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Fresh off the success of her stellar performance as Lady Marchmain in the remake of Brideshead Revisited (I predict a best supporting actress nomination), Thompson is going to pen a new adaptation of the beloved musical My Fair Lady. Columbia Pictures and CBS Films will produce along with Duncan Kenworthy and Cameron Mackintosh.

Academy Award Winner Thompson to Pen Screenplay for "My Fair Lady" Remake (Playbill)

I just noticed the list of writers for the Emmy nominated Late Night with Conan O'Brien and the Late Show with David Letterman.

Know what they have in common? NOT A SINGLE FEMALE WRITER. Shouldn't there be a rule against this? Or at least they at least be shamed publicly? I've done my duty.

Late Night With Conan O'Brien
Mike Sweeney, Head Writer
Chris Albers, Written By
Jose Arroyo, Written By
Dan Cronin, Written By
Kevin Dorff, Written By
Daniel J. Goor, Written By
Michael Gordon, Written By
Berkley Johnson, Written By
Brian Kiley, Written By
Michael Koman, Written By
Brian McCann, Written By
Guy Nicolucci, Written By
Conan O'Brien, Written By
Matt O'Brien, Written By
Brian Stack, Written By
Andrew Weinberg, Written By

Late Show With David Letterman
Eric Stangel, Head Writer
Justin Stangel, Head Writer
Jim Mulholland, Written By
Michael Barrie, Written By
Steve Young, Written By
Tom Ruprecht, Written By
Lee Ellenberg, Written By
Matt Roberts, Written By
Jeremy Weiner, Written By
Joe Grossman, Written By
Bill Scheft, Written By
Bob Borden, Written By
Frank Sebastiano, Written By
David Letterman, Written By

Karina Longworth of Spout blog actually attends Comic-Con and had a great post this week that people should check out.

Even though "girls" got a film of their own Twilight which they went wild over, Comic-Con just seems to perpetuate all that's wrong with women in Hollywood.

...panel after panel featured actresses, who should have better things to do, endlessly discussing their own physical attributes, as the young men in the audience continually made it clear that this was all they were interested in. When asked how playing the girlfriend role in the third Mummy film differed from her usual day at the office, Bello answered, “Well, I’m not naked in this film!” Cue the smirking slur from a young gentleman in the crowd: “Wow, that was the wrong thing to say. They just lost my ticket.”

Even as the changing nature of the action/sci-fi/nerdbait landscape may be opening up more opportunities for a Mila Kunis to take a tertiary role in a film like Max Payne (which allows her to “kick some ass in 5 inch heels,” as she crowed to auto-hoots on Day One), protagonist roles for women in such films have become virtually non-existent. There seem to be just enough to keep Angelina Jolie busy every three years or so in between her persistent stabs at a second Oscar.

What we’re seeing is the ghettoization of the female action star to below-the-title, near-disposable status. Even as eye candy, the sex appeal that many of these girls bring to a given film are just one element of an overall production design designed to keep aural erections intact for the duration. The idea of making a film where women actually look sexy, fight crime and are given the agency of real human beings isn’t even on the minds of those filmmakers who have done it before.

Comic-Con Diary: Where the Girls Are

I was traveling so I didn't get to comment on the Emmy nominations. I am excited to see many of my favorites on the list, but I also think it's worthy to note that older women who have disappeared from our movie screens are thriving and being acknowledged for their work on TV.

When anyone asks me why women over 40 are doing better on TV, I give them my standard answer -- advertising. TV is driven by the ads, and anyone in that business knows that women make all the consumer buying decisions. So, they target the ads at women which in turn leads to content that could drive the desired audience to those shows for the ads. Not rocket science. On the other hand, film is driven by opening weekend box office and the 12-24 demo both boys and girls and the ones who come out en masse.

Here are some of the nominees:
Best Comedy Series
One women centric show - 30 Rock starring Tina Fey

Outstanding Drama Series
One women centric show- Damages starring Glenn Close

Where the Women are Missing
Best Directing of a Comedy Series
Best Directing for a Miniseries, Movie of Dramatic Special
Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
30 Rock - Carrie Fisher as Rosemary Howard; Edie Falco as Celeste 'C.C.' Cunningham; Elaine Stritch as Colleen Donaghy
Desperate Housewives- Polly Bergen as Stella Wingfield; Kathryn Joosten as Karen McCluskey
Monk - Sarah Silverman as Marci Maven

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
Big Love - Ellen Burstyn as Nancy Dutton
Grey's Anatomy - Diahann Carroll as Jane Burke
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - Cynthia Nixon as Janis Donovan
Medium - Anjelica Huston as Cynthia Keener
Nip/Tuck - Sharon Gless as Colleen Rose

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
30 Rock - Tina Fey as Liz Lemon
Samantha Who? - Christina Applegate as Samantha Newly
The New Adventures Of Old Christine - Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell
Ugly Betty - America Ferrera as Betty Suarez
Weeds - Mary-Louise Parker as Nancy Botwin

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
Brothers & Sisters - Sally Field as Nora Holden-Walker
Damages - Glenn Close as Patty Hewes
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson
Saving Grace - Holly Hunter as Grace Hanadarko
The Closer - Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
A Raisin In The Sun - Phylicia Rashad as Lena Younger
An American Crime - Catherine Keener as Gertrude Baniszewski
Bernard And Doris - Susan Sarandon as Doris Duke
Cranford - Dame Judi Dench as Miss Matty Jenkyns
John Adams - Laura Linney as Abigail Adams

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
Pushing Daisies - Kristin Chenoweth as Olive Snook
Samantha Who? - Jean Smart as Regina Newly
Saturday Night Live - Amy Poehler, Performer
Two And A Half Men - Holland Taylor as Evelyn Harper
Ugly Betty - Vanessa Williams as Wilhelmina Slater

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Boston Legal - Candice Bergen as Shirley Schmidt
Brothers & Sisters - Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Walker-Whedon
Grey's Anatomy - Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey; Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang
In Treatment - Dianne Wiest as Dr. Gina Toll

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
A Raisin In The Sun - Audra McDonald as Ruth Younger
Cranford (MASTERPIECE) - Dame Eileen Atkins as Miss Deborah Jenkyns
Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale - Ashley Jensen as Maggie Jacobs
Pictures Of Hollis Woods (Hallmark Hall Of Fame Presentation) - Alfre Woodard as Edna Reilly
Recount - Laura Dern as Katherine Harris

Emmy nominated women show younger isn't always better (AP via Chicago Sun-Times)

What is it about beautiful, opinionated women that makes all of Hollywood (especially the media) want to scream? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, it's not like berating women for speaking up is a new practice. If memory serves me correctly, both Jane Fonda and Barbra Streisand got handed a very large can of whooping ass for expressing their personal and political opinions. In Hollywood, you can be a do good political persona ala Angelina Jolie, but having an opinion that might call Hollywood on the carpet, that's a no no.

The person in the center of the current "everyone in Hollywood hates me" storm is Katherine Heigl star of Grey's Anatomy and 27 Dresses. You might recall that earlier this year she had the gaul to say that Knocked Up was sexist (which it was), and for that honesty she was labeled as ungrateful and her film career was declared dead. It's a good thing her fans didn't get that message because the gross of 27 Dresses was $76 million in the US and almost $160 million worldwide.

