Movies reflect the changing roles of men in the 21st century. Here is what our community says about the 2016 Oscar nominations.
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This post is part of our “Movies and Manhood” series that gives some of our regular writers an opportunity to share their views on how movies have impacted their thinking about men’s roles today. Our objective is to find the intersection between these films and the themes and topics we address here at The Good Men Project. Be sure to check out our other posts here.
The 2016 Academy Award nominations were announced a few days ago. As usual, the list contained a number of obvious nominations, but also a few surprises. For instance, no one was surprised that The Revenant and Mad Max: Fury Road were nominated for Best Picture, but it was a bit of a surprise that Carol was not. (And let’s be honest: As much as everyone seems to love Star Wars: The Force Awakens, it never really had a shot at Best Picture.)
There is always a tension is any awards ceremony that honors artistic achievements. On the one hand, you can gauge the popularity of a movie by attendance and ticket sales. You can cast votes for the most popular movies. However, that doesn’t always reflect people’s personal experience with a particular story or movie.
That diversity of experience is certainly reflected in the comments from our movie panelists this week. Check out their reflections and let us know your own thoughts on the 2016 Oscar nominations.
The GMP Perspectives
I see a number of parallels between The Revenant and The Martian. For starters, I think both films reinforce that man vs. self is always the greatest battle we’ll face. We often make excuses and focus on the external opposition because it’s what we can see. But as much as we can be our own worst enemy, we can equally be our own best ally.
With The Revenant and The Martian, both movies show how manhood can often be tested through isolation. When all the best inventions and tricks are stripped away, a man’s only weapon against himself is his mind. These films remind us that manhood is defined as what you do when others have counted you out.
James Woodruff, The Good Men Project Author
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The Danish Girl is a great example of our changing views of not only manhood but also gender identity. This film reflects what we now know about gender, which is this: what makes a man isn’t solely based on physical traits, but also a psychological makeup. It’s a feeling deep in our soul that signals to us that we are male or female. If we refuse to acknowledge or are forced to ignore it this choice can become problematic.
I hope more films like this will help people grow to understand, empathize and accept men and women who are different. Whether it’s their sexuality or the color of one’s skin, the more we are accepting, the quicker individuals will be able to fulfill their potential as human beings.
Keola Birano, The Good Men Project Author
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From the major studio efforts like The Revenant and Mad Max: Fury Road to the independence of films like The Room and Spotlight, Hollywood has focused on portraying the male character with a pendulum of emotions—from struggling survivalist to more open and emotional vulnerability, sometimes within the same film. As an action film fan, I cannot help but cheer along when I see the film’s heroes overcome adverse situations and reach some sort of peak or goal.
As Leonardo’s character Hugh Glass drags himself along through the wilderness to Fort Kiowa, tenacity plays a major role in the film, The Revenant. Coming back “from the dead” to live again, this film itself is a masterpiece, both from a cinematic vantage point, but better yet to tell us the tale that we can bounce back from anything. Reaching into the human spirit and living, for whatever reason, has never been more accurately portrayed.
Mark Watney being stranded on the moon in The Martian further shows that even without the knowledge of hope, the human spirit carries on. When Mark is unknowingly abandoned, he knows that he must reach down deep within and find the strength to be seen and heard again from NASA (and his former fellow astronauts).
Max (Not as “mad” as some of his earlier incarnations) also has the sense of longevity derived from within. With his family gone, we would think that his will to live is also removed. Our own inherent will to survive perseveres, though, and from that, the ability to help and nurture others also comes into view. He overcomes the selfish obstacles within himself and the man that was once a peace officer comes back at the forefront.
Mark Ruffalo’s character, Mike Rezendes, also sees the greater good as portrayed in Spotlight, which takes on the Catholic Church to expose child abuse. He pushes past the obstacles that seem insurmountable in our lives.
Obviously, my thematic attraction is the fact that we are conditioned, within our DNA imprint, to our beliefs and morale compasses to rise up from the ashes, like a phoenix from the flame. We can be beaten down and oppressed, but like water leaking through a dam, eventually we will flow freely to who we are meant to be and to survive as those individuals.
Nice job this year, Hollywood! Overcome adversity for success—sounds like the makings of a great male foundation!
Sean Ackerman, The Good Men Project Author
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What Happened, Miss Simone? is one of the most important films you will ever watch. It tells the true story of how African American women—no matter how talented, brilliant, or powerful cannot be heard in their glorious beauty—and the toll that takes on those who live in a white supremacist, post–colonial world. Her name was Eunice Waymon, and if you hear her voice as she intended it to be heard, and if you see her story the way it unfolds, your life will be changed. You won’t need to go looking for answers.
This film shows how Eunice was chewed up and spit out by sexist, racist systems that are not built for kindness, sensitivity, compassion, or real art that transfigures the world. It shows how those traumatic conditions perpetuate and spread at the personal level, and divide all of our consciences in the mirror of art—reflecting life, reflecting art, reflecting a tortured soul.
Eunice “Nina Simone” Waymon deserves all the celebration of any major artist and more because she had the courage to try to go for real equality and freedom. It’s a messy story, but that what the world’s BS will do to a black woman. How about we change the world on the foundation of Eunice’s vision and learn from her pain-filled path?
Feelings Detective, The Good Men Project Author
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Photo: New Regency Pictures
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