Jessica Chastain is Everything. And Other Links
Friday, January 9, 2015 at 11:01AM Let's start with this super cute pic of Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac which she labelled
Feeling the power of the NBR
Remember the other day when we linked to that article using old Streep quotes to attack Russell Crowe's ageist comments about actresses? Well, Streep went and ruined it by defending him in public. So Jessica Chastain, inbetween taking super cute photos on the Oscar campaign trail, is on it, she told People:
I think there are some incredible actresses in their 50s and 60s that are not getting opportunities in films. And for someone to say there are plenty of roles for women that age – they're not going to the movies enough."
Preach, Jessica. Preach!
Pajiba fascinating think piece on how ineffective Nielsen ratings are and why it's unacceptable that the media still uses them like a Bible
NYT Rod Taylor (The Birds, The Time Machine, The Twilight Zone), dies at 84
MCN David Poland's top ten (oops, eleven) list includes unlikely titles: Big Eyes, Fury, The Gambler and more
The Film Stage Matt Damon will headline Alexander Payne's next feature Downsizing
EW talks to Andrew Fleming about Honeymoon on Vegas (now a Broadway musical) and the rest of his filmography
VF I missed this bit of Captain Chris Evans escorting Betty White to the stage at the People's Choice. I never watch that. What did I miss?
Variety Michael C Hall joins Robert Redford, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Wes Bentley in the new Pete's Dragon. Apparently the remake is not a musical? Boo. Especially considering that Michael C Hall is totally a musical guy!
Breathe Heavy photoshopping underwear ads with Justin Bieber
Awardsy
THR on the Weinstein Co playbook for making unknowns like Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game) viable Best Director contenders
Guardian Controversy continues to erupt around American Sniper. right-wingers have called for the death of those criticizing Chris Kyle (who is played by Bradley Cooper in the film). Good christ, I hope AMPAS dodges this bullet.
Q & Andy from Interview Ava DuVernay has the answers
The Hairpin more on DuVernay's "quiet revolution"
Exit Tease
In case you didn't turn the internet on in the past 48 hours or so, that's the poster for Netflix's Daredevil with its surprisingly early debut date. I know I should be done with superheroes -- they're as overexposed as its possible to be but Daredevil holds a stubborn place in my heart (despite Ben Affleck and team trying to remove it without anesthetia) and Charlie Cox is über-adorable. So I'm kinda excited. I know. I know. I'm part of the problem.
Reader Comments (38)
Streep was just agreeing with Crowe that actresses should be comfortable acting their age and being comfortable in their own skin/ age. Streep has always been a proponent for more roles/careers for women. To suggest that Chastain is more of a proponent than Streep ( a woman in her sixties with a long history of being outspoken about women and the business) is simply ludicrous.
That THR piece is really illuminating. When it comes to directors, there are skilled practitioners like Haznavicius, Tom Hooper, and (probably) Tyldum whose films get swept into the Best Director pool by publicists and executives working the awards circuit. Then there are auteurs like Mike Leigh, PT Anderson, Wes Anderson, David Fincher -- and before them, Hitchcock, Kubrick, Altman, etc etc the list goes on -- who never get rewarded.
It baffles me that the Academy doesn't work harder to make sure Best Director honors go to the true artistic geniuses among its ranks.
Nathaniel, the best part about Chris Evans escorting Betty White with his huge arm that night was the explosion of "Get It Betty" hashtags on twitter.
I feel like Chastain's statements about women in Hollywood have been a little murky. On one hand she's lamenting the lack of female roles, and on the other she's said it's annoying when people draw attention to female blockbusters because they happen perennially.
As I see it (and as Streep has always seen it) we need to be drawing attention to the audience for women-led films in order to correct the casting problem. If we treated The Heat or Bridesmaids or even, say Gone Girl as business-as-usual, we'd have less incentive to double down on producing more.
And considering Streep's comments ("we should live and act where we are in life") it's no help that Chastain says it's unproductive for actresses to disclose their birth dates, while her people floated out some false number five years younger than she really is. She is more than complicit in the age problem.
I'm not saying Chastain created the problem, but she's hardly a font of wisdom on the subject. She has a lot to say but unfortunately some of it is very dim and even hypocritical.
Thank you Hayden!
You missed the best part about Alexander Payne's new film - he'll be reuniting with Reese!
No Payne No Gain!
i think we should all agree that both actresses responses are problematic then.
NO ONE should be rushing to Russell Crowe's defense here. Even if there is a kernel of truth in 'be where you are in life' that is too easily distorted into reductive ageism. Russell's statement does two things that are awful 1) it gives ageism an easy way to restrict people -- you shouldn't tdo that at your age! -- and there are already too many judgements of women and b) it blames actresses rather than hollywood.
I am not okay with this in any way shape or form and Streep should not have defended him.
Streep defended him because he paid her a compliment. She really is a Gwyneth.
Defending is different than agreeing. I doubt Meryl blames women in Hollywood. She thought that his comments were misappropriated. He was talking and referencing why he would not do Gladiator again. I think things are better than they ever have been before but of course more scripts and audiences need to be developed.
