Tag Archive for 'Feminism'

I remember being very excited reading about this play a couple of years ago.  Bening was supposed to bring it to Broadway and, sadly, that never happened for a variety of reasons.  The play opened in 2008 in London starring Eileen Atkins and finally it is getting its US debut at the Geffen Theatre starring Annette Bening.

This is a serious feminist play.  Here’s a description:

Australian playwright Joanna Murray-Smith’s comedy about a renowned feminist author named Margot Mason and her tussles with a disgruntled student, a resentful daughter, her publisher, a cabbie and other characters combines lively debate about the evolution of feminist theory with good old meat-and-potatoes farce. Bening, of course, plays the force-of-nature feminist.

The OC Register asked Bening some questions about the play, feminism and the political context of the work.

Register: This play is a comedy but the issues being discussed – particularly the evolution of feminism and the conflict between its founders and the next generation – are quite serious, aren’t they?

Bening: No question about it. The issues were and are so serious and grave. Women had to take that kind of a stand because of what they were fighting and where we were. We’re not at that point any more. (This conflict) is what makes the play for me. All those issues are being thought about but within a context of humor. I’m so impressed with how she’s been able to get these issues in people’s mouths without it being preachy and overly earnest.

Register: Is there a meta-theme at work in the story?

Bening: The idea that the generation that comes up doesn’t fully appreciate what the older generation went through. They take for granted things that are in place that didn’t always used to be. That’s the way of the world, the ancient problem. She manages to get into all of that with this subject. We’ve come a long way in terms of our laws, but of course in many ways things haven’t changed. One thing she’s writing about is (something) that will never change: what makes men and women different.

Sounds like it will be a good second wave/ third wave exploration.  I don’t recall seeing another play that has attempted it.  It’s supposedly loosely based on an incident in Germaine Greer’s life but is not about Greer.  I really hope it gets to NY.

Annette Bening Likes Getting Theatrical (OC Register)

So here we are on day three of Polanskigate on my blog.  Have to say that the amount of comments I’ve gotten on the site over the last couple of days has been incredible, however I wish as many people would comment on an interview with a woman director (like the one I just did with Sally Potter) or other issues that I write about regularly.

But no, this has been the big kahuna.  It seems that now that I have spoken up and levied deserved criticism on Hollywood and feminist organizations for not speaking up, the perception is that I have instantaneously abandoned my feminist roots and have joined the dark side.

That couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Because you know what?  Rape is a feminist issue.  If it wasn’t for feminists rape would still be know as “life” for so many women across the country and the world.

So just to clarify.  I am a feminist.  I don’t buy into the bullshit that I have to vote for a woman because she is a woman.  I would never, ever vote for Sarah Palin.  Because you see –  I am a feminist.  I believe in equal rights for all.  I believe in a woman’s right to determine what happens to her body.  I believe that we need to see more women’s visions in film because it will expose us to a vast amount of important stories that are missing and will improve the cultural dialgoue.

I know that my fellow feminists are out there with my back because I have heard from them on Facebook and twitter.  Feminists everywhere are aghast about the fact that we have lost sight that this man raped a 13-year-old girl.  Feminist everywhere stand up against rape because it is endemic in our society.

So to just remind people why we are all livid about this:

• 1 in 6 women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime.
• In 2007, there were 248,300 victims of sexual assault.
• Every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted.
• Approximately 73% of rape victims know their assailants.
• Only 6% of rapists will ever spend a day in jail.
• 44% of victims are under age 18.

Statistics from RAINN

So even though this has been a disturbing topic to focus on for the last couple of days, and who knows if I will suffer for speaking out as I did in the LA Times this morning, at least it has afforded us an important conversation about how pervasive rape is in our culture and that it can happen to anybody at anytime.

In July, I had the pleasure of meeting Jane Campion at a breakfast with a couple of other awesome female bloggers.  Below are some quotes from the conversation.  Most of Campion’s answers I feature are from my own questions, but there were several other comments made by the director in answer to questions posed from the other attendees that were so pointed that they needed to be included.  (My advance apologies to my fellow attendees I could not figure out whose voices were asking those questions.)

As I mentioned, I found Campion to be incredibly honest, thoughtful and introspective.  Her new film Bright Star (check out the film’s website it is like nothing I have ever seen before and is a perfect complement to the film) about the relationship between John Keats and Fanny Braune opens on September 18th.  It is a wonderful film that is infused with a passion that is rarely seen on screen.

Campion took four years off after her last film In the Cut to be with her daughter and also she said because she “was sick of my own thoughts.”  She was also “wondering what would happen if I didn’t need to produce anything and just made some space” so she started sewing.  “I think I had this project in the back of my mind because I had read Andrew Motion’s biography of Keats and I was wondering if I could find a way to tell the story.”

I really wanted to get Campion to elaborate further on the comments she made at the Cannes Film Festival on the lack of women directors.

MS: You actually spoke about the discrimination against women directors at the recent Cannes film festival and also challenged women directors to be tougher..

