After "Twilight," what other movies are there for girls?

It's not all vampires out there in teen-girl movieland. Here is a handful of films from recent years that I wish my teenage (or preteen, in a few cases) self could have watched. All are currently available on DVD; all are rated PG-13 unless otherwise noted.

"Real Women Have Curves" (2002)

Before America Ferrera found "Ugly Betty" or well-travelled pants, she starred in this likable indie film about a teenage girl who dreams of college — against the wishes of her mother, who wants her to work in her sister's dress factory. Ferrera here shows the sweetness and charm that have since made her a star, and the film's mother-daughter clashes (played with fire and sincerity by Ferrera and Lupe Ontiveros) mixed with love will resonate with young viewers.

"Bend it Like Beckham" (2003)

Gurinder Chadha's warm comedy/drama about sports and family focuses on two soccer-loving British teens: Jess (Parminder Nagra), the younger daughter in a traditional Indian family, and Jules (a pre-"Pirates" Keira Knightley), whose interest in soccer goes against the wishes of her very girlie mother. The soccer sequences are exhilarating, and the movie swirls with glorious color — creating an unexpected mood of giddy happiness.

"Whale Rider" (2003)

A lovely film for all ages (but especially for preteens), this New Zealand coming-of-age drama features a heroine who's just 11. Keisha Castle-Hughes received an Oscar nomination for her fierce performance as young Pai, whose grandfather says she can't carry on her family's Maori lineage because she's not a boy. Filled with beautiful footage of the New Zealand landscape, it's a haunting story of girl power.

"I Capture the Castle" (2003)

Girls will swoon (this girl certainly did) for this utterly enchanting British film, based on Dodie Smith's beloved book about a teen who lives in a castle with her eccentric, impoverished family. It's witty, it's romantic, it's wonderfully acted (Romola Garai, as the 17-year-old heroine, Cassandra, seems to transform from girl to woman before our eyes) and it's full of pretty frocks — what more could one wish for? (Ignore the film's absurd R rating, awarded for "brief nudity" in a nonsexual context — Cassandra's stepmother likes to parade naked around the moors.)

"Sequins" (2005)

Not rated by the MPAA, this French drama about a pregnant 17-year-old is appropriate for older teens and is an often startlingly lovely tale of friendship. Claire, the mother-to-be, takes a job with Madame Melikian, an embroiderer for a famous Paris couture house; together, as their needles quietly click, they form a fierce, touching and often wordless bond. The sequined and beaded stitchery is photographed like works of art, creating its own beautiful light.

"Pride & Prejudice" (2005)

Keira Knightley, again? Nonetheless, bookish teenage girls have long loved Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice," and this 2005 film version nicely captures the book's wit and swoony romance. Knightley, whose Elizabeth is barely out of her teens, gives a performance both fetching and fiery, and Matthew Macfadyen brings an intriguing frostiness to Darcy, whose passions suddenly burst out — when else? — in a tumultuous rainstorm. Good literary fun.

"Akeelah and the Bee" (2006)

Another one for the younger girls (this one's rated PG), "Akeelah" is the story of a troubled L.A. preteen who doesn't realize she's a spelling whiz. Through her talent with words (listen while she denounces an adult as a "dictatorial, truculent, supercilious gardener"), she discovers her own self-worth. Keke Palmer, who's got a charming naturalness as Akeelah, established herself here as a star in the making.

Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com