Will A Woman Director Finally Get An Oscar?

   By drodriguez  Mar 07, 2010
5

Whether you've seen the movie, "The Hurt Locker", or not you are probably interested to see if director Kathryn Bigelow will become the first woman  ever to win the Oscar for best director.  Bigelow's movie about the Iraq war has received rave reviews, some touting it as the best war movie made in recent years.  "The Hurt Locker" has already received a myriad of awards from critic's awards to a Best Director award from the Director's Guild.  But will she get the big one?

A recent article from Reuters discusses how Bigelow has managed to follow in the footsteps of director Lina Wertmuller, who was the first woman to be nominated for best director in 1975 (though she didn't win). Wertmuller, like Bigelow, managed not to be stereotyped as a woman director when she made "Seven Beauties" which dealt with the aftermath of World War II.  Making a war movie is just something people don't expect from women. 

Bigelow's choice of subject matter in past movies like "Blue Steel"and "Strange Days" has never been what people would expect of a woman director.  The truth is, most people expect women to deal with more relationship-based plots like Sofia Copolla's "Lost In Translation" rather than the action packed films Bigelow churns out. 

Ironically, her small budget film happens to be up against James Cameron's enormous never ending budget movie, "Avatar" this year.  And to add even more of a twist to the Oscar award ceremony this year, Bigelow and Cameron used to be married.  In a recent report from CBS News, Cameron responds to the controversy this story of him and his ex-wife battling it out over an Oscar has brought on.  Cameron says, "There's this whole thing that's going on where people love to, they love to create a headline: 'Battle of the Exes,' you know, "War of the Roses.'  We were married two decades ago for a brief period of time and we've been friends and collaborators since."

What do you think of Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker"?

Will you be rooting for a Bigelow win this year?

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Comments
Supernovae by Supernovae | Berkeley, CA
Aug 27, 2010

It is 2010 and supposedly liberal Hollywood just awarded an Oscar to a woman? Wow.

RomanceWriter4u by RomanceWriter4u | Salina, KS
Aug 11, 2010

It was well-deserved. Speaking as an industry representative ... see the movie and decide on your own. Join the ranks of the impressed. Congrats!!!! KB will be back for more soon.

jenndta69 by jenndta69 | SHERMAN OAKS, CA
Mar 10, 2010

This was the best! Not only did she get the best director award, but also the best film. The Hurt Locker was a wonderful movie and she deserved this. I have nothing against blue people, it's just not for me. Congratulations Kathryn Bigelow!

dinodonna by dinodonna | hutto, TX
Mar 08, 2010

It is about time. I think it is also wonderful that she is "ex" to Cameron who is such an ego-maniac. Avatar just did not impress me all that much, so I felt her win was very much earned and deserved. Awesome that the academy seemed to get it this year. Awards were given to people that were not the "norm" and for true acting abilities.

MyEmptyCanvas by MyEmptyCanvas | KOSCIUSKO, MS
Mar 07, 2010

I don't get into all that hoop-la of the Oscars or any other shows of that nature, but I will say that if a female director has NEVER won an Oscar after all of THESE years then there's something totally wrong with that. Just seems weird. -- surely a good film or 2 has been out @ some point worthy of 1... I'd imagine ... though I can't be for certain since I only like horrors and comedies... so.. that's my 2 cents. LOL