Presentation Script

Presentation Script

Strong Female Characters in Popular U.S Contemporary Films

Projector: Title Page on PowerPoint

Presenter: (with title page) Films are beginning to break that stereotypical female character, however not often enough. There is still a huge movement to be made. 

Projector: BFI Magazine article explains how females are usually represented historically (item 15)

Presenter: The BFI magazine shows how female characters have always been restricted in the roles they play, for example it states that people complain that women in film are typically: mothers, girlfriends, virgins. My 3 key films, Gravity, Room and Ghostbusters shows how the female characters break that mould of a stereotype and transform it into a realistic and equal view of women and female characters in film. (item 15)

Presenter: Introduce Gravity (Item 1)

Gravity, my chosen focus film is an accurate representation of breaking the mould of your archetypical ‘damsel in distress’. The common question is, why are women not represented like this more often? A problem that arrises from these gender issues for example “Children who watch films can receive a very unbalanced message about gender”, Geena Davis stated in her interview about gender roles in film. Gravity reveals the success of its making, proving female lead roles can achieve on the big screen. (Item 22)

Hand out: Article from Indiewire (Item 9)

Presenter: This article from Indie wire suggests how many people were against the director of Gravity, Alfonso Cuaron choosing a female lead. Looking at this quote: “At Comic-Con, Cuaron opened up about another problem that came up when developing the film: people had problems that he had a female lead. When I finished the script, there were voices that were saying, ‘well, we should change it to a male lead.’ Obviously they were not powerful enough voices, because we got away with it. But the sad thing is that there is still that tendency.” However, this film is a great example showing how a female lead can succeed as Gravity was the eighth highest grossing film in 2013. 

Presenter: This video clip from Gravity shows how Sandra Bullock the female lead breaks the mould of what you usually observe in films. The award winning acting (best actress at people’s choice awards, 2013) she displayed throughout the film is a very positive representation.

Video Clip on Projector: Opening of Gravity when Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is doing engineering work on the space station. (Item 1)

Presenter: During the opening scene, Sandra Bullock’s character is doing some engineering work. This can immediately be contrasted with your stereotypical female character, this is because normally we associate this act to be a 'man’s job', therefore she is beginning to break the mould of your typical female character in films. She works for NASA which is a high class profession which lures a big income. This generates a positive outlook, delivering a message that as a woman you can generate wealth and be whatever you aspire to be. Gravity proves that a woman can anchor an action-packed blockbuster that does not have to include violence, superheroes, weapons and/or huge death tolls. However, this film has received some criticism. 

However, “Bullock’s character archetype is certainly one of growth; as Gravity progresses, Stone transforms from a bundle of nerves into a woman of strength who survives against all odds. It’s a shame then that she needs a man to get her there. For all of Stone’s intelligence as a medical scientist working for NASA, when shit hits the fan, it’s the man, Matt Kowalski, who comes and saves the day. Damn you George Clooney. Damn your smooth talking and dashing eyes. Without Kowalski’s instincts, the two lead characters would have died within the first ten minutes of the film. Sure Stone eventually survives but not without the help of a man first.” (item 1 & 7)

Presenter: Actress Geena Davis launched a campaign to research into gender in media . She may be best known for her iconic feminist role in Thelma and Louise, but today she’s working to improve the types of roles actresses across the industry are cast in. Davis says, “Hollywood is the one sector in society with a big imbalance that can change overnight.” Having a female lead character does not mean the film will flop. If we begin to take a look at some statistics of some U.S Contemporary films with female leads which have succeeded tremendously, you will notice something surprising. (Item 5)

Projector: Geena Davis statistics providing evidence of how little screen time females receive. (item 5)

In 2015, females received 16% of screen time, compared to males who received 28.5%. This is a significant difference. Overall, Davis believes female characters do not get the recognition they should receive. However, films that try to promote equality are actually more successful and The Geena Davis Institute can fully reflect this through their box office results. Geena Davis found that films led by women grossed 15.8% more on average than films led by men. (Item 5)

Presenter: This video clip goes to show how Geena Davis has become so involved in making a movement for gender equality in media and film. (item 22)

Video Clip on Projector: Geena Davis tackles gender roles in film (item 22)

Presenter & Projector: In 2015, 17% of the top grossing films had a female lead, compared to 11% of females with lead roles in 2011. Women had a particularly strong presence in the comedy and action genres. Amy Schumer, Melissa McCarthy, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Anna Kendrick had hit movies, demonstrating that funny women are bankable in Hollywood.