JC: People kept at it and I didn’t realize how unsaid it is.  A friend of mine joked in Australia feminism flourished because it had no natural predators.  Australians had no way of combating it, no dialogue, nothing.  In Europe and America they’re experienced in combating the ideas of feminism, but in Australia the feminists swept in like a bush fire.  They went to the film commissions and suddenly everyone was terrified.  The guys were searching around for a woman to put on their film.

MS: In Australia you have public funding for films.

JC: Yes, but it’s time for people to remember again that the money comes from men and women equally from the taxes and there should be some responsibility to come back equally too.  As you know women’s opinion and voice is different and it makes for a more diverse and interesting world.  And the sort of things that women might like- we’re just different.

Campion started out making short films in her 20s.  Here she describes why she got into films:

I was in my 20s and I was at art school and I thought I might get married. That didn’t happen and I got the idea (about making films) I’ll try. I know that sounds simple but it’s that kind of thing of wanting to be exposed.  It was for me a really good step because with it came so much energy.  When you follow the energy in your life that’s when things work for you.  And I just had so much energy and before that I was basically hiding. When you feel that in your body you can’t resist it.  I feel like I am in the middle of a force field and the only times I come out of it is when you are about to show your film and you meet the world and it’s also quite scary.  Now I’ve been around a few times and know how to look after myself better.  I do yoga practice everyday.

About Bright Star:

Men love this movie, they love the idea of being loved by a woman like that – it’s surprising how much men like this film.  Maybe it gives them permission to be emotional.  Tenderness, sensitivity, delicateness- What’s wrong with those things? The romance between Fanny and Keats is painful, it’s almost like an addiction, an obsession where you’ve joined identities.  Identity is really important to people  and when you’ve lost your own identity trying to claim that back is really painful. Most of us realize now that a healthy relationship is when you maintain your own identity and you can come together and apart but not list yourself in someone else.  When I was younger I thought that was the whole idea.

MS: You work with women producers and collaborators.  Can you talk about your relationship with producer Jan Chapman.

JC: Jan gave me my first job after film school.  She was a big wig at the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corp) She had seen my short films and liked them.  The head of the film school said don’t hire her because she’s trouble.

Continue reading ‘Some Thoughts from Jane Campion, director of Bright Star’

All of a sudden HBO seems to have gotten the feminist bug.  First they commissioned Theresa Rebeck to a do a pilot for Julie White called Women’s Studies, and now the team of Marti Noxon and Dawn Parouse Olmstead are writing a pilot for Diane Keaton to play a “Gloria Steinem” type editor who tries to reignite feminism by starting a porn magazine.

I personally don’t think starting a porn magazine would reignite feminism but Diane fucking Keaton in a TV show?  Another nail in the coffin for movies cause if Diane abandons there is only Meryl Streep left and she can only make so many movies a year.

But seriously, I love Marti Noxon (not that we know each other).  She recently worked on Private Practice and Grey’s Anatomy as well as Mad Men and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  She is an incredible writing talent and Keaton is very lucky cause I guarantee that script will be way better than some of the movie ones she has been in lately. The article stated that once Keaton signed on they decided to incorporate some of her personality in the character. I just hope the character doesn’t wear gloves ever except on a winter day, shows her neck, and wears other colors besides white cause I can take that in one or two films but in a whole series, please.

The only thing I’m concerned about is whether HBO would move ahead on two similarly themed shows.  I want both those shows on the air.   How cool would it be if there were feminist shows on TV with both Julie White and Diane Keaton.  I’d just pee in my pants with excitement.  I wish I could get this excited about some of the upcoming movies.

Noxon, Olmstead set Grady Twins slate (Variety)

h/t Rebecca Traister

Update: There was an article in the HR about this too and I have to say I’m disappointed with both women’s quotes.  First, Parouse Olmstead says:

“There seems to be a new evolution of what women are sexually. Women are acting more like men sexually.”

then Noxon adds:

“We’re attracted to genres, horror and darkness, and we wanted to make sure we reminded each other that we won’t become Vagina Prods.,…Our goal to make scary shows for television.”

I hate both quotes so much!  What is all the crap about women acting more like men sexually?  Isn’t it just that women are actually talking about sex more and more comfortable talking about it more and that TV and films are exploring it more?  We’ve come a long way from Lucy and Ricky having one foot on the floor.

Maybe to some it seems like men are the norm that everything is based on, but I don’t operate in that universe.  Women are not little men.  We react differently to drugs, radiation, commercials etc.  Just because something is about women doesn’t mean that all women want to talk about is their vagina or their feelings or their laundry or god forbid their cats. Give me a break.  Have you watched Saving Grace or In Plain Sight recently?  Those women.  Tough.  Scary.  Intense.  Real.  That’s how I like my TV.

I beg you ladies, don’t buy this crap.  If you make a strong show about women being women we will watch.  If you write a show about a woman who wants to be a man we won’t.  It’s pretty simple.

Diane Keaton Set for HBO Comedy (HR)