You know that this is very important to this experience that the audience goes through it being as gut-wrenching as it was., Theron personally enlisted Roach for the job, after he provided the Oscar-winning actress a detailed critique of an early version of the Bombshell script (which was initially set up at Megan Ellisons Annapurna Pictures). This character is another composite. In "The Loudest Voice In The Room," Ailes is documented to have said (via Media Matters), "Move that damn laptop, I can't see her legs," while watching weekend anchor Kiran Chetry's show. But it is also because the assault Bombshells camera depicts is not physically violent. And the women we interviewed while researching described that feeling. Marie Claire is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Though Margot couldn't copy the mannerisms, speech patterns, and looks for her character like Charlize and Nicole could, she's still getting a lot of attention for her part in Bombshell. Its not Megyn Kellys fault that Roger Ailes was a monster. The best scene of Bombshell, the based-on-a-true-story dramatization of sexual harassment at Fox News, is one that never really happened. While it doesn't cover everything, "Bombshell" does a good job of addressing events that otherwise get overshadowed, and the film does still serve as an important beacon of hope for the wider movement. Some of them were still working at Fox. Happy twelfth wedding anniversary to the Prince and Princess of Wales. The black room and the employing of detectives to dig up dirt was real, too. The other women expressed anger at a scene they said was fictional, where the aspiring anchor Kayla Pospisil, portrayed by Robbie, scolds Kelly's character, played by Charlize Theron. By Kayla Carson, Simon Fraser University. Kelly may be the star of the show; Kayla, however, is its moral center. It is, like the cable-news network that is its subject and its setting, shiny and hectic. She just said, Listen, I trust you and I trust the way youre coming at this. Charlizes collaboration and power in the overall hierarchy was imperative. I wanted the breathing to be unmistakably monstrous. Photo illustration by Slate. The Roys continue their downward spiral into total desperation as Matsson and their dead father loom over every decision they make. A number of other recognizable stars appear in the film that we didn't get to see in the trailer. Bombshell is a fine enough film it's competently made, the performances are terrific, and it is sufficiently crazymaking but there are two phenomenal scenes in the film that make it well worth seeing. Obviously, the blonde. But in reality, there is no singular person that the Pospisil character is based on. "Bombshell" is a who's who of famous faces, including Malcolm McDowell ("A Clockwork Orange")as Rupert Murdoch, Allison Janney asAiles' legal counsel Susan Estrich, and Connie Britton ("Nashville") as Ailes'wife, Beth. "It shows the degree in which Roger was one of the drivers of the Republican establishment. Kelly could bust up the boys club at Fox, put herself on the right side of a snowballing media story, and rid herself of a boss who was no longer supportive of herall while maximizing her leverage in a contract negotiation.. Bad Moments From Recent History, Recreated in Uncanny Detail, secret liberals within the walls of Fox News. And the lead women weren't the only actors who spent hours in the makeup chair. The objective: to ensure the films balance of levity and gravity in which strong female characters are shown accepting a baseline level of sexual degradation and coarse behavior to get ahead in the cutthroat, male-dominated world of cable news wouldnt turn off viewers. But I do think that as men capturing this sense of muscular predation, how that dynamic works is something that maybe we would not have come to so quickly had we been women.. I wanted the breathing to be unmistakably monstrous.. The camera lingers on Kayla, near tears, as he ordersher to inch it higher and higher, revealing her underwear. "Wow! Kayla Pospisil is a fictional employee at the news network, portrayed by Margot Robbie in Fox's signature bleached-blonde style. Ailes, played by John Lithgow, breathes heavily. Charlize Theron plays Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly in Bombshell, and the movie opens as she is preparing to host a 2015 Republican presidential primary debate that would go on to cause a monthslong feud between her and future President Donald Trump. You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. on. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Then it would drift to this darker place., The production team screen-tested numerous cuts of Bombshell in the lead-up to its premiere (the movie will expand into wide release this weekend). Does she come forward with the truth? Rattled, she later relays the incident to Roger, wondering aloud whether it was nerves or if the man tampered with her drink. We hear his breathing grow increasingly, discomfitingly labored. Its a phenomenally fun scene to watch. Would Laura Mulvey also have some things to say about it? Slate is published by The Slate Wed heard how fatherly he could be, jokey, and a good coach. Watch the full trailer above. If Kayla, a self-described "evangelical millennial," feels familiar, it's because the inspiration for her comes from actual accounts. Photos by Hilary Bronwyn Gayle SMPSP/Lionsgate and Wesley Mann/FOX News via Getty Images. So, how do you make heroines out of characters that some in the audience will see as deeply compromised if not outright villainous? The benefit of Cat Person was that those discussions could be had about people who did not exist. Kayla Pospisil, the ambitious young "evangelical millennial" producer (played by Margot Robbie) who works for Carlson's show when she is introduced, is a composite character invented for the . The real-life events upon which "Bombshell" is based werepivotal for the early #MeToo movement (via Variety), and the film does its best to present this authentically. The upcoming