Such scenes were drawn from Kelly's book, as well as Gabriel Sherman's 2014 Ailes biography "The Loudest Voice in the Room" and Sarah Ellison's 2016 expose for Vanity Fair, Randolph says. Rachel Epstein is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in New York City. The film begins with an anxious but steely Megyn en route to moderate the first debate of the Republican primary campaign. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. When Creed first premiered in 2015, the world had no idea how big it would become; after all, it was just, Rocky Balboas iconic ascent up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art out of breath and in gray joggers as Eye of the Tiger blares in the, Spoilers ahead. During a post-screening Q&A with Jay Roach and Charles Randolph, they discussed the importance of their research ahead of making this film in order to create an accurate and faithful representation. Pospisil begins to tell Carr about what happened, but Carr interrupts, saying she cannot get involved. But it is also because the assault Bombshells camera depicts is not physically violent. Landing in theaters just as awards season nears its frenzied, Christmas release apogee, Bombshell has been steadily racking up the pre-Oscars accolades: a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Golden Globe nods for Theron and Robbie in the Best Actress and Supporting Actress movie categories, and a Critics Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble among them. Get to know who's who in the cast before you watch the movie in theaters. So, progress? In it, Kayla, a young and ambitious producer at the network, gets an opportunity that doubles as currency at Fox News: a private meeting with Roger Ailes, the chairman and CEO. Left: Rudy Giuliani. leading the Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations, accused of sexual harassment by more than 20 women, Charlize Theron transforms into Megyn Kelly, blasts the Fox News patriarchy in 'Bombshell', Gretchen Carlson calls for change on big 'Bombshell' day, Megyn Kelly approves of Charlize Theron's 'Bombshell' casting. Previously, she was an editor at Marie Claire, where she wrote and edited culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. The number of women directors in Hollywood is so small, its such an embarrassing statistic, he recalls. Right: Robin Weigert portraying Smith in. Despite writing to Fox News programming executive Bill Shine that she felt like she was being gradually cast aside on the show and the network due to the Wilson issue, she was let go by Roger Ailes a short time later. Many of them embody familiar Fox News talents. .css-gegin5{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#9a0500;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-gegin5:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}For Bombshell, a trio of A-listersNicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, and Margot Robbiewere Fox-ified. If the rest of the year keeps up at this pace, podcasting will be in a good creative place. And then he gives her an order: Stand up and twirl for me.. Many films like "Bombshell" are heavily embellished to assist the transition from just education to entertainment. There was no Kayla Pospisil, but Margot Robbie's character represents many others. However, the right-wing news company continued to weather allegations against Fox News journalists following the settling of Gretchen Carlson's lawsuit. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. This piece takes what we know about Ailes from "Bombshell" and expands on it, giving us further understanding of what it was like for these women to work under Ailes and experience his manipulative and abusive behavioral streak. As in the movie, some news sites like Breitbart reported that some of Foxs top talent promised to quit if Ailes were removed, but such a pact did not actually exist and may have been planted by Rogers team. It is through Kayla that the horrors and humiliations of sexual harassment are brought to the films screen. In "Bombshell," the film outlines the first account of allegations as appearing in 2016 from Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson. Its a phenomenally fun scene to watch. She really had been speaking to her attorneys far in advance of filing the actual lawsuitin New Jersey and against Ailes personally, rather than the company, to avoid arbitrationand its also true that she had started recording her conversations with Ailes in the year or so leading up to her firing. The camera focuses on her face. Watch the full trailer above. These further discoveries enable us to see Ailes in candid conversations that he was unaware were being written down. The real Megyn Kelly addressed this in the discussion mentioned above after watching the movie for herself,describing it as a "fantasy." On her first day on The O'Reilly Factor, Kayla Pospisil meets fellow female staffer Jess Carr, and the two sleep together. While you're still processing that Pospisil is fake, allow us to take a moment of appreciation for how much Theron and Kidman look like Kelly and Carlsonthe former Fox News anchors who actually helped take down Ailes IRL. Seeing it is a crucial reminder of how repulsive and destructive Ailes, and sexual harassers like he was alleged to be, can be.. Written by Charles Randolph (The Big Short) and directed by Jay Roach (Austin Powers, Meet the Parents), Bombshell offers a "revealing look inside the most powerful and controversial media empire of all time: Fox News, and the explosive story of the women who brought down the infamous man who created it," according to its official synopsis. Margot Robbie as Kayla Pospisil Robbie is