Bombshell: Movie Review
Bombshell, the 2019 film starring Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman, and Charlize Theron. Is a dramatic adaption of the real-life scandal at Fox News Network.
The story chronicles the women who exposed Roger Ailes, the CEO of Fox News, and Bill O’Reilly for sexual harassment.
I thought the film was fantastic, as it captured the system behind any perpetual abuse. (Quotes are paraphrased. Contains spoilers.)
The Long Game
Gretchen Carlson (played by Nicole Kidman) personally sues the CEO for harassment after she is fired. Of course, she’s criticized for suing only after she was fired, but it was all part of her plan. For a year, she recorded conversations with Roger Ailes, but at first, she doesn’t reveal this. Instead, she allows Aisle to counter her in the media. When she says, “He said this.” Aisle would say, “She’s lying, I didn’t say that.”
The final bombshell is when she reveals her recordings. By accusing her of lying (when she had proof) he destroyed his own credibility and was forced to settle.
Don’t miss that she recorded him for a year. She prepared. She did her homework. And she took a risk other women would follow her lead.
Women Hurting Women
The movie shows how often the worst enemies of women’s fair-treatement are women. Gretchen refuses to reach out to Megyn Kelly (played by Charlize Theron) to see if she’d been harassed because, “Women are competition” and “[Roger Aisle] would pit us against each other.”
Megyn is called out by other women in the office for not speaking up in the CEO’s defense for allegations of sexual harassment (even though the reason she remained silent is because she’d also been harassed). She’s accosted by a coworker who says, “These allegations hurt all of us. No one else will let us do what we do.” (Meaning, Fox gave greater opportunities to women than other networks).
Kayla Pospisil (played by Margot Robbie) challenges Megyn when she discovers Megyn was harassed, too. She asks why she didn’t say anything, believing Megyn could have prevented it from happening to other people. This scene got negative reviews from the real women represented in the story, as it is, rightfully, deemed victim shaming. However, victim shaming is real. It’s common for victims to be asked, “why didn’t you say anything?” once they finally come forward.
While it might not be historically accurate for the film, it is an accurate experience of victims.
Follow the Money
At the close of the Film, just before the end credits, an info slide appears saying the victims of Fox Network were paid a total $50,000,000 in settlements.
It than says Roger Aisle and Bill O’Reilly were paid $65,000,000 in severance.
You can look at these numbers two ways: perpetrators are worth more than the victims and got a payout substantially larger than the victims.
Or, you can see why the perpetrators were maybe not booted sooner—even if it was widely known they were harassing women. Not only were they bringing in substantial revenue, they would cost the network major dollars to terminate. It’s easy to believe why those writing the checks might look the other way.
Many characters were reticent to come forward (either in their own defense or in defense of others) for fear of losing their jobs. They would lose status and high-paying salaries. While these aren’t the only reasons people remain silent, when a victim of harassment has already been demeaned and belittled, it’s understandable they wouldn’t want to embrace more suffering by also losing the job they sacrificed to achieve in the first place.
Bonus
There was great artistry in the film. The name “Bombshell” is both the bomb that went off within a system and reference to “blonde bombshell,” a term associated with hot, blond women.
There were several clips contrasting the women with and without makeup, sending a clear message about the lengths women go to in order to be the physical ideal.
The story does not end with fireworks and celebration, in fact, it ends the opposite. Charlize Theron’s character encounters censure and hostility from coworkers for her role in bringing down Ailes.
Though two perpetrators are dethroned, more powerful—equally liable—men stepped into their places. Margot Robbie’s character quits her job, and her final words are, “You hope the next place will be different.” (Implication: it never is).
Conclusion: Abuse and harassment rarely happen in isolation. I felt the movie depicted this with astounding accuracy.
Photo by Keagan Henman on Unsplash