Recently, she had the nerve to decline to submit herself for Emmy consideration and publicly mentioned that she felt her storyline this past season was unworthy of recognition (another truth.)

Everyone pounced calling her ungrateful (again) and adding that she wants out of her TV contract to make movies. Rumors surfaced (everywhere) that the writers and producers were upset and that the set was full of tension. Many a site began the Izzie death watch. The venom that was displayed was way over the top. People didn't just want her to get fired (for giving an opinion no less), but they wanted her character to die. That's the lesson a woman gets for speaking out about something that honestly is not really important at all -- an Emmy award nomination -- yet people want to punish her in such a profound way. Extrapolating this into real life, if a woman gets punished for speaking out about something as trivial as an award nomination, imagine the message the rest of us get about speaking out about issues like equal pay, choice, rape...you get the picture. The message is to shut up and take what you got and don't make waves cause you will be punished. Sound familiar?

It took a while but finally one of her co-stars Chandra Wilson (Dr. Bailey) found her voice and explained to us lay people about the Emmy nomination process. You really need have had a spectacular episode to submit. Some years you have one, some you don't, and if you don't you shouldn't bother submitting.

I didn't find another person in print defending Heigl until I read Mark Harris' column in EW. Harris is the author of the critically acclaimed Pictures at a Revolution. I meant to give him some props for his earlier column that took it to the Hollywood suits for their pathetic realization that women do go to the movies after the success of Sex and the City. Please check out the story: Hollywood 'Shocker': Women Go To Movies.

But his defense of Heigl and women in Hollywood is fantastic. I'm still shocked that there are so few people willing to stand up for this woman? Where are the other Hollywood actresses?

Could there be a worse career move for an actress than telling the truth?

Little has changed, except the coarseness with which celebrities can now be discussed — and the rules actresses must obey. Among them: Have a ''positive body image,'' but also a killer body. Stay within the two-pound weight range that will not reveal you as either anorexic or a pig. Age gracefully, but never get older. Don't have wrinkles, but don't use Botox. Be modest, but when you win an award, weep as if a gold statuette is a personalized gift from heaven. If you get pregnant, be prepared to let a dozen news outlets act as your ob-gyn. Express concern about your carbon footprint, but don't be ''political.'' Talk about how living a normal life is important to you, but smile while every aspect of it is scrutinized.

I like Heigl because there seems to be a person in there, one who occasionally says things that people can't stand. (And really, if she'd said, ''Actually, I do think my material should get me an Emmy nomination,'' would that sound better?) I like the fact that she busted Isaiah Washington for homophobia when everyone behind the scenes at Grey's Anatomy was busy staring into space. I like the fact that she gently tweaked Judd Apatow for the slight gender imbalance in Knocked Up. I like the fact that her first thought after winning an Emmy wasn't ''How can I get another one?'' And I like the fact that her mouth — which is not even slightly ugly — is connected to her brain. Katherine Heigl's 'Grey' Matter: What's the Problem? (EW)

The treatment of Katherine Heigl should be a lesson to all women, and not just in Hollywood. We need to stand up and support each other.

Update: Found this story written about the situation AFTER I posted my piece. Interesting.
What’s wrong with Heigl speaking out? (AP via MSNBC)

Should have done this a long time ago.

For standing up and speaking out about the genocide in Darfur. She's just been in Burma and Thailand with the Nobel Women's Initiative (a group of female Nobel peace laureates- bet that's a cool group.) Here's their platform:

The Nobel Women’s Initiative seeks:

• To spotlight the massive violations of women and women’s rights – which are nothing less than human rights – that occur daily and not only have an impact on women individually but also on their families, their communities, and often the entire fabric of a society;

• To spotlight the struggle for human rights which when recognized and accepted also reinforce efforts to bring about participatory governance in Burma and the Sudan (indeed throughout the world); and

• To call upon citizens around the world to take individual and collective action to build sustainable peace as well as to insist that the international community implement existing commitments for peace, justice and equality in Burma and Sudan;

We have come to the area of the Thai/Burma border and will continue on to South Sudan and Darfuri refugee camps in Chad,

• To build alliances with women and women’s organizations there by:

• Listening to their unique stories, perspectives and experiences;

• Learning from their work to build sustainable peace in their communities how they see the role of women in actively negotiating peace agreements in their countries and in rebuilding their communities and societies when the conflicts have ended;

• Conveying their messages to other women’s organizations where we live and work and through our collective networks as well as to the media and to governments at national, regional and international levels; and by

• Highlighting China’s influential role in these crises

Learn more: Mia Farrow's site and blog
Nobel Women's Initiative
Mia Farrow Pressure China on Burma Rights (AP via SF Chronicle)

If I was a woman writer in Hollywood I would be up in arms over this story Evolution of a Screenwriter that appeared in last week's Hollywood Reporter. The premise of the story is that people (i.e. - men) who were traditionally known just as screenwriters in the past now have to branch out into new mediums and platforms in order to have successful careers.

The first thing about the story that you can't help but notice is that EVERY SINGLE SCREENWRITER MENTIONED AND INTERVIEWED IS A GUY.

You can't tell me that there is not a single female screenwriter who couldn't be interviewed for this story. That's such bs.

The second thing is that it makes it seem that all anybody is working on is movies about comic books and I find that so pathetically sad.

I am throughly disgusted.

Thanks for the tip, Lee.

A Hollywood woman with strong political opinions. Gotta love her. Here are emails answers she gave to The Politico. But when will we see you onscreen again?

The Politico: You strongly supported Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination. Was switching to Sen. Barack Obama difficult?

We had a very deep bench of Democratic Presidential candidates in the primary, and we were very lucky to finally have two capable, dynamic and intelligent candidates vying to be the nominee. Supporting Sen. Obama for President was an immediate decision for me after Sen. Clinton ended her bid for the Democratic nomination. Throughout this process, they challenged each other to be better. It was a historical race, with Hillary breaking through that glass ceiling for all women and Barack inspiring young kids that they can overcome their circumstances to reach greatness.

Will you be doing any concerts to support Obama and the Democrats before the election?

I would absolutely consider performing for Sen. Obama and for the Democratic Party.

What do you say to Hillary’s fans that might be moving to vote for McCain — a figure that’s been estimated to be as high as 15 percent of her supporters?

I would urge those voters to take a step back and realize that our country is at an extremely serious crossroad . . . . There is too much at stake right now to elect another George W. Bush to the White House. And John McCain is just that. He has stated that the issue of economics is not something he’s understood as well as he should. He does not support reproductive rights for women, increased veteran’s benefits and ending the war in Iraq. There is just no reason for Sen. Clinton’s supporters not to back Sen. Obama.

Read the full interview (The Politico)
photo credit: Glenn Harris/Photorazzi

Barbara Ann Teer the founder of the National Black Theatre which she ran for 40 years, and one of the strong forces in the black theatre, died last week. Her funeral in Harlem attracted 700 people including politicians like Charlie Rangel and former mayor David Dinkins.

