I truly enjoyed this entire piece, but this statement feels problematic and a bit gross. Strong female leads are allowed to be wives/girlfriends and are allowed to be mothers. Supporting this viewpoint that women are the best strong leads if they’re single and childless is as oppressive as the alternative views that the best female leads are those that “have it all” e.g. the perfect partner, perfect child, etc. Ripley is a great strong female lead for what she does in the film — it has nothing to do with her home life.
