Greta Gerwig

Greta Gerwighttps://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/02/greta-gerwig-was-rejected-by-every-playwriting-program-she-applied-to.html Heroes are established throughout our society. A hero can be defined in various ways, and heroic qualities aren't always agreed upon. Heroism is established when an individual or group makes a positive difference on the world around them. Heroes inspire and motivate others to stand up for themselves and their beliefs, they are a leader in a tough situation. They encourage others with their originality and do so without expecting recognition in return. An example of somebody who displays all these heroic qualities is Greta Gerwig, an actress turned director. Gerwig wrote and directed the Academy Award nominated movie Ladybird. Gewrig became a director despite the fact that “at the time women comprised less than 3% of top-grossing studio directors” (Berman). She went against the odds and pursued her dream, serving as an inspiration for women all over and being a leader in a difficult situation. A hero must be original in their work and  possess leadership. A heroic person helps others for the betterment of them, not to receive a prize or recognition. Greta Gerwig possess originality that inspires others to follow her message and leadership as a female director in a male-dominated industry, therefore making her a hero and inspiration in our society.

Ladybird, written and directed by Greta Gerwighttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt4925292/Greta Gerwig displays originality that has never been seen before in the directing industry, she uses her unique style to share a message with others. Gerwig’s movie Ladybird explores a mother-daughter relationship and illustrates a coming of age story. Her movie has been nominated for 5 Academy Awards since, and has inspired people from all over: “Though Lady Bird has been a success, creating it wasn't always a straightforward process. Gerwig required years to write her script, which reached 350 pages at one point. She finished it in 2015, but then faced speed bumps in getting financing for the film: the mother-daughter relationship is important, and one Gerwig felt had been relatively unexplored in cinema, but male financiers who didn't have sisters or daughters sometimes didn't understand the relationship dynamics” (Biography.com). The directing industry is mostly male-dominated and people are often hesitant about working with a female director. Greta knew this and continued to pursue her dream, she was persistence toward something she was passionate about. The movie Ladybird tells a unique story that has never been illustrated before, one that Gerwig knew she had to share. Male financiers often did not understand the story, making it harder for Greta to succeed as a director. She is original through all her work, including the mother-daughter story line that has not been explored in the industry. Gerwig did anything she could to share her message and inspire others with an original story. Greta Gerwig strives to leave her audience with an important message, ranging from the plot of the movie, to the actuality that women can be successful directors: “Gerwig has at once become her own success story and a symbol of the future of storytelling—of the not-so-radical notion that we may, perhaps even soon, get to stop qualifying director with female. She knows the power of seeing someone like yourself out there doing the thing you yearn to do. But she's hopeful for a time when we won't need to count every woman's accomplishment as evidence” (Berman). Through her work, Gerwig seeks to convey a point to her audience, she wants others to think of women as equals. She hopes that from her work, women can be inspired to go after their goals. She wrote the story knowing that it is taking one more step towards more inclusion in the industry. Gerwig knows that to see change, one has to do something to put it into action. Her goal is that one day women’s accomplishments won't be a surprise, it will be the normal. This is one of the messages she wants her audience to take out of her movie. Greta Gerwig is a successful woman director who puts her original personality to use to spread a message, a message about inclusion and to share a story that inspires others.

Greta Gerwig is a leader for women in an industry that is heavily male dominated, she followed her dream of directing and did not let her gender stop her from success. In an in interview with Entertainment Weekly, Greta Gerwig conveys what has inspired her to become a director: “The first movie that made me love cinema was Claire Denis' Beau Travail. I didn't know till it was over that it was directed by a woman. Since then there's been other women—Rebecca Miller, Sarah Polley, Sally Potter—who came into my life at a critical time. If I hadn't crossed their paths, if I hadn't seen those movies, I don't know if I would have been able to think it was something I can do. To have a big dream, you need to have someone to look at. Otherwise, you're imagining unicorns” (Vilkomerson). Gerwig stands as a role model for young girls and women all over. On her journey to becoming a director, she crossed paths with multiple women directors that inspired her to pursue her dream of directing. She knows that to be a leader for change, other women need an influence. They need a person to look up to, a person that is proof that achieving their goals is possible. Gerwig’s leadership has inspired countless amounts of women already: “Just the other day, she was at the airport and a 20-something woman stopped her. "She said, 'Thank you for your movies. I want to make movies.'" Gerwig, in what is now becoming a regular practice, made the young woman look at her and promise to her face that she would make them” (Berman).  Gerwig’s journey to becoming a director was a challenge, but she knew from her leadership, she would inspire others. Women from all over can look to Gerwig as a leader and be empowered to go after their goals. Filmmaking is a male-dominated industry and a career women don’t even consider because of the lack of inclusion. Gerwig went against this and blazed the trail, her success is an example to other women that their goals should not be stopped because of their gender. During an interview with New York Times, Gerwig speaks out about her dream for the future of filmmaking: “-- that I have great belief in the future of filmmaking being much closer to a 50-50 split between male and female creators. There are too many great filmmakers leading the charge for this not to be a turning point” (Bruni). In Hollywood, very few women are directors, only five women have ever been nominated for an Academy Award for best director, and only one woman has won. Gerwig wants to change those numbers, and she knows the only way to do that is to be a leader. Women may not want to pursue a career as a director because they don’t have many women role models to look up to. Slowly, with Greta’s and other director’s help, the industry is becoming more inclusive and women are starting to realize their passion for directing. Greta wrote and directed a movie knowing that it could stand as an example for other women. She is making a change in the industry during a rough time for women. Greta Gerwig is a leader in an Industry that is male-dominated, she blazed the trail and pursued her dream, portraying a role model for other women to follow their own goals.

Greta Gerwig at the 2018 Oscarshttps://www.popsugar.com/beauty/photo-gallery/44632722/image/44633495/Greta-GerwigGreta Gerwig is a hero and inspiration in our society because she uses originality that inspires others to follow her message and is a leader as a woman director in an industry consumed with men. To reiterate one of her points, Gerwig said: “To have a big dream, you need to have someone to look at. Otherwise, you're imagining unicorns” (Vilkomerson). Gerwig possesses an originality that inspires others to listen to her message, her message of inclusion in the workplace and sharing meaningful stories with everyone.  She achieved her dream of directing and did not let her gender stop her. Gerwig is an inspiration because throughout her work, she is a role model for other women to pursue their dreams, even if the odds are against them. Gerwig looked up to many different women directors over the years, and they inspired her to become a director. She knows that if she wants to see more inclusion in the directing industry, there needs to be people to inspire others. She says that to have a big dream, you need somebody to look up to. Gerwig acts as a role model to women of all ages and is a leader for change. These are qualities a hero must possess; the originality to inspire others and the power to be a leader in the most crucial times. 

Works Cited

Berman, Eliza. "Leading by Example. (Cover Story)." Time, vol. 191, no. 10, 12 Mar. 2018, pp. 40-45. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=128256509&site=ehost-live.

Biography.com. “Greta Gerwig.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 5 Mar. 2018, www.biography.com/people/greta-gerwig-21430131

Bruni, Frank, et al. "Greta Gerwig, Aaron Sorkin: Hollywood Must Change." New York Times, 10 Jan. 2018, p. (L). Biography in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A522181480/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=fb6bd5e4. Accessed 23 Mar. 2018.

Vilkomerson, Sara. "Greta Gerwig." Entertainment Weekly, no. 1496/1497, 29 Dec. 2017, p. 26. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=126930709&site=ehost-live.