This year’s Oscars showcased not only talented actors and
actresses, but also celebrated certain actors breaking out of the roles that Hollywood
had previously pinned them in. For example, rocker and former teen star Jared
Leto has proven himself as being a versatile actor, and has done so again by
portraying a transvestite in Dallas
Buyers Club. Similarly, former rom-com star Matthew McConaughey has created
a great deal of buzz for his serious and powerful leading roles in recent years,
including Mud and Dallas Buyers Club.
McConaughey and Leto each won Oscars this year for Best
Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively. While these undeniably talented
actors deserved these honors, a question comes to mind about the status of
women being able to break out of their type-casted roles in Hollywood. As Karen
Valby writes in an Entertainment Weekly article,
“Try to picture any of [McConaughey’s] former romantic costars – Kate Hudson,
Jennifer Garner, Sarah Jessica Parker, or Jennifer Lopez, to name a few –
having a shot at a single role as weird and surprising” (Entertainment Weekly).
Valby continues to state that the reason for this is not that the women do not
have the talent, but they are simply not given the opportunity to experiment
with roles.
In previous years, McConaughey was best known for his work
in movies such as Failure to Launch, How
to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and The
Wedding Planner. In recent years, his supporting roles in films like Magic Mike and The Wolf of Wall Street were able to show his versatility and willingness
to try different roles. However, women with similar résumés for film
backgrounds are not as lucky. For example, it is almost impossible to picture
an actress like Jennifer Aniston playing anything other than the sweet “girl
next door.” Although she has had a small number of more serious roles, like “The
Good Girl” in 2005, she has not yet been able to break through the stereotype
of the rom-com queen. This may be partially due to the fact that the audiences
don’t want to see her as anything else; they are comfortable with the image of
her as Rachel from Friends, or the
wife/girlfriend character in movies like Bruce
Almighty or Along Came Polly. The
unfortunate part is that multiple other actresses immediately come to mind when
discussing Aniston’s career.
Cate Blanchett, who won this year’s Best Actress Oscar for
her work in Blue Jasmine, is
advocating against this trend and the current status of women in Hollywood. In her acceptance speech, Blanchett “expressed
hope that the success of “Blue Jasmine” and films starring fellow nominees
Sandra Bullock (“Gravity”) and Amy Adams (“American Hustle”) would break the
myth that “female films with women at the center are niche experiences…audiences
want to see them. In fact, they earn money” (TheWrap).
As Blanchett implied in her speech, all hope is not lost for
women in Hollywood (YouTube). For every Kate Hudson and Jennifer Lopez, there
is a Meryl Streep or Anne Hathaway who have broken barriers of genres. And even
relative newcomers to Hollywood, like Amy Adams and Jessica Chastain, have been
able to prove their versatility by being casted in many different roles. Still,
although Blanchett’s message was inspiring, it tells a great deal about the
struggles that women must face in the coming years to attempt to break through
the male-dominated industry.
Unfortunately, as Melissa Parsey argues, it isn’t just Hollywood
that needs to start recognizing the success and versatility of women. The
entire entertainment industry needs a significant update. According to Parsey,
the commercial ads shown during the Oscars “stood in stark contrast to the
leading ladies on stage. While Blanchett was discussing female leadership, the
top advertising spenders delivered ads that were not only behind the times, but
completely out of sync with the Oscars’ primary audience—women” (AdWeek). She
continues to argue that the ads, like JC Penny’s slogan “When it fits, you feel
it” and American Express’s portrayal of Tina Fey buying acne cream and snack
foods, are not showcasing the real issues and lives of women, who should be
catered to since they are providing these media companies with the majority of
their revenue. These stereotypes feed into the fact that women should stay within their boundaries and roles, which translates both into their personal lives and into their type-casted on-screen roles.
If women are not regarded as forces in the entertainment
industry and Hollywood, then they will continue to be type-casted, misrepresented
in advertising and not given the opportunity to achieve their true potential.
Five years ago, no one would have pegged McConaughey as anything more than a
handsome, laid-back funnyman. However, perhaps knowing that it was possible for
him to make the transition to an Oscar-winning A-lister can be an inspiration
for women to break barriers in their own rights.
Shaw, Lucas.
"Oscars: Cate Blanchett Rips Hollywood for Treating Women as a 'Niche'
Audience - TheWrap." TheWrap. The Wrap News Inc., 2 Mar. 2014. Web. 12 Mar.
2014.
