If you haven't seen it yet, the trailer for the upcoming movie "Bombshell" starring Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie just dropped.
Bombshell (2019 Movie) New Trailer — Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbiewww.youtube.com
The movie follows the events that led up to the resignation of Fox News' former President, Roger Ailes, amid sexual harassment allegations.
Nicole Kidman stars as former Miss America and ex-Fox News Host Gretchen Carlson who sued Ailes, kickstarting the chain of events that led to his downfall.
Charlize Theron bears an uncanny resemblance to Megyn Kelly, the former Fox News Anchor who publicly accused Ailes of sexual harassment.
Margot Robbie plays a young producer who is new to the Fox News world but becomes increasingly disturbed with Ailes' behavior.
John Lithgow (as Ailes), Connie Britton, Kate McKinnon, and Allison Janney round out the star-studded cast.
The movie is already getting Oscar buzz, but there is one glaring issue.
Early screenings of the film have premiered to rave reviews, inciting predictions that Theron and Robbie will receive acting nods for their respective roles when awards season rolls around. The movie also marks the first release of a big-budget film about the #MeToo movement.
So far, it seems as though "Bombshell" does the women depicted in it justice.
However, there is a major problem with it: the film is neither written nor directed by a woman. Of the five executive producers, only one is a woman.
Women should be able to tell their own stories.
In 2018, women accounted for only 8 percent of directors. That is absurd. Positive and accurate representations of women in media are so important, and women should be able to tell their own stories.
A movie about the ways that men abuse power in order to harass women, it is especially critical to have the story written and directed by a woman. Hollywood has made strides in increasing diversity and closing the gender gap, but the lack of women behind the camera is still a huge issue.
Storytellers are just as important as the story.
Even though the cast is star-studded and the portrayals of the women are Oscar-worthy, there is something to be said for a story about women trying to dismantle a system that protects powerful men being created by men.
Women have a perspective on this situation that is profoundly personal and could emphasize the gravity of this moment in the context of #MeToo. A movement that found its stride in the ability of women to empathize with one another because of their shared experiences with sexual assault and harassment.
The women depicted in the movie deserve to have their story told by other women who understand the courage it took for them to come forward.
