There's not many in Hollywood that would openly criticise Steven Spielberg but Elizabeth Banks has spotted a gap in his body of work and she's not afraid to call him out over it.
Banks was at the Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards to receive an honor for excellence in feature directing last night when she used the opportunity to call out Spielberg over the lack of female lead characters in his movies.
“I went to ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘Jaws’ and every movie Steven Spielberg ever made…he’s never made a movie with a female lead. Sorry, Steven. I don’t mean to call your ass out, but it’s true.” she said.
It's important to note that Banks' statement isn't true. Goldie Hawn played the lead role in The Sugarland Express, while The Colour Purple and The BFG also featured female leads. Then again the fact that just three out of his twenty nine theatrical releases to date backs up Banks' point almost as much as if there were none.
It isn't the first time that Spielberg has been criticised for this. Juliette Binoche reportedly turned down a role in Jurassic Park, citing the overt maleness of the director’s movies as the reason.
Banks concluded her speech by encouraging audience members to go see films about women.
“Buy a fucking ticket to a movie with a woman, take them, give them the experience of seeing amazing women on film.”
Via Indie Wire
