By Tristan Lueck
In 1968, “Funny Girl” was released to soaring praise. Barbra Streisand was a revelation and she carried the movie all the way, going so far as to land the top box office slot of the year. In 1973, Linda Blair’s disturbing performance as the possessed Regan McNeil in “The Exorcist” stole the spotlight and also the number one box office spot. In 2013, three women shared that incredible honor, though two of them were animated.
“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and “Frozen” were two of the top three movies of 2013. Because of that, they made an everlasting mark on the history of film. For the first time in 40 years, a movie starring a no-nonsense female lead topped the annual box office. And for the first time ever, a movie directed by a woman made over $1 billion in ticket sales worldwide. Both of the movies broke records, paving the way to further remove the prejudice toward women in the film industry.
I know people might say this bias is behind the curtain, never truly breaching the surface of the industry. But the Motion Pictures Association of America released their annual report on the statistics of moviegoers last week, and women are responsible for 52% of the movie-going population and ticket sales. You would think it would be wise to use those numbers to incorporate more females into the film process. Instead, the industry views it as a “why fix what’s not broken” scenario. Women have made up over half of the audience since 2009. So there is no reason the industry would change what they are coming to see.
Sexism in film is both behind and in front of the camera. Actresses are getting younger and bearing more skin with fewer lines. Of the 100 top grossing films in 2013, only 15 of them had females as the only main character. Women are less likely to write, direct, edit or produce movies than they were in 1998. The first woman to win an Oscar for Best Director was just three years ago. Kathryn Bigelow was the first woman to win in a category that has had only four female nominees since its creation. It’s the old adage of two steps forward, one step back.
Some would say progress is progress. It may be slow, but we are still moving forward–each step seeming like a mile. I’m not sure I agree that a little step is enough. True, Jennifer Lawrence’s take on Suzanne Collins’ “Girl on Fire” brought in fans by the millions–with many of those fans purchasing tons of movie memorabilia and causing some rather interesting archery related accidents. The success of her character led other producers to consider more movies about strong females. Many of these women come from booming franchises of their own, such as Cassandra Clare’s Clary Fray from “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” and Veronica Roth’s Beatrice Prior in the recently released “Divergent.” Jennifer Lee, the director of “Frozen,” hopes her success will encourage more women of every age to follow their dreams into film. And the triumph of “Gravity” at the Oscars–seven awards–proves that a movie with a female lead can be as victorious as one with a male.
So yes, some would say progress is progress. But when does slow become too slow? The film industry is inching along at a snail’s pace, barely heading the right way and they won’t ask for directions. The success of these films has certainly given the base for a giant leap forward. But it shouldn’t take us another 40 years to top the box office or any time at all for a female directed movie to raise $1 billion. And women will not let it be another century before a woman wins for Best Director.