On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 104/166 |
David Mumpower |
Summarizing: Men are bad. I have now saved you the two hours of suffering. This is Whale Rider's director? What a sophomore slump. |
Not to be confused with the 1991 Gene Hackman/Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio classic of the same name, this production is a match made in Newmarket heaven. Or at least it would be if Warner Bros. weren't handling distribution.
Niki Caro, the director of the 2003 masterpiece Whale Rider, follows up her unexpected worldwide success on that project with this film. Its star is Charlize Theron, the 2004 Academy Award winner for Best Actress. This will be Theron's second post-Monster project after the live action adaptation of Aeon Flux.
Class Action involves the landmark court ruling of Jensen vs. Evelyn Mines. Theron's character is based upon Joise Aimes, an abused wife. Escaping her husband's menace, Aimes returned home to Minnesota in the 1970s. Forced to find work in order to feed her child, she was shocked to discover how sexually charged the atmosphere was at the mine where she was employed. Most of the women were frequently subjected to verbal innuendos and unwelcome physical contact. When the women complained to ownership, their complaints fell apart deaf ears.
Rather than accept status quo, Josie Aimes proceeded to use the full power of the law to counteract the workplace inequities these female miners faced. Her role as the key plaintiff in their lawsuit led to the first successful sexual harassment ruling in United States judicial history
Obviously, the general themes of Class Action look to dovetail into both Caro and Theron's 2003 Newmarket releases. Whale Rider dealt with a girl fated to rule a phallocentric society while Theron took the law into her own hands as Aileen Wuornos. Like that character, Theron will once again fight back against unwelcome sexual advances. The difference in Class Action, as opposed to Monster, is that there will not be a body count. (David Mumpower/BOP)
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