(Item 5 & 14) 

Video Clip: This clip from Ghostbusters shows how these actresses are now associated with the comedy genre now. It demonstrates how women can fight monsters in film and they don’t need male strength or their assistance. (Item 3)

Presenter & Projector: (Show animation of Stone touching land) Looking back at Gravity, the final scenes show true power and achievement. We see Stone land herself and finally touches land being the only survivor of that mission. The close-ups of her face emphasise the deep emotional pain she fought through to eventually succeed. This can be applied to the Final Girl theory by Carol J. Clover. (Item 1)

Presenter & Projector: Let’s take a look at some other films that do a strong female character justice. 

Projector: Show these four film posters on a slide:

• Arrival
• The Girl On the Train
• Room
• Ghostbusters

Presenter: These four recent films are a great representation of a film with a strong female character and have also made an enormous success. 

Emily Blunt, the female lead of The Girl on the Train has a lot to say about her character and how it differentiates to other films. Here is an article which states her interview about the film she stars in and the drunken character she plays. 

Projector: Picture of article and Emily Blunt. (item 8)

Presenter: "There's just so much judgment with women," says Emily Blunt as she takes on a tough and not at all likeable character in Universal's film adaptation of a blockbuster novel that highlights the darker urges of suburbia. However, she also has the challenge of becoming a murderer towards the end of the narrative, questioning whether or not it is a positive representation of a female character as she is also an alcoholic and suffers from mental health issues.(item 8)

Projector: Show quote that Blunt says in the article: (item 8)

"You have to be pretty. You have to be 'likeable,' which is my least favourite bloody word in the industry. Rachel isn't 'likeable.' What does that mean? To be witty and pretty and hold it together and be there for the guy? And he can just be a total drip?" (item 8)

Presenter: This article reveals how women in the film industry today have intelligent knowledge about the judgemental and negative representation of women in film. Some of the most famous actresses have stood up to make their voice heard.Emma Watson has made a huge impact and is famously known as Hermione in the Harry Potter franchise. (item 23)

Video Clip on Projector: Watch: Emma Watson calls for gender equality during UN speech in New York. (item 23)

Presenter: This shows how women in the film industry have beliefs and ideologies that these common female stereotypical moulds in film should be broken more often. However, not forgetting every other person in the world’s opinion on equality in film, I recently created a survey gathering some very interesting results. (item 4)

Projector: Picture of results from question 7. (item 4)

Presenter: This supports that there are so many people who are wanting to see this movement happen more often, therefore these film makers have a huge market of success available as shown from many films with a female lead. Audiences are willing to experience a different journey when watching a film rather than watching the ‘norm’. Applying the uses and gratifications theory, focusing more on the consumer and audience of the film, filmmakers can understand to meet their audiences needs.  (item 4)

Presenter: Room which is also one of my focus films represents its female lead role in a very different way. Brie Larson who plays Ma, a single mother trapped inside a room whilst bringing up her five year old son Jack, is constructed in a range of ways representing her strength, bravery and selflessness. My survey that I took reflects how people really do want to see more films like Room. Here is a clip from Room in which Ma and Jack practise their escape. (item 2)

Video Clip on Projector: Ma and Jacks practise escape. (item 2)

Presenter: Room - Ma and Jack practise escape scene analysis

This scene is powerful in many ways, from building intensity of escaping through fast paced cuts and jump cuts to close-ups showing pure venerability, which enhances the abuse they have been experiencing, which generates an audience response of hope for the two strong characters. Ma expresses a range of emotions, from extreme hurting to powerful strength in order to do what she possibly can to help her son Jack to escape. This represents her selfless persona, caring most for her son. Her single mother figure alone expresses her hard work keeping her son well, healthy and alive. Living in a small space like this is enough to make you go crazy. Ma's plan to help her son escape is a little crazy and risky, however, this reflects her courageous and intelligent personality, not what you would usually associate to a female character stereotype. The hand-held and jerky camera work positions spectators to feel the way they feel, the rush and panic of the moment. It magnifies the build up to the final escape. You can argue that she has qualities in which are stereotypical such as: a mother who cooks and cares for her child. However, this is done in a way in which seems much darker, the context of the situation of the scene reveals just how much strength she has to reassure her son Jack that everything will be alright. 

