feministRadical feminism
Radical feminism is a current theoretical perspective within feminism that focuses on the theory of patriarchy as a system of power that organizes society into a complex of relationships based on an assumption that "male supremacy" oppresses women...
group. Anna soon gets in touch with her radical feminist side. She takes part in illegal activism with the group, becomes more aggressive in her daily life.
Anna starts falling for Sadie, who has been involved with an older woman named Courtney for years. Courtney works with a more mainstream feminist organization and disagrees with the C(i)A's method of creating awareness through public art, which usually involves vandalism.
The group travels to take part in a gay marriage protest - instead of being for or against it, they argue that marriage is the wrong goal, as it's an institution founded in sexism. Despite being warned by another member of the C(i)A, Meat, that Sadie uses people, Anna shares a night of passion with her while they stay in a hotel. At the rally the next day, the outspoken Shulamith ends nearly coming to blows with a protester. The fight is caught by a local news crew and the group's message has been misconstrued as violent and homophobic
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
. Meat also reveals that their website - which they considered the center of their activism - has not received any hits from anyone besides themselves.
C(i)A attempts to have a meeting at Courtney's home, but personal conflicts come to a head. Anna believes Sadie is going to leave Courtney to be with her, but Sadie remains dependent on her partner. Meat and Shulamith announce that they're giving up on the group, Sadie stays behind with Courtney, and Aggie (a transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
man, the only guy allowed in the group) comforts Anna, who is heartbroken over Sadie's rejection and the loss of the C(i)A. They end up partying together and having a one-night stand. In the morning, Aggie has prepared breakfast and procured a flower for Anna, who only considers him a friend. Sadie arrives to talk about what happened the night before. Anna tries to explain that her night with Aggie meant nothing. He overhears and is deeply hurt. Sadie leaves and Anna finds herself truly alone.
In an attempt to fix things, Anna formulates a master plan to get C(i)A national attention. Meat and Shulamith like her idea, but insist she must make things right with Aggie. Anna apologizes, Aggie forgives her, and the four carry out the plan, without Sadie.
Anna attends her sister's wedding, bringing joy to her family, but leaves early to execute her part of the plan - sneaking into the studio of a popular talk show with Aggie and Meat. Courtney is appearing on the show to argue about the appropriateness of a celebration an arbitrary anniversary of the construction of the Washington Monument, which she feels is a distraction from real issues. When the host requests a live shot of the monument, the C(i)A feeds their footage in. With the expert help of one of Shulamith's lovers, Calvin (who was expelled from the military for being a lesbian under Don't Ask Don't Tell), and Meat's prowess with sculpture, a giant phallus has been erected atop the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
and is blown off with explosives. Back at the studio, Anna pulls the fire alarm and the group escapes.
In the getaway car waiting for Anna, she is surprised to see Sadie, who has finally broken it off with Courtney. Sadie apologizes for her behavior, and the two agree to just be friends, but then kiss. Through text in the epilogue, it is revealed that Shulamith and Calvin volunteered to take the fall for the explosion, and received a reduced sentence because no one was hurt. Aggie started hormone therapy, started a new feminist group for men and got a girlfriend. Meat's sculpture appearing on TV launched her art career. Courtney took the talk show host, Marcy, out to dinner after fleeing the building together. Marcy subsequently left her husband to move in with Courtney. Anna and Sadie remain together, and Anna now attends college, where she has created a group focused on positive body image called the Itty Bitty Titty Committee.
Design themes
The film was shot on Super 8Super 8 mm film
Super 8 mm film is a motion picture film format released in 1965 by Eastman Kodak as an improvement of the older "Double" or "Regular" 8 mm home movie format....
and Super 16
16 mm film
16 mm film refers to a popular, economical gauge of film used for motion pictures and non-theatrical film making. 16 mm refers to the width of the film...
film to give it a grainy look. Babbit received permission from the Guerrilla Girls
Guerrilla Girls
Guerrilla Girls are an anonymous group of feminists devoted to fighting against sexism within the visual fine art world internationally. Started in New York City in 1985 to protest gender and racial inequality in the art world, members are known for the gorilla masks they wear to keep their...
to use their slogans in the film.
