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“Twilight” and the year of women in and at the movies

“Twilight” star Robert Pattinson shares a laugh with “Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke. (Associated Press photo)  

Over at the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Web site, I’ve written an essay about “Twilight” and the success of films made by and aimed at women this year.

With the box-office triumphs of “Twilight,” “Sex and the City” and “Mamma Mia!,” along with the critical acclaim for “Frozen River,” 2008 has been a mighty year for women movie-goers and female filmmakers.

But with the reports that Summit Entertainment is in negotiations to replace “Twilight” helmer Catherine Hardwicke with director Chris Weitz (“American Pie,” “The Golden Compass”) for the sequel “New Moon,” I fear that the studios have yet to truly appreciate the importance and power of films by and for women.

Here’s the start of the essay; click on the link to read more:

When movie headlines of 2008 are analyzed, undoubtedly industry watchers will note the proliferation of superhero movies and the emergence of “The Dark Knight” as the critical and financial powerhouse among them.

The disappearance of high-profile films such as “Star Trek” and “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” moved to 2009 for business reasons, also is sure to be discussed.

When it comes to the awards contenders, 2008 will be remembered as the year when Nixon and Frost again faced off, when Brad Pitt finally aged backward, when “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” made a comeback, at least for one Indian lad.

But 2008 truly should be recognized as the year when studios finally were forced acknowledge the power of women as both filmmakers and audiences – or at least as the year they should have been. Recent developments indicate some haven’t quite learned the lesson.

The most recent film to prove this point: “Twilight,” the movie adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s vampire romance novel. The film opened Nov. 21 – the slot abandoned by “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” – and topped the box-office charts with about $70 million. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, the film marked the biggest opening ever for a female director.

In its second and third weeks, “Twilight” held onto the second place, behind the seasonal comedy “Four Christmases.” The film has made more than $138 million and counting, according to RottenTomatoes.com.

Even more impressive, Summit Entertainment made the film for $37 million, so it came close to doubling its money the first weekend alone. That’s also when the fledgling company gave the green light to “New Moon,” the film version of the second book in Meyer’s four-book “Twilight” saga.

“Twilight” had significant woman power behind the camera: Not only was the book written by a woman, it was adapted by a female screenwriter: Melissa Rosenberg, who penned the previous Summit film “Step Up” and is a writer on the TV series “Dexter.” And Hardwicke, whose previous credits include “Thirteen” and “Lords of Dogtown,” helmed the project. …

Click here to read the full essay.

-BAM

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