Like most people,director Patty Jenkinswas not impressed withJames Cameron’s criticisms of Wonder Woman, this summer’s highest grossing movie.Wonder Womanhas grossed $800 million dollars at the worldwide box office and has earned universal acclaim across the board from fans and critics alike except forTitanicdirector James Cameron. Cameron called the movie “a step backwards” for female action heroes while claiming that the praise forWonder Womanis misguided.
Patty Jenkins decided to respond to Cameron’s claims by first stating the obvious: “he is not a woman.” The response was made viaJenkins' official Twitteraccount and instead of low blows, the female director takes the high road. She explains.
“James Cameron’s inability to understand whatWonder Womanis, or stands for, to women all over the world is unsurprising as, though he is a great filmmaker, he is not a woman. Strong women are great. His praise of my filmMonster, and our portrayal of a strong yet damaged woman was so appreciated.”
Jenkins went on to addressJames Cameronand his ideas that a woman must be flawed in order to be a believable character. She had this to say.
“But if women have to always be hard, tough and troubled to be strong, and we aren’t free to bemultidimensionalor celebrate an icon of women everywhere because she is attractive and loving, then we haven’t come very far have we.”
But Jenkins went and saved the best for last when replying to James Cameron’s opinions onWonder Woman. She explains.
“I believe that women can and should be EVERYTHING just like male characters should be. There is no right or wrong kind of powerful woman. And the massive female audience who made the film a hit it is, can surely judge their own icons of progress.”
Jenkins makes a good point, why can’t women choose their icons? Men certainly can and have for years in Hollywood. What is Cameron’s true gripe withWonder Woman?
Cameron obviously feels pretty strongly aboutWonder Woman’s portrayal of thefemale superhero, but why? He keeps bringing upSarah Connor from Terminator 2who was played by Linda Hamilton and whom he later married, which make it all sound like sour grapes because maybe Sarah Connor hasn’t been recognized for being a true female badass over the years for starring in an action movie with an Austrian cyborg. Whatever the case may be, Cameron’s comments end sounding childish and ill-informed at best. If he were really such a big proponent for “strong, independent” women in Hollywood, he would have never publicly made these comments.
Can’t we all just get along? James Cameron’s prehistoric thoughts about strong women in Hollywood are his own opinion and he may think that he’s helping the world by stating it, but he is the one holding people back. The interviewer probably just caught him on a bad day, but at least he inspired some true words of wisdom from Patty Jenkins. Check out Jenkins' full statement below.
