A
fter a record four
women became U.S.
senators, 1992 was
deemed the “Year of
the Woman” by the
media. The subsequent March,
the 65th Academy Awards fol-
lowed suit, theming the show
“Oscar Celebrates Women and the
Movies” and opening with a photo
of 67 female winners. Despite
the hype, it took another 17 years
before a woman, Kathryn Bigelow,
won a best director trophy. A
quarter-century later, as #MeToo
and Time’s Up address inequities
and sexual harassment in the
workplace, THR asks many of the
women what has changed since
the photo was taken.7 FAYE D U NAWAY
“What’s happening now with Reese
Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Greta
Gerwig and Margot Robbie — they’re
all taking their power back by becom-
ing producers and directors. It was
always, even then, in our minds. I
developed something [as a producer]
at the time, but the odds are against
you — it was very, very difficult. Forget
about going to any of the studios. You
had to go through independent studios.
This Time’s Up movement is enor-
mously helpful and right. The industry
is going to shift. It’s an amazing
time right now.”39 WHOOPI GOLDBERG
“The change from that picture is
there are many women of color who
have won Oscars. Now, from Halle
[Berry] or Viola [Davis] to Octavia
[Spencer] and Mo’Nique, it’s a nice list
of women. Still, it’s going to take awhile to make the corrections that
need to be made. But places like
Amazon and Netflix, they’re making
those movies. It just took a little
while. Holly wood will never be like that
again, that’s the greatest thing of all.”(^6) GEENA DAVIS
“When Thelma & Louise came out, there
were opinions voiced about whether
it was a positive step for our culture.
‘The world is ruined — now women
have guns,’ that type of thing. But the
Twenty-five years ago, the Academy convened 67 female Oscar winners for a celebratory photo.
Did the hoopla actually change anything? ‘Staying quiet has gained us nothing’
By Rebecca Ford and Mia Galuppo
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1993
Anjelica Huston was
the first Oscar
winner whose parent
and grandparent had
also won one.
Year of the Woman?
THEN AND NOW
media coverage was united on one
thing: ‘This changes everything! Now
we are sure to see many more films
starring women, about women.’ I was
thrilled, and waited with everyone
else for that to happen. And waited.
And waited. Twenty-five years later,
I am not about to be fooled by the
media proclaiming now things have
changed, when they did not over the
past quarter-century. However, it is
with great confidence and joy that
I unequivocally believe that yes, now
things will change. Women in the
industry have not only found our voice,
we are being listened to.”
48 ELLEN BURSTYN
“When Harvey Weinstein was
brought down, I knew that the age
of the patriarchy was beginning
to crumble at last in Hollywood. And
hopefully it will soon in the rest of
the world. Someday, I hope we have
Goldberg was the first African-American
actress to receive two acting nominations
overall when she landed her second for Ghost.
GROUP: THEO WESTENBERGER/COURTESY OF ©A.M.P.A.S. GOLDBERG: JOHN BARR/GETTY IMAGES. FIELD: ABC PHOTO ARCHIVES/ABC VIA GETTY IMAGES. HUSTON: BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES.