Will ‘She Said’ Hit Too Close to Home for Oscar Voters?
What’s stranger than fiction? Biopics and historical dramas have typically been Oscar fodder, as shown by winners like “The King’s Speech” (2010) and “A Beautiful Mind” (2001). Sometimes, real-life events become a common thread among multiple titles in a single awards season. This year, however, several films tackling sexual assault — such as Universal’s “She Said” and MGM/UA’s “Women Talking” — present a meta viewing experience that some industry voters may find too real for comfort.
Hollywood’s reckoning with its role in the enabling of monsters is knocking on its door. Even as Harvey Weinstein’s hold on Hollywood continues to fade, his victims’ need for reconciliation and accountability is becoming more urgent than ever. Weinstein is currently standing trial for further sexual assault charges, as are actors Danny Masterson and Kevin Spacey, who was found not liable for the assault of Anthony Rapp but also faces charges in the U.K.
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This awards season sees the exploration of the #MeToo movement in Maria Schrader’s “She Said,” starring Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan as the two New York Times journalists who exposed Weinstein’s decades of misconduct. The movie had its world premiere at the New York Film Festival on Oct. 13, and screened at the Middleburg Film Festival the next day.
Will older-generation Academy voters, some of whom once knew and befriended the disgraced producer, give the film a proper shake? “She Said” could stir up painful reminders for members who fell for Weinstein’s notorious campaign tactics or were complicit during his reign of terror in Hollywood, which included seven Oscars for 1998’s “Shakespeare in Love.”
We also must consider the survivors’ point of view. More than 80 women accused Weinstein following the New York Times exposé in 2017. There’s a very good chance the actual number of victims is substantially greater, some even from within the ranks of current AMPAS members. For those who went through it, reliving the experience — especially hearing audio recordings of the former mogul’s voice — could be triggering. For others, the prospect of seeing prominent Hollywood figures like Ashley Judd, appearing as herself and among the survivors, could be jarring.
When it comes to depictions of abuse and mistreatment of women, other films this year may make men squeamish about engaging with the challenging subject matter. Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking,” based on the acclaimed novel of the same name — itself rooted in a true event — takes an honest and visceral look at the treatment of mothers and daughters, and the choices they face in the aftermath of sexual abuse in their community. The drama boasts an all-star ensemble (including Claire Foy and Rooney Mara) having poignant and raw conversations that could strike a chord with the actors branch and the overall membership.
The focus is not only on sexual assault survivors. Writer-director Todd Field’s “Tár” takes on “cancel culture” by way of a dramatic look into the world of a brilliant yet problematic composer played by Cate Blanchett. The writers branch has never feared dipping its toe into hot-button water, nominating Emerald Fennell’s eventual Oscar-winning original screenplay for “Promising Young Woman” (coincidentally also starring Mulligan), which depicts a former medical student’s pursuit of revenge after the rape and suicide of her college roommate.
Read: the latest predictions, visit Variety’s Oscars Hub.
But don’t fret: We can find a bit of positivity in this year’s contenders as well.
Personal stories of filmmaker’s childhoods are on full display in James Gray’s “Armageddon Time” and Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans.” Spielberg’s movie doubles as an exploration of adolescence and a love letter to cinema. The latter theme is also expressed in Sam Mendes’ “Empire of Light.” The autobiographical touch has been an Academy favorite, as seen most recently with last year’s Oscar-winning “Belfast” from Kenneth Branagh.
Official predictions have been updated on Variety’s Awards Circuit pages.
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