It's Good to Stay in Your Lane

 

A flurry of articles are reporting that talented actresses like Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep would like to work with highly acclaimed director Martin Scorsese but he only makes movies focused on male characters and has no interest in creating female-centered stories. These articles go on to say that Scorsese is cutting himself off from rich stories that could "widen his lens" (Ruuskanen 2024). 

As the writer and producer of Talentless, a female-centered story, this article hit a nerve. But the nerve that it hit wasn't disgust over Matin Scorsese's narrow lens. Rather, it's that those criticizing him seem to have no understanding of how writing or directing works. When you write or direct a story, you aren't managing a company and, therefore, need to be an equal-opportunity employer. The first rule of writing is to write about what you know. And with directing, your strength is in directing stories that appeal to you. If you stay in that lane, the odds of creating excellent movies are in your favor. If you stray from that lane, the odds are you'll create something that's craptacular. I applaud Scorsese because he knows where his strengths lie and stays in his lane. That's why his movies are so darn good. Sure, he could track down a screenplay with a strong female lead and Hollywood would applaud him. But then they'd probably witness Scrosese's first dumpster fire. It wouldn't be because there was a female lead. It would be because he strayed from his lane into one that he has no understanding or experience driving in.

Think about it. Why does Jordan Peele excel at fantastic horror movies that happen to have black leads of both sexes? Why does Greta Gerwig excel at comedies and dramas with strong female leads? Why does Kevin Costner make so many movies that fall into the genre of Western, regardless of the time in which they take place? Why is James Cameron drawn to make intense visual spectacles, most of which have strong female leads? The answer is simple. They work on what they're passionate about. These filmmakers know what appeals to them, and so they stay in that lane. If you were producing a movie about the life of George Washington, would you get Timothy Burton to direct it? Of course not! However, if you were making a Munsters movie, Tim Burton would be a great choice.

Most writers and directors can tell you straight up the stories that appeal to them. If female-centered stories don't appeal to Scorsese, there's nothing wrong with that. He knows his lane and he chooses to stay in it so that he can keep making good movies. And I do believe we need more good female-centered movies. Just don't expect Socesese to be the one to bring them to you.  

I was drawn to write Talentless because quirky comedies are one of my favorite genres. (I'm also a huge Western and Sci-Fi fan.) One of my favorite things in a comedy is when you have two distinctly different characters at odds with each other who fight but in the most hilarious ways. The Odd Couple, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Hot Fuzz, See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Brides Maids, and O Brother Where Art Thou all feature that dynamic. Screenwriters are observers of people. We develop our characters by writing about what we've witnessed and experienced. As the younger brother to an older sister who also grew up with two female cousins who were like sisters to us, I've seen that siblings are sometimes the most wonderful people but can also be the most brutal and even hilarious combatants. I mean, one time, my younger cousin hit herself and started crying and then watched as their mother came down on her older sister for hitting her. It was the ultimate act of revenge. I'm sorry, but guys, we don't fight with that level of strategic brilliance. I never realized how easy and fun writing female leads is for me until my daughter and I developed this story. To my surprise, I discovered a lane that I'm comfortable driving in. 

So if Scrosese is drawn to stories that are driven by male characters, then more power to him. That's his lane. We'll have to look elsewhere for directors who can bring us good female-centered stories. And they do exist. Just go on Netflix. You'll see numerous movies with female-centered leads. Anna Kindrick hit it out of the park with her movie Woman of the Hour. And of course, Greta Gerwig, who was mentioned earlier, received a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for Lady Bird. As one who lived in Sacramento for 20 years, Gerwig and that movie was one of my inspirations for Talentless.

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/nicole-kidman-and-meryl-streep-refuse-to-work-with-martin-scorsese/