Parsey, Melissa.
"Oscar Telecast Showed the Power of Women While the Ads Didn't." AdWeek.
AdWeek, 7 Mar. 2014. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
Valby, Karen. "What
if McConaughey Were a McWoman?" Entertainment Weekly 21 Feb. 2014: 20.
Mega Archive.
"The 86th Oscar Awards Annual Academy Awards 2014 Full Show."YouTube. YouTube, 03 Mar. 2014. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
I think that the lack of women in the film industry is a large ongoing problem. A lot of the time you do see the same women playing similar roles in films.
ReplyDeleteOlivia Wilde was extremely accurate with her discussion on how boring and demeaning it could be to play any female character. Barnes explained in his article, “Olivia Wilde Takes Down Hollywood’s Sexist Double Standard with One Simple Sentence, “[Wilde] has been in 40 films to-date, but only had one true leading role” (Barnes). I’m sure many women can say the same. He then states that, “actresses are pain significantly less and receive fewer lines than their male counterparts…only 28.4% of speaking roles in the top 100 films of 2012 went to women” (Barnes). Also seen in the article “Hollywood: Just Not that Into Women,” 7 out of the 10 top movies analyzed would pass the test of “substantial women characters” (EW Magazine 52). Films such as Despicable Me 2, World War Z, and Fast and the Furious 6 focused on male dominated plots. If this is just the top movies, one could only image how many more films would not have significant women characters. It is difficult to decide whose fault this is. Is it the audience who goes to see the movies regardless of the male to female character ratio? Is it the actresses who continuously agree to portray stereotypical roles? Is it the writers who are creating the scripts?
One thing that comes to mind is the recent article I read about Judy Greer in Entertainment Weekly. She has played the best friend in numerous movies including “The Wedding Planner,” “13 Going on 30,” and “27 Dresses.” She released a novel entitled, “I Don’t Know What You Know Me From: Confessions from a Co-Star.” She is using her stereotypical role to her advantage, which can highlight why this women issue is a continuous cycle.
As you mentioned, in the article, “What if McConaughey were a McWoman,” Valby says, “I wonder if McConaughey’s Story is less about bravery than about being a white, middle-aged male actor” (Valby 21). It is known that men have a better chance of breaking out of their roles. I agree with your statements about audiences being comfortable with certain actresses playing only typical roles. Valby quotes Nina Jacobsen, who said “We have all these amazing women who have capabilities that are just vastly undeserved…We need more great material” (Valby 21). This just makes you question why women aren’t given the same opportunities as men. Why are there still stereotypes and gaps between men and women? You would think the problem would fix itself over the years, but it hasn’t.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteWhat could be seen as even more confusing is the lack of patterns. Some actresses are forced to stay in their typical romantic comedy roles. However, Lang and Cunningham discuss success stories in their article, “6 Box-Office Takeaways From a Record Year of Hits and Flops,” “Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock for example anchored “Identity Thief,” and “Gravity”…likewise Jennifer Lawrence pulled off the impressive feat of fielding both a major blockbuster in the form of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and a critical smash in “American Hustle” (Lang and Cunningham). Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Lawrence might completely reject the points I have made in the blog. However, I think it shows the lack of consistency within the media industry. It is difficult to find solutions to ever-changing problems.
Works Cited
Barnes, Tom. "Olivia Wilde Takes Down Hollywood's Sexist Double Standard with One Simple Sentence." Policy Mic 21 Feb. 2014. Web.
"Hollywood: Just Not That Into Women." Entertainment Weekly 29 Nov. 2013: 52.
Lang, Brent and Todd Cunningham. "6 Box-Office Takeaways From a Record Year of Hits and Flops." The Wrap 22 Dec. 2012. Web.
Valby, Karen. "What if McConaughey Were a McWoman?" Entertainment Weekly 21 Feb. 2014: 20.
This is a very important topic, Susan. So thank you for writing your blog on it! Before reading the articles assigned for class this week I didn’t think much about the struggles actresses face when it comes to choosing a role in a film, but you are right they do not seem to have many opportunities to show their versatility and that alone is a struggle. They are all too familiar with type-casted roles, at least most actresses are.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am a fan of Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto and praise them for both winning Oscars, I do feel like the night was all about the actors. This is not to say actresses such as Lupita Nyong’o and Cate Blanchett were not recognized for the incredible roles that they played, but I personally feel like the buzz about the male actors was significantly higher. The night truly was about actors breaking out of the type of roles they usually play, not necessarily actresses. Matthew McConaughey did an amazing job at portraying HIV victim Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club and Jared Leto, who perhaps went through an even bigger transformation, did an amazing job as well. But if these actors can break out of their typical Hollywood roles, why do we not see many actresses doing so? I truly believe it is because of the lack of opportunities.