Cast
- Melonie DiazMelonie DiazMelonie Diaz is an American actress who has been appeared in many independent films, including four shown at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.-Biography:...
as Anna, an 18-year-old office girl for a plastic surgeon's office who becomes a member of the Clits In Action. Anna was originally called Hannah and was Jewish, but was changed to being LatinaLatinaLatina is the feminine form of the term Latino.Latina may also refer to:*Province of Latina, a province in Latium , Italy**Latina, Lazio, the capital of the province of Latina**Latina Nuclear Power Plant*Latina , a district of Madrid...
after Diaz was cast. - Nicole Vicius as Sadie, leader of the Clits In Action group, dating Courtney.
- Deak EvgenikosDeak EvgenikosDeak Evgenikos is an American actress originally from New Jersey. She is best known for her role in Jamie Babbit's film Itty Bitty Titty Committee, a girl-powered romantic comedy that explores themes such as lesbianism and female empowerment....
as Meat, an artistic member of the C(i)A. - Carly PopeCarly Pope-Early life:Pope was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, with an older brother, Kris, also an actor, and a younger brother, Alexander. She began acting during her high school years in Vancouver where she appeared in stage classics such as The Odd Couple, playing Mickey, and A Midsummer...
as Shulie (both named for and based on Shulamith FirestoneShulamith FirestoneShulamith Firestone , is a Jewish, Canadian-born feminist. She was a central figure in the early development of radical feminism, having been a founding member of the New York Radical Women, Redstockings, and New York Radical Feminists...
), member of the Clits In Action. - Lauren MollicaLauren Mollica-Skateboarding:Lauren Mollica is one of a very small group of professional female skaters. Mollica started by snowboarding, and only skateboarded off and on until she graduated high school.Her sponsors include Gallaz and Rookie.-Skateboard videos:...
as Aggie, a trans manTrans manA trans man, transman, trans guy, or FTM is a transgender or transsexual man: a person who was assigned female at birth, but who identifies as male....
. Babbit's original choice was JD SamsonJD SamsonJD Samson is the stage name of Jocelyn Samson, a member of the feminist electropunk band Le Tigre. Samson grew up in the Cleveland suburb of Pepper Pike, Ohio and attended Orange High School. She came out as a lesbian at age 15...
of Le TigreLe TigreLe Tigre is an American electroclash band, formed by Kathleen Hanna and Johanna Fateman in 1998. It also featured Sadie Benning from 1998 until 2001, and JD Samson for the rest of the group's run...
. - Melanie MayronMelanie MayronMelanie Joy Mayron is an American actress and director of film and television. Mayron is best known for portraying the role of photographer Melissa Steadman on the ABC drama Thirtysomething.-Biography:...
as Courtney, Sadie's older girlfriend who runs a group called Women For Change and who funds the Clits In Action. Mayron originally read for the part of Anna's mother, but was given a bigger role on the strength of her audition. - Daniela SeaDaniela SeaDaniela Sea is an American filmmaker musician, performance artist, former circus juggler, and actress. She is most widely known for her role as Max/Moira on Showtime's The L Word.-History:...
as Calvin, a butch dyke former military servicewoman. - Mircea MonroeMircea MonroeMircea Monroe is an American actress and model.Monroe's first professional acting job was in the New Line film, Cellular. Since then, Monroe has appeared in various films, and pilots for The WB and Fox, starred in the Fox show Drive, and guest starred on TV shows, including Freddie, Scrubs, and...
as Justine - Guinevere TurnerGuinevere TurnerGuinevere Turner is an American actress, writer and director. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She is best known as the screenwriter of such films as American Psycho and The Notorious Bettie Page and for playing the lead role of the dominatrix Tanya Cheex in Preaching to the Perverted.-...
