DB7

Not really a representative selection as there are a variety of reasons why some of the above have fallen from grace. Meg Ryan took time out from acting, Charlotte was always used more in arthouse European cinema than mainstream US/UK, Sharon Stone took an hiatus and found God, and Whoopi maybe made the mistake of doing too much tv (and award show presenting). Holly Hunter voiced The Incredibles which is maybe why you haven't seen her.

How about Helen Mirren? Judi Dench? Miranda Richardson? Brenda Blethyn? Juliet Stevenson? (and that's just the English ones).

DB7

Agreed that it's little different for men in what is a very cutthroat industry. Take John Travolta, couldn't get arrested for decades then one Tarantino hit and he's got a career again. We could easily ask where are many male actors like Oscar-winning Richard Dreyfuss? James Woods deserves better than The Simpsons and Dustin Hoffman is in cameo-role hell. But many bring about their own downfall with films even Michael Caine would be wary of in the '70s; John Malkovich is a splendid actor but you have to wonder what made him want to appear in Johnny English and poor old Christopher Walken will want a hit to erase the memories of Gigli and The Stepford Wives remake.

Steve Crook

Or are you going to watch the wrong films
I do actually mean that semi-seriously. Much of Hollywood's output in recent years has relied on "star power" to attract the punters.
Not a good story, not a good film, not good performances, just the fact that there is a well known name on the billboard.

Many of those "stars" are famous for being famous, not for their acting ability.
And a lot of the others try their hardest, but if it's a terrible film they just turn up and collect their money - and who can blame them?

Steve

penfold

eg, Paris Hilton...can you see her having a major film career in five years time?? Any of the Buffy mob now they're hitting thirty?? Is this because a) they're good looking young women (I'm stretching a point with Paris) or because of (it seems at the moment at least) their limited acting ability ??

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

emma w

"I'd like to know what role media studies plays in the academic world when compared to other subjects like Playdough and sand pit!"

hey, I am a fellow media studies student and would just like to point out that without the study of some media and such like, many of the films we all know and love would not exist! So leave the students alone! And as for play dough and sand pits they are valuable learning tools in stages of early development. Just to clarify…

and as for the main question at hand (now my mini rant is over! Lol), I am also looking at women as sex objects in films (however an earlier thread I posted wasn't as successful as this!), just wanted to point out Meryl Streep who did not start to become noticed until the 70's, when she was approaching the 30 mark, the cut off point for being a sex object it would seem when looking at many modern productions.

also I think that sometimes social issues must be taken into account (yes, I’m a sociology student as well, lord help me!) as a female actress gets older her original fan base ages to ,therefore may be watching her films less or may have to grow up and stop annoying the wife with posters and adolescent obsessions! Lol.

Other than that there are the young female actresses who are not seen as sex objects, Jodie foster? Toni Collette? And so on...

Hope I was of some help!

Emma.xXx.

A Pemberton

going in a different direction from my rant/moan at the beginning of this thread ,can I suggest that you look into the field of European cinema .If I were a teacher (usually 40ish, old and boring!) I would like to see my students widen there studies and thoughts further than the modern extraordinarily boring film factory that is Hollywood .European cinema, including Britain is alive with actresses of immense talent Abril,Deneuve and Mirren to name a few,yes they are beautiful but they will work into there later years because of the structure of european cinema and its view and representation of women.

Just a thought!

penfold

That's the point I was making...later success is independent of whether or not the actress was seen as a sex object in the past, but is more to do with the levels of talent...

Fantastic point...quite possibly true - and of course the corollary are the male heartthrobs on the girls' walls...eg John Travolta's twenty year disappearance, David Cassidy (yes, he was an actor, allegedly) plus any number of popstars - but the same process works with actors too...particularly soap actors.

Jodie Foster is older than I am, and I'm definitely middle-aged.....and I was under the impression that she remains the poster girl for a significant community of ladies..if this is not being a sex symbol, it's very close. Toni Collette is more geeky than glamorous, agreed, and they're both very good actresses. So too is Kate Winslet; sexy as hell too, but not by the standards of the thinness - obsessed times, she has transcended what had become the stick-thin norm, successfully beaten the fashion and now seems to have a career on her own terms. Remarkable. She'll be around in forty years time, Dame Kate no doubt...

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

Steve Crook

I'd be interested to see if you can expand that point Emma.
I'll accept that media studies can help towards appreciation and analysis, but which films wouldn't have existed without media studies?

Steve

JamesM

Are you sure you're not confusing media studies with film school?

You should both watch 'All About Eve'.

I am amused often when I see the age difference increase for maturing actors' screen marriages. You should take an actor like Connery, Ford or whoever and perform some statistical research with the IMDB to back it up and add weight to your argument.

penfold

Probably quite close to the age differences in their off-screen marriages and relationships. qv Harrison Ford & Callista Flockhart, Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta Jones...Tom Cruise and his latest...or alternatively Ashton Kutscher with Demi Moore, 16 years the other way.. so what would that prove - the films are reflecting (Hollywood) real life!!

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

JamesM

Very true Penfold. I was thinking that as I wrote it but they should not let their off screen lives interfere with their on screen lives. Unless they are playing Hollywod stars.

Morrison

hey this is my first post on Brit Movies so plz try and help me out with my question i am studying media for a level and am looking at women in film. Specifically i'm looking at the representation of women by female and male directors and the representation of women in male dominated genres. I am studying 4 films. 2 action adventure and 2 football films. Goal! and Bend It Like Beckham. MI:2 and Point Break. Does anyone have any ideas as to what I should be looking at?:blink: I have quite a few of my own ideas and am well into my research but i would love anyone elses's input cheers!

jack case

Hi, I'm not exactly sure what you are looking for! Have you decided on your choice of films already? As to women in film, try Streisand's "Yentl"(1983), Direction, Production and co-screenplay by Streisand. Yentl is about a women who has to disguise herself as a man to live an equal life as man. Lots of issues there! Streisand herself also had a big battle to get the film made in a male dominated industry.

For comic relief try Blake Edward's "Victor Victoria"!

There is a "Women in Film" organisation in USA, which may be of use - suggest a google search will help out.

Check this one out - Women in Film & Television: Bibliography of Materials in the UC Berkeley Libraries

Al the best,
Jack

julian_craster

Not another STUDENT !

Why not do something a bit more original?

'Women in Film' by young females has been done to death !!

Why not try 'children in film', 'boys in film' ?

penfold

It's probably the subject that's been set by the lecturer....and they've probably been sent here. Don't let's put the kids off trying to learn about our little area of film appreciation before they get their heads round the door ?? They don't know we've had the same question dozens of times.....I'd help but I've only seen MI2...

Bit of a Bay Window, what??