From the NY Times: Ms. Teer, a Harlem fixture who served as nurturer, gadfly and inspirational mother superior, was a passionate, articulate advocate for black culture and black artists, speakers said. And her life was a celebration of being “free, open and black,” as she used to put it.

For Champion of Black Theater, a Salute in Harlem’s Streets (NY Times)

The geek fest better known as Comic-Con was held this last weekend in San Diego. It used to be that guys and guy films dominated, but no more. This year women made up 40% of attendees and the upcoming Catherine Hardwicke film Twilight based on the novel by Stephanie Meyer has the women present in a frenzy and the guy critics scratching their heads. Anne Thompson at Variety asks: Twilight: Will Male Critics Ever Understand Its Femme Appeal?

Here's what she writes when discussing the dismal stats released last week about female film critics:

And the coverage that movies with femme appeal do get from male critics is not the necessarily as positive or understanding as that from female critics. Mamma, Mia! and Sex in the City would be recent examples. Why would a guy particularly engage with a romantic comedy like 27 Dresses? Professional film critics will argue that it is their job to know how to review such a movie. Let's put it this way. Some men are better able to adopt the female POV, and tap into their femme side, than others. Many men are not trained to do see things from the perspective of the opposite sex. All women are.

That's one reason why today's movies are so geared toward men, while women starve for material aimed at them. Women are accustomed to going along and accepting slim pickings in pictures by and about men. Even at Comic-Con, there's a sense that female fans are yearning for romance. The screaming response to Twilight's Brit heartthrob Robert Pattinson was enormous. He could be the next Leo di Caprio after Titanic, if Twilight hits as big as I suspect it will.

I agree with Anne. One problem I find is that women critics don't necessarily want to be known as women critics, just like I've met many women directors who don't want to be known as women directors. News flash -- if things were equal it would be ok if you wanted to just be known as a critic or a director and it would be awesome. But in my world no matter what we want to believe women critics and women directors can't escape the "woman" label. We have to understand that we might be seeing a film from a different perspective and not think that it makes us less than, it just makes us different. And we need to support other women. I'm not saying that you should write a good review for a bad movie, but I am saying that we should try and review movies the guys might dismiss and not be interested in just because they come from a female perspective. That shouldn't be too hard.

Here's a report from USA Today on Comic-Con

Otter represents another shift in the comic-book movie universe: an influx of women. Over the years, female attendance at Comic-Con has grown, this year reaching a record of nearly 40%, perhaps reflecting increasing involvement of women in the filmmaking.

"It was getting depressing," says Rose McGowan, who will play the title comic-book vixen in Red Sonja, due in 2010. "I was getting scripts to play the straight man to the straight man. But lately, we're seeing more scripts that allow us to kick (butt). Comic books have always been good about it, and now movies seem to be catching on."

Deborah Del Prete, producer of Frank Miller's Spirit, has been coming to Comic-Con since she was 8 years old. Usually, she was asked if she was looking for Wonder Woman comics.

"Now they ask me what I'm working on," she says. "We're seeing a partnership in making these movies we never saw before. I say it's about time people recognize women enjoy comics and comic-book movies as much as any other fan."

Mila Kunis, who plays an assassin in the video game adaptation Max Payne, says Hollywood is finally mirroring the times.

"If you ask me, they're a little slow in catching up with the rest of the world," she says. "I'm really glad for movies like Wanted and Underworld, because it's casting us as mainstream heroes.

"But come on. It wasn't that long ago when we thought a woman was going to be the Democratic nominee for president. We should have been at this place a long time ago."

For standing up to the paparazzi.
Halle Berry pushes back against paparazzi (AP)

Maybe. Finally. Hopefully.

Having less than no interest in seeing Step Brothers I was intrigued by Manohla Dargis' review in the NY Times which seems to ask the question, have we seen enough of this crap?

What’s distinct about the recent cycle of comic juvenilia are its contemporary contours — male camaraderie and self-actualization combined with raunchy guffaws and a preoccupation with women that doesn’t extend to giving them interesting roles — and the ease with which its prominent practitioners are willing to recycle their own laughs to increasingly diminished ends.

That few girls and fewer credible women are allowed in the Apatow boys’ club is old news. The only distaff comedy here is provided by the enthusiastic Kathryn Hahn, who as Derek’s pitifully desperate wife, Alice, makes dexterous use of a bathroom urinal.

These guys still have Pineapple Express coming out in the coming weeks so there will be more talk about them. Yuck.

Oh, and Mary Steenburgen plays Will Ferrell's mom even though she is just 13 years older than him. Double yuck. (thanks Liz Chesney)

When Mad Men aired last summer I wanted nothing to do with it. Why would I waste my time watching a show about guys treating women like objects, and women stuck in conventional pre-feminist roles. Yuck. Boring.

But then people started talking, buzz started building, critics started writing, Golden Globes were won, and me, not wanting to miss out on something cool, decided to check it out. I was addicted within five minutes. I loved every episode. It is so well written, so well acted, and so extremely scary to see a time really not that long ago, yet seems like another century. It is surreal and at moments feels like science fiction.

What is so interesting about the show is that it reveals how uncomfortable everyone is. The men act happy and hide behind their drinking and role playing, but their misery shines through. Elizabeth Moss (who played Zoe in The West Wing) is the female center of the show as Peggy Olson. She spent last season as secretary to Jon Hamm's character, Don Draper, but was a talented writer and worked her way to junior copywriter, and gave birth to slimy Pete's kid without realizing she was pregnant. (Far fetched even for the early 60s. And her fat suit was really bad.)

I am excited to see where they take Peggy this season and even more excited that lots of the press has been focused on the amazing women of Mad Men.
From today's NY Daily News:

"The women are the broken mirror the men look through," says the show's creator, Matthew Weiner. "They have levels to them, but less of a mask on. They know when to whisper, and when not to."

The return of "Mad Men," which was recently nominated for 16 Emmy Awards (it previously won Golden Globes for Best Drama and Best Actor for Hamm), provides an opportunity for its three pivotal females to address the slowly changing mores of the time.

From the LA Times

But while they are marginalized, the women of "Mad Men" are no mere archetypes. They are complicated, glamorous, ambitious and stifled in a way that women in 1960s television never were. With 48 years of hindsight behind their creation, they are marginalized in a particularly subtle way, so that viewers might not even realize they are riveted by their struggles.

Best comment that shows how far we still have to go:

On the other hand, they said people still say shockingly sexist and politically incorrect things in public. Jones, for instance, recently found life imitating a "Mad Men" scene. She said she was in an elevator with some men exactly as some characters were in a Season 2 scene, and the men were making the same sort of sexist remarks about women, as if there was no woman in the elevator.

Check it out tonight at 10pm on AMC. You will not be disappointed.
photo credit: Genaro Molina- LA Times

Last week Mamma Mia! did great numbers as counter programming to Batman. If you haven't seen it yet, make sure to go this weekend.

Other films opening this weekend, while not about women have some of my favorite feminist actors in them.

