Elizabeth Banks has fronted up and apologised for an awkward misstep at the Women in Film awards, when she called out director Steven Spielberg for having “never made a movie with a female lead” and casually forgetting about that time he did – with Whoopi Goldberg for ‘The Color Purple‘.
On Wednesday, while accepting an award from the non-profit group, the ‘Pitch Perfect 2‘ director expressed her frustration at the lack of roles available for women.
“I went to ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘Jaws’ and every movie Steven Spielberg ever made, and by the way, he’s never made a movie with a female lead. Sorry, Steven. I don’t mean to call your ass out but it’s true,” she said, as reported by The Wrap.
But Spielberg, in his 30 feature film career, has directed one film with a female lead: 1985’s Oscar-nominated film ‘The Color Purple’, which featured a nearly all-female cast including Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey and Margaret Avery.
Banks ignored The Color Purple because black women/ black narratives are only considered worthy if they are netting a white person an award.
— Shanelle Little (@ShanelleLittle) June 15, 2017
Elizabeth Banks’ comments remind me of White women who cut in front of or bump into a Black woman and say” Oh. I didn’t see you there.”
— Rebecca Theodore (@FilmFatale_NYC) June 15, 2017
“Critics” like @akstanwyck (who called The Color Purple a flop) is why we must have diversity in media. Culturally unqualified to judge!
— Karen Hunter (@karenhunter) June 15, 2017
“Sister, You’ve been on mind… Oh sister, have I got news for you. I’m somethin’. I hope you think that you’re somethin’ too.” #ColorPurple pic.twitter.com/NC3VrolDZ9
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) June 15, 2017
If I see ANY ONE trying to defend Elizabeth Banks statement about Spielberg and women by panning The Color Purple
I
WILL
FIGHT pic.twitter.com/ciGUA2fQqh— Ash-teroid Blues (@tokenblackchick) June 15, 2017
I see Elizabeth Banks got her degree from the Sam Smith School of Cinema
— Ira Madison III (@ira) June 15, 2017
When you see all the good people of black twitter dragging elizabeth banks for ignoring The Color Purple pic.twitter.com/o6daY3uEa3
— Taco (@tacosoda) June 15, 2017
Banks fronted up to her mistake, posting a public apology to Twitter following the outcry.
— Elizabeth Banks (@ElizabethBanks) June 15, 2017
Photo: Vincent Sandoval / Getty.