The anticipation for the Black List gets bigger each year. It was even hard getting on the site this morning and I read it was trending on twitter in LA.
But one thing hasn’t changed, the number of women who get a slot on the list. This year there are 73 scripts on the list based on recommendations from 307 insiders (according to the LA Times.) 9 of the scripts are written by women, and there is not a single woman in the top 10. Last year, 6 of the 76 scripts were written by women and no women made it to the top ten. My question again is how many of those 307 insiders are women and how many scripts by women were read?
Update: I received a tweet from Mr. Blacklist himself Franklin Leonard and he said this: “between 45–55% of Black List voters are women in a given year. I believe the last two year were >50%.” I appreciate his response. So that means women are reading the scripts and they either don’t have enough scripts by women in hand (which means that agencies are not picking up scripts by women because all the films on the list have representation) or the films by women are not being selected as scripts with potential to get made. Because even if this is a best liked list it has become quite important (and kudos to Franklin Leonard) that people want to put films on the list that might potentially get into production. There is still a lot of work to be done to get women’s scripts seen as potentially viable material. Will Bridesmaids help? Sure. I’m actually surprised there aren’t more wedding movies on the list.
And check out the descriptions, the scripts by women are mostly about relationships.
Here are the women on the list (done to the best of my ability)
HE’S FUCKIN’ PERFECT
by Lauryn Kahn
A social media savvy girl who is pessimistic about love finds the perfect guy and decides to use her internet research skills to turn herself into his perfect match.
THE MUSEUM OF BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS
by Natalie Krinsky
Lucy, a twenty-eight year old junior curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, is sleeping with her boss. When he dumps her she begins a collection of “break up items” and starts a blog which goes viral.
SAVING MR. BANKS
by Kelly Marcel
The story of how Walt Disney got the rights for Mary Poppins.
LEAVING PETE
by Ali Waller, Morgan Murphy
A recently divorced author is stunned when his ex writes a popular book about their breakup, and he has to keep that fact secret from his new girlfriend, who works for the book’s publisher.
SEX TAPE
by Kate Angelo
When a married couple make a sex tape to spice up their relationship, it disappears, and they are frantic to get it back.
FRIEND OF BILL
by Harper Dill
After a humiliating episode in New York, a young woman returns to her hometown and tries to deal with her alcoholism.
DEAD OF WINTER
by Sarah Conradt
A teenage girl heads to a remote cabin in the moun- tains with her father and new stepmother — an expe- rience the father hopes will bond the two ladies. But when a mysterious wounded Park Ranger shows up, family bonding will be the least of their concerns
THE PRETTY ONE
by Jenee LaMarque
When a woman’s identical, “prettier” twin sister dies, the woman assumes her sister’s identity, moving into her apartment and the big city.
BEFORE I FALL
by Maria Maggenti
When a popular teen girl is killed in a car crash, she relives the critical day seven times and makes changes in an attempt to affect the outcome; in the process, she herself changes as she tries to make up for previous heartless, self-absorbed behavior and gains a better understanding of herself and others. As she evolves and makes the connections necessary to save a bullied, depressed girl’s life, she comes to accept her own fate
This is how the list is described on the site:
The Black List was compiled from the suggestions of over 300 film executives, each of whom contributed the names of up to ten of their favorite scripts that were written in, or are somehow uniquely associated with, 2011 and will not have begun principal photography during this calendar year.
This year, scripts had to receive at least six mentions to be included on the The Black List.
All reasonable effort has been made to confirm the information contained herein. The Black List apologizes for all misspellings, misattributions, incorrect representation identification, and questionable 2011 affiliations.
It has been said many times, but it’s worth repeating:
The Black List is not a “best of “ list. It is, at best, a “most liked” list.
A ‘Black List’ that’s a career boost (LA Times)
