Greta Gerwig: A Continuation of Female Director Snubbing

Article contributed by Zoë Leonarczyk

With the Oscars nearly upon us, it is a time to reflect on all of the amazing movies of the year. The range of movies this past year has truly been astonishing. Films such as Joker, which in years past would just be an action film, went deeper into the mind. 1917 incorporated astonishing cinematography to bring the warfront to life. Even Netflix’s Marriage Story received tumultuous praise. And amidst all of these films came a story about family, Little Women.

Little Women amassed a whopping six Academy Award Nominations. Amy Pascal received a nomination for best picture, Saoirse Ronan for best actress, Florence Pugh for best supporting actress, Alexandre Desplat for best original music score, Greta Gerwig for best adapted screenplay, and Jacqueline Durran for best costume design. Yet as all of these nominations rolled in, there is one glaring nomination missing: best director. While six nominations are a feat in and of itself, the woman who brought all of this together was snubbed from a directorial award.

While six nominations is an amazing amount, the snub towards Gerwig was still felt and noticed. Many may argue that there is nothing to complain about, but this snub only fuels the Oscars history of shutting out female directors. So, instead of asking “why are people mad,” perhaps instead ask:

“Why are we still having this conversation?”

Female directors have notoriously been snubbed for as long as the Oscars have run. Out of the 92 years of the Oscars, only five women have been nominated for best director. That’s right, five women. Of those five only one woman has won an Academy Award for best director. Kathryn Bigelow made history in 2010 winning the Academy Award for best director for The Hurt Locker. In the years since that monumental win, only one more woman has been nominated: Greta Gerwig.

In 2018, Gerwig was nominated as best director for her film, Lady Bird. In her solo-directorial debut, Gerwig presented Lady Bird, a coming-of-age story that shows the ups and downs of our personal relationships. But even with this film’s popularity, Gerwig still lost to Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water.

Fast forward to 2019 and Gerwig brought to life the fan favourite Little Women. Amongst the handful of Little Women film adaptations, Gerwig’s Little Women stands apart. Gerwig took the beloved March sisters and made them more. Jo is an independent woman determined to make it on her own. Meg chose love and a family. Beth helped spread joy to those who may not otherwise feel it. And Amy became a woman that many can relate to.

It is a film that celebrates women and the multifaceted nature of individuality. It highlights the relationships and people that help one grow. It shows that any woman can achieve what she sets her mind to. It is truly a movie of today. Even through the post-Civil War setting the March sisters are a force to be reckoned with, something that any woman can relate to. And that is the genius behind Gerwig’s Little Women. All of the characters are relatable in some aspect, including Amy, the March sister that often gets all the hate because her character is rarely fleshed out enough to serve any purpose other than as a plot thickener.

Yet, even with all of this Gerwig was not recognised for all that she accomplished with this film. Gerwig is a woman who successfully created a film that amassed a total of six nominations, but even that was not enough to earn a place amongst the men nominated for best director.

With all that being said, I want to end on a high note and give recognition to all of the amazing women who have been nominated for an Academy Award for best director: