“She inspires me still,” Patty Jenkins says of Wonder Woman. She’s huddled around a table with a small group of journalists in a New York City hotel to discuss the superhero film’s upcoming DVD release, and her love for the iconic character is palpable.
“Ever since she did when I was a kid, to be all things that I want to be: to have love and to have weakness, to have a sense of humor and have greatness, and to think for yourself.”It’s clear that Jenkins, who’s sitting next to the film’s scene-stealing Lucy Davis, still can’t believe she was given the utter privilege to direct a movie about a character she grew up idolizing. “The fact that she’s so thoughtful about her use of power, and it’s not glorious . . . it’s serious the way she walks into it. I think, honestly, it’s a spiritual model that I believe in . . . Making movies about stuff that you believe in always helps you be a better person, but when it’s someone you would aspire to be, even more so it makes you think about your choices.”
It wouldn’t be right to call Wonder Woman‘s insane success over the Summer a surprise — as one of the DC Extended Universe’s big-budget, superhero tent poles, it was always going to be a box office hit no matter what critics thought of it, if Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad were any indication. What people probably weren’t expecting, though, was just how big of a triumph the film has become.
Not only has Wonder Woman‘s earnings surpassed more than a few male-driven superhero movies, but the Jenkins-directed, Gal Gadot-led flick got an overwhelmingly warm reception from both critics and fans.
In such uncertain times, it’s ended up being a much-needed source of inspiration and empowerment not just for women but also for anyone who’s ever felt unsure of themselves.“The idea of having that kind of communion with other people through a shared experience of something I made, and they saw, is unbelievable. That’s art. That’s what I’m here for.”
“We did something for iTunes last night, and a guy stood up, and he didn’t feel comfortable talking,” Jenkins recalls. “But oh my god, wow. Something spoke to you so much that, even though you are so uncomfortable speaking, you feel compelled to do it? How incredible. I would have not been able to do it when I was that kid. The idea of having that kind of communion with other people through a shared experience of something I made, and they saw, and all of us made together is unbelievable. That’s art. That’s what I’m here…
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