drama, which revolves around the Roger Ailes sexual harassment controversy and fallout at Fox, stars Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly and Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlsonand they're dead-ringers for their real-life counterparts. ", 'You could do worse, right?' (If you are not a fan of Jeanine Pirro, the Fox News host who recently wrote a book titled Liars, Leakers, and Liberals: The Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy, Bombshell provides several scenes that will leave you feeling fully vindicated.). Right: John Lithgow in, Left: Douglas Brunt. There was no Kayla Pospisil, but Margot Robbie's character represents many others. There was an overwhelming consensus during asit-down discussion between Megyn Kelly, former Fox News host Juliet Huddy, former Fox News reporter Rudi Bakhtiar, and former "FoxNews Live" associate producer Julie Zann that the atmosphere that Roger Ailes created in the workplace was much more extreme than portrayed in "Bombshell." But any harassment situation has two people in the room and historically, the perpetrator has been a man. The long answer is that Kayla Pospisil is a composite based on a few different accounts from actual people with connections to Fox News. But we tried to communicate as much as we could with everybody." *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. But inside Ailess office, he skips past a discussion of her qualifications and simply orders her to stand and turn slowly in place so he can evaluate her physical attributes. One of those women who could participate in the suit is Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie, who also snagged a Golden Globe nomination), a Christian woman whose ambitions get her a meeting with. Chloe is a News Writer for Townandcountrymag.com, where she covers royal news, from the latest additions to Meghan Markles staff to Queen Elizabeths monochrome fashions; she also writes about culture, often dissecting TV shows like The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and Killing Eve. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Kayla isnt based on a single persons experience, but is actually based on, Basically, Kayla may not be a real person, but her story calcifies one of the main themes in, Bombshell Kayla Pospisil Is Based On Many Real People, I distinctly remember that Lizzie McGuire episode. Nazanin Boniadi (Homeland, How I Met Your Mother) portrays journalist and anchor Rudi Bakhtiar, who alleged that she was fired from Fox News for complaining about sexual harassment. Also, Bombshell is a great airplane film, or at least a good enough movie to watch at home after its digital release, if only for Margot Robbies fantastic supporting performance (and pillow talk with Kate McKinnon). She pulls the dress up higher, her hands trembling, until her underwear is exposed. "Her being ideologically ferventlike a dedicated Republican, but a little sexually fluid and utterly morally sincere, that's based more on women in my life. Kelly reported in real life that Ailes was furious over her line of questioning, telling her that there was to be "no more female empowerment stuff." All due respect, but Obama was fucking wrong. Her lawsuit against Ailes opened the . Megyn Kelly, with her glib comments about Santa and blackface and thug mentalitywith all the work she did to build up the network that has helped bring America so lowis a notably difficult vehicle for discussions of justice. A lifelong Fox News fanatic and young evangelical ("I see myself as an influencer in the Jesus space," she says), Kayla soon. And if you're wondering how real life measures up to the facts, in this case, I have some bad news: Pospisil is fictionalized, a character made up specifically for the movie, albeit one inspired by real women. What would the film have looked like had her character not been part of its universehad Bombshell reckoned more directly with its real and deeply flawed heroines? Ailes resigned in 2016 and died a year later at the age of 77. While Kelly and Carlson's characters are recognizable from the jump, Kayla Pospisil (Robbie) is a creation that initially feels so authentically Fox News that it seems like she must exist in real life. But she does as shes asked. Margot Robbie's Fictional Bombshell Character Is Based on 20 Real Fox News Staffers, The Best, Craziest, Weirdest Moments From Cannes, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Ailes was in charge of what she said on air, and would frequently berate her for her opinions. It had to be dark enough that we could put men who normally would not have these experiences inside Kaylas heart and head, so they could experience it with her. Related: Why is Fox News being sued again over alleged sexual harassment? That is the challenging conversation in Bombshell, and like this season of Apple TVs The Morning Show, it goes to complicity. Rudi Bakhitar agreed, stating,"It really puts people in our shoes." "Bombshell" also illustrates Ailes' predatory behavior: asking women to spin in front of him during meetings, and demanding that on-air talent wearshort skirts to show off their legs. Fox News spokesperson Caley Cronin declined to comment on the film to USA TODAY beyond confirming that "Bombshell"producers "never reached out to Fox News during any part of the production.. Let's break down exactly what was missed from this important story. Former Fox News anchor Juliet Huddy allegedly met with "Bombshell" screenwriter Charles Randolph to consult on the film in her own words and to share her own experience with Fox News. Then we'll see what happens.'" Portrayed in "Bombshell" by Nazanin Boniadi, Rudi Bakhtiar was a Fox News journalist who came out with allegations against Brian Wilson (via New York), the former Fox News Washington bureau chief. In some ways, thats a productive thing. My television career combusted, and I couldn't get a job for over a year come after me. I just wanted to make sure the emotional levels were there and that the empathy you would feel for this