Searching for Debra Winger (2008)

The way in which women are depicted in the media is often a subject which keeps women busy and a documentary like Miss Representation already shed some light on the subject a couple of years ago. In that film a lot of famous persons were interviewed (including actresses like Rosario Dawson, Geena Davis and Jane Fonda). Actrice Rosanna Arquette decided to make the documentary Searching for Debra Winger in which she tries to give the viewer an idea about how women working in the movie industry experience it.

For about 100 minutes famous actresses talk about their work and the effect the industry has on them. Subjects like personal relationships, the thing which are demanded from them, their children and many other experiences are talked about. The men in charge at the big movie companies have specific expectations and history has taught that some women can’t handle that pressure when it comes to getting older and decide to have plastic surgery.

The amount of actresses which talk about their work is impressive. Of course her sister Patricia Arquette is shown, but others like Sharon Stone, Jane Fonda, Salma Hayek, Whoopie Goldberg, Melanie Griffith, Daryl Hannah, Holly Hunter, Frances McDormand, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robin Wright and Meg Ryan (amongst many others) talk without holding back about their career and experiences. This results in a couple of funny moments, but also some shocking ones (like an actrice who tells that the studio told her that she looked a bit fat watching the dailies and gave her diet pills). You get to hear the personal stories which are hidden behind the glamour.

Arquette isn’t always a great interviewer as she regularly spends too much time praising the actress she is interviewing. Add to that some disappointing camera work and the fact that there is no grouping of subject results in a feeling that it all could have been so much better. That’s a shame, but despite that it shows a side of actresses you don’t get to see very often. Will Hollywood change? Personally I don’t think it will. Looking at the current movies which are being released, the average age of actresses are still is far below 40 and even though there are roles for older women they aren’t in as much demand because the industry thinks people are not interested in that. And that’s a shame, because we all grow older and we all want movies with characters we can relate to, whether those are young/old, man/woman or whatever.