Celeste’s therapy sessions in Big Little Lies were perhaps the most intense scenes of the series—until the series’ murder finally unfolded—and while watching Celeste (Nicole Kidman) come to terms with her husband’s abuse, viewers may have also been playing the, “hey, it’s that guy!” game when it came to Celeste’s therapist, Dr. Reisman. The phrase … Continue reading Robin Weigert Should Have Her Own TV Show
Even before the results of the election, 2016 was a tough year. It seemed like every time you turned around, another important figure had died. The artists we lost this year had an impact on a large number of people, from David Bowie, and Alan Rickman to Gary Marshall and Gene Wilder. Even beyond artists, … Continue reading 2016: Dumpster Fire Year in Review
“I don’t know. Isn’t the humor juvenile?” One of my co-workers asked when I told her I went to see Ghostbusters opening weekend. I consider myself to be a pretty serious person. I gravitate towards dark TV shows and movies, and I love true crime books and podcasts. Be that as it may, I’m capable … Continue reading Why Paul Feig Is An Ally for Women In Hollywood
Money Monster, Jodie Foster’s fourth directorial effort, received a standing ovation at Cannes and earned $15 million during its opening U.S weekend, an 180 degree difference from her last film, The Beaver, which opened amidst a storm of controversy surrounding lead actor Mel Gibson’s bigotry. But no matter the media frenzy, Foster navigates it all … Continue reading Jodie Foster & Money Monster
It wasn’t until Tina Mabry saw Kimberly Peirce’s Boys Don’t Cry and Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Love & Basketball that she decided she had to pursue a career in film. Mabry was born in Tupelo, Mississippi and attended the University of Mississippi for college. After completing her bachelor’s, she moved to Los Angeles and received her MFA … Continue reading 52 Weeks of Directors: Tina Mabry
It’s already difficult for female directors to get their films made, but even more difficult if they feature a female protagonist. Gina Prince-Bythewood faced similar obstacles making her most recent film, Beyond the Lights, but faced even greater adversity because she wanted to cast two black leads. In an interview with Roger Ebert.com, she said … Continue reading 52 Weeks of Directors: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Amy Heckerling grew up in the Bronx and then Queens and attended the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan. She wanted to be a writer and artist for MAD Magazine but changed her career goal when she saw what the boy next to her had written for his goal. He wanted to be … Continue reading 52 Weeks of Directors: Amy Heckerling
Niki Caro would not consider herself a “crusading feminist filmmaker” but her films often feature female protagonists. Caro is a New Zealand-born writer and director. She was born in Wellington, New Zealand and earned a BFA from the Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland. Originally, she was interested in art, specifically, … Continue reading 52 Weeks of Directors: Niki Caro
Friends with Kids was Jennifer Westfeldt’s directorial debut, but she has fought for the films she’s written as much as any director would. Westfeldt grew up in Connecticut to a Jewish therapist mother and an electrical engineer father. She attended Yale, where she was part of an a cappella group, Redhot and Blue. She started … Continue reading 52 Weeks of Directors: Jennifer Westfeldt
Debra Granik introduced Jennifer Lawrence to the world in Winter’s Bone in 2010, but unlike Lawrence, who has gone on to star in several blockbuster films, Granik prefers to avoid Hollywood’s sway and remain rooted in realism. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Granik grew up in the suburbs of Washington D.C. For college, she attended Brandeis, … Continue reading 52 Weeks of Directors: Debra Granik
Lauren C. Byrd 