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Summary
Summary
A brutally honest look at the systemic exclusion of women in film--an industry with massive cultural influence--and how, in response, women are making space in cinema for their voices to be heard.
Generation after generation, women have faced the devastating reality that Hollywood is a system built to keep them out. The films created by that system influence everything from our worldviews to our brain chemistry. When women's voices are excluded from the medium, the impact on society is immense. Actor, screenwriter, and award-winning independent filmmaker Naomi McDougall Jones takes us inside the cutthroat, scandal-laden film industry, where only 5% of top studio films are directed by women and less than 20% of leading characters in mainstream films are female. Jones calls on all of us to act radically to build a different kind of future for cinema--not only for the women being actively hurt inside the industry but for those outside it, whose lives, purchasing decisions, and sense of selves are shaped by the stories told.
Informed by the journey of her own career; by interviews with others throughout the film industry; and by cold, hard data, Jones deconstructs the casual, commonplace sexism rampant in Hollywood that has kept women out of key roles for decades. Next, she shows us the growing women-driven revolution in filmmaking--sparked by streaming services, crumbling distribution models, direct-to-audience access via innovative online platforms, and outside advocacy groups--which has enabled women to build careers outside the traditional studio system. Finally, she makes a business case for financing and producing films by female filmmakers.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Actor and filmmaker Jones debuts with a timely look at how women are undervalued in Hollywood, on and off the screen. She analyzes the dominance of the "male gaze" in how movies are shot, and shares demoralizing experiences as an actor, such as being given a litany of physical changes--to her hair, weight, teeth--she needed to make. Meanwhile, a male peer whom she interviews recalls only being urged to exercise a little more by his agent. Disgusted with the roles she was offered, Jones turned to filmmaking. Though her 2014 debut as a writer and filmmaker, Imagine I'm Beautiful, won distribution--a "very big deal" for an "$80,000 movie made by unknown filmmakers"--she's disappointed to discover it opens no doors. She finds her experience common; while inexperienced male directors are offered big-budget films, women scramble for funding and opportunities. Despite such prominent success stories as directors Ava DuVernay and Patty Jenkins, Jones cautions readers that Hollywood still has far to go in changing its ways. She spotlights social media's importance, discussing how being able to directly raise funds and win fans online is key to changing a retrograde corporate culture. Film viewing will never be the same after reading Jones's insightful look at the reality of being female in Tinseltown. (Feb.)
Booklist Review
While the #MeToo movement shone a light on sexual predation in Hollywood, allegations against people like Harvey Weinstein are just one among numerous manifestations of the industry's hostility toward women. Writer and producer Jones draws on data, personal experience, and interviews with industry professionals to reveal the systemic sexism that continues to shut women out of film. While the industry is competitive for everyone, men still comprise the majority of Hollywood decision-makers, and they remain likely to give more jobs, more funding, and more opportunities to other men in spite of the fact that statistics show that female-led films produce a higher return on investment. For women of color, trans women, and women with disabilities, the obstacles are even greater. But while Jones is clear-eyed about the problems women face in film, she is also optimistic about the future, identifying strategies to create more inclusive movies and highlighting the work of those endeavoring to change the industry. Well-written, passionate, and occasionally shocking, this urgent and necessary book will appeal to film buffs and feminists alike.--Jenny Hamilton Copyright 2020 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Long denied equal opportunities as filmmakers, directors, producers, writers, actors, and cinematographers, women in Hollywood have also endured abuse by those in power. In this carefully researched book, Jones discusses the roadblocks she encountered as an independent film producer, screenwriter, and actor, and interviews other women with similar experiences. She offers data and informative commentary on the disproportionately low number of women in defining positions within the industry and explores the cultural impact of women's objectification both on screen and off. But despite the grim realities, Jones foresees a brighter future. Her own filmmaking ventures are just one example of the increasing numbers of women outside the mainstream studios who are organizing talented creative teams and financial and distribution strategies. Extensive resources (graphs, tables, lists, and notes) add context. VERDICT An intriguing read about how influence works in the film industry, for people in it; also relevant for the way it spun conversations around #MeToo.--Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, NJ
Table of Contents
| Author's Note | p. ix |
| Introduction Beyond the Lights | p. 1 |
| Chapter 1 It Felt Like Love | p. 7 |
| Chapter 2 Dance, Girl, Dance | p. 25 |
| Chapter 3 A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night | p. 45 |
| Chapter 4 Brick Lane | p. 57 |
| Chapter 5 Mudbound | p. 74 |
| Chapter 6 Songs My Brothers Taught Me | p. 115 |
| Chapter 7 One Way or Another | p. 132 |
| Chapter 8 Daughters of the Dust | p. 162 |
| Chapter 9 Wonder Wom(e)n | p. 193 |
| Chapter 10 Me and You and Everyone We Know | p. 211 |
| Conclusion Enough Said | p. 230 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 236 |
| List of Interviews | p. 239 |
| Resource List of Organizations Working Toward Intersectional Parity in US Entertainment Media | p. 242 |
| Notes | p. 246 |
| Image Credits | p. 259 |