More Female Directors Were Worthy Of A Best Director Nod Than Ever, But Got Shut Out Of The Oscars
By Hoai-Tran Bui/Jan. 22, 2019 11:00 am EST
But despite the inroads female filmmakers have made, the Best Director category found itself reverting back to the all-male status quo once again.
Since the Oscars held its first ceremony in 1929, only five female directors have earned a Best Director nod: Lina Wertmüller for 1976 for Seven Beauties, Jane Campion for 1993 for The Piano, Sofia Coppola for 2003 for Lost in Translation, Kathryn Bigelow, who in 2009 won for The Hurt Locker, and finally Greta Gerwig last year for Lady Bird.
It feels extra insulting on the heels of Greta Gerwig’s Best Director nod last year that female directors are doing more visibly acclaimed work than ever and getting shut out at the Oscars. At least seven women helmed critical and awards circuit darlings that should have made them eligible for the Best Director nomination — some of which had received Oscar nods in other categories.
So what are the other contenders? Debra Granik won best director at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association last month for her Sundance darling Leave No Trace, which could have ostensibly put her on the path for an Oscar nod. Chloe Zhao’s thought-provoking Western The Rider was named the year’s best film by the National Society of Film Critics and the Gotham Film Awards. But the filmmaker who could have most feasibly earned that fifth slot was Marielle Heller, whose dark comedy-drama Can You Ever Forgive Me? made a surprisingly strong showing in the Oscar nominations this year, earning nods for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Screenplay. A Best Director nod wouldn’t have been out of the question for the director of this sad and funny drama.
Other contenders include Josie Rourke, whose Mary Queen of Scots earned two nods for makeup and costume design, Tamara Jenkins who directed the affecting and intimate Private Life, Karyn Kusama for the gripping crime drama Destroyer, and Mimi Leder for the inspirational biopic On the Basis of Sex.
Though the overall statistics for female filmmakers last year weren’t great, women had been making major inroads in the past decade since Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win Best Director in 2009 for The Hurt Locker. Patty Jenkins has reportedly negotiated her way to be the highest-paid female director in Hollywood. Gerwig came out of the gate running with a Best Director nod for her debut solo feature. And 2018 seemed poised to continue that upward momentum. It’s certainly more progress than the 17-year gap between Lina Wertmuller’s historic 1976 nod was followed up by Jane Campion in 1993, but it’s not enough.
