Rewatching Far from the Madding Crowd (2015) sparked this podcast episode where Alex Heeney asks: What happens when women’s stories aren’t built around who they end up with?
What happens when a story that once felt modern… suddenly doesn’t?
And what does that tell us about the limits — and possibilities — of the stories we continue to tell about women?
In this solo podcast episode, Seventh Row Editor-in-Chief Alex Heeney revisits Far from the Madding Crowd (2015), a film she once saw as refreshingly modern, while preparing a video introduction to a newer, 2021 film for Reel Ruminators, Seventh Row’s movie-of-the-month membership.
That rewatch sparked something: a re-evaluation not just of Madding Crowd, but of the enduring grip the marriage plot still has on women’s stories — and the slow shift away from it.
This episode explores:
- How Far from the Madding Crowd (2015) lands differently in light of a 2021 film that includes romance but doesn’t center it
- Why a woman having “romantic options” doesn’t necessarily mean she has agency
- The limits of romantic “choice” when that’s the only choice on offer
- Why stories that include romance aren’t the problem — but centering it might be
- And how our expectations for stories about women have shifted — fast
🎟️ Want to find out what the 2021 film is — and join the conversation?
Become a Reel Ruminators member for access to the video intro, discussion guide, and a space to unpack the film together.
Podcast Credits for this episode
Alex Heeney edited, produced, and recorded the episode.
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Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.
An AI-generated transcript for the episode is available on Apple Podcasts.