However, looking at a different scene later on in the narrative, when Ma has a drug overdose. This shows her weakness and how she has been battered and bruised to her lowest, to the stage she wishes to take her own life. This type of narrative pushes real life stories to the fore, creating awareness to these real issues and problems in reality. 

Projector: Empire Magazine – Brie Larson Article showing how her character is described in this review. (item 16)

Presenter: This article from Empire Magazine is extremely useful as it supports my point which Room does entail a strong female character. This can be supported through the use of language in which Empire Magazine describes her. These descriptions Larson is given are different to most film reviews, this is because films are usually using female characters in a very stereotypical way. The review describes her in this way, “She is so raw…” (item 16)

Presenter: Variety Magazine - Room film review describing Brie Larson's performance 

(Item  17)

“Larson drew well-deserved praise for her breakout performance as a counsellor for troubled teens in “Short Term 12,” and the demands of that role, with its balance of tenderness and tough love, were in some ways an ideal warm-up for the startling display of mama-lion intensity she unleashes here. Her inner radiance undimmed by seven years’ worth of accumulated grime, exhaustion and defeat, Larson sometimes beams at her child with incongruous delight, and at other times gives full voice to the anger and impatience that a mom can feel toward her offspring even when they haven’t been forced to breathe the same foul air for five years. Even at its most forceful and despairing, her rage never feels like an expression of anything less than a mother’s love.”

Projector: Feminist film theory book (item 20)

Presenter: This leads me onto my next point. Previously looking at the BFI magazine at the start of my presentation, it explains the archetypes females have played and play in films. The Feminist film theory book explains how women provide a passive, helpless and purely there to be a sexual human being. Films such as, Ghostbusters and Bridesmaids could be taking the idea of 'feminism' too far, almost to the point that it is mocking feminists. This is when the idea of reinforcing feminism in a positive way is stretched way too far. For example, having a full female cast in which all have extremely out going characters are not a general representation of a strong woman.

(item 20)

Presenter: The issue of stereotyping female characters is still happening far too often. A popular stereotype for a female character is known as the ‘Girlfriend problem’. This problem can be found in many Marvel superhero films where the hero has a female to their side during scenes. This is when these females take a back seat and let the male have all the spotlight. 

Projector: Picture of 4 films as an example of the ‘Girlfriend problem’ (item 11)

Presenter: The issue of stereotyping female characters is still happening far too often. A popular stereotype for a female character is known as the ‘Girlfriend problem’. This problem can be found in many Marvel superhero films where the hero has a female to their side during scenes. This is when these females take a back seat and let the male have all the spotlight.

Presenter: An article from the Guardian shows how the recent superhero film ‘Doctor Strange’ optimises the girlfriend problem in Hollywood. This is when females are cast to be the girlfriend of a hero. The reasoning for their role is to be attractive and to be an image that the male has. This problem makes it become a normality not only in films but in reality too. Males could watch these films and associate females as inferior counterparts to these powerful men. This can then support unequal behaviour between men and women. 

This supports one of my key points about how females get much less screen and talk time on the big screen, showing that it is very common for females to take a back seat when it comes to lead roles. This can be reflected through many Marvel films such as, Iron Man, Spider Man and The Incredible Hulk. (item 11)

Presenter: However, screen and talk time are being measured by an advanced technology. 

Projector & Presenter: Washington post exposed a new technology which can begin to measure male and female screen and talk time in films. The GD-IQ software technology rapidly speeds up the process, rolling through a 90-minute movie in about 15 minutes. It also collects a greater number of data points about which character is seen, which character is heard and what that character is saying. (item 13)

Projector & Presenter: The result, researchers say, is a different understanding of how gender is represented in media and entertainment. Data show women were heard even less than they were seen. In the 2015 films studied, women spoke an average 15.4% of the time compared to 28.4% for men. In films where men and women had co-leading roles, men still received more lines on average than their female co-stars. (item 13)

Presenter: Instead of looking more into why we need more of a positive representation of strong female characters in film, people are trying to make a movement happen. For example, New York city have recently launched a $5 million fund for women in film and theatre. This is the sort of effort that needs to be made. (item 12)

Projector: Show article (item 12)

Presenter & Conclusion: I think by looking into all these different books, videos, film and articles, we can notice that there needs to be a change and a faster movement. There is a high demanding market out there for strong female lead, and people want to see them. There are statistics to prove this from The Geena Davis Institute and even from the results I received from my survey. Although there is movement happening right now, it is not enough, we need more strong females on our screens.