Brideshead Revisited: I am a little too young to have seen the mini-series but this adapatation by Julian Jarrold reminds me of the great Merchant-Ivory productions like A Room With a View. Emma Thompson co-stars as the mean Lady Marchmain and Matthew Goode and newcomer Hayley Atwell are terrific and Charles and Julia. It felt at times rushed and the whole demise of Charles relationship with Sebastian just kind of disappeated when it was prominent in the first half of the film. The Brideshead house is spectacular. Here's a recent interview with the divine Ms. Thompson. Brideshead opens on 33 screens and will expand next week to 225.

The X-Files: I Still Believe: I haven't seen this but it is one of the first big action films that I am really excited for and the reason is simple -- Gillian Anderson. There was no better and more confident female character on TV than Dana Scully. None of the women on TV today would be able to do what they do without Scully coming first. Check out Rebecca Traister's ode to Scully.

Also opening in limited release is Nanette Burstein's look at high school life: American Teen. It's kind of like The Breakfast Club and John Hughes' other high school flicks, but real. I hated high school so having to see kids go through it again made me cringe at times. Burstein spent months on location with these kids in Warsaw, Indiana, and she shows the unbelievable pressure of being a kid today. One false step and you could lose your future. To me, the heart of the film is Hannah Bailey, the creative, quirky girl who goes from confident and bubbly to scarily depressed after her boyfriends dumps her. (Note to that loser - how pathetic are you now?) Her mom is a manic depressive, and when Hannah can't get out of bed and loses interest in everything including school, the alarm bells take way too long to go off. She is able to bounce back and now is in film school in NY. The other story that resonated with me was that of star basketball player Colin Clemens who is under such pressure from his dad to get an athletic scholarship to college. It's either a free ride or the army. Talk about pressure.

Remaining in Theatres
Mamma Mia!
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
Brick Lane- opens in Anchorage, FL, Hawaii, Des Moines, Indianapolis, New Orleans, NC, Baltimore, NM, Baltimore, TN
Sex and the City
The Stone Angel- Seattle

This is a comment from Barbara regarding a posting last week on Prejudice and Discrimination Against Women Artists:

A few years ago I was in a pitch meeting with a male development exec, pitching my latest woman centered project, and at the end of the pitch he said to me, "Barbara, when are you going to realize that films about men are just more interesting than films about women?"

When I started film school, the head of the department told the entire class of new students that the women would never finish their films. We women in the class were the only ones that did finish our films.

Let's hear some more stories. The only way we can make change is to peel back the curtain and let people know what's happening. Thanks Barbara.

Forbes released its list of Hollywood's top earners and the men way out earn the women -- $487 million compared to $244.5 million.

It amazes me the Eddie Murphy and Mike Meyers who produced turkeys this year are in the top 5. It seems that Cameron Diaz is the top female earner thanks to Shrek.

Hollywood's Best-Paid Actors (Forbes)
photo: Albert L. Ortega/ PR Photos

For spending the next couple of months trying to get the Latino vote out through her organization Voto Latino:

"There's 18 million [people who] are eligible. But we are not showing that up in votes. So our numbers aren't counting. When you actually ... work with local organizations – that makes the biggest impact, and that's what I want to be a part of." People Magazine

Women & Hollywood contributed a post to the 61st feminist blog carnival. You can read all different types of feminist writings (not just on entertainment).

Here's the intro:
STEP RIGHT UP and git' yer feminism, kids! We got all kinds o' feminism here. We got radical feminism! We got second wave feminism! We got third wave feminism! We got pro-feminist men! We got religious feminists! We got sex worker feminists! We got ever' kinda feminist, 'cause as all feminists know, we ain't no monolithic group that's gotta agree on ever' damn thang. There's room for ever'body at this here booth, so step right up and claim yer prize!

Read More

Not that this should surprise anyone, but in light of the research of the lack of female films critics, the most famous TV critics Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper (who never interested me as much as Gene Siskel) have been replaced by Ben Lyons (son of critics Jeffrey Lyons) and Ben Mankiewicz (grandson of screenwriter Herman and great-nephew of director, Joseph L.)

Couldn't they have thought of teaming one of them up with a woman? Why was that not an option?
Disney names 'At the Movies' hosts

As a person who writes about films and sees lots of critics at screenings I can tell you that men (many boys) dominate the critic ranks. Dr. Martha Lauzen, the guru of stats and the head of San Diego State's Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film has done a research study analyzing who is writing film reviews. The study, Thumbs Down: The Representation of
Women Film Critics in The Top 100 U.S. Daily Newspapers was released today. Here are some of the highlights (or lowlights).

• Men write the overwhelming majority of film reviews in the nation’s top newspapers. In Fall 2007, men penned 70% and women 30% of all reviews.

• Furthermore, of the newspapers featuring film reviews, 47% had no reviews written by women critics, writers or freelancers. In contrast, only 12% had no reviews written by men critics, writers or freelancers.

• Men outnumbered women in every job title category considered. Seventy seven percent (77%) of film critics were male and 23% were female.
  

Also, keep in mind that the reach of a newspaper critics has grown due to the fact that their criticism is on the internet.

• By genre, romantic comedies and dramas constituted a larger proportion of the reviews written by women than by men.
  

• Films with women filmmakers comprised a larger proportion of the films reviewed by women than by men. Of the reviews written by women, 22% were for films with at least one woman director or writer. Of the reviews written by men, 14% were for films with at least one woman director or writer.

• A significantly higher percentage of films reviewed by women were for films featuring female protagonists or ensemble casts. Of the reviews written by women, 33% were for films featuring a female protagonist or ensemble cast and 67% were for films featuring a male protagonist. Of the reviews written by men, 18% were for films featuring a female protagonist or ensemble cast and 82% were for films featuring a male protagonist.
  

And Professor Lauzen adds: "the under-representation of women film critics, writers and freelancers may cause films featuring females or with women filmmakers to receive less coverage." So because guys review more movies about guys and there are fewer female critics, movies about women are screwed. Finally, here are the figures to prove it. It wouldn't surprise me if some women critics didn't only want to write about women's movies because they don't want to be known as the person who writes about women. Honestly, I embrace it.

So here is the depressing view from Dr. Lauzen: "The bottom line is that film criticism in this country's newspapers remains a largely male enterprise, echoing the heavy male dominance behind the scenes and on screen in the film industry."

Nuff said. Let's get cracking on training some more female critics. Read full report

Traveling the early part of this week. Sporadic, if any posting. Be back soon.

Opening today in wide release is the Meryl Streep musical Mamma Mia.
Here's my brief review: Just keep in mind when you see this movie -- and you should -- that the whole point of it is to let go and have fun. If you go in looking for anything serious you will be disappointed. I had a brief moment at the beginning of the film when I held my breath because it seemed so cheesy, but after a couple of minutes I just let go, relaxed and had a great time. The cast is first rate and Meryl does sing well. I loved Julie Walters as one of Meryl's best friends and former backup singers. To me, the highlight of the movie was when Meryl bared her soul to ex-lover Pierce Brosnan in The Winner Takes it All. I got a little misty. Don't leave before the credits because the whole cast does a hilarious music video all in 70s clothes. It is beyond hysterical.

Other Women-Centric Films in Theatres:
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
The Last Mistress
Brick Lane- continues to expand in CA, FL, Atlanta, MI, Las Vegas, Cincinnati, Austin, and Milwaukee
Sex and the City
Falling for Grace- opens in Palm Springs

In another no surprise moment it seems that women painters, sculptors and other artists don't get sold for the same amount of money as their male peers.

