The fight for women's equality amongst many aspects of the world has been happening for decades. However, in many areas, women still face discrimination and hardships trying to get the same treatment as their male counterparts. The documentary film This Changes Everything directed by Tom Donahue focuses on that, specifically in Hollywood and film. Throughout the film, the audience gets an inside view of the history of filmmaking, along with which comes blatant discrimination against women in the industry. From the perspective of many well respected big names from actresses to directors, the argument is made that more equality is needed in Hollywood for women in all aspects of filmmaking. Yet there is a large gap in the film when it comes to the idea of intersectionality and the fact that many women have overlapping identities for which they face discrimination as well, harming the overall argument and message.
The message of the film is pushed through the narrative of many recognizable and powerful women in Hollywood both in front of and behind the camera. From actresses such as Ellen Pompeo, Taraji P. Henson, Reese Whitherspoon, to directors such as Shonda Rhimes and Joey Soloway, there is a unique perspective provided into what it feels like being a woman in the industry. By having those speakers who have gone through the experience themselves and truly felt the impact of being a woman whether it's being overpowered, silenced, or simply ignored, the documentary is able to develop an effective sense of credibility. Due to both having a cast of highly admired professionals and the stories being told from a personal perspective, a compelling argument is made.
As the film goes on, different topics are discussed and statistical evidence provided that further pushes the argument and fight for equality. One example of this comes when it was stated that out of the top 100 grossing films in 2017, male leads received twice as much screen time as female leads. Yet, in those same films in 2017 alone, movies with a female lead made 38% more money than those with a male lead. These statistics help prove that there is gender disparity in Hollywood but when given the opportunity, women can make strides. Alongside evidence and powerful speakers, there are emotional moments. Such as the story told by Chloe Grace Moretz. She tells the story of the time that at 16 in her trailer she found a push-up bra with inserts to enhance her physical appearance and when she asked a producer, was told it was a studio note. Adults were discussing and sexualizing the body of a young female who was there to simply work like everyone else. This story created an emotional persuasive feel that how women are being treated is wrong and should be changed.
Now while the documentary does a good job of developing credibility, an emotional feel, and logic in order to push the fight for equality for women in Hollywood, a more complex discussion is left out that ultimately harms the overall message of the film, and it is that of intersectionality. Intersectionality was a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw and points out how those with intersecting identities such as race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and so on experience the discrimination and issues that come with those identities all at once rather than separately. The film lacks a focus on this topic of the discrimination that women with intersecting identities face. While women of each end may face hardship, the voices of female minorities are overlooked with a focus being on the majority of white women.
A majority of the women interviewed for the film were white cis-gendered women. This drowns out other very important perspectives of minority women in Hollywood. Race is touched on very slightly but brushed over and grouped into conversations with the majority. There is a lack of diversity when it comes to the cast of the film whether it is through race, sexual orientation, or disability. It wouldn't be hard to gain this perspective or outlook but simply require other women to be brought in. Some examples of this include trans and non-binary actresses such as Laverne Cox, Roxy Wood, Indya Moore, or those who have disabilities such as Marlee Maltin and Jamie Brewer. These are just a few examples of other people who could have been interviewed in the film to provide insight into intersectionality.
In all, the documentary This Changes Everything provides insight into what it is like to be a woman in Hollywood and the hardships they face compared to the men. The film uses ethos, pathos, and logos in order to develop the argument that women in filmmaking deserve more equality. However, the ultimate credibility and argument of the film are harmed by a lack of inclusion and discussion along the lines of intersectionality. There would have been an opportunity to connect with many more if the time was taken to make sure that there was more representation amongst the women speaking. Women alone do not all have the same experience. Others with intersecting identities may have far different experiences than the majority of women featured, being mostly white women. It leaves a large number of people excluded from a topic that they have experience in and whose voices deserve to be equally heard and shared.
The message of the film is pushed through the narrative of many recognizable and powerful women in Hollywood both in front of and behind the camera. From actresses such as Ellen Pompeo, Taraji P. Henson, Reese Whitherspoon, to directors such as Shonda Rhimes and Joey Soloway, there is a unique perspective provided into what it feels like being a woman in the industry. By having those speakers who have gone through the experience themselves and truly felt the impact of being a woman whether it's being overpowered, silenced, or simply ignored, the documentary is able to develop an effective sense of credibility. Due to both having a cast of highly admired professionals and the stories being told from a personal perspective, a compelling argument is made.
As the film goes on, different topics are discussed and statistical evidence provided that further pushes the argument and fight for equality. One example of this comes when it was stated that out of the top 100 grossing films in 2017, male leads received twice as much screen time as female leads. Yet, in those same films in 2017 alone, movies with a female lead made 38% more money than those with a male lead. These statistics help prove that there is gender disparity in Hollywood but when given the opportunity, women can make strides. Alongside evidence and powerful speakers, there are emotional moments. Such as the story told by Chloe Grace Moretz. She tells the story of the time that at 16 in her trailer she found a push-up bra with inserts to enhance her physical appearance and when she asked a producer, was told it was a studio note. Adults were discussing and sexualizing the body of a young female who was there to simply work like everyone else. This story created an emotional persuasive feel that how women are being treated is wrong and should be changed.
Now while the documentary does a good job of developing credibility, an emotional feel, and logic in order to push the fight for equality for women in Hollywood, a more complex discussion is left out that ultimately harms the overall message of the film, and it is that of intersectionality. Intersectionality was a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw and points out how those with intersecting identities such as race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and so on experience the discrimination and issues that come with those identities all at once rather than separately. The film lacks a focus on this topic of the discrimination that women with intersecting identities face. While women of each end may face hardship, the voices of female minorities are overlooked with a focus being on the majority of white women.
A majority of the women interviewed for the film were white cis-gendered women. This drowns out other very important perspectives of minority women in Hollywood. Race is touched on very slightly but brushed over and grouped into conversations with the majority. There is a lack of diversity when it comes to the cast of the film whether it is through race, sexual orientation, or disability. It wouldn't be hard to gain this perspective or outlook but simply require other women to be brought in. Some examples of this include trans and non-binary actresses such as Laverne Cox, Roxy Wood, Indya Moore, or those who have disabilities such as Marlee Maltin and Jamie Brewer. These are just a few examples of other people who could have been interviewed in the film to provide insight into intersectionality.
In all, the documentary This Changes Everything provides insight into what it is like to be a woman in Hollywood and the hardships they face compared to the men. The film uses ethos, pathos, and logos in order to develop the argument that women in filmmaking deserve more equality. However, the ultimate credibility and argument of the film are harmed by a lack of inclusion and discussion along the lines of intersectionality. There would have been an opportunity to connect with many more if the time was taken to make sure that there was more representation amongst the women speaking. Women alone do not all have the same experience. Others with intersecting identities may have far different experiences than the majority of women featured, being mostly white women. It leaves a large number of people excluded from a topic that they have experience in and whose voices deserve to be equally heard and shared.
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