Hollywood’s long habit of loving the sinner
It’s too soon to tell what long-term consequences Harvey Weinstein will face
Harvey Weinstein arrives at the 2014 Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Associated Press/Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision
Fired from his production company and accused by more than 20 women of sexual assault, Harvey Weinstein’s days as a Hollywood mogul could be finished. Or not. Tinseltown has a long history, going back to the brutal reign of Louis Mayer at MGM Studios, of forgiving and funding men who are known abusers. Here are a few more recent cases:
In 1977, Roman Polanski, who directed hits such as Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and Chinatown (1974), pleaded guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl and later fled to Paris to avoid extensive jail time. Polanski continued making movies overseas, and his 2002 film The Pianist earned him an Academy Award for best director. Polanski did not attend the Oscars because he would have faced arrest in the United States. But when the presenter called his name during the ceremony, those present gave him a standing ovation. In 2009, when Swiss authorities detained Polanski for nine months in an extradition fight—which he won—more than 70 filmmakers, including Weinstein, Woody Allen, and Darren Aronofsky, signed a petition calling for his release, according to The Guardian. In a 2011 documentary, Polanski admitted to victimizing the now-grown Samantha Geimer and apologized. He still has not returned to the United States. During a 1992 custody battle between Allen and his estranged girlfriend, Mia Farrow, the couple’s 7-year-old daughter accused Allen of molesting her. Allen never faced prosecution for the alleged abuse, but the judge in the custody case denied Allen visitation rights and said his behavior toward her “was grossly inappropriate and that measures must be taken to protect her.” The child, Dylan Farrow, stood by her allegations into adulthood as her father continued his illustrious moviemaking career. In 2014, Farrow penned an excoriating open letter calling out Allen’s fans and the actors who worked with him: “Woody Allen is a living testament to the way our society fails the survivors of sexual assault and abuse.” Shortly before Allen and Farrow split, he began a relationship with her older adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn, whom Allen married in 1997. Horror movie director Victor Salva served prison time in the 1980s for molesting several children who acted in his movies and possessing child pornography. After his release, he created the Jeepers Creepers franchise, which grossed more than $75 million. The most recent installment of the series came out earlier this month. In 2006, Salva told the Los Angeles Times, “I pled guilty to a terrible crime, and I’ve spent the rest of my life trying to make up for it. For almost 20 years, I’ve been involved with helping others, I’ve been in therapy, and I’ve made movies. But I paid my debt to society and apologized to the young man. And all I can hope is that people will give me a chance to redeem myself.”The Bible calls Christians to forgive even horrific crimes. But it also calls for justice and protection for the weak. The movie industry’s short memory for scandal—and that of its supporters—provides no incentive for abusers like Harvey Weinstein to stop. Countless men have weathered accusations of adultery, domestic violence, or racism (in Mel Gibson’s case, all three) and barely had to hit “pause” on their career trajectories. Weinstein’s accusers may choose to forgive him, but let’s hope actors, producers, and moviegoers don’t forget his sins so soon that the next would-be serial abuser doesn’t stop to think twice about the consequences.
Jason Aldean performs in Tulsa, Okla. Associated Press/Photo by Sue Ogrocki
A muted celebration
CMT announced Thursday it will revamp its upcoming Artists of the Year show into a tribute to the heroes and victims of the Las Vegas shooting and recent hurricanes in the United States. “Forgoing formal award presentations and acceptance speeches, the night’s honorees, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Chris Stapleton, and Keith Urban, will deliver heartfelt messages directly to their fans,” the country music cable channel announced. The special is set to air at 8 p.m. EDT Oct. 18 on CMT. Jason Aldean, who was on stage in Las Vegas when shooter Stephen Paddock opened fire on a music festival Oct. 1, resumed touring Thursday with a concert in Tulsa, Okla., after taking a break to mourn and show respect for the victims. The singer visited victims in a Las Vegas hospital Sunday. The day before, Aldean performed Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” on Saturday Night Live in tribute to the victims and the late rock superstar who died Oct. 2. —L.L.
Pictures of home
Syrian immigrant Mohamed Hafez is an architect by day and an artist-in-miniature in his spare time. His exquisite dioramas use everyday objects to capture the trappings of life in his war-torn homeland. Hafez, a Muslim, incorporates artifacts of his religion in his artwork but also acknowledges Syria’s interfaith heritage. —L.L.
Nerd alert
Everyone is excited about the new trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi (see below), but I am still stuck on the questionable physics of Starkiller Base, the epic Death Star upgrade featured in Episode VII. This explainer from January 2016 still blows my mind. —L.L.
I appreciate your honest film reviews. —Jeff
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