With the 2020 Oscar nominations snubbing women in a number of categories (we <3 you Greta), it seems as if the world of film is not making as much progress towards inclusivity as we might have thought. But, now that the dust has settled on the Academy Awards, it’s time to take a look at a few moments of feminism in film that were exactly what we asked for.
DAME Judy Dench
Dame Judy Dench graced the big screen as Old Deuteronomy in Cats. In the musical however, Old Deuteronomy is typically played by a male actor. This progressive gender bending gave us the chance to see our own pillar of class and grace dance around an oversized set with cat fur, but also with human hands and feet. What was lost in the editing of Jason Derulo’s junk was made up for in CGI cat boobs. We asked for a seat at the table and we got a bowl of milk on the floor. Close enough!
Bella the Dog
Move over Air Bud, Scooby Doo, even you Scrappy Doo. There’s a new head bitch in charge. Literally. A Dog’s Way Home featured a female canine protagonist named Bella on a daring adventure to reunite with her owner. The dog was voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard, known for acting in other films such as Jurassic World, Rocketman, and replacing the original Victoria in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. A Dog’s Way Home grossed $76 million worldwide while competing male led dog film, The Art if Racing in the Rain, made only $33.8 million, thus proving once and for all that strong female leads are profitable.
Florence Pugh
Not only did she absolutely win a breakup in Midsommar but she also got bangs in Little Women (see featured image).
Scarlett Johansson
ScarJo was nominated for not one, but two Academy Awards for her leading role in Marriage Story and supporting role in Jojo Rabbit. What the Academy neglected to acknowledge however was her incredible performance in 1917 as a tree. She said that she could do it and she did! Dream it, believe it, achieve it girls. Joaquin Phoenix was lauded for embodying the Joker but Scarlett underwent a true transformation for this role until she was almost unrecognizable.
Off To a Great Start in 2020
And luckily the film industry shows no sign of slowing down in championing women. One of the first films released in 2020 is a take on a classic fairy tale, Gretel and Hansel. Oh yeah ladies, you read that right. First billing. A suggestion of another radical action the Academy of Motion Pictures could take to promote equality would be to actually nominate and honor deserving female filmmakers. Just an idea though.
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