is just devastating. Do we need to see another actor (John Lithgow in this case) creep on another actress (Margot Robbie here)? After one such audition, she received a message: "How did your audition go?" "All the women who filed complaints about him who havegone public have been really brave in articulating specifically what happened to them," Randolph says. Lizzy Caplan Would Return for One More Season of. The software that cloned Drake and the Weeknds voices is easy to useand impossible to shut down. As in the movie, he was known for asking women to stand up and spin around for him as well as justifying his actions by calling television a visual medium. Even the horrible details of his parents divorcethey are said to have broken up and moved out of his childhood home while he was away at collegeare real: That one appears in Gabriel Shermans book. Right: Connie Britton. Nor was a secret lesbian tryst between an Ailes victim and a veteran producer. "What happens inside of Roger's office is based on the stories of three women we had access to," Randolph says. While critics could argue that Robbie didn't have to worry about portraying real-life people like Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman did (read: Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson, respectively), Robbie still gives a standout performance in the movieshe plays a young conservative woman who belongs to a large Fox News-watching Republican family. She is the one whose arc, in the film, bends the most sharply. Carlson was a well-known Fox News personality from 2005 until June 23 of this year, when her contract wasn't renewed. While not allowed to speak on the record about their experience, women instead .css-umdwtv{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#FF3A30;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:background 0.4s;transition:background 0.4s;background:linear-gradient(#ffffff, #ffffff 50%, #d5dbe3 50%, #d5dbe3);-webkit-background-size:100% 200%;background-size:100% 200%;}.css-umdwtv:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-position:100% 100%;background-position:100% 100%;}shared information anonymously, allowing filmmakers the ability to create a character out of their shared experiences. Margot, who plays Kayla Pospisil in the film that dramatizes the . (That should explain the "Team Roger" T-shirt in her onscreen portrayal.). In "Bombshell," all the leading women are dressed in skirts, dresses and high heels. John Lithgow, who plays Roger Ailes in Bombshell, had prosthetics applied to adjust his nose, cheeks, neck, hairline, and earlobes. And then he gives her an order: Stand up and twirl for me.. Yes and no. But realistically, that would have been a suicide mission for me and my career.. Right: Richard Kind. The next day, Ailes begins sexually harassing Pospisil. About two-thirds of the way through the ripped-from-the-headlines drama, Bombshells cringiest scene unfolds: a sequence of events that begins with the words Stand up and give me a twirl and culminates in humiliation. Bombshell shows Carlson planning her lawsuit against Roger Ailes diligently, as Carlson apparently did in real life too. Namely, the bad guys win and will continue to win, apparently, until they are at deaths door, and even when the good guys win, its temporary, and eventually, everything goes back to being a trash fire. .css-gk9meg{display:block;font-family:Lausanne,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;padding-top:0.25rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-gk9meg:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.15;margin-bottom:0.25rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 73.75rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}The Best, Craziest, Weirdest Moments From Cannes, Celebrities Who've Shaved Their Heads for Roles, 'Avatar: The Way of Water' Is Finally Streaming, 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3' Sticks the Landing, Damon Lindelof Was 'Asked to Leave' Star Wars, Christopher Nolan Is Hyping Up 'Oppenheimer', Pedro Pascal, Ethan Hawke Are a Great Cowboy Match, Seeing Hugh Grant's Oompa Loompa Will Break Me, 'The Flash' Just Debuted Another Massive Trailer, 13 Great Movies That Were Booed at Cannes. I watched the entire season of Showtimes The Loudest Voice, and we have all been living the last four years of Donald Trump, so its hard to imagine that Jay Roachs Bombshell has any lessons worth imparting that we dont already know. 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Roger Ailes, the longtime Fox News leader who was ousted in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal, is played by John Lithgow. questioning then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, former "Fox News Live" associate producer Julie Zann. To play anchor Gretchen Carlson, host Megyn Kelly, and composite character Kayla Pospisil respectively, the actresses were transformed with hair, makeup, and expert prosthetics. In the growing list of Academy Award contenders, Bombshell is one film that has been buzzing for a long time. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Female Fox personalities like Jeanine Pirro and Greta Van Susteren also spoke up for Ailes eagerly. The character frees the film of the obligations that come with telling true stories about real people. The long sweep of America has been defined by forward motion, President Obama said in his farewell speech three years ago. Based on the true story of the 2016 sexual assault suit against Roger Ailes, the CEO and chairman of Fox News, "Bombshell" was directed by Jay Roach and stars Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie. LOS ANGELESIn "Bombshell," Margot Robbie and John Lithgow figure in the film's most disturbing sexual harassment scene. The "Saturday Night Live" favorite is a scene-stealer as Kayla's savvy co-worker Jess Carr, a closeted lesbian and liberal who has complicated feelings about working at a network that preaches against her values and lifestyle.
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