Elizabeth Banks Calls Out Steven Spielberg for Lack of Female Leads

[MadVillainy]

Elizabeth Banks called out one of Hollywood’s most beloved directors by name last night, putting Steven Spielberg on blast for making movies that almost overwhelmingly focus on men. “I went to Indiana Jones and Jaws and every movie Steven Spielberg ever made,” Banks said last night at the Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards, where she was receiving an honor for excellence in feature directing. “And by the way, he’s never made a movie with a female lead. Sorry, Steven. I don’t mean to call your ass out, but it’s true.”

As people have pointed out, Banks’ comment wasn’t 100 percent accurate; Goldie Hawn had top-billing on 1974’s Sugarland Express, young Ruby Barnhill was technically the lead on last year’s The BFG, and Whoopi Goldberg is inarguably the star of The Color Purple. But that’s still only three films across Spielberg’s legendary career, and the basic gist of the point still stands. (Juliette Binoche made similar comments last year, noting that she’d once confronted both Spielberg and Martin Scorsese for the overwhelming maleness of their films, and turned down a role in Spielberg’s Jurassic Park for similar reasons.)

Banks also offered up her advice to people hoping to see more women-directed movies: “Buy a f___ing ticket to a movie with a woman, take them, give them the experience of seeing amazing women on film.” She underlined the point that one of the reasons she was even up on the podium to receive the award in the first place was because her sole directorial effort—Pitch Perfect 2—made a ton of money, opening the door for her to direct something else. “I’m really glad to be up here and getting an award,” she said, “But it’s really about expanding the roles of women in this industry.”
http://www.avclub.com/article/elizabeth-banks-calls-out-steven-spielberg-lack-fe-256838

It's kinda funny cuz an audience member pointed out that Spielberg did The Color Purple, but Banks ignored it and kept powering through.
Also there was The BFG and another one with Goldie Hawn
Still 3 out of how ever many moviesi sn't really great. But as I said I think the funny part is Banks being reminded of The Color Purple and then just kept going. Reminds me of when you presented in school and you had the one kid who would ask you a question you didn't know and you just had to keep going.

But also it was the past. Allegedly Hollywood is getting better. Meryl Streep is in his next movie and doesnt he want to direct J Law in a new movie. And while they might not have top billing a lot of his movies do have good female leads

Also he does own DreamWorks still right? ANd they just produced/co distributed Girl on the Train and Ghost in the Shell. He also executive produced True Grit, Lovely Bones

 

[samsnee]

I didn't realize it was Spielberg's job to make sure there is equality in Hollywood. The finger should be pointed at studio executives, not directors who pick projects based on the stories they want to tell.

 

[MadVillainy]

I didn't realize it was Spielberg's job to make sure there is equality in Hollywood. The finger should be pointed at studio executives, not directors who pick projects based on the stories they want to tell.

Spielberg is a studio expect isn't he? Doesn't he still run DreamWorks

 

[Ivan Drago]

He literally just directed a movie with a female lead (The BFG).

The Color Purple was a big deal in the 80's. It was nominated for 11 Oscars, had an all black cast with a black female lead.

His first theatrical movie, The Sugarland Express, had Goldie Hawn as the lead in probably the best performance of her career.

Feels weird to target Spielberg specifically for this. He's has plenty of great female co stars (Marion in Raiders is a great female co star) plus two great female led films (as mentioned originally). I'm not seeing it and given her mistake was called out immediately I guess she has immediate crow to eat too.

He's under no stipulation to hit some magical "equivalence number" and chose projects accordingly. Like a novelist or painter or anyone creative he has freedom to chose his subjects.

Equivalence is for the real world (so I'd expect him to equally treat female and male co workers well for example).

 

[Mysteryman]

yeah, this seems like a bit of a false charge to me.
I read an article somewhere yesterday saying that you could make a better case against Scorcese.
But , i didn't read all of the details.

 

[samsnee]

yeah, this seems like a bit of a false charge to me.
I read an article somewhere yesterday saying that you could make a better case against Scorcese.
But , i didn't read all of the details.

It was this one.

