Zac Baldwin's Blog: Errant Thoughts - Posts Tagged "bridesmaids"
Paul Feig - more than just pro-women
While the talented Mr. Paul Feig has been around quite a while as an actor and director of television shows,
he burst onto the movie scene in 2011 when he did the unthinkable - he made a very funny, ribald comedy called "Bridesmaids", 2011
(written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo) with and about women, busting the silly preconception that women can't be funny.
After that huge success, Mr. Feig went on to make "The Heat" 2013 (written by Katie Dippold) which was a buddy movie about two wildly different cops, again, he starred women in the lead and it was another monster success.
Continuing his winning streak he wrote and directed "Spy" 2013 - another action comedy, this a send up of spy movies, again with a leading woman good guy, women bad guys and men were the (very funny) eye candy and comic relief.
Finally he hands in Ghostbusters, continuing the tradition of promoting women in the leads to great success.
The reason for this missive, though, is not to salute him yet again for his support of women, but to thank and congratulate him for his bravery to take on another Hollywood tradition: agism. Agism is rampant for both sexes, but in a land where being over 25 is considered by many to be ancient, women are hardest hit. Mr. Feig has quietly and very powerfully turned those silly beliefs on their ear as well.
When Bridesmaids came out, 3 of the movie's standouts were Kristen Wiig-39; Melissa McCarthy-41; Maya Rudoph-40.
When The Heat came out, Sandra Bullock was (gasp!) 49 and Ms. McCarthy 41.
One of the youngest leading roles in Spy was played by Rose Byrne, who was by Hollywood standards old at 34. Ms. McCarthy was 43 and Jason Statham was 46 and Jude Law 41. Allison Janney was 54!
And Kate McKinnon was the youngest in Ghostbusters at 32, while Ms. Wiig was 43, Ms. McCarthy was 46 and the great Leslie Jones was 49.
So Mr. Feig has taken two sacred cows of Hollywood "women are only good as window dressing and can't be funny" and "anyone over 25 cannot open a movie!" and proven them to be so untrue and most importantly to Hollywood, fiscally wrong.
May his reign continue forever for not only are his movies fabulous, funny and wonderful - his powerful changing of preconceptions must go on.
he burst onto the movie scene in 2011 when he did the unthinkable - he made a very funny, ribald comedy called "Bridesmaids", 2011
(written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo) with and about women, busting the silly preconception that women can't be funny.
After that huge success, Mr. Feig went on to make "The Heat" 2013 (written by Katie Dippold) which was a buddy movie about two wildly different cops, again, he starred women in the lead and it was another monster success.
Continuing his winning streak he wrote and directed "Spy" 2013 - another action comedy, this a send up of spy movies, again with a leading woman good guy, women bad guys and men were the (very funny) eye candy and comic relief.
Finally he hands in Ghostbusters, continuing the tradition of promoting women in the leads to great success.
The reason for this missive, though, is not to salute him yet again for his support of women, but to thank and congratulate him for his bravery to take on another Hollywood tradition: agism. Agism is rampant for both sexes, but in a land where being over 25 is considered by many to be ancient, women are hardest hit. Mr. Feig has quietly and very powerfully turned those silly beliefs on their ear as well.
When Bridesmaids came out, 3 of the movie's standouts were Kristen Wiig-39; Melissa McCarthy-41; Maya Rudoph-40.
When The Heat came out, Sandra Bullock was (gasp!) 49 and Ms. McCarthy 41.
One of the youngest leading roles in Spy was played by Rose Byrne, who was by Hollywood standards old at 34. Ms. McCarthy was 43 and Jason Statham was 46 and Jude Law 41. Allison Janney was 54!
And Kate McKinnon was the youngest in Ghostbusters at 32, while Ms. Wiig was 43, Ms. McCarthy was 46 and the great Leslie Jones was 49.
So Mr. Feig has taken two sacred cows of Hollywood "women are only good as window dressing and can't be funny" and "anyone over 25 cannot open a movie!" and proven them to be so untrue and most importantly to Hollywood, fiscally wrong.
May his reign continue forever for not only are his movies fabulous, funny and wonderful - his powerful changing of preconceptions must go on.
