S04.E01: Do You Want to Direct This Movie?

[MasalaCurry]

 

But the scene with Effie illustrates what happens so many times in these types of rooms. I have seen it from school committees to corporate boards. There is one person in a room full of whiteness who is allowed to "represent" POC, or women or whatever and everyone it patting themselves on the back since they think it shows how fair the process is. Then that person speaks and does not agree with someone who is one of the Alphas. The lone wolf is cut off and/or assumed to be trying to accuse people of racism when he or she is just trying to present their opinion. They have to use language like "with all the love in my heart" and a posture of almost submissiveness so as not to be accused of being angry if the discussion escalates. The person also has to remain silent when it is clear they will not be heard because any attempt to press their point will make them easily written off as difficult and not a team player.

 

I have been on the receiving end of this, but not from "white people". I am Indian, and I endured it in school on a project from the two African American women I was working with, and it was frustrating to be told "it is too last minute to make any changes" even though I knew the ideas were bad. They delayed submissions and asked for an extension, I was done with my part and trusted them to finish theirs and submit since I had to leave the country. I got a very poor grade and was surprised, I confronted the teacher and she felt that I had contributed nothing since I wasn't present during submissions. I explained my situation and saw that the final result barely included my part. I took my entire work to her and showed her pictures and examples of my research, she updated my grade. So it is not just Caucasians who do this, even minorities do it.

 

Back to this situation, I don't think Matt was racist, he has from the very beginning focused on finding the best Director, and I respect that. He doesn't want to get into the issue of race and other factors because they probably don't exist in his mind and he has not endured it. He is missing the point that others may not share his views. And I absolutely hated how he cut Brown off. I respected Brown a lot, it took a lot of guts to say what she did and react so openly in front of everyone. I found it very rude of Matt to not even hear her POV while everyone else got to say theirs. Probably he doesn't know her as well as the others, but that is no excuse. He could have let her finish her POV and acknowledged it but still gone his way. Brown completely withdrew after and it is clear she has been in that position before, and her answer "Jason" seemed forced, she checked out a bit. I felt bad for her, it was not fair of Matt to do that when clearly he is in a position of more power. It did make me like him less.

[LisaBLingLing]

Which has almost nothing to do with the fact that since he's been in Hollywood, he works almost solely with men and in films that are about men and marketed to men.

 

Oh, and that production at the Nora Theater Company?  It was written and directed by a man.

 

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1992/1/31/theater-co-hires-two-students-pharvard/

 

http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/news/06-2000/quick-wit-bob-walsh_825.html

 

And Damon only got the position because his mother was a supporter of the theater:

 

http://www.showofthemonth.com/theater/backstage/backstage_article.aspx?id=0905

 

I thought Bob Walsh was the assistant director on that production - I could be wrong.  Sadly, I did not see it.  The Nora is known around town for hiring female directors.  They are also very friendly to female playwrights.  They produced my work.  I became a supporter of the theater after they did that too.  Are you sure Matt Damon's mother didn't become a supporter after he worked there?  Still - it's not like they cast a no talent because no talent's mother gave them a couple hundred bucks, they cast Matt Damon.  Dude can act.  

[RemoteControlFreak]

I thought Bob Walsh was the assistant director on that production - I could be wrong.  Sadly, I did not see it.  The Nora is known around town for hiring female directors.  They are also very friendly to female playwrights.  They produced my work.  I became a supporter of the theater after they did that too.  Are you sure Matt Damon's mother didn't become a supporter after he worked there?  Still - it's not like they cast a no talent because no talent's mother gave them a couple hundred bucks, they cast Matt Damon.  Dude can act.  

No, I'm right.  Read the links I posted especially this sentence:  "One of Damon’s first stage performances was a 1992 Nora production of Steve Tesich’s The Speed of Darkness. The event came together thanks to Damon’s mother, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, a college professor and longtime supporter of the Nora."

 

Be assured, that Matt Damon didn't take the role at the Nora production out of some kind of desire to work at a theater that had a female focus. And yes, he has talent. So what? Does this somehow exempt him from being ignorant about diversity in Hollywood?

Edited September 18, 2015 by RemoteControlFreak

[RemoteControlFreak]

And ... Matt Damon attempts to apologize for his episode 1 comments but only serves to dig a deeper hole for himself and show that he really, really does not get it:
 
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/17/entertainment/matt-damon-project-greenlight-apology/index.html
 
First he claims that his statement was shown out of context:
 
"My comments were part of a much broader conversation about diversity in Hollywood and the fundamental nature of 'Project Greenlight' which did not make the show,"
 
Then he praises himself for saying that his comments were actually a good thing because they started a conversation about diversity in Hollywood:

 

""I am sorry that they offended some people, but, at the very least, I am happy that they started a conversation about diversity in Hollywood. That is an ongoing conversation that we all should be having."

 

Sorry, Matt.   Not buying the out of context excuse. What you said and Effie's reaction was all-too-obvious.  And you're no  hero for somehow starting a conversation about diversity. This conversation has been going on for a long time.  You just never listened or understood. And you still don't.

Edited September 18, 2015 by RemoteControlFreak

[LisaBLingLing]

No, I'm right.  Read the links I posted especially this sentence:  "One of Damon’s first stage performances was a 1992 Nora production of Steve Tesich’s The Speed of Darkness. The event came together thanks to Damon’s mother, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, a college professor and longtime supporter of the Nora."