To single out Spielberg, however, would be unfair. His contemporary and fellow icon Martin Scorsese, even less known for quality female characters, had a female lead in his second feature, Boxcar Bertha, but that came after the main woman in his first movie was literally just called “Girl.” The film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore earned lead actress Ellen Burstyn an Oscar, but that was the only such female-driven vehicle from a director whose made celebrated works for more than 40 years. When each man found success and the opportunities to direct more and bigger movies kept coming, perhaps there was just no more incentive to imagine interior lives for characters with points of view so different from their own.

 

[terry78]

This is gonna mess her up big time with any fanboys that like her work.

 

[-JKR-]

Maybe Scorsese just isn't interested in making a movie with a female lead, because he can't identify with being a woman or for whatever reason. Does he have to? Just because it's PC?

This is really getting annoying. I grew up with movies featuring both strong female leads and African-American leads, yet people act there have never been such movies.

It baffles me.

 

[The Big G]

I think Banks shot herself in the foot on this one

 

[samsnee]

I get the point she was trying to make but her statement reads like it's all Spileberg's fault for the lack of female led movies.

 

[-JKR-]

I think Banks shot herself in the foot on this one

It's no big deal. Everyone makes mistakes.

 

[MadVillainy]

Oh how could I forget he helped bring Kathleen Kennedy arguably one of the most successful producers to the forefront. They helped each other alot over the years.
And that writer for ET she was a woman as well.

 

[Lighthouse]

Banks has a valid point to make here, but she made it badly. I can already see MRAs swarming on her.

 

[samsnee]

I mean she was there to receive the "Crystal Award for Excellence in Features"

Let's take a look at her last few movies:

Power Rangers
Hunger Games
Magic Mike XXL
Pitch Perfect 2

She isn't exactly leading the charge. She directed Pitch Perfect 2, so I guess that's something.

 

[Black Narcissus]

Good for Banks.

Spielberg is one of the few in Hollywood who could basically cast any minority/female lead, and it would still make money, but he often never did. Over the hill bald man.

 

[Donnie Darko]

It's no big deal. Everyone makes mistakes.

I also just don't think that most people are going to care about the statements anyway. Actually, most probably won't know about them.

 

[Black Narcissus]

From the color purple to BFG is a big gap tho. So she is wrong and not wrong, just didn't express it well.

 

[2kt09]

Maybe Scorsese just isn't interested in making a movie with a female lead, because he can't identify with being a woman or for whatever reason. Does he have to? Just because it's PC?

This is really getting annoying. I grew up with movies featuring both strong female leads and African-American leads, yet people act there have never been such movies.

It baffles me.

Baffles me as well. Maybe it's nostalgia-driven outrage instead of heading out there and making more of those movies that's created this internet ruckus.

 

[Black Narcissus]

Maybe Scorsese just isn't interested in making a movie with a female lead, because he can't identify with being a woman or for whatever reason. Does he have to? Just because it's PC?

This is really getting annoying. I grew up with movies featuring both strong female leads and African-American leads, yet people act there have never been such movies.

It baffles me.

Yeah, Scorsese has admitted to not really being comfortable with making a movie with a female lead/perspective, and at his age he has to be more picky to actually do his passion films now. He got hate for that. lol

 

[Schlosser85]

He's not obligated to tell a story he's not interested in just to hit some quota.

 

[terry78]

No, nobody is required to cast more women or people of color but they'll get the **** lambasted out of them for it these days. Spielberg I thought was untouchable, but she'll get more flak for this than he ever will for not casting women.

 

[Black Narcissus]

Mah name is Lincoln and i'm gonna tell you two black guys a simple but powerful anecdote, which never happened. Yeah, I'd rather watch Django Unchained.

 

[-JKR-]

He's not obligated to tell a story he's not interested in just to hit some quota.

Exactly.

Which is what too many reporters seem to care about these days. Quota.

Dang, I should've been in the 1980s at my current age.

 

[Mysteryman]

He's not obligated to tell a story he's not interested in just to hit some quota.

Bingo.

 

[BestGirl]

I didn't realize it was Spielberg's job to make sure there is equality in Hollywood. The finger should be pointed at studio executives, not directors who pick projects based on the stories they want to tell.

Precisely. The studios are the ones who greenlight movies, not directors.