Ageism is throwing hate on a sixty year old woman for getting too many parts/ opportunities (which this site does frequently)
Meryl Streep's comment about accepting the age you are and not chasing younger roles is hypocritical. The woman played Suzanne Vale at 40 and Donna in 'Mamma Mia' at 59! I found her to be unbelievable as both characters because the parts seemed to be written for younger women.
There's also a self-congratulatory undertone to her defense of Crowe. Basically, she's insinuating that she gets the roles she does because she acts her age and other actresses don't. Unfortunately, privilege often desensitizes people to those who are less fortunate.
Jessica Chastain continues to be awesome.
Streep said: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rwpWy76wY4
Famke said: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/famke-janssen-50-reacts-to-russell-crowes-ageism-comments-201581
Jamie -- come on. this site is not ageist. comments about Meryl's role-hogging have ZERO to do with her age. from about 1981 through 2003 (the bulk of her career) Meryl was only doing like 1 movie a year / 2 max and sometimes she'd skip a year. I don't understand why she'll even take cameos now! Cameos would be a great place to see some other amazing 60somethings and it might even get them a career revival. Cameos do nothing for Meryl's career and she doesn't need the money.
Are you using ageism to restrict people Mike?
Nathaniel- I would argue then that Chastain did not have to accept 18 roles this year taking away opportunities from other upcoming actresses who could have used the break? She is a hypocrite.
Jamie -- Chastain's roles were filmed over a two and a half year period. She has no control over when her films come out.
And I'm not using ageism to restrict Streep. If she and Crowe are going to sing her praises about accepting where she is in life and not trying to be something she's not, it's my right to draw attention to when she hasn't done that. She's playing someone over a decade younger in 'Ricki and the Flash,' too.
Crowe said that women in their 50s cannot EXPECT to play roles for women in their 30s, just as he can no longer play roles as if he was in his 30s. Streep agreed that people should be comfortable, not just,playing their own age. Are there more roles in Hollywood for men than women? Yes. Do older women have very few good roles written for them? Yes. Are women in Hollywood freezing their faces to play the ingenue? Yes.Is that unfair? Absolutely. But none of that contradicts what Crowe or Streep are saying. And you are twisting what Meryl was actually agreeing to.
Nathaniel- directors want streep to cameo to add a sense of prestige to the pic
Jessica Chastain continues to be awesome.
THIS!
I love both Jessica Chastain and Meryl Streep dearly, but let's be real. Chastain "hogs" as much of the roles for actresses in their late 30s/early 40s just as much as Streep "hogs" roles for women in their 50s and 60s.
Close, Weaver, Sarandon, Lange, Spacek, etc., are just as capable of performing some of Meryl's high-profile roles and other under-utilized actresses in Chastain's age-range such as Rosario Dawson, Michelle Monaghan, Sarah Paulson, etc.are just as qualified for some of hers.
The reality here is that both actresses are extremely in-demand, highly sought-after actresses who have first priority, top picks for roles/films in their respective age-ranges. The failure lies in the lack of imagination with casting directors and producers who only seek out the most highly visible stars (and, really, I can see their POV. Both actresses are hugely talented and come with high-pedigree, Oscar-stamped success). But both of these women are actors first, so of course they want the good roles, scripts, films, etc. so to imply that one or the other has a monopoly over the roles in their respective age-ranges or "hogs" roles from other actresses is a silly conjecture. And it's unfair to demean Streep for saying a very good thing for both women and men to hear in that you should be comfortable in your own age and skin (something similar to what Frances McDormand said in a Times article a couple of months ago). Streep has repeatedly praised her female peers since the beginning of her career, from Jessica Lange to Viola Davis to Glenn Close to Shirley MacLaine to Bette Davis to Vanessa Redgrave, etc., etc. and has consistently called out the pervasive sexism and ageism that's rampant in Hollywood.
Even the idea that anyone should say to women "you need to act your age" is idiotic, especially because if any of them aren't "acting their age" (whatever that means), A) who cares, women can do whatever the f they want, and B) it's because they don't have opportunities that they resort to that, soo...
Anyone defending Russell Crowe is an idiot.
Jamie, you're a bit fanatic and that is so uncool. Open your mind.
Meryl was so wrong. I think it's outrageous she backed Crowe after decades playing all the top female roles available. She's a Gemini, so let's blame her evil twin. You know, the same one that praised Thatcher on and on.
P.S. Jessica, I'm not a fan, but I love your words. Please be careful or in two years you will be playing a lawyer in a dull tv-series.
Peggy Sue- I am proudly a Streep fanatic. And I feel like I have to be on this site even more so recently then since coming across Nathaniel's lovely 60th Bday Streep tribute.
You know nothing about me. My mind is open and I am clearly hearing what Streep is saying.
Why are people bickering about this? Almost no other older actress has talked more about women and sexism in the industry than Streep throughout her career, and almost no younger actress has talked about it more than Chastain. Yet here you are bickering, trying to pit them against each other and actually faulting two successful actresses for wanting to work. Seriously what is wrong with you?
