During our lives we will encounter many things over which we have no control... things such as natural disasters and what is equally unstoppable: actions, thoughts and the feelings of others. In the same vein, you, and you alone, have complete and absolute control over yourself. In the film "Holding Out," four college-aged women demonstrate ultimate self-control in a "man's fast," where they must have no verbal communication or physical contact with men for 100 days. This film illustrates the restraint shown by women, even with the most diligent suitors, similar to Maria's provocative actions in John Fletcher's comedy, "The Tamer Tamed." Maria was adamant that she would not adhere to her new husband's demands until his needs were met. These films create a strong message that women can lead normal lives without the companionship of men, but I found an overarching message extremely important, especially for young women today. In their quest to keep men away, the women in the film are able to identify with other women and their values; Thus, the four women refuse male domination, comparable to Maria in Fletcher's play, and are proud of their own identity as women. After re-watching the film several times, it is clear to me that the power between men and women in "Holding Out" was distributed equally, if not slightly in favor of the women. The men, as persistent as they were, could not stop the women from achieving their goal of going a full 100 days without male contact. Along the same lines, women found things desirable to them outside of male attention to prove that men were not a necessity to their well-being. There were several scenes in which the film's main female characters shed ideas and began to extract them from their patriarchal biases, in some cases bringing empowerment where and once there. It was oppression. Ultimately, the film “Holding Out,” based on the play “The Tamer Tamed,” supports women’s equality in sexual politics. The women in the film and Maria in Fletcher's play refuse to claim power in their relationship and fall under male domination. All women are adamant that they assert and achieve their goals and ultimately achieve them, in some cases despite the original intent of the source material. Real. Tara Judelle. Perf. Lala Sloatman, Jeremy Sisto, Bruce Davison, Ethan Embry, Erin Gray, Lin Shaye and Eve Plumb. 2003. Fletcher, John, Celia R. Daileader, and Gary Taylor. The tamer: or the price of the woman. Manchester: Manchester UP, 2006. Print.