Women’s History Month
is finally here! March is dedicated to celebrating the contributions women have
made throughout history, and Rock Hill is doing our part by highlighting some
of the most notable female directors in Hollywood! Check back every week in
March to find new posts showcasing trailblazing female filmmakers.
Patty Jenkins is the hero we deserve and the one we need. Though her body of work is small, Jenkins’s
films are game changing and have earned her more power than most female directors
have ever had before in Hollywood. With blockbusters such as “Monster” and
“Wonder Woman” under her belt, critics and fans alike admire this director for her
ability to bring complex, well-written female characters to the screen.
Jenkins fostered a love for film from an early age. After
losing her father when she was only 7 years old, a grieving Jenkins and her
family stopped at a movie theater during a snowstorm and saw the Christopher Reeve
version of “Superman”. Seeing Reeve on the silver screen helped Jenkins envision
the superhero inside herself. She notes that she immediately set a goal to make
a film someday that could inspire in others what this film inspired in
her—hope.
Like last week’s featured filmmaker, Jenkins originally
studied painting before transitioning to film. She worked as a focus puller and
camera operator on commercials and music videos for 10 years before going to
film school in LA. She began making short films and used the money she earned to
direct her first feature-length movie.
Her debut film “Monster”, which examines the life of serial
killer Aileen Wuornos, premiered in 2003 to high praise. Critics lauded Jenkins
for her work and gave special attention to Charlize Theron, who completely
transformed her appearance to play Wuornos. Jenkins won the Independent Spirit
Award for Best First Feature, while Theron took home over a dozen awards for
her explosive performance.
Jenkins attempted to make another movie after her success
with “Monster”, but her plans fell through when she became pregnant with her
son. She decided to step away from directing movies and focus on TV shows so
she could spend more time with her family, which explains the decade-long gap
between “Monster” and her next stroke of success.
Jenkins is best known for her record-breaking superhero
flick “Wonder Woman”, which she signed on to direct in 2015 after a previous
director dropped out of the project. She became the first woman to direct an American
studio superhero movie and had the biggest budget of any female director at the
time to bring her vision to the big screen.
“Wonder Woman” brought in $103.3 million in its first
weekend, the biggest opening weekend for a film directed by a woman. Overall, Jenkins’s
smash hit raked in over $800 million worldwide, making it the most successful
live-action film directed by a woman and the highest-grossing superhero origin
film to date.
Another Wonder Woman installment is in the works, and
Jenkins may break more records upon its release. She negotiated with Warner
Bros. to earn between $7 million and $9 million for writing, directing, and
producing the film, which will make her the highest-paid female director in
history. Jenkins spent months negotiating, and for good reason. She says, “I
was extremely aware that I had to make sure I was being paid what the male
equivalent would be”.
Jenkins’s tenacity and directorial prowess makes her a real
life Wonder Woman. Rock Hill honors her and all women directors this Women’s
History Month with our display for films directed by women. Come check out some
of these wonderful movies at the library!
Notable Films:
Monster; Wonder Woman
Sources:
https://www.biography.com/people/patty-jenkins
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2017/06/16/10-major-milestones-women-directors-hollywood/102814400/
http://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2017-patty-jenkins-runner-up/
https://variety.com/2017/film/features/patty-jenkins-wonder-woman-hollywood-sexism-equal-pay-james-cameron-1202583237/
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/complex-gender-politics-wonder-woman-movie-1008259
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