Where are the women?

[Doh!]

I blame Katie Holmes

Tom Cruise shenanigans aside, Katie Holmes keeps getting cast inappropriately. Last year, it was an assistant DA in Batman Begins; this year a seasoned reporter in Thank You for Smoking. I wouldn't say she ruined these fine movies, but certainly weakened 'em. If she were cast as a law or journalism student in the above, fine. Otherwise... give me a break.

Had they instead cast Kate Winslet, think how improved these would've been. She's definitely a "woman" -- and a good lookin' one at that!

 

[tallyho]

Novella said something that made me think. In the 30-40s, the audiance was everyone, old and young. Today, the audiance is mostly 25 and under. Fewer and fewer people over 25 are going to see movies. Going to a movie is "date night" and a social event for young people now. I know when I was under 25 I went to the movies about every other week. Now that I am 37 and have two young kids and all sorts of other commitments (work, family etc) I cant get out anymore. in addition to that, many older people don't go to movies since the "youth" are so noisey and rowdy in theaters making the experience loathsome. So since majority of todays movie going audience is under 25, the studios are going to put actors and actresses that appeal to them. Just a thought.

 

[Paisley]

I'm also 37 and there's nothing to impede my going to the movies except that I don't care to waste time looking at most of the movies being made today. The vast majority of the new movies I see in the video store involve sex and gore. I don't care who is acting in it, I'll pass.

 

[Girl Friday]

I blame Girls Gone Wild. Seriously, at what point did being a striper or a porn star become cool? So tacky!

 

[Harp]

Women

Juli Moore, and Renee Z....

 

[Twitch]

Matt that's a good observation. For years I have felt Hollywood has been biased against womens' roles relative to leading men. We can name the last couple decades of starring men of large stature but women are shortchanged in being used in decent leading roles.

I have a sense that the younger women are cast as young women for too long then you never see them portraying characters of the 30-45 age group as they seem to be discarded. Then when they're basically washed up they land some hack roles bordering on senior citizen age.

Their beauty is gone by then and we missed seeing them in the 30-45 year old character roles that they could have done well in. Oft times we'll see a woman past 50 playing a 37 year old and credability is rather strained.

I guess in short Hollywood seems to be fixated on girls and older women to fill out characters.

 

[Johnnysan]

Style, grace and class....Sally Kellerman and Juliette Binoche.

 

[Hondo]

Girls gone wild

I blame Girls Gone Wild. Seriously, at what point did being a striper or a porn star become cool? So tacky!

These are just drunk'n kids, remember the guy who made these pleaded guilty for using under age girls (not checking I.D.’s) but we can go farther than “GGW” look at how porn has gone main steam, Paris Hilton, Jenny McCartney its crazy. But I agree tacky! Every one wants the "porn star" look, just look at Tara Reid (implants) a nice kid who now looks awful

 

[Harp]

Isabella

Isabella Rosselini. A woman actress with star quality.

.

Most definitely.

 

[Steve]

Personally, I've never liked the girls much myself, and I've always gravitated more towards "real" actresses such as Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cate Blanchett, and Kate Winslet. And while Liv Tyler is a brunette blone, she projects a good screen presence.

 

[Girl Friday]

I remember having a conversation after seeing Superman Returns, why Kate Bosworth?... and why Katie Holmes in Batman (although I'm sure Tom "Crazy Town" Cruise had something to do with that)...it seems like the roles were throw away roles, the character didn't matter so they could've stuck anyone in there. Margot Kidder might be crazy now but at least she brought something to the role of Lois Lane, instead of just looking like she needed to eat a sandwich.

 

[Paisley]

fftopic:

Margo Kidder has straightened herself out. I saw her on Larry King, and she said she had conquered her bipolar disorder through dietary means.

 

[Renderking Fisk]

Unless you're a phenominal actress and you're able to haul in huge box office numbers, your career ends when you're in your mid-thirties if you're a woman. If your a man, your career doen't really take off until your late 30's.

 

[Doh!]

I would LOVE to see Monica Bellucci or Catherine Z. Jones play Wonder Woman in the upcoming film, but they both committed the mortal sin of aging past 30, damn them.

(Note to the casting director: the character is called Wonder Woman, not Wonder Girl so please make your choice accordingly.)

 

[Rosie]

You guys all raise really good points. I think it does have a lot to do with our youth obsessed culture. Rosanna Arquette did a great documentary on this "Searching for Debra Winger" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318049/
which discusses this exact issue. I think in conjunction with youth obsession, there aren't any good roles for women, not females but real women. You guys mention ladies like Julianna Moore, Patricia Clarkson (who I love) et alii but look at the roles these women usually play in smaller films, indies which while are usually very good, don't get the exposure that bigger budget films get. Hollywood doesn't think this is what people want to see. No one wants to take on a real meaty role and be recognized as a woman, especially an older woman. Women have to be eternally young. Their clothes, bodies and behavior stuck in this very teenager-y demeanor, I forget who but someone mentioned the "grub" thing earlier. They even get surgery, to keep this youthful (scary) look. It's sad.

