Yentl Tagged Articles at Cinematical

While skimming my feeds, I came across a post at THR about a Stanley Kramer celebration called "Films That Changed the World." It immediately got me thinking of world-changing cinema, and how much a film can impact us. But try as I might, I couldn't come up with films that changed my world, and instead, kept going back to the story. See, this new series is celebrating the films connected with the iconic filmmaker that were socially conscious. First up: Yentl.

It wasn't so much the film that kept grabbing me, but a quote by Kramer's daughter, Kat: "The history-making film, the first major studio production ever produced, directed and co-written by its female star, shattered Hollywood's glass ceiling like no other film ever did." I wish I could say that it shattered that glass ceiling. If it did, we wouldn't have such abysmal percentages of women in the industry -- both in it and writing about it. Last year, 25 years after Yentl, women didn't even hit 20% of all directors, producers, writers, and the rest of the big behind-the-scenes roles in the industry. We couldn't even hit 10% of all directors. Not even a quarter. Not even a tenth.

That's not a shattering of the glass ceiling, it's a crack in the glass that few women survive when they try to pull themselves through. It's monumental when a woman directs a big, supernatural romance (Twilight), and sadly not surprising when she's then pulled from it. More specifically, it was monumental for a woman to helm it from the pens of other women, even though the film is geared towards the girls itching for a little dark, vampiric action. Women directing for girls? Shocking!

The only way to stretch that crack, and just possibly create that shattered ceiling Kat Kramer was talking about is to do it again. And again. And again. Sadly, it can't just be with solid, noteworthy work. For every wonderful Protagonist, there needs to be a ceiling shake by Amy Heckerling, or a solid kick by Kathryn Bigelow, or Mary Harron -- blockbusters, hits, action, and horror that prove we're not all clumsy romance fiends and fashion victims. It's a fact that seems to be forgotten much too often.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Kevin Smith has finally broken out of the Jay and Silent Bob circle and made a romantic comedy that didn't crumble like Jersey Girl. It's cuter than Clerks 2, but thrives on brief, scene-stealing moments from high-school reunion cameos and Jason Mewes. Rent it on DVD or Blu-ray.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Most of our beloved teen fare comes when music is mixed with turmoil-filled romance and adventure, and Infinite Playlist is no exception. In fact, it hits a lot of different themes all in one -- the gross-out factor from flicks like American Pie, the quirky music loving of Empire Records, ex meddling like Some Kind of Wonderful, and a rather refreshing attitude towards sexuality. Buy it on DVD or Blu-ray.

The Secret Life of Bees
A film that joins Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Sophie Okonedo, and Alicia Keys, Kim Voynar said Bees is "a sweet, mostly charming coming-of-age tale that, while it doesn't particularly break any new ground with regards to the filmmaking, does an able enough job of adapting a bestselling book of the 'women's bookclub' variety for the screen." Rent it, if you like that sort of thing, on DVD or Blu-ray.

Also out: Space Buddies and Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous