I saw The Heat last night… The Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy cop buddy movie. 

I wasn’t expecting much, the previews make it look pretty dumb.

You guys, it’s GOOD. 

Nevermind the subtle feminist tweaks to the usual formula; a misogynist bad guy whose misogyny is repeatedly identified and shamed… lots of women with non-Hollywood-standard faces and bodies cast in non-gender specific ensemble roles, playing not just moms and girlfriends but also cops and scientists… it passes the Bechdel test every 5 minutes… and critically, includes several uses of the word “vagina.”

Most importantly, it’s $%#@& hilarious – and not at all in a ladies-only way (which surprised several of the guys sitting around us.)

There was constant laughter and several bursts of applause (and if you’ve never seen a movie in LA, we’re a tough room, because it’s an industry crowd. We stay for the credits and clap for our friends, and when the jokes suck, we hiss and groan and leave. Room-sized laughs and applause in this town are hard-won.)

The point is, if we want more mainstream movies by and about women, we have to support them when they show up. Sometimes, that’s a drag. This time, it’s a pleasure.

It’s a vagina must.