Elizabeth Banks took on Steven Spielberg while accepting a Women in Film excellence award, calling him out for failing to make films with women leads. Then someone said, well, what about "Color Purple" with Whoopi Goldberg?
Banks was being honored on Tuesday with seven others at the Women in Film program at the Beverly Hilton when the "Hunger Games" star took on Spielberg, noted Deadline.com.
"I went to 'Indiana Jones' and 'Jaws' and every movie Steven Spielberg ever made, and by the way, he's never made a movie with a female lead," Banks said. "Sorry, Steven. I don't mean to call your a** out, but it's true."
When someone in the audience pointed out that he made "The Color Purple," with Whoopi Goldberg as the lead character, she corrected herself.
"Okay, 'The Color Purple," okay, I'm wrong. Ummmmm … he directed?" When someone in the audience incorrectly stated that Spielberg did not Banks said, "Oh, so I’m right still."
Spielberg did direct the movie that was nominated for 11 Academy Awards in 1985, including best picture.
Last year, Oscar winner Juliette Binoche said at the Cannes Film Festival that he once confronted Spielberg at one time about his lack of female leads in his films, admitting she turned down a role in his "Jurassic Park," which went to Laura Dern, reported The Guardian.
Vulture’s Jordan Crucchiola pointed out that Spielberg's upcoming movie "The Papers" will have Meryl Streep as the movie's lead, playing Washington Post publisher Kay Graham. Crucchiola charged that Banks, though, was singling out Spielberg for a crime many Hollywood showrunners commit.
"To single out Spielberg, however, would be unfair," said Crucchiola. "His contemporary and fellow icon Martin Scorsese, even less known for quality female characters …”
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