Iwan Wirth who represents sculptor Louise Bourgeois said: "An artist's gender should have nothing to do with their market value. I see this happen with the major artists we represent, such as Bourgeois, Joan Mitchell and Eva Hesse, who are exceptionally high-ranking artists."

Love this idiot statement from art critic Brian Sewell:

"The art market is not sexist," Mr Sewell said. "The likes of Bridget Riley and Louise Bourgeois are of the second and third rank. There has never been a first-rank woman artist.

"Only men are capable of aesthetic greatness. Women make up 50 per cent or more of classes at art school. Yet they fade away in their late 20s or 30s. Maybe it's something to do with bearing children."

Can't believe this man is allowed to have a fucking job as an art critic. We have so much work to do.

'There's never been a great woman artist' (The Independent)

Film historian Marjorie Rosen, author of Popcorn Venus, wrote an optimistic commentary in yesterday's Women's eNews saying that this summer the women onscreen are outshining their male counterparts.

She argues that the successes of Sex and the City, Angelina Jolie in Wanted, Kit Kittredge (not seen as a success at all) and Mamma Mia! (fingers crossed that it will do well) will hopefully make the male executives realize that women can be successful at the box office.

One can only hope. The most important point she makes is trying to get Hollywood to analyze the guy film flops in the same context as the women film flops. Wouldn't that be nice?

To put the situation into perspective, did any studio executive ever muse, after the shocking failure of last fall's Brad Pitt vehicle, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (domestic box office: $6 million; worldwide: $15 million), that it would be a smart idea to stop making movies featuring man-centric stories?

Did anyone have misgivings about boys-will-be-boys flicks when Wes Anderson's testosterone-drenched "The Darjeeling Limited," with Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman and the Oscar winner Adrien Brody, opened the New York Film Festival last September, then broke down before ever gathering steam (worldwide: $15.5 million)?

And, on assessing the rotten global returns of George Clooney's "The Good German" ($6 million), Ryan Gosling's "Lars and the Real Girl" ($10 million) or Johnny Depp's "The Libertine" ($11 million), did even one among the new breed of female executives dare to whisper in the ladies room of that upscale industry watering hole, the Ivy: "Nix the guy pix. And bring back the women?"

George Clooney and Brad Pitt smaller film flops don't get the same scrutiny because they still make the bigger films like the Ocean's trilogy that bring in the bucks. Women don't have the same opportunities so their failures get scrutinized differently.

I wish I were as optimistic as Rosen that the successes this summer will lead to change.

Could It Be? Did Hollywood Execs Get The Memo?

I've been following the press leading up to the opening of Mamma Mia! this week and I have to say, while there have been some negative reviews (and I will be very interested to see if it is mostly guys who hate the film), the overall tenor of the press has been much kinder than it was to Sex and City. There are no nasty articles about any of the women's appearances, or the shallowness of American women for liking the film.

Some of the reviewers have questioned Streep for taking on this type of "light" role, but she has embraced it wholeheartedly, and clearly enjoyed the experience of working with an all female team.

So I can't help but wonder, did we conquer film sexism in the last month? Are women's movies going to be welcomed differently because of how nasty the treatment of SATC? Why is it that this movie --the second one this summer-- which seems poised to have women getting ready to see it with friends and daughters alike getting different treatment?

One reason I think is that most of the critics and blogger are distracted this weekend. When SATC opened it was the dominant film on its weekend (and we don't like women to be dominant at anything); Mamma Mia will be counter programming against the Batman flick.

But I am still wondering -- is Mamma Mia less threatening to the movie industry and the culture than Sex and the City was? Is it that Sex and the City had, well, sexy women and sex while asking some serious questions about our culture, while Mamma Mia comes off as a fun musical about a wedding?

The irony is that this fun musical about a wedding bucks every Hollywood convention, and it makes Mamma Mia one of the most feminist movies of the year. Way more feminist than SATC. It's got women power -- mature women power-- written all over it.

• All the creatives are women over 50.
  
• It stars women.
• Is written by a woman -Catherine Johnson.
• Is directed by a woman - Phyllida Lloyd.
• Is produced by a woman -Judy Craymer.
  

And, it's already a success overseas having made $24 million since its release a couple of weeks ago.

I think its going to open pretty big here. Hopefully at least $25 million this weekend. It already has a built in audience (just like SATC), the show has been running on Broadway for years, has played all over the world, and Abba has got to be the world's most well known band.

It's amazing that Universal Pictures gave these women the power they did to make this film, but not surprisingly, it was another woman, Donna Langley, the president of production at Universal who made the call to trust these women.

Here's some great info on the film's history from a recent NY Times piece:

Ms. Craymer said that she hadn’t been trying to make a feminist point when she first enlisted Ms. Johnson and Ms. Lloyd to help realize her notion of an Abba musical or when she started hiring people for the film. But somehow, as she sought to fill the movie crew with others who “got” the “Mamma Mia!” factor, she ended up with even more women, including the production designer, Maria Djurkovic; the costume designer, Ann Roth; and the editor Lesley Walker.

Ms. Lloyd agreed that “the female team thing” resulted from “personality and talent rather than, ‘Oh, we’re going to have an all-girls team.’ ” But, she added, “I think it was fundamental.” And she reminded Ms. Craymer of something that happened when they first started thinking about the show: “I remember you saying that you asked Benny and Bjorn what they felt about having a woman director, and they actually said they actively liked collaborating with women.” Ms. Lloyd went on to surmise that the men’s Scandinavian ease with women in positions of power informed the whole project.

So I guess it's progress that this film has escaped the sexist overtone of Sex and the City. But I'm still wondering why Sex rubbed people so bad.
The Mamma Mia Factor Times Three (NY Times)
photo credit: Fred R.Conrad/ NY Times
from left to right- Catherine Johnson, Phyllida Law, Judy Craymer

I'm a big fan of most of the writing in Vanity Fair but I get pissed off at how they dress -- or don't dress -- the women and girls in their photos. Each month they feature an up and coming young actress in a 50s style pose in their "vanities" section and lately I've noticed that each month the picture is quite provocative. Here's their description of the section. No wonder I have a problem with it.

Since 1992, the magazine’s Vanities section has opened with a full-page portrait of a promising young star. In September 2006, we tweaked the format: the Vanities opener now features an up-and-coming actress in a 50s-style pinup shot. These shapely ingénues are on the cusp of fame or have just hit it big; they have names you need to know and faces you won’t have trouble remembering. Here’s a look at all the bombshells who’ve struck a playful pose in the new retro style.

This month's cover on the "new" Hollywood put me over the edge. The young women of the new wave were featured on the cover in their underwear, and were featured inside in lovely dresses. The young men of the new wave were fully clothes at all times. Let's remember that these young women by default get to be role models for other young women and girls.

Am I being too harsh?

Men can continue to have vibrant, stimulating careers up into their 60s, and that’s not true for women,” she explained. “Once an actress gets to be over 37 or 38, then you really begin to see you’re being offered roles and cast opposite a big movie star. You’re playing his wife, and he’s cheating on you with someone else. The story doesn’t depend upon on your thoughts and actions.

