Brie Larson, famous, Oscar winning actress, has appealed to the films industry to include more diversity, especially when it comes to film criticism.
The actress gave a speech at the Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards that were held earlier in the week in Los Angeles. She cited statistics from the USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, explaining the need for a wider range of diversity in upcoming films and series. According to the Study that Larson showed to the audience, only 2.5% of the top critics in the industry were of colour, while over 80% of the critics of last year’s biggest films were male. She went on to cite the film A Wrinkle In Time and its critical response as an example.
She went on to explain that she didn’t need a “dude” to explain why A Wrinkle In Time didn’t work for critics. She added that the movie wasn’t made for his demographic, and that critics of colour, especially women, would be better suited to critique similar films in the genre.
She went on to explain that her feelings toward the critic industry weren’t a dig at white males, and that she did not want them to be excluded. She said that when a film or art piece is made that is specifically designed to garner to a certain demographic, then it should be that demographic that provides detailed critiques on the work and why it either works or doesn’t work for them.
Larson has long been an advocate for the Time’s Up initiative, which is currently attempting to end the discrimination that many women of colour in the film industry suffer with, similar in some ways to the online betting industry. Their aim is to provide better equality to everyone involved, with Larson saying that a critique can have a long-reaching affect on people, and can even make or break someone’s professional career.
Larson lastly said that it really “sucks” that reviews are so important in the industry, but did admit that they are important nonetheless. She said that good reviews come from smaller film festivals, and was focused on highlighting independent films that would otherwise not stand a chance in the world of Hollywood. Good reviews can help movies make more money, and allows the movies to move closer to potentially winning awards, and can ultimately change the lives involved in the movie, much the way a good review changed hers.
The Hollywood film industry has been subject to a fair amount of controversies over the years, with one of the biggest being the sexual harassment scandal that rocked it to its core. With hundreds of women coming forth to expose the harassment and abuse they suffered from the higher-ups, there’s never been a stronger call for equality and the end of discrimination in the famous city. Whether Larson’s words will have a lasting impact is yet to be seen, but there’s no doubt that Hollywood will continue to change as more people battle against inequality.