as Marcy Maloney, a television reporter. - Jenny ShimizuJenny ShimizuJenny Lynn Shimizu is an American model and actress. She was born in San Jose, California.- Career :While working as a mechanic she was approached to model for the Calvin Klein CK1 fragrance ads and model Calvin Klein fashions...
as Laurel. - Leslie GrossmanLeslie GrossmanLeslie Erin Grossman is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Mary Cherry on the television series Popular and as Lauren in What I Like About You.-Early life and education:...
as Maude: "[Anna] works in a plastic surgery office and I, of course, play the woman who runs the office who has enormously fake boobs. I'm sort of the example of everything evil that she doesn't want to be." - Jimmi SimpsonJimmi SimpsonJames Raymond "Jimmi" Simpson is an American actor. He has had recurring roles on the television shows 24, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Psych, My Name Is Earl, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and The Late Show with David Letterman...
as Chris. - Joel MichaelyJoel MichaelyJoel Michaely is an American actor and film producer.He has appeared in such films as Can't Hardly Wait, But I'm a Cheerleader, Ghost World, The Rules of Attraction, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Cruel World, Factory Girl and Itty Bitty Titty Committee. On television, Michaely has appeared in Unhappily Ever...
as Peter, involved in a feministFeminismFeminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
action group. - Melanie LynskeyMelanie LynskeyMelanie Jayne Lynskey is a New Zealand actress best known for playing Charlie Harper's neighbor/stalker Rose on Two and a Half Men, and a range of characters in films such as Win Win, Up in the Air, The Informant!, Away We Go, Flags of Our Fathers, Shattered Glass, Sweet Home Alabama, Ever After...
visits the plastic surgeon's office where Anna works. - Clea DuVallClea DuVallClea Helen D'Etienne DuVall is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Sofie on the television series Carnivàle as well as for films such as The Faculty , Girl, Interrupted and The Grudge .-Early life:DuVall was born in Los Angeles, California, the only child of Rosemary and...
sings at a concert. - M. C. BrennanM. C. BrennanM. C. "Cait" Brennan is an American rock vocalist, screenwriter and filmmaker.- Early life :Brennan was born in Phoenix, Arizona, the daughter of noted session and touring musician Ron Dobbins...
as a Member of Women For Change. - Collette Divine as Holly.
- Bruce Cronander as Edward.
- Camila GreyCamila GreyCamila Grey is a Los Angeles based musician currently performing in the duo Uh Huh Her. Grey was formerly the bassist and keyboardist for the band Mellowdrone. She has also worked with such artists as Dr. Dre, Busta Rhymes, Tricky, Melissa Auf der Maur, and Kelly Osbourne...
as Band Member. - Author David Barr KirtleyDavid Barr KirtleyDavid Barr Kirtley is an American short story writer and the co-host of the Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast. His short fiction appears in magazines such as Realms of Fantasy and Weird Tales, in online magazines such as Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show and Lightspeed, and on...
as a protester.
Reception
While the writing was considered better than But I'm A CheerleaderBut I'm a Cheerleader
But I'm a Cheerleader is a 1999 satirical romantic comedy film directed by Jamie Babbit and written by Brian Wayne Peterson. Natasha Lyonne stars as Megan Bloomfield, an apparently happy heterosexual high school cheerleader...
, Itty Bitty Titty Committee was still criticized as weak and overly cliched. Also, the humor has been criticized as "juvenile", with the comment that the humor is probably intended to draw in a teenage girl audience.
Characterization was also criticized as being two-dimensional, but the portrayal of Anna's family as accepting of her homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
was considered refreshing.
Some critics felt that the treatment of radical feminism could have pushed into more daring political territory. TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
opined that the foray into radicalism
Political radicalism
The term political radicalism denotes political principles focused on altering social structures through revolutionary means and changing value systems in fundamental ways...
was "embarrassingly obvious," and wouldn't be understood by people who didn't already like activism. The LA Weekly
LA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
said that Anna's "dogmatic, undergrad feminist speeches" needed a "satiric
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
spark," and that she "often comes off as a pill."