According to the article “What if McConaughey were a McWoman,” he had the option of accepting unpredictable roles in movies such as Magic Mike and The Wolf of Wall Street. He also had the option of digging deep into messy hero stories such as Dallas Buyers Club and Mud. Some may say these roles are surprising and strange, but that is when an actor can show the audience their true acting talent. There are so many female actresses with just as much talent that simply are not given these many options to show the audience what they can truly do. The article brings up another good point and that is trying to think about McConaughey’s former romantic costars such as Kate Hudson or Jennifer Lopez playing roles just as surprising. I can’t picture it, because they have never really had the opportunity. This is something that needs to change because those women are just two examples of exceptionally talented actresses.
The article called “Hollywood: Just Not That Into Women” shows how substantial female characters are by using a Bechdel test and the verdicts are mostly fails. Some of the movies that failed this Bechdel test include Despicable Me 2, Man of Steel and Fast & Furious 6. This says a lot about the types of roles actresses often play and how they are rarely the leading role. I was also surprised at the fact that most of the time these actresses are talking about men in these roles, which is something I never really caught onto until now. It is very interesting and sad at the same time.
When I think about an actress who was able to show the audience her true acting skills by being casted in the movie Monster is Charlize Theron. Her dramatic transformation helped her win an Academy Award for the film and it gives me hope that the other talented actresses out there will be able to show the world what they are capable of, it is just a matter of filmmakers giving them the opportunity. The media in general needs to be updated on this issues and the film industry will hopefully follow because the talent that these actresses have is too amazing not to be showcased.
Works cited
"Hollywood: Just Not That Into Women." Entertainment Weekly 29 Nov. 2013: 52.
Valby, Karen. "What if McConaughey Were a McWoman?" Entertainment Weekly 21 Feb. 2014: 20.
Susan, you have selected a great topic to discuss. Throughout my undergraduate classes we have often placed an emphasis on how the media portray women e. g magazines and body image, TV shows and gender roles, however I have never considered the role of women in Hollywood. It is evident that the status of women in Hollywood is undermined greatly; therefore I ask why I have never considered it to be a talking point in my classes.
ReplyDeleteSusan you raise a great point in discussing the role portrayal within the Hollywood films for example; Jennifer Aniston’s girl next door role or Kate Hudson, Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Garners romantic driven character. Yes, the overall movie theme may change but the roles of the characters remain the same. As I sit, I struggle to think on a movie that stages a female character as a solo lead role, it doesn’t happen. According to the article, Olivia Wilde Takes down Hollywood’s Sexist Double Standard with One Simple Sentence, Wilde has been in 40 films-to-date, but has only had one true leading role (in drinking buddies). Megan Fox, to some extent, has broken away from the norm of the ‘girl next door’ character but her role in the transformers series focuses around her co-lead role with several male characters e.g; Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson and Josh Duhamel. Although the film series focus upon a strict science fiction action theme, Megan Fox’s character still centers on the ‘classmate’ of the main character Sam Witwicky. Does it make things better? As sad as this may sound, the realistic judgment is that Megan Fox hosts a great deal of sex appeal, therefore her appearance is what helps promote her characters in movies. If female actresses are not playing the ‘girl next door’ role in movies then they WILL play a role very similar or perhaps a ‘reward’ role that helps install the notion that if the male lead character in action films is the toughest then he will get the ‘lady’.
I fully support that it isn’t just Hollywood that needs to start recognizing the success and versatility of women. The entertainment industry for decades has successfully ensured that the female role in any media form would not prove detrimental to the male role. Even though most of us are aware of the gender issues within these media forms, we STILL buy into the notion that a particular slogan or advertisement ‘works’. Think of the Hollywood red carpet and how the majority of the female actresses flaunt their dresses, body shapes and hairstyles. But yet, if an actress comes out with a statement about hoping to achieve or gain a higher ground in the business, an article may be written on so-called feminism.
The article Hollywood: Just Not That Into Women points out the realism of just how underrepresented females are in Hollywood show business. The three questions are;
ReplyDelete1) Are there two named women in it?
