ST Colin Trevorrow NOT directing Episode IX

Yeah I saw JJ's film, thanks. Rey was an adorable shell in the characterization department. Lots of room to paint. Luckily RJ is in charge for now, and hopefully his ability to write for female characters goes beyond what he's done so far.

However, that doesn't change the power that the maker of the third movie in a girl's trilogy has to impact her development and characterization. He sums up her story. If he wants Rey to be cold and hardened, focused on being a Jedi, with Finn or Kylo thankfully showing up to teach her how to be feminine and maternal, he'll tell that story.

 

BigFanBoy - Interview: Colin Trevorrow on THE BOOK OF HENRY, JURASSIC criticism, and STAR WARS Ep IX

http://bigfanboy.com/wp/?p=30979

 

Does all of this mean that Rey is less or more likely to appear in a Leia style slave costume in IX?

 

Silver Screen Riot - TALKING WITH COLIN TREVORROW OF ‘THE BOOK OF HENRY’

http://silverscreenriot.com/talking-colin-trevorrow-book-henry/

 

https://twitter.com/joshuahorowitz/status/875782321647104001

 

I don't judge women. I don't judge them under any circumstance. I have no interest in condescending to them.

Women are equal to men.

This means they are the same. The same good. And the same bad. They aren't just whatever you want them portrayed to be. You're the one who is trying to tell women what they should and shouldn't be. I want writers to present women the way they see them. It's an art form. You want to tell the artist how to feel, but you don't get to tell the artist how to feel. I want all kinds of women in my movies. All kinds. That's reality. Princess Leia was a lot of positive qualities. But she was also kind of mean at times. Is the Leia character guilty of presenting damaging stereotypes? A woman in power presented as a tyrant? How dare Lucas! She treated her rescuers like they were her slaves. A feminist could easily call it a stereotypical portrayal if they bent over backwards.

I ask you, in your opinion, was putting Leia in the slave costume sexist? And if so, how do you feel about women who wear bikinis? Do you support them?

 

By having opinions, we aren't telling artists how to feel. No artist is entitled to have the audience appreciate their art. We all enjoy different things. Perhaps CT envisions Rey as pretty one-dimensional and in need of a man to enlighten her on how to be worthy of love or happiness or whatever. That's his right. It's everyone else's right to appreciate his vision or not. It's also everyone's right to be skeptical that he's capable of or even interested in writing a compelling female character that has depth and strength and flaws and motives that are all believable and relatable. I personally don't believe nor relate to a female character that needs to be educated by a man on how to be properly affectionate and maternal.

 

A girls trilogy?

I've read a lot of dumb stuff from individuals on the internet, but this might take the cake. I might get banned for this response, but someone has to acknowledge how wrong this statement is.

 

While you're at it, Rian, just go ahead and shoot the rest of the film.

 

Its a f-Ing Star Wars movie....Rey was the best female character in a movie that I've seen in a lonnnng time and people are still upset. I won't even say best female character I'll say one of the better characters overalL. Stop taking all the fun out our space adventure movies. Oh but I guess Star Wars and feminism go hand In hand now.

 

I'm not insulting...I'm expressing frustration. Other people will read that and put stock into it. That's not fair. I'm trying (but failing) to rationally explain why Star Wars is the wrong avenue to get up in arms about sexism in film.

 

You know, maybe I just have weak impulse control considering I swore to myself I'd stop arguing here... but I'd like to ask, would you mind explaining to me what exactly is wrong with feminism? I'd love to hear it. Really, I would.

 

I've not seen anyone object to a good film portrayal of a woman choosing to be a stay-at-home mom. One example might be the mother in Shane, a wife and mom who is nevertheless capable, wise and braver than most men around her. You get the impression the film respects her character, her life and choices.

The problem raised with Colin is that he offers someone choosing to live for a different purpose, being career-minded, a businesswomen, etc., and uses that to say he's forward-thinking for showing the character living that way. But then he spends the rest of his film undercutting her choices. I didn't get the impression the film respected Clare's life choices up until she starts changing for Owen. If you want credit for your lead character's choice, respect those choices.

 

Yeah. Since feminism is defined as a belief in female equality, I am consistently baffled that so many people use the term pejoratively. Maybe the explanation is...that they're either against or threatened by female equality? Just a guess.

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with feminism. Some of my favorite movie characters are female. I'm getting upset that it's so directly infused with Star Wars now. If most of y'all had it your way it would feel pandering, and Star Wars is above that. Strong female characters should feel natural. Dr. Ellie Sattler, Marion RavenWood, Shelly Duvall in The Shining, Ripley, Sarah Connor etc etc etc. They are all amazing characters that didn't feel forced (no pun intended)

 

And at one point all those characters I just listed are put down by a male
Character at one point whether it be verbally or physically, but they rise above it. People can't read between the lines anymore. It has to be either complete badass warrior woman or kitchen slave.

 

Colin Trevorrow: "It's kind of that creative socialism that you would dream would happen. [Laughs] Where I am surrounded by people who are brilliant and all have PHDs in Star Wars and able to engage in some really challenging questions we're asking each other - not just about what happens, but about why (emphasis his) it happens and what does this all mean and why was Star Wars? Kathy Kennedy and Michelle Rejwan who is my creative producer and Kiri Hart and her whole story group are really the main people that I interface with but then there's Rian [Johnson] and J. J. [Abrams] who are also involved and Lawrence Kasdan - theses are names that give you a certain amount of confidence - the story we're telling has been vetted - it's extreme vetting! [Laughs]" (June 15, 2017)

 

The movie siding with the guy putting them down, and rewarding them for changing themselves for the putter-downer, is very different from a hero facing obstacles. Ripley overcame Ash, she didn't fall in love with him.

 

The issue isn't that certain types of female characters shouldn't be written - all types of lead characters are valid and defensible - but the issue where characterisation can be defined as sexist is when the journey in an arc presented as redemptive or as a life lesson adheres to outmoded or outright misogynist notions (and often the films themselves nudge you towards an opinoin it wants you to have about the "goodness" of the character development)

 

Yeah, and I think people really react against feeling transparently manipulated into supporting values that they are personally opposed to.

 

Are we reading the same thread? Because the only poster who has made that assertion is you.

People are expressing concern that Treverrow so far seems to have a problem writing three-dimensional female characters. Literally nobody here has said that every female character has to be a badass or else it's sexist.