Raise your hand if you've complained about how terrible 2017 was. Guilty! We get it. It's easy to complain about all of the things that went wrong because, let's face it, a lot of the year was a mess. But this was also a year when women asserted themselves personally and professionally, bolstering each other with the #MeToo movement and dominating the entertainment scene. One film, in particular, rose above the rest: Wonder Woman, which absolutely killed it at the box office.
The film, while entertaining, was so much more than that. It inspired women and girls to fight for what they believe in and to know their worth. Wonder Woman's director, Patty Jenkins, can attest to that firsthand, as she was named the highest paid female director of all time. Of course, her rise to the top wasn't a simple one. During a director roundtable conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Jenkins revealed that she really had to commit to building a strong relationship with Warner Bros.
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"My story to get in there was a long story because I had first talked to them about it in 2005. There were so many chapters of why they were and when they weren't going to make it," she said. "I feel it's more like dating than it is, 'Hey, buy my pitch!' It's serious. It's a serious commitment."
You might be thinking, "Dating IRL is hard enough, I don't want to play that game with employers, too." We hear you; however, Jenkins said that because she devoted so much time to communicating with the studio, she ultimately felt "very supported" in making her vision come to life on the big screen.
"It's the biggest advice I ever give young film makers: Pick the right projects and take it seriously because you don't want to end up in a bad marriage," she said. "You don't want to be idealistic and say, 'I can change their minds.' Maybe you can't. And, if you can't, then you're on that ride."
Though she was fortunate to find such a welcoming team, Jenkins admitted that there was a period of time in which she felt that she wasn't suited to make it in Hollywood and considered leaving the industry. This just goes to show that just because you haven't gotten that promotion/pitch accepted/dream job, doesn't mean you never will.
Much like Wonder Woman (and its director), you're more resilient than you think.