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October 9, 2007
Lousy Ticket Sales the Fault of Female Actors
OK, I know lately I've been relying heavily on the "here's a link to something upsetting we should all pay attention to" form of blogging, but the fact of the matter is, here's a link to something upsetting we should all pay attention to. Turns out that Warner Bros is going to stop making movies with women in the lead, because two recent vehicles for big-name stars (The Brave One, with Jodie Foster, and The Invasion, with Nicole Kidman), didn't earn much at the box office.
I admit I didn't see either movie, and don't plan to, but it wasn't because I don't like movies with women in them; it's because both movies looked to me like the scripts sucked.
Did I just make this up out of nothing, or did Erin Brockovich do pretty well at the box office? Chicago? Chocolat? Most every Austen adaptation, whether I liked it or not?
This points to a problem that has been noted with regards to reading audiences: women will read books about men, but men won't read books about women, so books about men are emphasized, even though women make up a larger share of book buyers and readers than men do. Apparently the same applies to movies, and now women will have to even fewer movies about women to watch. They'll just have to settle for more movies about men, because some men won't see movies about women--or even make them.
Thank the powers that be, once again, for the likes of Joss Whedon, L. Frank Baum and Lewis Carroll. And I for one shall boycott all Warner Bros films, even on Netflix--I'm just not going to support that shit.
Posted by Holly at October 9, 2007 12:29 PM
Comments
The fact that the films sucked had nothing to do with the box office returns, I'm sure. Perhaps it would be instructive to compare how many film flops had main male characters versus how many had female main characters, over a longer period of time, say the past forty years? That might be a better basis of comparison, eh?
Posted by: Juti at October 9, 2007 5:56 PM
Haven't seen either flick, but it's pretty lame to blame it on the female actors. They must be getting desperate for scapegoats
Posted by: Gifted Typist at October 10, 2007 5:10 PM
That is just unbelievable. I wish I could say I would boycott Warner Bros. too, but I frankly don't believe boycotts work, and I really do not pay that much attention to the film company I pay attention to films I am interested in. I admit I was not really interested in either of these, and it has nothing to do with the leads who are both impressive actors. It sounds like an excuse. Hopefully they have people looking through blogs like these and realize their stupidity.
Posted by: The Stenz at October 15, 2007 5:52 PM
That's so lame. I'm pretty sure both movies got terrible reviews, which I was sad about because I like Jodie Foster and totally wanted to see The Brave One (until I read said reviews). I did see The Invasion, and mostly enjoyed it in all its awful glory. I think Warner Brothers will come around when they realize their lame movies with male leads do just as badly.
Posted by: rebecca at October 15, 2007 6:09 PM
I think those movies probably flopped because Jodie Foster and Nicole Kidman are kinda yesterday's news, not because they're chicks.
It's always bugged me the way that movies about women are considered "chick flicks," but movies about men are just considered normal movies, made for both men and women to enjoy.
The only exception I can think of to that would be the "Kill Bill" movies. Men love 'em/Women love 'em. I think Tarantino did something very clever there.
p.s. Hey, Holly!
Posted by: Reese W. at October 23, 2007 12:07 AM