The director’s chair has been predominantly filled by men over the years. Don’t let that distract you from the fact that women are more than capable of achieving greatness in directing a movie.
In 1976, Lina Wertmuller made history by becoming the first woman to be nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Director for the movie Seven Beauties.
Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win Best Director in 2009 for The Hurt Locker. She was joined by Chloe Zhao (Nomadland, 2020) and Jane Champion (The Power of the Dog, 2021).
Before those wins, though, a lot of your favorite movies were already being directed by women. You just didn’t realize it at the time.
Big
Directed by: Penny Marshall
That’s right! The classic 1988 comedy starring Tom Hanks, about a boy who wished he were big, was directed by a woman.
Marshall would also go on to direct A League of Their Own in 1992.
Wayne’s World
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
Four years later, another woman would direct an iconic comedy.
Penelope Spheeris’ career spanned decades, notably featuring the 1984 coming-of-age film Suburbia, Wayne’s World, and dipping back into the comedy pool with Black Sheep, starring Chris Farley and David Spade.
Lost in Translation
Directed by: Sophia Coppola
We’d eventually forgive Sophia Coppola’s on-screen performance in The Godfather: Part III. She has a much more storied career behind the camera.
Her other notable work includes 1999’s The Virgin Suicides.
Follow us on MSN for more content you love.
Point Break
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
No, not the 2015 remake; this is the original 1991 cult classic.
Before Bigelow would win an Oscar, she was working her magic alongside Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze.
American Psycho
Directed by: Mary Harron
From 1996 through 2022, Harron would direct a total of six movies.
None of them comes close to the success of American Psycho, though. It’s a shame, because it’s her direction, combined with Christian Bale’s performance, that makes the movie.
Saltburn
Directed by: Emerald Fennell
Yes, like many of you, my wife and I gave in to temptation and wanted to see what the hype was all about with the 2023 Prime Video film Saltburn.
My god, the hype was worth it for that ending alone.
Fennell’s career is just getting started; at the time of writing, her next film is an adaptation of the classic novel Wuthering Heights, set to release in 2026.
Past Lives
Directed by: Celine Song
If you’re in the mood for a good cry, here you go.
Past Lives was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2023: Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. I have no idea how Celine Song wasn’t nominated for Best Director.
When it comes to directorial debuts, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Directed by: Amy Heckerling
It turns out that women are pretty funny, eh?
1982’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High was more than just the film debut of Nicolas Cage; it was also Heckerling’s directorial debut.
She would enjoy a lengthy career in movies and television.
The Piano
Directed by: Jane Campion
If you don’t know who Jane Campion is, you should.
She is one of the most acclaimed female directors in movie history, the first woman with multiple nominations for Best Director, and one of three to win the award.
Yet, inexlicaply, she wasn’t nominated for 1993’s The Piano, one of the best films of that year.
Real Genius
Directed by: Martha Coolidge
Seriously, what was in the water that these women were drinking in the ’80s and ’90s to be directing such great comedies?
Real Genius is one of my favorite performances from Val Kilmer. It’s an incredible slacker comedy that deserves more recognition.
Coolidge would enjoy a career directing movies and television shows starting in 1976. Her most recent work is the 2019 film I’ll Find You.
The Matrix
Directed by: The Wachowskis
One of the best and most important sci-fi movies ever made, The Matrix still holds up as an action tour de force today.
Say what you want about the rest of the trilogy (I love Reloaded, Revolutions is okay), but the original is still incredible.
The Wachowskis’ filmography is divisive, to say the least; Speed Racer has become a cult classic, while Cloud Atlas still feels like a mess.
Only Lana Wachowski would return for the incredibly disappointing The Matrix Resurrections in 2021.
Barbie
Directed by: Greta Gerwig
I don’t think there was anyone else capable of pulling this off behind the camera.
Gerwig is one of the select few women nominated for Best Director (Lady Bird, 2017). In total, her movies have been nominated for 19 Academy Awards, winning two.
Oh, and Barbie proved that you can make a movie based on a doll with a surprisingly deep message and still gross $1.4 billion.
Yentl
Directed by: Barbara Streisand
While Yentl may not have met ultimate expectations, Streisand did become the first woman ever to win Best Director at the Golden Globes.
One key reason is Streisand’s commitment to the film. In addition to directing, she also starred in it, co-wrote it, and procured it.
Monster
Directed by: Patty Jenkins
Before Patty Jenkins would go on to direct Wonder Woman, which is one of the better D.C. Comics movies ever made, she was behind the camera for the 2003 drama starring Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci.
While Jenkins wasn’t nominated for any awards, Theron would win Best Actress at the Golden Globes and Academy Awards.
Follow Outrun Gaming on MSN for more content you love.
Read More From Us:
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.