the biggest star in the film not to play a real person: she will take on the role of Kayla Pospisil, a Fox News associate producer invented for the. By Kayla Carson, Simon Fraser University. Perhaps one of the most infamous moments in the film arrives when Megyn Kelly isquestioning then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2015 on Fox News. Charles and I didnt do anything without checking with her and our women producers and studio execs., Based on Brandts (and later, Roachs) extensive script research which involved reading Ailess accusers court affidavits about the sexual misconduct that they were subjected to at Fox and interviewing female former Fox News employees the filmmakers strenuously avoided making Ailes into a one-note, mustache-twirling villain. The movie leaves out the fun detail that when it became clear that Ailes was on his way out at Fox, Estrich, meaning to send a statement to the Drudge Report, accidentally sent a draft of his $40 million separation agreement, which Drudge then published, and unpublishedthough some questioned whether this was a mistake or negotiating tactic. This is something weve tried to communicate and its a little delicate for us to do so. This is telling, from an ABC News piece in November 2016: I now know the number of women who were targeted, and its disturbing, she said. We learned really quickly what was OK.", "Bombshell" does not precisely ignore the fact that most of these women were and are conservative and right-wing, while some are also religious. I often have a good sense of what transpired during those two hours, give or take, and dont re, Latines love entertainment. The best scene of Bombshell, the based-on-a-true-story dramatization of sexual harassment at Fox News, is one that never really happened. Do we need to see another actor (John Lithgow in this case) creep on another actress (Margot Robbie here)? Kayla is one of three women at Bombshells center; the other two are Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) and Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman). Much of what the movie tells us about him is backed up by accounts of the scandal. Pospisil asked the fictional Kelly if she ever wondered what her public silence following her own harassment incidents meant to the women who came after her. It is painful to watch. Left: Rupert Murdoch. Malcolm McDowell plays mogul and longtime Ailes enabler Rupert Murdoch in the movie, and his sons, James and Lachlan, are portrayed by real-life Aussie brothers Josh and Ben Lawson, respectively. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. 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. By letting the abuse play out in real time, Randolph hopes male viewers, in particular, will feel uncomfortable but also feel greater empathy for victims. The Murdoch brothers, and Josh and Ben Lawson as James and Lachlan Murdoch. This, of course, acts as the catalyst for the downfall of Roger Ailes, but it's not exactly how things went down. Bombshell is now in theaters. Megyn's story is the story of someone who comes to discover she is complicit by virtue of the institutional norms and her ability to manipulate them in the predation of a younger generation of women. Photo illustration by Slate. The Stand up and give me a twirl sequence required a particular form of self-awareness. Additionally, in a Time magazine article about "Bombshell," it's said that Ailes' personality was overwhelming and intimidating, helping to create a climate in which his employess worked in a constant state of fear. "I wanted to show the bystander narrative. But any harassment situation has two people in the room and historically, the perpetrator has been a man. Megyn Kelly's Most Controversial Moments Ever (opens in new tab), Margot Robbie Wore Sharon Tate's Jewelry in 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' (opens in new tab). Right: Anne Ramsay. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now. It is revealing that one of the main characters, in this film that has marketed itself as a retelling of the sexual-harassment story at Fox News, is a work of fiction. Her lawsuit against Ailes opened the . However, Bakhtiar's story goes further than this, as she progressed from her first experience of sexual misconduct at Fox News to standing up alongside Gretchen Carlson. The inclusion of Kayla in the film as a composite allowed these other ex-Fox News workers to have their stories heard. Ill say this much, though. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. Rudi Bakhitar agreed, stating,"It really puts people in our shoes." In "Bombshell," Robbie's Kayla Pospisil sleeps with Kate McKinnon 's closeted lesbian character Jess Carr after a drunken night at the bar. Roger Ailes, and John Lithgow as Roger Ailes. Theron's resemblance to Kelly is especially shocking. I did say to Charlize, Are you sure you dont want a woman to direct this? Kayla is devastated that Ailes pressured her, that she gave in to the pressure, and that people know about it, and when Kelly asks Kayla to come forward, Megyn uses that empathy tool that journalists often use to elicit cooperation. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Ailes was in charge of what she said on air, and would frequently berate her for her opinions. The 20 women or so who spoke to the filmmakers via anonymity did break their NDAs, but the filmmakers and those involved in the film have also agreed to protect their sources. That is an important argument, and Kayla, ambitious and vulnerable and fictional, expresses it well. last updated October 14, 2021 In Bombshell, the buzzy, upcoming movie based on the downfall of Fox CEO Roger Ailes at the hands of the women he'd harassed, Margot Robbie plays a character named. After losing her job in unfair circumstances, Carlson files a lawsuit against Fox News boss Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) for sexual harassment(via Variety). She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. Left: Susan Estrich. Offline, shes likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop. Does she support Gretchen and stand by the countless other victims? Robbies performance is masterful, and Kaylas lack of specificity makes her an apt stand-in for the many people at Fox News who are not part of the story Bombshell is telling. Things you buy through our links may earnVox Mediaa commission. An article in Vogue explored this rule: "The Fox dress code for women? 21/04/2023 Right: John Lithgow in, Left: Douglas Brunt. Beth Ailes, and Connie Britton as Beth Ailes. 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In "Bombshell," this is word-for-word in accuracy, butviewers are led to believe that Kelly discussed this question before the debate with Lachlan and James Murdoch. In Kelly's group discussion, Zann, when asked for her first thoughts after watching the film, commentedthat it let Ailes off too easy. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The filmits pun of a title offers a hint at whats to comehas a kaleidoscopic quality. Elisabeth Rohm (Law & Order) portrays Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum. Margot Robbie is getting Oscar buzz already for her role as Kayla Pospisil. He listens for a moment. Kidman looks quite similar to Carlson too, in a fuchsia sheath dress and the Miss-America-winner-turned-TV-commentator's signature blonde bob. 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. "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. However, Dargis does go on to comment that the film "does a good job of presenting the ordinary assaults that women, even those with great privilege, can endure simply to get through a day.". When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 'In the ratings, right?' The embattled Ailes asks thepolitician/attorney how to handle the fallout of his sexual harassment allegations. This incident is shown accurately in the film, down to the specific words used by Wilson. .css-o05pt{display:block;font-family:Didot,Didot-fallback,Georgia,Times,serif;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;text-shadow:0 0 0 #000,0 0 0.01em transparent;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-o05pt:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-o05pt{font-size:1.18581rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.25rem;margin-top:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-o05pt{line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-o05pt{font-size:1.23488rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.5rem;margin-top:0rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-o05pt{font-size:1.39461rem;line-height:1.2;margin-top:0.9375rem;}}What to Know About 'The Hunger Games' Prequel, The True Story Behind Love & Death's Ax Murder, Elizabeth Olsen Isn't Here to Judge Anyone, Here's Kate & Will in 'The Crown' Season 6, 'And Just Like That' Season 2 Is Back This June, Succession's 'Quiet Luxury' Is Actually Attainable, List of Yellowjackets Season 2 Fan Theories. ", She mentions how the casting of Theron, Kidman and Robbie was clever; viewers will see faces they know and love, and not dig into the potentially problematic nature of the real-life views of Kelly or Carlson. The actress who was nominated for an Academy Award for 2017's I, Tonya is . The scene is lifted directly from Kelly's 2016 memoir "Settle for More,"although the journalist refuted inferences by the New York Times and others that she was poisoned, tweeting that she contracted a "stomach virus" before the debate. 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. "Were not revealing the people we talk to. Kelly has heard rumors (correctly) about Ailes pressuring Kayla to perform sexual acts in exchange for favorable treatment at the network. Would Laura Mulvey also have some things to say about it? A lifelong Fox News fanatic and young evangelical ("I see myself as an influencer in the Jesus space," she says), Kayla soon. Photo illustration by Slate. She also launched and managed the sites virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. As IndieWire notes, Charlize Theron alluded during anEllen DeGeneres Showappearance to Kayla being an amalgamation of real stories: "We used a lot of source material in finding the story and also spoke to a lot of women who were part of the story. Michelle Obama and Bruce Springsteen Tore Up the Stage with Glory Days. 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. 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. Roger Ailes is eventually forced to resign from his position at Fox News in July 2017, and dies the following year. Shes beautiful, devout (to God. Sort of! Photo illustration by Slate. According to the Los Angeles Times, the book described how Ailes was willing to pay a female producer an additional $100 a week to have sex with him. Rattled, she later relays the incident to Roger, wondering aloud whether it was nerves or if the man tampered with her drink. Its also true that there was longstanding tension between the brothers and Ailes, which is part of why they supported quickly conducting an internal investigation at Fox News. Similarly, Is Kayla supposed to be Tomi Lahren? A lifelong Fox News fanatic and young evangelical ("I see myself as an influencer in the Jesus space," she says), Kayla soon catches the eye of Ailes, who promises to promote herto on-air talent in exchange for sexual favors.