I used to love this site's "actressing" obsession and Nate's appreciation for various actresses but there's developed a really ugly underlying sexism to it all that's very disturbing. A hyper-obsessiveness and criticism of various actresses for the smallest things, a strange tendency to pit various actresses against each other and get their fans to argue. And now blaming successfull actresses who love their job for taking roles as though they're "stealing"? (and making the naive assumption that in an industry scared of green lighing 'women's movies' those roles/films would even exist if they passed) Oh, and simultaneously criticising so many of them for taking crappy roles. Seriously, the amount of sexism here is very, very sad to see. I thought this site was better than that. Sad.
Peggy Sue -- That's an interesting theory. I suppose Meryl Streep's evil side was responsible for her saying that her biggest critic, Pauline Kael, was just a bitter Jewess who was jealous of Streep's long, blonde hair.
I don't think anyone here is trying to crucify Streep, but this is one of the only places in the world where people are willing to call her out and not just blindly kiss her butt. TFE should be championed for that.
Ageist sounds like another buzzword that doesn't really mean anything.
Crowe's point about older actresses not being able to play the young parts is fair, and that is what Streep agrees with. As Streep says, if you are a young actor, you can play old, but if you are an old actor, it is hard to play young for the simple reason that you can't make yourself look young. That seems logical enough.
But I would venture to say that most older actresses aren't looking to play those parts, and where Crowe gets it wrong is that there aren't many parts for actresses over 50 and 60 to play in which they can act their age. This is Chastain's point, which is also logical. There aren't many roles like Olive Kitteridge floating around for older actresses to sink their teeth into.
So sure, we should acknowledge Crowe's ignorance for not understanding what it is like to be an older actress, but at the same time, this experience isn't that much different than being an older person in general in America. Not many 50 and 60 year olds are going to get the job over the fresh college graduate, regardless of experience and qualifications. That's just the way it is. Most 50 and 60 year olds in America are thinking about retirement, and those that can't retire get by with part time jobs somewhere. Plenty of people get laid off because of their age in all professions. Out with the old, make way for the new.
Is this fair? Probably not. But is it a grave injustice? Not any worse than what happens in other professions. Maybe this is ageist, or maybe people can't live forever, and must come to terms with the fact that there are other people in the world who can take their place.
Nat, please close this thread before it really gets ugly up in here.
Let's talk about Chris Evans more. He's swell, right?
Jamie -- You're boring
Mike -- It was joke. Read it again.
Oh I think we should turn the hose on the garden and let them all fight it out in the mud. Who wants to keep book?
(Paul Outlaw: I got my Boyhood screener today. You?)
I am not the one name calling Peggy Sue... And I have never been rude to anyone on this site. I am merely stating my opinion like everyone else does.
I know and I'm sorry if I offended you. It's just that I wish you could step out of your comfort zone and dare to criticize Meryl once.
(Henry, arrived yesterday.)
Wow this thread has...lost the thread. Let's clean this mess up:
1) Ageism IS a real prejudice and it DOES coincide with sexism when it comes to Hollywood actresses.
2) Russell Crowe is WRONG and this isn't the first bonehead thing he's done or said.
3) Nathaniel and his site are like the POLAR OPPOSITE of sexist.
I criticize Meryl Streep all the time. She's very criticize-able.
For me it basically comes down to this: if you randomly ask around and ask people to name three older male actors, and name three older female actors, you're going to get a wide variety of answers for the former (maybe someone would even think to name Russell Crowe!), and you're likely to get the same handful of names, over and over again, for the latter - Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren, Judi Dench...Just because you can name them doesn't mean that it isn't true that roles for actresses start to dry up above a certain age, it means that those few actresses tend to land the few covetable roles out there.
And Crowe was basically saying that the problem isn't that there aren't enough good roles for older women, but that most actresses are just too vain and superficial to play them. I guess screenwriters are just obliged to write all those great female roles out of their scripts when it turns out that the small handful of actresses willing to play them are busy with something else. Ass.
Taylor was the star of two my all time favorite movies " The Birds" and " The Time Machine" - a great looking leading man who should have been a bigger star.
HEY. EVERYONE BE NICE. i feel passionately about this topic which is why i have such a hair trigger about it. And I got a little embarrassed because I praised Streep one day (for old quotes that another site drummed up - and because she has been so outspoken about this issue -- i remember her fighting valianlty in the 1990s when people were calling her "over" because she had turned 40 and I was so proud of her that she wouldn't stand for it) but then the very next day there were all theese articles about her defending him. Anyway.I got embarrassed.
I understand people getting hot and bothered about this but name-calling isn't necessary.
JO -- it was not my hope to pit Jessica Chastain against Meryl Streep as in a catfight. i probably should've chosen my words more carefullyt -- it is annoying that people often do this to women so I apologize.
Joseph -- AGEISM may be a buzzword but it most definitely means something and it's pretty easy to see it work its magic.
Jase -- thank you. xoxo