Stop Talking, Matt Damon
A couple of years ago, I went to a talk about 1999.
Not partying like it was 1999, but rather the films of 1999.
The premise of the conversation focused on one question:
Was 1999 the last great year of Hollywood moviemaking?
That was the year that gave us The Matrix, The Sixth Sense, American Beauty, Three Kings, and Fight Club. (It’s also the year that gave us Varsity Blues and She’s All That, but somehow those films went unmentioned…)
By contrast, the top grossing film of 2019 was Avengers: Endgame. Next was the live action version of The Lion King then Frozen 2. The top 10 also offered another Marvel film, and sequels to Toy Story, Star Wars, and Jumanji.
Where were the new ideas?
I thought of this talk last Sunday, when I read an interview with Matt Damon in The Sunday Times, and read that he was asking questions about what’s happening to film, too.
People watch movies differently today. The DVD revenues that were once part of the filmmaking financial model are gone. And now studios focus on international box office, which means the storytelling is changing to apply to the masses.
This is an interesting topic to discuss, and I wanted to hear more about it, but then…
The article reminded us of the statement Matt Damon made in 2017 when asked about the allegations against Harvey Weinstein.
“As a father of four daughters,” his statement at the time began.
Cringe.
Sure Damon can share his perspective as a father, but the ‘father of daughters’ bit has been said by many a man. You don’t need to have daughters to know that rape is wrong. And even fathers of daughters commit crimes or harass women.
But – to his credit – Damon said he understood the anger over his words, and that the changing focus of the media means that specific statements are getting more attention than the overall conversation.
“So I shut the f*** up more,” he said.
But then, he shared an anecdote about how he recently stopped saying the ‘f-slur for a homosexual.’
He told a story about how months ago, after he made a joke with the ‘f-slur,’ his daughter left the table, went to her room and wrote a ‘very long, beautiful treatise’ on how that word is dangerous.
“I said, ‘I retire the f-slur!’ I understood,” Damon responded.
Oh, Matt.
Gus van Sant directed you in Good Will Hunting. You were on the cover of The Advocate. You were in Behind the Candelabra. You work in an industry where you would encounter plenty of members of the LGBT+ community.
You’re only now learning that the ‘f-slur’ isn’t OK?
From your daughter?
The journalist seems to congratulate Damon for sharing the anecdote, and noting it’s because he is ‘more of a personality than a brand.’
Umm…what?
If a conservative actor told that story, how would the press (and public) react?
Damon’s words are concerning, but the revelation that he’s just learning this isn’t OK in 2021 is more shocking.
And just as he said that journalists today focus on the ‘lyrics rather than the music’ in an interview, less than 24 hours later, Damon and his revelation were all over the headlines.
The headline of the original article was ‘Is Matt Damon the last of Hollywood’s leading men?’
That would be an interesting story to read, and discussion to have.
But instead, the takeaway of this article is how a self-confessed ‘Hollywood liberal’ still doesn’t get it.
Maybe he is shutting the f*** up more these days.
But clearly, not enough.
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UPDATE: Matt Damon has now issued a statement to Variety.