2) Do they talk to each other?
3) About something other than a man?
Yes, it is a simple test but the test illustrates just how ‘simple’ the female role in the majority of our blockbusters is. Females are sexualized and the role they play centers primarily around ‘the guy.’ Perhaps we should use these three questions to represent the lack of opportunity given to women in Hollywood in terms of character roles.
Works Cited:
Barnes, Tom. "Olivia Wilde Takes Down Hollywood's Sexist Double Standard with One Simple Sentence." Policy Mic 21 Feb. 2014. Web.
"Hollywood: Just Not That Into Women." Entertainment Weekly 29 Nov. 2013: 52.
Luke Glockenberg
ReplyDeleteSusan I totally agree with you that women are not given enough opportunities in Hollywood. I think women aren’t given a lot of chances in a lot of professions still today. Examples could be sports, a work place or a music industry. I think women are not given equal opportunities to do things in a lot of areas. I think they have equal amounts of talent but like you said most of the times aren’t given the role they may deserve. I feel like in every movie we watch or television show today there is always a main guy character that falls in love with a woman and has to try and win her over some how. It’s like the same role in every movie. I am not saying that the women aren’t doing a great job in these roles but it would be nice to change up the role. Although they are playing in different movies in plots the same two things have been happening in the movies I’ve recently seen either the guy gets her or doesn’t.
I liked you example with Jenifer Aniston because when I really think of it I can’t see her playing any other role in a movie because she hasn’t been given the chance to show people that she can. However some women this year have made some noise, which is great to see. The article 6-Box-Office Takeaways From a Record Year of Hits and Flops tell us some. “Women seemed to fare better than men when it came to flexing box office muscles,” writes Brett Lang and Todd Cunningham. (1) The article also points out a very interesting statistic, which is, “Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock for example anchored “Identity Thief” and “Gravity,” driving those films to grosses of $173.9 million and $642.3 million, respectively.” (1) Those numbers are great and to me as a male I liked watching these to actresses in bigger roles these are examples of women who have kind of gotten those bigger roles and more chances to help a film succeed in a big way. This really could pave the way for other actresses in Hollywood to start making strides sooner rather than later. A young actress that really impressed me this year was Jenifer Lawrence I thought she was amazing in American Hustle. At first I forgot she was even in it. Putting herself in a movie with Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Bradley Cooper she stood out the most. I never thought I would see her play a role like that after the Hunger Games. This might be the year that women just keep surprising directors out in Hollywood. I think their time is now.
Another article I found portrayed how Hollywood isn’t into women caught my eye by its title. Hollywood: Just Not That Into Women is mostly a chart and not an article but it shows 7 out 10 movies this year that showed how Hollywood isn’t into women. The chart shows how yes there are women in these movies but the movie is still all about the man in some way. One example is about Despicable Me 2, you would think that the movie is about the three little girls but when you think about it the movie really is about Gru the main male character. (2) Even in cartoons it is mostly about the main male character.
Susan I totally agree with you that not just Hollywood need to start recognizing the talent all these women have but the entire entertainment industry. Hopefully women like Beyonce in the music industry and Sandra Bullock in the movie industry will keep putting up record numbers and help women get bigger parts and more chances when it comes to Hollywood. I think the day is coming soon where we will see these chances more often given.
Works Cited
1. Lang, Brent and Todd Cunningham. "6 Box-Office Takeaways From a Record Year of Hits and Flops." The Wrap 22 Dec. 2012. Web.
2. "Hollywood: Just Not That Into Women." Entertainment Weekly 29 Nov. 2013: 52.
Let me start off by saying that the other night, I watched Dallas Buyers Club for the first time and not only did I think it was one of the best movies I have seen, but one of the best acting performances of all time by Matthew McConaughey. The passion that he put into that film was indescribable and I think it could be very hard to top in the near future. Not only did I think that McConaughey’s performance was amazing, but Jennifer Garner part was played magnificently by her as well. Although she didn’t have a huge role in the movie, her presence was very pronounced whenever she was on the screen.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I agreed with a lot of what you said in your blog. I do think that women are unappreciated in he film industry and I think that women could have a serious impact on the future of big-time films, ones who are nominated for there outstanding awards like The Oscars. What I don’t agree with you is when you talked about actresses with familiar resumes as McConaughey like Jennifer Aniston. You mentioned that it is almost impossible to picture an actress like her to play anything other than the “girl next door”. There have been hundreds of film where actresses that have played those parts, have gone on to playing other roles that have found themselves in the big award shows. Take an actress like Katharine Hepburn who has been in countless movies and plays in many different kinds of roles. There were many films where she portrayed her “spunk” a lot but also being able to turn it around in a different role and show her serious side and also make comedies that are still considered classics. When you say these actresses are “not as lucky”, in some ways I think you’re right but I also believe it is just a coincidence that many of these big time movies, are with big time actors and not actresses. I also think Jennifer Aniston has proved to the film industry that she has been able to break through her “girl next door” feel. Yes, I do thin she gives off those vibes because she plays that role so well, but I believe she has proven she can be a multi-purpose actress for many different roles.