 

[Matthew Dalton]

Desperate Housewives may help this cause a little. From what I've seen in that show the women are more or less "grup" characters themselves, but at least the entertainment industry has a new case study of women post-30 and still getting viewers to consider...

 

[Robert Conway]

Julia Roberts

eeehhh.... I don't know....


As far as the under 50 crowd goes (USA), how about...

Kate Blanchett
Jodie Foster
Kate Winslet
Scarlett Johanssen (pretty grown up for her age)
Uma Thurmond?
Helena Bonham Carter?
Maybe Gweneth Paltrow?
Nicole Kidman?

After that it gets thin... there are no Betty Davis around anymore. As a matter of fact, Betty Davis would never make it today.

The single biggest problem for woman in Hollywood, is that there are no good parts written for them anymore. At the root of this is the sad fact that we mostly produce drivel these days, and a lot of that drivel is aimed at 16 year old boys who will go see Spiderman 9 times. And of course there is no room for a serious female part in that kind of a film. So, even if they could perform like Joan Crawford, they are never given the opertunity to do so. It also doesn't help that as a writer you can't get yourself arrested if you are over 30. And what the hell do 25 year old kids out of college know about woman? Not girls, but woman.

The studios have no interest in making anything serious. All they want is the next summer blockbuster and a few other lowest-common-denominator flicks that will turn a safe profit. Independent film isn't much better, for one thing because most of that field is now owned by the big studios.

There certainly is an obsession with youth in Hollywood and it's gotten worse in the past 10 years. Hollywood years are a lot like dog years. Lets say you are 36. In Hollywood years you have been dead for nearly a decade.

Woman suffer the most from this nonsense.

They get lousy, weak parts and aren't even allowed to dress like their age.

Here in L.A. the streets are awash with 50 year old woman in pink outfits, trying to look like they are 18. I'm sorry, but it looks stupid, especially when they are standing next to their daughter who REALLY is 18.
There no longer is any dignity in old age...

 

[Matt Deckard]

Here in L.A. the streets are awash with 50 year old woman in pink outfits, trying to look like they are 18. I'm sorry, but it looks stupid, especially when they are standing next to their daughter who REALLY is 18.
There no longer is any dignity in old age...

I've seen this... it's disturbing.

 

[Feraud]

Rosanna Arquette did a great documentary on this "Searching for Debra Winger" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318049/
which discusses this exact issue.

This is a good documentary.

With the discussion of the lack of roles for women, and on a broader note any minority group, you would think people would create better roles for themselves! If a complaint is Hollywood is a white male's world (that is a valid observation) then why not write, cast, and direct your own film? I notice there are very few female directors and writers to help broaden the point of view of women.

Quite a few women who complain about being "used by the system" have done their fair share to contribute to the one dimensional, sexist portrayal of women on film.

 

[Rosie]

With the discussion of the lack of roles for women, and on a broader note any minority group, you would think people would create better roles for themselves! If a complaint is Hollywood is a white male's world (that is a valid observation) then why not write, cast, and direct your own film? I notice there are very few female directors and writers to help broaden the point of view of women.

Quite a few women who complain about being "used by the system" have done their fair share to contribute to the one dimensional, sexist portrayal of women on film.

:eusa_clap Very, very, very, very true. There is a small subset of people making films for themselves but, they really don't get seen. There are plenty of indie movies (I'm a BIG fan of the independent circle). I know lots of people who have written and made their own films, two friends of mine are working on two right now, and I worked in independent film before having to get a job that would pay the bills. But being made on miniscule budgets, these films don't really get shown. They do the NY film festival circuit or get shown at some tiny theater and then they go away. Or, they *kind* of get some exposure but don't really do well and so studios don't make them any longer.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0204382/ (I worked on this film for peanuts, 40 bucks a day plus transport - 12-20 hour days)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104575/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104057/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0182000/
http://imdb.com/title/tt0234407/ (worked on this one for transport, meals and 50 bucks a day 12-15 hours a day)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0342316/ (did this one as a favor for transport to and from Canada during my school break)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0126938/ (this one for less than peanuts)

Of course there are many more and some that won't be found even on IMDB. I remember watching an interview with Goldie Hawn and she said when she had an idea about a film or show, she would shop it around and not get many call backs but the moment she would give that same idea to Kurt Russel, her significant other to shop around, their phone would start ringing. [huh]

Adding to the list of women, I think Susan Sarandon belongs there maybe Alfre Woodard, CCH Pounder is another Andie McDowell, maybe though lately I have seen her falling into the "young-ish" thing.