Powerful TV women must face backlash (MSNBC)

I am a big, big fan of Bend it Like Beckham, the film that introduced us to Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley and made all my friends who know nothing about soccer appreciate it at least a little. The film was a huge world wide hit and was directed by Gurinder Chadha who has also directed Bhaji on the Beach and Bride and Prejudice.

Chadha spent a couple of years following Beckham in Hollywood trying to get a couple of films off the ground including the adaptation of Dallas starring John Travolta. Don't think we'll be seeing that one soon.

Chadha's back in England and is a new mom having given birth to twins at 47. She has just directed a tween comedy Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging about the ups and downs of a 14- year-old girl, based on the book by Louise Rennison. Film is financed by Paramount and looks to be like a Harry Potter for girls. It opens in England on July 25th.

Here's a quote from Chadha on her responsibility to the young women who love her films.

My films do have a big following among young girls, and I want to instill confidence in them, a sense of self-appreciation - to make them feel they can be spirited and say what they feel. It is important to say that the vast majority of 14-year-old girls aren't involved in knife crime. They're more innocent than we know. So now, becoming a parent, I want to make films that recreate childlike wonder. And I'm going to do it!'

Gurinder Chadha talks about Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (The Telegraph)
photo: Christine Parry

Cynthia Good, founding editor of Pink Magazine, didn't just gripe to herself about the "Men Working" signs. She did something about it. She wrote complaint letters to the mayor of Atlanta and the governor of Georgia and SHOCKER! the signs are being replaced by "Workers Ahead."

'Men At Work' signs to disappear in Atlanta (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

We all know the mantra, women can play strong on TV, yet they are the girlfriend, wife or mother (if they are there are at all) in the movies. But, it shouldn't surprise anyone that powerful women on TV get called the same names that powerful women in real life do. We like our TV women tough, but not too tough to make anyone uncomfortable. The ones that push the boundaries (usually the ones on cable) get called the names.

In anticipation of the Emmy nominations this week some of the actresses who play strong women on TV like Glenn Close and CCH Pounder spoke out in an MSNBC piece talking about their characters (which both incidentally appear on FX.).

From Close: “That kind of language is prevalent for women in positions of power,” Close told msnbc.com. “They’re labeled bitches, spinsters, sexless. It’s still out there. There have been all kinds of studies that women are more attractive if they’re self-effacing and non-aggressive. Under those circumstances, I love playing this character.”

If you haven't seen Damages you gotta get season 1 on DVD (season two will premiere in 2009). Patty Hewes, Close's character, is tough and morally ambiguous -- well, she's actually rotten and mean but you can't really always tell. That's why I love her.

Power to you, Glenn!

I also love the quote from CCH Pounder who has endured the sexism and craziness as the new commander on The Shield. The final season of The Shield will begin airing later this year.

“When women appear to be taking positions that previously represented a man’s domain, men have to do everything, and I mean everything, to keep those women in their place,” Pounder explained. “It’s a struggle to keep the long-held tradition that it’s a man’s world alive, so the word ‘bitch’ is just a minor part of the many putdowns and undermining of women that goes on.”

Bottom line is that no matter if it’s national leaders or fictional characters, there seems to be a double standard when men and women act in power-seeking ways.

Powerful TV women must face backlash (MSNBC)
Close photo: Remand Garr/PR Photos

I hate the idea of reaching a certain age and being put in this box that forces actresses to become these battle-axes who speak out against youth culture. F--- you! Every woman gets stronger and progressively more beautiful as she ages, and I swear that television is representing that as a direct countermovement to magazines and movies. On the other extreme, young women get squashed into hideous roles showing most of their bodies and become infantalized. We need to start celebrating who we are and where we're at instead of loading up on plastic surgery to survive.

Who knew Minnie was such a kick-ass feminist?

from an interview with the Hollywood Reporter
photo: Rounder Records

You gotta love the TNT. First, you can always watch Law & Order anytime. And tonight, in this pathetic sea of a summer, finally comes the premiere of two of my favorite shows -- The Closer and Saving Grace. Both shows totally rock and are led by two of the current TV greats, Kyra Sedgwick and Holly Hunter. I always knew that Holly Hunter was a great actress, but Kyra Sedgwick has just blossomed as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson. The first two seasons she had a really hard time with the men under her command, but last season the team really came together and she leads them with authority and trust. I think her leadership style is quite interesting.

What I love about Brenda is that she is so kick ass as an investigator and a total disaster in her personal life. I guess disaster might be a little strong, but she has issues. Last season she got engaged to FBI agent Fritz Howard (played by Jon Tenney with a great sense of humor) and he really helps keep her calm. I love the fact that she hid her cat from her landlord because pets weren't allowed, but never could remember that the cat was a girl.

Saving Grace is a totally different story. Grace is just a whirlwind. She and the show never calm down. Holly Hunter is so skinny and little as dedicated cop Grace Hanadarko who loooves her booze and sex. She also has a guardian angel who is trying to help her deal with her ambivalence with God and her guilt over the death of her sister in the Oklahoma City terrorist bombing. Just like Rescue Me is so tied to 9-11, Saving Grace's soul is tied to the Oklahoma City bombing.

Anther interesting aspect of Saving Grace is the lifelong friendship between Grace and Rhetta, a deeply religious forensic scientist, played by Laura San Giacomo. They love each other in a non judgmental way which is rare in life, and rarer on TV. Last season they introduced Lorraine Toussaint (who starred in creator Nancy Miller's Any Day Now) as the new police captain who also has a long term friendship with Grace. All three women support each other and don't compete.

Check out my interview with Saving Grace creator Nancy Miller.

You gotta watch these shows. The Closer is on at 9 and Saving Grace at 10. Both on TNT.

More info:
Interview with Holly Hunter (Philly News)
Just a Minute with Kyra Sedgwick (Reuters)
Phot credits: Holly Hunter- Jeff Riedel, Kyra Sedgwick- Focus Hollywood/PR Photos

Nancy Miller has worked on some of the most female-centric shows on TV. The list includes Profiler, Any Day Now (which she created) and recently The Closer. Last year her newest creation Saving Grace premiered on TNT. Grace is one of the most interested and wild characters ever to appear on TV. She sometime looks like a train wreck waiting to happen but always manages to pull herself together. What's also interesting about Saving Grace is that Miller really questions issues of spirituality, in some ways challenges the audience to think uncomfortably about God, which is so rarely seen on TV. I love this show, and I love the incredibly honest and revealing answers that Miller has given below. This is one of the best interviews we've had.

Women & Hollywood: There has never been a character quite like Grace on TV before. The only other character in the same ballpark to me is Christine Cagney from Cagney & Lacey. Why did you want to write a character that threw out all the illusions and stereotypes so much so that some people have a hard time relating to Grace.

Nancy Miller: I think, I hope, that there are parts of Grace that people can relate to. I came very honestly to this character...not thinking about what she "should" be...not thinking about what Hollywood has often deemed female roles to be.... not thinking politically correct or any of that crap -- just total raw honesty, about a woman who leads her life with no illusions of perfection about herself - or anyone else. If there are extreme sports...Grace leads an extreme life... right to the edge of all those places most of us are too afraid to go. I well understand this show is not for everyone.