I personally did not see the speech in which Cate Blanchett said, “all hope is not lost for women in Hollywood”, but I bet it was pretty powerful to see someone of her stature say that. I also believe she is right. In the article “Hollywood: Just Not That Into Women” it explains what types of roles women are in and how they are usually not the leading role but at the same time, I think the future is very bright for actresses in Hollywood. But you’re right when you say that it is a male-dominated industry but at the same time, I don’t think that is a bad thing. There are a lot of industries in this world that are male-dominated but are still very successful which the film industry is. I don’t think that men look down upon women in the industry. I just think that ever since the industry started, males have always had a step above women but what is most important is that the industry isn’t divided. Men and women work great together in the industry in my eyes and if they didn’t the industry would plummet. So in conclusion to the blog, I believe the future is very bright for women but there is absolutely a issue with dominance when it comes to women in the business.
Just as a side note, I am quoting Stephanie Clark from her post to your blog because I think she brought up a great point, which is an interesting topic that relates perfectly to your blog. “According to the article “What if McConaughey were a McWoman,” he had the option of accepting unpredictable roles in movies such as Magic Mike and The Wolf of Wall Street. He also had the option of digging deep into messy hero stories such as Dallas Buyers Club and Mud. Some may say these roles are surprising and strange, but that is when an actor can show the audience their true acting talent. There are so many female actresses with just as much talent that simply are not given these many options to show the audience what they can truly do.” Unfortunately, the film industry is a messy one and this is a valid point that is true but like I said before, the film industry is a booming one and the future of not only the industry, but women in it, I believe is a bright one.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
"Hollywood: Just Not That Into Women." Entertainment Weekly 29 Nov. 2013: 52.
Valby, Karen. "What if McConaughey Were a McWoman?" Entertainment Weekly 21 Feb. 2014: 20.
I agree with you Susan that Jared Leto did amazing in his role in Dallas Buyers Club. His character was a far stretch and he was beyond believable. The amount of self-control and effort if must have taken Mathew McConaughey to become an actor suffering with that disease must have taken a toll on him. I was glad to see them win at the Oscars. I agree with your statement that, although these men deserve their praise, when will women be able to break out of their type-casted roles to receive their big debus. In Karen Valby’s article, What IF McConaughey Were A McWoman?, she had some great ideas. Valby made a great point when she wrote, “I wonder if McConaughey’s story is less about bravery than about the gift of being a white, middle-aged male actor”(Karen Valby). Men have an upper hand in this industry and it is as shame. Many understated actresses co-starred with McConaughey who are quite famous and did not get the same praise. “We have all these amazing women who have capabilities that are just vastly underserved…We need more great material, says Nina Jacobson”(Karen Valby). Women in this industry have the same amount of talent as the male actors but where are their enticing leads? If more women had interesting powerful roles they would be just as respected as the men.
ReplyDeleteStaying on Mathew McConaughey, his films range from chick flicks to drama. All of his movies are so dissimilar that we as an audience can see how versatile he is and can applaud him for that. Women are not as lucky. Not only are most women seen in a specific role it breaks down to even certain actresses playing specific characters. I agree with your comment about Jennifer Aniston always playing the girls next door as well as Jennifer Gardner. If you think about it even when they get a chance to play a role that breaks from their stereotypical character, the movie usually flops. Take Jennifer Aniston for instance; anytime she plays anything but a nice all American girl, the movie is barley memorable. This is not the actress’ fault. This idea also applies to women who have a more devious appearance to them. When you think of Angelina Jolie, when have we ever seen her in a good girl role? This is Hollywood’s curse on what they have created as the norm for women’s roles.
