a punitive attitude toward women by homosexual directors, not to mention a pervasive lack of realism in how they direct female role portrayals. In addition, both women and gays have been societal outcasts in one form or another. Judith Lynne Hanna asserts that "History attests to the liability of being female or recognizably gay in the United States" (1987).
As a result of these influences, women have had to push against the constraints imposed upon them by men, both within the movie industry and without, and the evolution of women in film reflects that struggle for autonomy and authenticity. Today, although many of the same issues remain, more and more female actresses are able to play roles that go far beyond the old cookie-cutter images that they were constrained to undertake in the past. Not only are today's actresses freer to infuse their performances with the dimensions of their own inner selves and experiences, but the roles that they play have become more responsible, meaningful, and commanding than ever before. Alongside the s
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