Why the acclaimed film She Said struggled to find an audience at the box office
In short: Despite critical praise for its sensitive portrayal of the investigation into Harvey Weinstein, the 2022 film She Said became a box-office bomb. Critics suggest that audiences were fatigued by ongoing real-world legal proceedings and felt little urgency to watch a dramatization of events that were already public knowledge.
Directed by Maria Schrader and written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, She Said chronicles the New York Times investigation by reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey into Harvey Weinstein’s history of abuse. The film, which stars Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan, was lauded by critics for its non-sensationalist approach. Unlike many journalism dramas that rely on reenactments of abuse, Schrader chose to focus on the women who were silenced, sharing the details of the allegations rather than showing them. This restraint was intended to honor the survivors and maintain a focus on the systemic nature of the intimidation and cover-ups involved.
However, the film’s theatrical performance was starkly different from its critical reception. Grossing only $13.9 million against a $32 million production budget, it was labeled a flop. Industry analysts pointed to several factors for this underperformance, including the emotional exhaustion of the public and the fact that the Weinstein trials were still ongoing during the film’s November 2022 release. Some reviewers argued that the film lacked the cinematic flair or suspense necessary to distinguish it from a procedural documentary, with one critic describing it as an artless Wikipedia entry.
The film also faced scrutiny regarding its production. Brad Pitt, one of the producers, faced criticism due to his past professional ties to Weinstein and allegations of abuse against his own family. Furthermore, while the film was praised for humanizing the reporters by showing their struggles with motherhood and work-life balance, some critics felt these scenes were disjointed or cursory. Ultimately, while She Said succeeded as a tribute to journalistic integrity and the courage of the women who came forward, it struggled to overcome the perception that it was re-litigating a scandal that the public had already processed through news cycles.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: She Said (film)
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