I did some clicking around on IMDB this morning, and out of the top 100 highest grossing live action films of all-time (U.S. only), not one is directed by a woman.
You’ll notice I said “live action.” That’s because women did co-direct a couple films that break the top 100 when you include animation. Vicky Jenson co-directed Shrek (#38), and Judy Morris co-directed Happy Feet (#92).
And you’ll notice I said “U.S. only.” That’s because on the list of highest grossing films worldwide, a woman is currently at #48 and rising. The English director Phyllida Lloyd helmed Mamma Mia! this summer. Apparently, it did much better internationally than it did here - on U.S. box office chart, it’s only at #183.
And believe it or not, the situation for ladies behind the camera might be getting worse. Dr. Martha Lauzen of San Diego State University compiles a yearly study on women in Hollywood. Her report on the top 250 domestic grossing films of 2007 found that…
Women accounted for 6% of directors in 2007, a decline of one percentage point since 2006. This figure is almost half the percentage of women directors working in 2000 when women accounted for 11% of all directors.
However.
Twilight is directed by Catherine Hardwicke. In order to break into the top 100 domestic, it needs to gross over 187 million. I’m guessing it should do that by December 1.
So feminists — if you were disappointed that Hillary Clinton and/or Sarah Palin didn’t get to the White House, and least you can be proud that the celluloid ceiling is about to get busted wide open.
[I'd tell you to do your part by going to see the movie, but you were going to do that anyway. Or you already have. So I won't bother. --Ed.]
You know, I said I was going to stop writing about horror so much. But that was before I found out about the Final Girl Film Club, which just seems like too much fun to pass up. Basically how it works is a bunch of us film nerds agree to review the same obscure horror film on the same day, thus fostering community, attracting new visitors to our respective sites, and generally making the internet just a smidge more similar to having actual friends. (By the way, If you haven’t seen Stacey Ponder’s little new-media empire, which in addition to the aforementioned Film Club includes two blogs, assorted facebook gruppen, and an agreeably DIY webseries; it’s all well worth a look. Provided you like horror. Which if you don’t, by now you’ve probably already clicked through to one of our Disney Princess posts.)