June 18, 2009
Are Women Voting With Box Office Dollars?
Not Sophie's Choice
It's going to be a tough weekend at the box office. Historical farce Year One opens against buzzy rom-com The Proposal. Most people will only have time to see one.
Contender #1
I'm thinking back to my recent experience at the Nashville screenwriters' conference. At one panel, the crowd lambasted a movie producer for the continuing success of dumb comedies and the lack of interest in women's films. He shrugged and said, "Vote with your box office dollars. Go see women's movies."
Another panelist revealed that although women make up over fifty percent of the moviegoing population, they are less likely to be decision-makers in this arena. Think it about that for moment. If you've got a significant other who is male, try to remember who picked the last few movies you saw.
Now, one could argue about what Hollywood considers "women's" movies -- and several women did, asking the producer why women are pigeonholed in such a ridiculous fashion. Not every woman likes "chick" flicks. Some of my best female friends hate rom-coms, for example, and I myself prefer broad comedies, which (as I learned from the panelist) are apparently "male".
Contender #2
These are fair arguments, but (as much as I hate to admit it) the panelist had a point: Hollywood pays attention to money, not ideals. Sex and the City had an unprecedented opening weekend for a women's movie because every woman in America made the executive decision to see it. In addition, many women brought along their friends, spouses, or significant others. This is unusual, however, and it's far more common for men to be the decision-makers and to bring women (and money) to a movie they have chosen.
Case in point: two weeks ago guy-oriented comedy The Hangover was pitted against Nia Vardalos' rom-com My Life in Ruins. Vardalos' movie came in ninth place before dropping out of the top ten altogether. The Hangover, in contrast, opened in second place then won the top box office spot the next week.
OK, I admit it, I saw The Hangover rather than My Life in Ruins. The good news is that it wasn't during opening weekend. Look, sometimes even I don't feel like a rom-com.
But this weekend is going to be different. In addition to being in a "women's" genre, The Proposal is directed by a woman (Anne Fletcher, who also directed 27 Dresses) and stars Sandra Bullock, one of the savviest women in Hollywood. For that reason alone, it's probably got better earning potential than many rom-coms. And I hear tell Ryan Reynolds gets nekked in it -- I'm so there.
It's unlikely that Year One won't grab the top spot. But if enough people see the The Proposal, there's every likelihood that it will open respectably and continue to make money for a few weeks. That's a a good thing; although the opening weekend is the gold standard for Hollywood movie producers, long-term earnings also count for a lot.
So score one for women in Hollywood if you're planning to see The Proposal -- and make sure to bring someone with you.
This is a featured article on DivineCaroline.
