Over the last several years, there has been no shortage of controversy surrounding nominations and awards given in the celebration of film and television. It was just last year that Jada Pinkett Smith posted an incendiary video that spoke to the disdain she was feeling because no blacks were nominated for major awards by the Academy of Motion Pictures. The Smiths boycotted the Oscars this year. The Academy subsequently took steps to ease the tension in the relationship it had with non-White actors and actresses.
Based on the latest controversy, the race is not the only issue of concern when it comes to creating a level playing field – gender is also a hotbed right now. There were a lot of excited, well-written, and well-directed movies that hit the big screen this year, including “Lady Bird,” comedy musical that received a best picture nomination for the Golden Globes. Despite the major buzz that the movie received this year and the phenomenal acclaim afforded to its first-time director, Greta Gerwig, Gerwig was not nominated for best director. To make thing worse, there were no female directors nominated.
Gerwig is a seasoned actress, but she had never directed a film before Lady Bird, and yet her work was nothing short of Amazing, and to this point, the Hollywood Press Association has not offered any explanation for leaving her out of the nomination. There are some who believe that the fact that this was the first film that she directed, her freshman film so to speak, she was not given adequate consideration.
While in other industries like sports the freshman and rookie are rarely considered for certain highly esteemed honors, there are no concrete guidelines, written or spoken, that would set the precedent for leaving Gerwig off the list of nominations.
Another challenge is the way the association grouped multiple categories – subsequently crowding award categories and inevitably leaving a lot of talent uncelebrated. This controversy comes on the heels of Jordan Peels film, “Get Out,” is classified as a comedy musical, basically hiding it from any major consideration for best picture and best director.
Supposedly, there has been a focused effort to hire more female directors amidst allegations that that industry lacks diversity in some roles, with the director being at the top of the list. The challenge for the industry cannot end with simply hiring more women to direct films, it must extend into considering these female directors, without prejudice, when considering how prestigious awards will be given.
To illuminate the disparity in this category, the only female director to ever win a Golden Globe for best director is Barbara Streisand, who received the award in 1984 for her work on “Yentl.” Only three other women have even been nominated. Many thought that this would be the year when women would break through the barrier with the recent sexual misconduct scandals fraying the trust between the men and women in the industry. It is likely that this controversy will serve to intensify the ongoing struggle for power and equal footing in Hollywood on many fronts. While there were no female directors nominated for best director in this year’s Golden Globes, Angelina Jolie’s film, First They Killed My Father, was nominated for the best foreign film.
Follow Us
