Women are a minority in the highest-grossing films in 2023

As in Barbie (2023), patriarchy continues to win far from Barbieland. This is what the recent report shows It's a Man's (Celluloid) World, released by Dr. Martha Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, with data that reveals how women are a minority in the highest-grossing films, representing a worrying stagnation in relation to female representation in cinema.

In 2023, only 18% of the casts of the 100 highest-grossing films featured more female characters than male characters, while 5% had an equal gender balance.

It's a Man's (Celluloid) World

The report It's a Man's (Celluloid) World 2023, prepared by Dr. Martha Lauzen, revealed an in-depth and worrying analysis of female representation in the 100 highest-grossing films of the year. The data highlights a number of trends that highlight continued gender inequality in the film industry.

Regarding race/ethnicity, the numbers show that 61,5% of male characters in speaking roles were white, marking a significant drop from the 68,7% recorded in 2022. The report also highlights that the majority of casts in Films, around 77%, featured more male characters than female.

Additionally, there has been a drop in female representation in speaking roles overall, with the percentage of women in these roles decreasing from 37% in 2022 to 35% in 2023. The presence of unique female protagonists also decreased, going from 33% to 28%, a number significantly below the peak of 40% reached in 2019.

Female ageism

When it comes to age, the distribution of female characters in speaking roles also reveals a worrying trend. Only 17% of female characters were under the age of 20, while the majority were concentrated in older age groups, with 22% in their 20s, 33% in their 30s, 15% in their 40s, 6% in their 50s. years and 7% aged 60 or over. This distribution reflects a lack of representation of women over 40, perpetuating stereotypes and limiting opportunities for diverse narratives.

The study revealed a significant disparity when it comes to the aging of female characters compared to their male counterparts. Female characters tended to be younger, especially in their 20s and 30s, while male characters were more often depicted in their 30s and 40s. The percentages of male characters didn't decrease until they reached age 50.

Dr. Martha Lauzen noted in her study that the population of female characters decreases significantly around the age of 40. Despite notable performances by actresses such as Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno and Sally Field em 80 for Brady, for example, roles for actresses over 60 are rare. According to the doctor, this limitation in the representation of female age not only reflects a lack of diversity, but also limits women's ability to age in positions of personal, political and professional power, perpetuating harmful stereotypes about women as they age:

The population of female characters decreases significantly around age 40. This age group comprised just 7% of all women in the highest-grossing films of 2023, well below their representation in the U.S. population. Limiting the age of female characters also limits their ability to age into positions of personal, political, and professional power.

Dr. Martha Lauzen

Positive impact of women as protagonists and directors

The study also highlights the positive impact that the presence of women behind the camera has in female representation on screen. Films like Barbie, co-written and directed by Greta Gerwig, and Priscilla, Sofia Coppola, demonstrate how the inclusion of female directors and/or writers results in a more balanced representation of women.

In these films, in which there is at least one director and/or writer involved, the percentages of women as protagonists are much higher than in films with exclusively male filmmakers (48% versus 19%). Furthermore, the female presence in leading roles is also more prominent (48% versus 33%), as is the representation of women as characters who have lines (43% versus 31%).

One of the most famous cases in Hollywood when it comes to resistance in female characters refers to the production of the film Contact (1997) Studio executives have expressed concerns about the commercial viability of a film with a woman in the lead role, fearing that the public would not identify with or be interested in a female character in such a central role. These hesitations resulted in difficulties finding financing and support for the project, making the film's production a difficult task. challenging task from the start.

Despite initial difficulties, the film Contact eventually found support and was produced with Jodie Foster in the lead role. The marriage was so successful that, years later, the actress stated that the character created by Carl Sagan was the one with which she identified most during all her performances:

I think, more than any character I've ever played, Ellie Arroway is the most like me or at least the most like how I think should be seen – how I see myself or something like that. She is as emotionally profound as she is intellectually prodigious, and this has led her to live this kind of solitary life.

Jodie Foster, about her character Eleanor Arrow in “Contact” (1997).

The choice of the renowned actress contributed to giving credibility to the project and, eventually, the film was well received by both critics and the public. The initial resistance surrounding the female protagonist was eventually overcome, and Contact became a landmark in science fiction, highlighting the importance of female representation in prominent roles in cinema.

Always on the agenda here at Showmetech, female representation is more than essential in cinema, so in the next few days we will publish an article bringing together the best films written by women.

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Sources: Variety, It's a man's world's e USC

Text proofread by: Pedro Bomfim