Verity, Leave Her to Heaven, and What Makes a "Bad Woman"

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I certainly wouldn't call myself a fan of Colleen Hoover, and my review of the latest adaptation of her work, Verity, didn't change my opinion on that. But in watching the movie a few weeks back I was intrigued by its examination of what makes a good versus bad mother and, by extension, what makes a good versus bad woman. It's interesting that there's countless articles about the "worst mothers in film," and while bad dads get their share of coverage, it's more often the idea of a bad mom that sticks in people's minds more. Watching Verity, while there is little desire to actually deconstruct the trope, it does force the viewer to question who is the hero and ultimately why ambitious women are so often villainized.

(I've never read Hoover's book on which this is based, so interested to have people tell me in the comments as I know the ending is different. )