By Bryan Coley
2018 will be remembered for a year in which voices that are often on the margins proliferated at the box office. The African-American voice in film saw a number of nuanced and artistically significant films such as, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK, BLINDSPOTTING, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, BLACKKKLANSMAN, INTO THE SPIDERVERSE and, of course, BLACK PANTHER. Likewise, CRAZY RICH ASIANS bounded on the screen with a refreshing new take on the romantic comedy genre. However, if there was one voice that roared in 2018, it was that of women.
It has been only a little over a year since the #MeToo movement went viral. Culturally, women fought for their voices to be heard in the issues of sexual harassment and gender equality. Politically, the 2018 elections saw an unprecedented number of women elected to Congress. Back at the beginning of 2018, the Oscars prophetically signaled an upcoming surge in films featuring female leads who provoke change, with nominated films such as THE SHAPE OF WATER, THE POST, LADY BIRD and THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE OF EBBING, MISSOURI. However, in light of how long it takes a film to go from script to production to distribution, the tsunami of films giving voice to women that hit the screen in 2018 is miraculous. You may not have realized the numbers, so below is a visual of why 2018 was the year of the woman in film:
The most prominent expression of women in film this year was that of gender swapping. A movie like OCEANS 8 best exemplifies roles that traditionally were held by men, inhabited by women. In BLACK PANTHER, the bodyguards and protectors of Wakanda are women. BLOCKERS was a teenage girl version of AMERICAN PIE and LIFE OF THE PARTY was a female version of OLD SCHOOL. Movies like ANNIHILATION, TOMB RAIDER, A PRIVATE WAR, ADRIFT and INCREDIBLES 2 saw women taking over the traditional action hero role of survivor. It is no accident that at the end of AVENGERS INFINITY WAR, when most male superheroes are dissolving, the rescue call is made to a female CAPTAIN MARVEL. And it makes sense that both RBG and ON THE BASIS OF SEX are based on the true story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who performed the ultimate real life gender swap in her role of a Supreme Court judge.
Another dominant expression for women in film this year was that of what I call “the avenging angel.” These are women who are avenging the past wrongs, usually committed by white males. Again, it is mind blowing to think that most of these movies were greenlit well before the #MeToo movement. Movies like PEPPERMINT with its poster displaying angel wings on its female protagonist who trains to have special skills to deliver her own brand of punishment and justice. Same is true for movies like RED SPARROW, GIRL IN A SPIDER’S WEB, PROUD MARY, DESTROYER and MORTAL ENGINES. BREAKING IN and the reboot of HALLOWEEN show women not afraid to defend their homes. And films like WIDOWS, ACRIMONY, THE WIFE, COLETTE and even comedies, NOBODY’S FOOLS and THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME, have women avenging the betrayal of male significant others.
While there have always been movies like STEEL MAGNOLIAS that bring together an ensemble of female stars, 2018 had movies like BOOK CLUB and MAMA MIA!: HERE WE GO AGAIN, as well as OCEANS 8 to showcase womens’ star power. And speaking of star power, movies like A STAR IS BORN (featuring Lady Gaga), MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS (featuring Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie), and THE FAVOURITE (Emma Stone, Olivia Coleman and Rachel Weisz) will most definitely provide battlegrounds for huge female star wars for the 2019 Oscars. In fact, the trend, moving into 2019 with movies like THE FAVOURITE, MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS and A SIMPLE FAVOR seems to forecast a new cultural playing field where women are at the top and now have to battle it out amongst themselves.
And finally, rounding out the full expression of women in 2018 are movies such as TULLY, MARY POPPINS and WELCOME TO MARWEN, in which women are supernatural caregivers and healers. BEN IS BACK, starring Julia Roberts, reminds us that women are still fierce mothers. And movies that feature young women finding their identity and voice, such as THE HATE YOU GIVE, EIGHTH GRADE and even BUMBLEBEE, give us hope and a promise for more women to be leaders of our future.
So in a year where Mary Poppins has to return to clean up another mess, I think it’s appropriate that 2018 will/can be remembered as the year when women soared culturally, politically and even in the movies to lead, with the magic and power that only they can wield, for such a time as this.