When Susan mentioned Cate Blanchetts speech at the Oscar’s it was inspirational. We do not only realize this issue but these women understand how they are perceived in their profession. In her speach when she said that, she hopes to break the myth that female films with women at the center are niche experiences…audiences want to see them. I do agree with you when you mention that there is a select few who have broke this curse. The actress that points out to me is Amy Adams. She went from a fruffy princess movie to American Hustle. She played complete opposite roles but both played amazingly. This is a male-dominated industry and hopefully things can change over the years but as of now it does not look that way.
When taking a closer look at a few movies that were this year’s biggest hits in the box office, we see how often women are even talking, and if talking when it is something other then about a man. Despicable Me 2 has three little girls and adult female in the film and they rarely speak to each other and when they do it is all revolved around the main ‘Male’ character Gru. In Man of Steel, there are quite a few women who do not even interact unless asking about doing work and is not even answered because the other girl is too busy watching the main powerful SuperMAN. In Monsters University there are a few girls but they are barely even shown and the only one who speaks is the head on the university. In Star Trek Into Darkness the one woman has a big role, posing in lingerie, how important. Finally in the Croods, although Ugg is an important role, her girly-like freak out about shoes basically explains it all. (Hollywood)
ReplyDeleteIf we continue to have women play not only type-casted but also stereotypical roles, the industry will not change. I agree that if they continue to play these roles they will not reach their full potential because we will not be giving them a chance to prove themselves. Hopefully after seeing Lupita Nyong’o winning best supporting actress for her role in 12 Years a Slave, we will see that women can play intense roles. Although I agree that she had a more difficult role that could be praised I still feel that the typecasting was there with her color and appearance. Things still need to change and hopefully they will as time goes by.
"Hollywood: Just Not That Into Women." Entertainment Weekly 29 Nov. 2013: 52.
Valby, Karen. "What if McConaughey Were a McWoman?" Entertainment Weekly 21 Feb. 2014: 20.
Melanie Morse
ReplyDeleteSusan,
I think this was a really great blog topic and definitely an issue that needs to be more frequently discussed by both men and women. I agree with most of the points you made in your blog post. One thing I did want to do was give credit to the men that are able to diversify their roles. I think that it is extremely difficult for women to break out of their roles, but I am not sure it is that easy for men to break out their type-cast roles either. It took Mathew McConaughey a very long time to transform into these deep character roles. He was type cast for a reason. He was known as a rom-com guy. Take actors like Vin Diesel for example. I cannot imagine him in a role other than in an action film. I do believe it is definitely easier for men to break out of their stereotyped roles, but I do not think it is as easy as we believe.
Back to women now. After taking a look at the article, “Hollywood: Just Not That Into Women”, I realized how much women are taken for granted in their roles-either always talking about men, shoes or fighting. Only three of the ten movies topping the box office numbers passed the Swedish Bechdel Test. This seems crazy, but ultimately makes sense as women’s roles are simply not strong enough. To add to your thoughts about women not being able to break out of the Girl Next Door roles, I also think that it’s tough for women to break out of roles that view them solely as sex objects or roles where the women are simply the helpless damsels in distress. The same goes for the television industry. Actresses like Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling are trying to break these stereotypes on the television screen and I hope the same will happen for film actresses. It is hard for women to transition from playing the helpless damsel in distress to playing an independent lead character.
I believe there are several reasons why women are unable to break out of these roles, but I think one of the main reasons is the fact that the roles that ask women to use their talent to a much deeper extent are simply not being written. I don’t think that these actresses are necessarily viewed as not being able to handle a serious role, but I don’t think the characters are being created at all. In the article, “What if McConaughey were a McWoman?”, the author, Karen Valby, says, “There are women out there who have wriggled outside their pigeon holes. Sandra Bullock, whose best work in my mind is a study oak of her performance as Harper Lee in Infamous, continues to confound expectations. And Reese Witherspoon, so flinty in her few minutes on screen in Mud, for my money outshone McConaughey. But they are as few and far between as the roles available to them”. In the same article, the producer of the Hunger Games franchise, Nina Jacobson, is quoted as saying, “We have all these amazing women who have capabilities that are just vastly underserved. We need more great material”. The film industry is male dominated. Maybe we need more women doing the writing in order for us to see more women in serious, Oscar-worthy roles.
Sources:
Valby, Karen. “What if McConaughey were a McWoman?”. Hacks Heroes. Web. 19 March 2014.
“Hollywood: Just Not that into Women”. Entertainment Weekly. 29 November 2013. 19 March 2014.