"The Hurt Locker" two years later

Monday was the second anniversary of the release of Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker,”  and she would go on to become the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Director and Best Picture. But you’ve got to ask yourself, are women any better off in Hollywood now? It didn’t look that way in 2010, when almost no women in any category except in acting were nominated for anything. And if you were to judge by the misogyny (and racism and homophobia) of most of this summer’s “comedies,” it would seem like this year isn't going to be any better.

Actually, raunchy comedies might be the one area where women have made progress. “Bridesmaids,” co-written by and starring Kristen Wiig, recently topped $148.8 million, becoming the most commercially successful of Judd Apatow’s films, and surpassing “Sex and the City” for the most lucrative women’s comedy. So that just goes to show that not only can women on screen outgross men when it comes to shitting in the street, but they can outgross them at the box office as well. 

As for films with more genteel ambitions, two women will have independent features opening July 29: Miranda July, who wrote directed and starred in  “The Future,” and Brit Marling, who co-wrote and stars in “Another Earth.”

Maybe none of these will be knocking on Oscar’s door (though Kelly Reichardt’s “Meek’s Cutoff,” which opened in the spring,  might garner some interest, if only for Michelle Williams's performance). So perhaps we'll have to wait until next year when Bigelow has her next picture lined up, “The Hunt for Bin Laden,” which could make her the first woman to win two Best Director Oscars.