W&H: Did you create the character with Holly Hunter in mind?

NM: I did not create this role for Holly. I could never have dreamed so big. But what Holly has brought to Grace, has made her better, stronger, smarter, than anything I could have ever done alone.

W&H: Grace is clearly in pain on so many levels particularly related to the death of her sister in the Murrah Building bombing. What is it about the pain that fuels Grace?

NM: Yes, Grace feels pain in different areas of her life. If it fuels her, she does not run on this alone. Love, sex, humor, danger, fun, are all aspects of Grace's life that fuels her as well. The pain in her life hurts - but it also helps her to see the flip side of that, and crave the fun even more.

W&H: It's very rare to see a woman so comfortable with her sexuality. Have you gotten any push back on the starkness of Grace's sexuality?

NM: Grace is a very sexual creature. Again, not a show for everyone. But Grace, and I, make no apologies about Grace's sex life. Should she have an affair with a married man? In my opinion, no. And we may address that at some point. But Grace is a sexual being because of who she is -- not because of what happened to her by Father Murphy. Is that all mixed up in there? Sure. But it does not define Grace, or her sex life.

Grace is not a one-man woman. She doesn't lie about it, she is honest about it -- it is the men who can't handle that. People have said some stuff but I usually shut 'em up fast with something like: "Well, I never heard anyone talking about Tony Soprano and all the women he slept with." It is still a double standard in this and many things in our country when it comes to men and women. But Grace loves sex. Period.

W&H: I love the relationship between Grace and Rhetta. They love each other completely and are not in competition. You also created another female friendship in Any Day Now. As a person who writes women's relationships so well why are there so few series that show true female friendships?

NM: There are few shows about the friendships between women because mostly men buy the shows who get on the air. I don't think it's deliberate, I just don't think they realize the dramatic relationships between women, how much fun they can be. I also blame women writers.... We need to write more about this kind of stuff. Add it to our scripts, don't make it an afterthought that can be cut. Make it central to the story you are telling.

W&H: Why is cable so welcoming of female led shows?

NM: I think cable is much smarter on the whole about everything. Cable trusts the writers and creative talent they have hired. Cable allows us to bring more of our vision to the screen, without a ton of interference. Cable is much much braver. They know that their numbers, ratings, can be smaller, and that it may be easier to find that audience with women. I really don't know -- I just thank God for cable!

W&H: Women writers still make up less than a third of TV writers. Why do you think that the numbers are still so low and what can be done to improve the numbers?

NM: Women have to keep fighting and keep writing. Keep banging and knocking down doors. And when you get the chance to hire somebody -- remember diversity in color, religion, gender. When I watch the Emmys and a show wins a writing award and a bunch of white men get up there to accept the award - I am embarrassed for them. It tells me immediately that their show is very narrow-minded, and honestly -- run by some very insecure white guy. Until I had my own show, I was always the only woman in the room. Things are changing slowly. But women should not be given a freebie either -- work hard, prove you are as good as the boys, make them have to hire you because you have talent and a work ethic that will make them weep.

W&H: You are the creator, executive producer and writer of Saving Grace. What advice would you offer to women who have a perfect idea for a TV show and want to get into TV.

NM: You have to go for it -- and never give up. When people tell you no, keep looking until you find the person who will tell you yes. Build relationships. Nurture them. The assistant today is the studio executive of tomorrow. Know your craft. CRAFT. Different from talent. I didn't know story structure until I had my own show on the air...which is not a good thing. To sum it up: if you know you have a good idea, don't quit until you find a home for it.

Amazingly helpful insights.
photo credit: Erik Heinila

Opening this weekend in NY, LA, Washington, DC and Minneapolis is The Stone Angel written and directed by Kari Skogland and starring Ellen Burstyn.

The Stone Angel tells the story of a dying woman looking back at her life, her choices and how they effected her family. Ellen Burstyn plays the older Hagar Shipley, a woman clearly ahead of her time, who followed her heart and not societal conventions. Newcomer Christine Horne plays Hagar as a young woman, the daughter of the most prominent man in town, who instead of following daddy's rules went off and married Bram Shipley a hot-headed dreamer with no prospects of supporting his wife. Hagar quickly learns was it was like to be living on the other side when her father cuts her off, yet she continues to believe that someday she will win her father's love and respect back. Suffice it to say that doesn't happen, and it makes Hagar quite bitter and she takes out her bitterness and disappointment on her son Marvin (played as an adult by Dylan Baker). As she realizes her life it coming to an end, Hagar finally comes to terms with herself and her son in a way that sets both of them free.

Great performances from Burstyn, Dylan Baker and Christine Horne. The film is quiet and at times a little too slow. The NY Times ad from last Sunday had Ellen Page in it (since she's hot now), but you will be disappointed if you expect to see a lot of her. She has a very small part. The film really belongs to Burstyn and Horne.

Other Women-Centric Films in Theatres:
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
The Last Mistress- limited
Brick Lane- continues to expand in Scottsdale, CA, Denver, CT, Washington DC, MD, VA, southern FL, NJ, Long Island, Portland, OR, and Philadelphia
Sex and the City
A Previous Engagement - opens in Palm Springs- read interview with director Joan Carr-Wiggin:
Water Lillies- opens in SF- read interview with director Celine Sciamma:

Women & Hollywood: The Stone Angel is a beloved book in Canada. Were you nervous about taking this well known book to the screen?

Kari Skogland: Absolutely. It is studied in high school and University and everyone in Canada has a love/hate relationship with it, as well as preconceived notions of who Hagar, the lead character, is or isn't. It's a tough read as well and when it came out in the 1960s, it was considered to be quite a feminist book with spiritual questions and was banned in many areas. My daunting task was to turn this epic story told as one woman's stream of consciousness, into a cinematic one, as well as to update her to modern times.

W&H: You tell a very moving story about a woman taking stock of her life and realizing that some of the choices she made, especially relating to her son Marvin, were quite hurtful. What can Hagar's search for peace teach the rest of us?

KS: Such a great question! This story is very much a dialogue with god and spirituality. Hagar questions and rebels against the god she is taught is vengeful, a god where a woman's sexuality and independence is somehow a bad thing - she rebels against false pride but because of the legacy of family and community, she falls victim to it and makes well intentioned but, ultimately, destructive choices. On set we all were continually applying "the Hagar effect" to our own lives as a sort of check list and I certainly have made adjustments and am conscious of when I fall off the rails. Her truth and discovery is that God is love and love is unconditional. Bram and she were in love - outside forces that she bought in caused her to withdraw her approval of him- and therefore put conditions on his love for her. It destroyed him, them, and her life as she applied her 'conditions' to her sons.

W&H: Hagar was clearly a woman ahead of her time. She spoke out, had a mind of her own, followed her heart and clearly did not want to live the life her mother did. Yet it turns out that her pride and love led to a very unexpectedly difficult life for her and her family. Talk a little bit about the character of Hagar and how she is unique from the type of woman we usually see on screen today.