 

Be assured, that Matt Damon didn't take the role at the Nora production out of some kind of desire to work at a theater that had a female focus. And yes, he has talent. So what? Does this somehow exempt him from being ignorant about diversity in Hollywood?

Silly argument, to be sure, but no, you aren't right.  The wording is a bit clunky, but the event that came together because of Nancy Carlsson-Paige was the fundraiser that happened in 2005 (you didn't include the full quote).  Matt Damon appeared in a show at the Nora more than a decade before.  I think someone could be considered a longtime supporter after a decade. Bob Walsh's resume says "other directing credits include" - he could have been the assistant director, he may not have been.  In theater resume language, "other directing credits include" is often code for "I was the assistant director" or "I was the technical director" or "I was the musical director" but not always. 

 

OK - I'm only engaging in this argument because, although not Matt Damon's mother, I am a longtime supporter of the Nora and I'm gonna defend the Nora.  I know things about the theater company that I can't link to because, you know, in my head, therefore feel free to continue to believe that I am wrong.  And we will have to agree to disagree.  

 

I suspect Matt Damon did not take the role in "Speed the Darkness" because of some deep seeded desire to work with a theater company known for it's focus on hiring women.  I suspect he took the role because he is an actor and it was paid work.  However, it is the first company he worked for professionally, it is known around town to focus on hiring women, he did work there, and he did come back 15 years later to help them raise money to finish building a new theater space.  I posted my first comment in response to someone saying Matt Damon had never worked with a female director.  I remembered him working at the Nora and I remembered that show as being directed by Mimi Harrington.  Perhaps she didn't direct that show but she was one of the creative forces behind the founding of that theater company, she was the artistic director there for many years, and the Nora was founded to give a voice to more women in theater.  Final casting decisions would not have been made without her input.  So, even if she didn't directly hire Matt Damon, she hired the guy who hired Matt Damon.  Besides being an excellent theater company, the Nora is known around town for two things, being a very female friendly theater and for giving Matt Damon his first job.  Does that excuse him from shutting down Effie Brown in that meeting?  No. Do I hope the internet reaction will make him examine how he does treat women in future meetings?  Absolutely!  There should be more female directors in Hollywood.  I'd love it if Matt Damon had hired one.  I'd love it even more if there were one in a position to hire him.  I suspect if the project were a good one, he would not refuse a role because a woman was in charge.  I'm not assured of that fact because I don't know the inner workings of Matt Damon's mind, but I will need more than one video clip of a heated discussion in a meeting filmed for a reality TV show to believe that Matt Damon refuses to work with women.  

Edited September 18, 2015 by LisaBLingLing

[RemoteControlFreak]

OK, so maybe once upon a time when Damon was in college, he got a tiny role at a small theater in Cambridge, Mass. and maybe that production was directed by a woman. Or maybe not.

 

And 15 years later when he was a big Hollywood star, he did a favor to his mother and participated in a fundraiser for that same theater.

 

None of this changes the fact that after he went to Hollywood, he never worked with a male director, worked exclusively in male-centric films, and acted like a total arrogant ass in last week's episode of Project Greenlight thinking that he could enlighten a woman of color who is an actual Hollywood producer about how diversity works in Hollywood.  And none of this changes the fact that when he tried to apologize for his behavior, he only served to make himself look more blind to the realities of the lack of diversity in Hollywood.

 

Yes, he's a good actor. Yes, the Nora Theater does good work and focuses on the work of women and minorities.  This changes absolutely nothing.

Edited September 19, 2015 by RemoteControlFreak

[radishcake]

At the risk of being a dick because I've engaged in commenting on this, but because I am tasked with modding this show, I think we need to go ahead be done with this particular iteration of this argument. Let's see what episode 2 brings tomorrow.

[sandwoman]

I very distantly know Jason and it's going to be fun to watch this season. He gives a slightly "off" vibe in real life too. Fun fact: the writer who Jason suggested rewrite the script (of Boys Don't Cry) was one of Jason's teachers at film school. Ultimately, he's super fresh from film school and that informs a LoT of how he expresses himself and his ideas about filmmaking. In fact he may not have graduated yet when he was selected. Anyway, I can't offer much insider info but I'm very curious to see how it all plays out.

[mascan42]

So let me get this straight: Damon said something controversial, and then claims it was taken out of context . . . on a show where HE'S THE PRODUCER?

If he was that concerned about what he said being taken the wrong way, he could've had the entire scene cut out. But they kept just the part that generates controversy and headlines, just in time for the premiere.

Am I the only one who sees right through this?

[FastLou]

After watching the episode I was willing to go along with Jason's selection as the best "filmmaker."

Then I discovered all the top 20 submissions & the final Speed Dating projects were on YouTube. I watched all of these and IMO Jason's submissions were no where near the most technically competent, visually impressive, well written, or overall engaging in either category.

Several of the original submissions like Pavement & the PTSD one blew me away. Killjoy, the magician, the summer swimming pool one, the "where do you want to eat" and others either impressed me technically or entertained me. ALL of which were IMO better than Jason's work.

After watching al the available submitted material, and watching what we were shown of the interviews I see absolutely no logical explanation for this choice of winner. It makes no sense at all when looking @ someone that can work w/ the Farrellys to deliver a comedy. It makes no sense if you are choosing the most technically proficient director. Four or five of the submission are technically far more impressive than what Jason turned in .

The Only reason i can accept is they thought he'd bring the most drama & be the best TV. I'm OK with that, but wish they'd be more upfront about it. Anyone who critically watches the submissions would discover Jason is middle of the pack in terms of both technical quality & story ideas.