The Fourth of July is the unofficial midpoint of the summer-movie season, and so far the boys have been hogging the field. Granted, Sandra Bullock’s romantic comedy “The Proposal” finished number one last weekend, but that’s partly because Jack Black’s “Year One” struck out.  In most of the previous weeks, the box office belonged to dude movies like “The Hangover” and “Star Trek.”

Undoubtedly the winner this week will be the “Transformers” sequel, which explodes on screens tonight at 12:01 like a boy’s dream come true.

Many of those boys will be coming to see co-star Megan Fox, who was virtually unknown when she made the first “Transformers” movie two years ago and now is a lad-magazine mainstay. Onscreen, Fox is a wonder to behold, an almost robotically perfect image of a tough-but-sexy sidekick to a sensitive guy. Off-screen, no one is suggesting that the 23-year-old Fox is working on a cure for cancer–or sexism. In interviews, she claims to be bisexual, and on the red carpet, she sports peekaboo outfits that guarantee publicity.

But fear not, female filmgoers. If you are old enough or smart enough to have outgrown slasher films (which continue, inexplicably, to attract girls), the summer-movie season has turned the corner.

Opening Friday at Plaza Frontenac is a turn-of-the-century sex romp called “Cheri” starring Michelle Pfeiffer, who is still ravishing at 51, and a quirky romantic comedy called “Management” starring Jennifer Aniston, who is still adorable at 40. Opening nationwide is the weeper “My Sister’s Keeper,” starring Cameron Diaz (who is 36),  and Abigail Breslin (who is, um, 13).

Women and girls should be drawn to the latest “Harry Potter” movie, opening July 15, and many are circling their calendars for the foodie “Julie and Julia” (Aug. 7) and the supernatural romance “The Time Traveler’s Wife” (Aug. 14).

Finally, we draw your attention to an Iraq war drama called “The Hurt Locker” which is scheduled to open locally on July 24. Not only has it been winning festival awards and getting the best reviews of any American drama this year, but it was directed by a woman: Kathryn Bigelow (”Point Break”), who’s been making action movies for more than 20 years.

If you despair that Hollywood only has room for manufactured cookies like Megan Fox, you’ve got more choices than you realize, so vote with your dollars.