Bombshell – 2019 – R
Bombshell is based on true events that surfaced in 2016 when news anchor Gretchen Carlson rocked the industry by filing a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment against Roger Ailes, CEO and chairman of Fox News. What followed were accusations by Fox news anchor Megyn Kelly—along with more than 20 other women—accusing Ailes of sexual misconduct. Kelly did not file a lawsuit but, in her 2016 memoir Settle for More, she described the abuse inflicted by Ailes.
It took a while sorting out all of Bombshell’s on-air and wannabe on-air blonds, but I was finally able to focus on who was being exploited, victimized and harassed by sleazy, lecherous Roger Ailes (John Lithgow). The #MeToo trinity Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron), Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) and a purely fictionalized character, Kayla Popsisi (Margot Robbie) take on the Fox empire (Megyn and Kayla reluctantly) revealing a sordid quid pro quo dirty-old-man climate where sexual favors were demanded as a condition of advancement or to prevent demotion.
Reflecting a news show medium, the film uses a narrator approach that effectively engages the movie audience as studio insiders. The actors are at their pinnacle of performance, playing their parts so convincingly that you are warned in the opening credits that the people depicted are indeed actors. While the primary reveal is the harem environment in which Fox male execs revel, the more subtly staged and captivating storylines are the women on women interactions, from fearful whispering, suspicion, and furtive glances to mounting an audacious “Team Roger” campaign complete with provocative t-shirts, led by Kimberly Guilfoyle (Bree Condon), longtime Fox co-host of “The Five.”
What, pray tell, would it take to ignite the loyalty of women and unite us in a sisterhood of solidarity? The tyranny of fear and sexual exploitation at Fox News, the “show me more leg” or “stand up and give me a twirl” network, didn’t exactly generate an “off with skirts, on with pants” protest but several executives did get walked out, the exit door swinging wide for talk show pundit Bill O’Reilly and co-president of Fox News Bill Shine. Shine went on to serve as President Trump’s White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications. Gretchen Carlson settled out-of-court for $20 million while Roger Ailes left with a $40 million buyout. Kimberly Guilfoyle left Fox in 2018 romantically teaming up with Donald Trump Jr. becoming one of “Team Trump” most forceful supporters.
Fake news? I wish. But, no. The bitter norm. My Bombshell audience was 100% female and with every revelation of malfeasance, incivility and impropriety a cacophony of groans momentarily drowned the audio. Momentarily. Let’s hope #MeToo digs in for the long haul. One litmus test will be award season. Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie each received Golden Globe nominations but doesn’t mean much given Best Actress and Supporting Actress are obviously a gender given. Keep an eye on the Academy. And if you’re going to an Oscar party on February 9, wipe off your makeup and pull on your jeans. #DareYou.