KS: What Ellen Burstyn and I both loved about this woman is that she is strong, archetypal, vulnerable and yet made of steel. She is wonderfully flawed. She survives the best way she knows and fails. Her redemption comes when she accepts the love she feels. That's such a terrific inner journey, filled with depth and humanity.

It's not often you see a woman who isn't a traditional victim; or the flip, smart side kick. I think most women portrayed in films are truthfully various versions of the silent films of the 1920's; i.e. - a woman tied up on the rail tracks with the train coming, or tied up on the logging company conveyor belt headed for the buzz saw!

Generally women characters are imagined by men, and that is not to say men can't imagine a female character, but they have to do their research to get it right, just as a female writer has to avoid stereotypes when writing the male characters. We as women have to be more vocal about it as well - we need to support female driven stories and films because if there is no financial upside, there is no way to get our stories out there. That's my call to action ladies!!!

W&H: The numbers for women directing films here in the US are brutally low. Why do you think women continue to struggle in this area and what has your experience been?

KS: I am so fortunate to be able to make my living as a director given my gender - kind of against the odds. I have to say I've never paid attention to limitations set by others, and perhaps that’s why I've been lucky enough to continue to work. Truthfully, it's about trust whether you are a man or a woman. A financier or a producer needs to know that I will get them there on time, on budget and with a great film. My creative vision is obviously paramount, but it's a blend of sensibilities and stamina, so, one has to always be working on skills.

I've always taken risks. Some work out better than others but, I always learn something I can bring to the next project and I try never to get discouraged. Women will continue to struggle until gender is secondary to skill. I don't think it is a conspiracy by the way, I think it is just a pervasive norm that keeps dropping the women off the list. Work begets more work so, if women aren't working their way up the ladder particularly in the more visible genres like "action", then developing the skills that will allow a studio, actor, producer or financier to trust them becomes difficult to achieve. Sort of a chicken and egg issue scenario. There's no specific solution other than to continue to prove oneself and be a bit "bloody minded" about accepting the word "no".

W&H: I've heard from a variety of people that there are financial resources available through co-production deals and government funds for film made by Canadians based on Canadian material. Is that true? And if it is do you think that having these funds available makes it easier for Canadian women directors?

KS: Yes, there are financial resources around the world so having other passports is a good thing, but I don't think the numbers reflect any difference. I do have to say I've been given many opportunities to work on projects that are not traditionally directed by a woman which leads me to other projects because my Canadian passport gives producers access to some government money at which point the gender issue tends to dissolve...

W&H: What's next for you?

KS: Fifty Dead Men Walking, a political thriller set in the late 1980s in Northern Ireland. I wrote, directed and produced and I am blessed with another great cast: Sir Ben Kingsley, Jim Sturgess, Kevin Zegers, Nathalie Press and Rose McGowan. It's very different from The Stone Angel. The story is tough and edgy, loads of action which I love to do. It's ultimately about doing the right moral thing when everyone around you -- even the good guys are not -- even if it costs you everything, including your life. War is a place of many shades, none of which are easy to decode. I guess I am drawn to exploring the truth as we discover it in ourselves under extreme conditions.

The Stone Angel opens today in NY, LA, Washington DC and Minneapolis.

• LA Times writer and new blogger Patrick Goldstein talks to the diva of HBO docs Sheila Nevins who was recently admitted into the Academy.
  

• Kristin Scott Thomas will make her Broadway debut this fall as Arkadina in a new production of Chekov's The Seagull (Broadway World)

• Podcast Interview with Lisa F. Jackson, director, The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo (Zoom-in-Online)
  

• Tovah Feldshuh will star in the world premiere of “Irena’s Vow,” a new play by Dan Gordon about an unsung wartime heroine in Nazi-occupied Poland, opening Sept. 22 at New York’s Baruch Performing Arts Center. (Variety)
  

• Natalie Portman talks about her work for FINCA International, how she balances her activism with her career as an actress, and her advice on making a difference. (Huffington Post)
  

• Helen Mirren received the career achievement prize at the second Roma Fiction Fest this week. (HR)
  

• The Secret Life of Bees directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, and starring Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo will world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.
  

• The Duchess starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes about Lady Georgiana Spencer will also premiere at the Toronto Film Fest.

Here is guest post from screenwriter, and author Amy Ferris. (warning- spoilers included)

Maybe it’s just me.

I want to preface this by saying that I liked the movie Hancock. Much more than I thought I would. I like Will Smith. He’s smart and sexy and has a great face. And I really like that guy Bateman. Talk about smart and sexy and wow, what a great, great face – he’s funny, and charming and easy, in other words - effortless.

And for a good chunk of the movie I could relate to Charlize Theron. I could relate to her being a mom (although, truth be told, I don’t have kids, but I could relate to her balancing children, husband, life…), I could relate to the Thursday night meatball and spaghetti dinners (although…another truth, my husband is a vegetarian, so we don’t eat meatballs. I eat meatballs, I actually sneak eating meatballs, but that’s another story…), I could relate to her relationship with her husband (finally…need I say more?). And she’s a wonderful, gorgeous, talented actress. Truly. She lights up the screen.

But, and this is again, maybe just me – I could not relate at all when she turned into Super Woman. You know how Superman runs into a phone booth, spins, and boom – head to toe costume, cape, slicked back hair? I can only imagine this Super Woman dashing into a Sephora store, putting on every black kohl eyeliner and hair straightening balm imaginable, and once all that make-up is meticulously applied, she explodes out and lands in H & M, where, in a flurry, manages to try on, and buys (or borrows) a “skintight” black “to the belly button” low-cut tee, skintight black pants, and matching “to the knee” leather boots.

And then of course, all dolled up in her Superwoman ensemble, she goes toe to toe with Hancock.

My husband, who was now sitting on the edge of his seat, (prior to her costume change, he was casually leaning back eating popcorn) says audibly, “God. Jesus. Whoa.” I turn to him, and tell him to sit back, and eat the popcorn.

My point is: I thought Charlize Theron was pretty cool to begin with. She was a mom, a wife, she had a career, she loved her family, she had emotional issues, she had secrets, and she made love to her husband. This to me is a superwoman. I am at a point in my life when getting out of bed can seem miraculous. Before all the black kohl eyeliner, I thought she was beautiful and simple, and smart, and elegant – and a bit disheveled, and had qualities that most women can relate to. Except for the long legs. Most women I know are hoping that Spanx comes out with a leg lengthener along with the tummy tuck and thigh reducer.

Having her wear black eyeliner and skin tight clothing is not my idea of a superwoman, or superhero.

I wonder if a woman had directed this movie, if she would have made Charlize’s spirit -- her heart, her passion, her commitment the very qualities that made her super. I understand all the subtext, the need for sexiness, and theatrics – I understand the need to make people seem larger than life. I understand the need for a make-up artist. I do. But I think the message could have been a bit louder had she stayed exactly who she was, and manifested her dormant power, proving that equality between men and women is not because a woman is wearing high heels and therefore can look a man straight in the eye, but because she has the ability to kick ass barefoot.

- Amy Ferris is an author, a screenwriter, a television writer and a journalist, she lives in Pennsylvania and New York.
photo: Albert L. Ortega/PR Photos