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A review by cait_margaret
Backwards and in Heels: The Past, Present and Future of Women Working in Film by Alicia Malone
4.0
The mileage you get out of this book will definitely depend on what you want from it, but for me it’s a wonderful collection of stories both new and familiar (to me) that chronicle some of the biggest issues, fights, and accomplishments for women throughout the history of Hollywood.
This definitely isn’t the book for someone who wants a deep, textbook-like recounting of these stories. Each one is instead told as a brief summary, but personally I enjoy that. It’s a great starting place for people who are new to this topic and still a nice little collection that makes for easy reference for those who are a bit more well versed. The tone remains mostly conversational in a way that fits nicely with the brevity of each entry. Also, it’s great that there’s a keen eye toward intersectionality throughout the book!
Admittedly, the section about the present felt a little weak, especially when it comes to recounting the careers of those who are still active. While the earlier stories had room for nuance about projects that were more or less successful (both financially and creatively) this one could at times feel like a stream of compliments scattered throughout the otherwise valuable information. Obviously it could be awkward to include the more negative side of things here, but I think that ignoring it makes those entries feel a little artificial. It also means we lose an opportunity to discuss other troubling phenomena, in particular the idea that every film made by women, or even just about women, needs to be wildly successful in order to justify making another one, as opposed to the streams of mediocre movies made by men, about men that change nothing.
Overall though I’m so glad to have this book! Alicia Malone is such a valuable part of the film community and it makes me really happy that she’s using her influence to spread these stories.
This definitely isn’t the book for someone who wants a deep, textbook-like recounting of these stories. Each one is instead told as a brief summary, but personally I enjoy that. It’s a great starting place for people who are new to this topic and still a nice little collection that makes for easy reference for those who are a bit more well versed. The tone remains mostly conversational in a way that fits nicely with the brevity of each entry. Also, it’s great that there’s a keen eye toward intersectionality throughout the book!
Admittedly, the section about the present felt a little weak, especially when it comes to recounting the careers of those who are still active. While the earlier stories had room for nuance about projects that were more or less successful (both financially and creatively) this one could at times feel like a stream of compliments scattered throughout the otherwise valuable information. Obviously it could be awkward to include the more negative side of things here, but I think that ignoring it makes those entries feel a little artificial. It also means we lose an opportunity to discuss other troubling phenomena, in particular the idea that every film made by women, or even just about women, needs to be wildly successful in order to justify making another one, as opposed to the streams of mediocre movies made by men, about men that change nothing.
Overall though I’m so glad to have this book! Alicia Malone is such a valuable part of the film community and it makes me really happy that she’s using her influence to spread these stories.