The Power of the Dog director Jane Campion has come under fire for a comment she made about tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams during her acceptance speech at the Critics Choice Awards. The Power of the Dog is one of the top contenders at the Academy Awards this year. Nominated for a total of 12 Oscars, the film is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Thomas Savage and tells the story of rancher Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch) who finds his toxically masculine views challenged when he meets his sister-in-law's son. The Power of the Dog is now streaming on Netflix.
A film which is in direct competition with The Power of the Dog for the Best Motion Picture of the Year Oscar is King Richard. King Richard tells the true story of how the legendary Williams sisters became who they are in the world of tennis after coaching from their father Richard Williams (played by Will Smith). The film is helmed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, and has pulled in quite a few Academy Award nominations itself including a Best Actor in a Leading Role nod for Smith.
During the recent Critics Choice Awards, as reported by The Independent, Campion won the award for Best Director for her work on The Power of the Dog. During her acceptance speech, Campion referenced the Williams sisters, who were in attendance due to the success of King Richard. Campion's shout out began warm enough, with the director stating that she thought the sisters were "such marvels." However, Campion then continued her statement by telling the Williams that "they don't play against the guys" as she has to. Campion is clearly referencing the fact that she just won her award over Hollywood big-league male directors such as Steven Spielberg and Denis Villeneuve. Campion's full quote read, However, the comment certainly came off as back-handed. See her full quote below:
“Venus and Serena, you’re such marvels. However, you don’t play against the guys, like I have to.”
Campion has since issued an apology in a statement given to The Los Angeles Times that reads, "I made a thoughtless comment equating what I do in the film world with all that Serena Williams and Venus Williams have achieved. I did not intend to devalue these two legendary Black women and world class athletes." In the time since Campion's speech, it became quite clear that the comment did not sit well with many people. Many journalists have reported on the director's speech, pointing out that if Campion believes that the Williams sisters never had to deal with sexism in their life and career, she is clearly mistaken. Others have taken issue with Campion's words as her comment came out of nowhere. Her comment was completely unnecessary, as the Williams were simply sitting in the audience. Campion spoke her words unprompted.
It's no secret that Campion's work on The Power of the Dog is stunning and deserves recognition. There is also no doubt that Campion is aware of the sexism she faces in her industry as she has worked very hard for her career. Campion has won an Academy Award before, and if she wins this year, she will become the first female director to win the award twice. With that said, it is unclear why she thought it necessary to diminish other successful women's struggles to uphold her own. Perhaps the comment was said in a way that she didn't mean, however, Campion has not of yet responded to any of the criticism. It is unclear yet as to whether Campion's comment will have hurt The Power of the Dog's chances at the Academy Awards.
Source: The Independent