Image Credit: Alex Bailey
Win an Oscar, become evil?
That seems to be the new trend with the news that Cate Blanchett may be playing the Evil Stepmother in a Cinderella remake. She joins Angelina Jolie, who will be portraying Maleficent in an upcoming Sleeping Beauty film, and Charlize Theron and Julia Roberts, who this year both starred as the Evil Queen in Snow White movies.
It’s tempting to say that this is a sad commentary on the roles for 35-plus women in Hollywood who can no longer play “The Girlfriend.” As Tina Fey wrote, “The definition of ‘crazy’ in show business is a woman who keeps talking even after no one wants to f— her anymore,” but while Fey definitely has a point about Hollywood, I don’t think ageism is on display here. These women are still getting complex roles post-Oscar — Theron’s Young Adult, Jolie’s A Mighty Heart — but when a big-budget fairy tale comes knocking, it’s the villain — never the princess — that is the most fascinating and delicious role to play. If we’re going to rally around a cause about women in Hollywood — and there are plenty of issues about women’s opportunities and portrayals on screen — this isn’t the one.
Kids might grow up dreaming of golden-voiced maidens and courageous princes, but adults come to appreciate that the villains are often the most interesting people in the story. Power, intrigue, cunning: What’s not to love? READ FULL STORY »
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