When Joss Whedon laid into a “70s-era sexist” clip from upcoming science fiction blockbuster Jurassic World, he ignited a debate over Hollywood’s treatment of gender. Now the film’s director, Colin Trevorrow, has stepped in to say he also has a problem with the scene – and questioned why the clip was used in the first place.
Speaking to Italian publication Bad Taste (as translated by Coming Soon), the Safety Not Guaranteed film-maker also suggested his movie centres largely on Bryce Dallas Howard’s park manager rather than the oafish dinosaur researcher, played by Chris Pratt, who has largely been at the centre of publicity.
“I wasn’t bothered by what he said about the movie and, to be honest, I don’t totally disagree with him,” said Trevorrow. “I wonder why [Universal] chose a clip like that, that shows an isolated situation within a movie that has an internal logic. That starts with characters that are almost archetypes, stereotypes that are deconstructed as the story progresses.
“The real protagonist of the movie is Claire and we embrace her femininity in the story’s progression. There’s no need for a female character that does things like a male character, that’s not what makes interesting female characters in my view. Bryce and I have talked a lot about these concepts and aspects of her character.”
Whedon took to Twitter after viewing a clip in which Pratt’s boorish Owen Grady attempts to flirt with Howard’s uptight Claire Dearing as they discuss the new breed of Indominus rex dinosaur created to boost visitor attendance. “… and I’m too busy wishing this clip wasn’t 70’s-era sexist,” he wrote. “She’s a stiff, he’s a life-force – really? Still?”
The director later said in an interview that calling out another movie was “bad form”, but his comments led to criticism of supposedly sexist scenes within Whedon’s own film, The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Finally, the film-maker quit Twitter and deleted his account.
Trevorrow told Bad Taste he felt sympathy for the creator of cult TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly.
“I was upset about people’s reaction to his film,” he said. “Joss received an incredible amount of anger and vitriolic comments and he doesn’t deserve that, because if there is someone who has always paid due respect to the women of his movies that guy is Joss. I think he should be the last person in Hollywood to be accused of sexism and if you’ve seen something like that in his last movie it’s not his fault. We all know that Joss is too kind and polite to rise up and tell people to screw off, so I’ll do it on his behalf!”
Experts have predicted a monstrous opening of more than $100m for Jurassic World, which opens on 11 June in the UK and a day later in US cinemas.
