Yellowjackets and Tiny Beautiful Things Both Receive SOFEE
The Critics Choice Association (CCA) Women’s Committee is pleased to announce that “Yellowjackets” (Showtime) and “Tiny Beautiful Things” (Hulu) will receive the Seal of Female Empowerment in Entertainment. Called the “SOFEE,” the Seal recognizes outstanding new films and television series that illuminate the female experience and perspective through authentically told female-driven stories.
Both “Yellowjackets” and “Tiny Beautiful Things” received a perfect score in the numerical formula that is used to determine if new titles, nominated by CCA Women’s Committee members, are eligible for a SOFEE. Qualifying projects will have a prominent female character arc, give female characters at least equal screen time to male characters, have female leaders behind the scenes, and pass elements highlighted in the Bechdel test. To be considered, new film and television releases must possess an artistic and storytelling value and exceptionality, and score at least 7 out of a possible 10 points in the SOFEE rubric, which can be found at CriticsChoice.com. There are no limits or quotas governing the number of SOFEE seals the CCA may grant.
“Yellowjackets” co-creators and executive producers Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson said, “As a group of grade-grubbing overachievers, we quite possibly have never been more excited to achieve a perfect GPA in our lives. We are incredibly thrilled to be recognized with this honor; telling complex stories about women – their experiences, their points of views, their choices (and mistakes!) – without forcing them into the role of villain or hero is the raison d’être of our show. To have the SOFEE out there raising the bar for the creation of women’s stories feels not just important, but critical. Thank you!”
The first season of “Yellowjackets” received the Critics Choice Super Award for Best Horror Series and scored two Best Actress awards for Melanie Lynskey. Season 2 moves forward using two distinct timelines to explore the emotional aftermath of a plane crash that left a high school girls’ soccer team stranded and trying to stay alive in the remote wilderness. Flashbacks tell the story of the female athletes, their seriously injured assistant coach, and the sons of their deceased head coach struggling to survive the elements, conflict amongst each other, and a disruptive supernatural force. Cut to 25 years later, where the “present day” storyline explores the mental and emotional toll on the women who try to live with the impossible choices they made to survive. With female writers, directors, and producers, and a robust ensemble – including Lynskey, Christina Ricci, Juliette Lewis, Tawny Cypress, Lauren Ambrose, Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Samantha Hanratty, Simone Kessell, Sophie Thatcher, Courtney Eaton and Liv Hewson, “Yellowjackets” explores themes of sisterhood, trauma, and self-discovery through a uniquely female lens.
“Tiny Beautiful Things” is a breathtakingly honest exploration of the female experience, tackling emotional and real topics that are rare to see on screen. Based on the novel by Cheryl Strayed, the series follows former writer Clare (Kathryn Hahn), a woman struggling to keep her life in order. Through flashbacks of several key moments in her life, including her mother’s death, Clare shows the lifelong effects of grief and regret, and how not dealing with that can haunt you into adulthood. But when an opportunity arises to assume the identity of “Sugar,” an anonymous advice columnist, her passion for writing is reignited and she begins to make changes in her life…though not always for the better. With an almost all-female behind the scenes presence of executive producers, writers, and directors, and stellar performances from Hahn and Merritt Wever, “Tiny Beautiful Things” offers emotional, at times gut wrenching, storytelling that will leave viewers thinking about it for weeks.
Showrunner and Executive Producer Liz Tigelaar said “We’re so honored that Tiny Beautiful Things has been stamped with the SOFEE seal – the thorny, complex, beautiful experience of womanhood and the great joy of connecting with other women was central to our show’s goal in reaching audiences. At its core, this is a story about the many grades of the female identity at all stages of life – in all its messiness and ugliness and in its grace. From our all-female directing and producing teams, to our predominantly female writers room and department heads, and of course to our incredible cast, Tiny Beautiful Things was built by a community of women, and their work shines through every detail.”
The Seal of Female Empowerment in Entertainment is issued by the CCA Women’s Committee. Members include Tara McNamara (Chair), Hillary Atkin, Semira Ben-Amor, Christina Birro, Christina Radish, Lauren Bradshaw, Jamie Broadnax, TJ Callahan, Catalina Combs, Toni Gonzales, Teri Hart, Susan Kamyab, Destiny Jackson, Louisa Moore, Gayl Murphy, Mary Murphy, Patricia Puentes, Amanda Salas, Rachel Smith, Sammi Turano, Lynn Venhaus, and Lauren Veneziani, as well as CCA board member Paulette Cohn.
