In the decade since his screenplay for Sicario was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews, Taylor Sheridan has become one of the most powerful creators in the entertainment industry. In addition to earning an Academy Award nomination for writing Hell or High Water and stepping into the director’s chair for several films, Sheridan has created a series of extremely popular shows that have dominated in ratings. Sheridan may have cultivated a loyal fanbase, but critics of his work have consistently taken issue with the ways in which he writes female characters. Although this controversy seemed to reach its apex amidst the response to Landman, Sheridan’s writing was defended by Ali Larter, who claimed that he writes “women in their prime, that were still allowed to be alive.”
Landman may have received backlash over the ways in which Larter’s character, Anglea, is objectified, but Larter said that “what’s more uncomfortable is that people are so uncomfortable by their sexuality.” Although it may be easy to take clips of the show out of context, Larter said that she found Anglea to be “very multi-dimensional,” as the viewer is given the chance to “see her battling and feeling like she’s getting older.” While he’s often been opposed to accepting criticism, Sheridan is a much more progressive writer than he is given credit for.
Taylor Sheridan Has Consistently Written Roles for Older Women
Given his interest in Westerns, it’s not surprising that Sheridan has traditionally written protagonists who have flexible morality and deal openly with their flaws. It’s more compelling if heroes are treated with more realism, and thankfully, Sheridan brings the same authenticity to writing his female protagonists. Among the most underrated films of his career is the action-thriller Those Who Wish Me Dead, which starred Angelina Jolie as a firefighter who must save a young child from a pair of deadly assassins. It’s not only a powerful allusion to the plight of maternity, but an opportunity for Jolie to play an action hero again, even if most studios have not given her that chance since she was much younger. The age of Jolie’s character was critical to the film’s themes, as she was dealing with the anxieties of having to consider her own legacy.
Sheridan has a talent for writing strong matriarchal figures, which is most evident within his creation of Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren) in 1923. Although there were many outspoken female characters within the Yellowstone universe, Cara is seen as one of the most integral members of the Dutton family, as she and her husband Jacob (Harrison Ford) must defend their ranch against rivals. While Jacob has occasionally made erratic decisions for the sake of his honor, Cara is the more strategic member of the couple and is willing to openly feud with villains like Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton). While the notion of Mirren returning to the action genre has been used for comedic effect in The Fast and the Furious franchise, Sheridan gave her the chance to play a historically grounded character whose decisions shape the future of her family tree.
Sheridan has consistently written dynamic roles for older women, as he has often given them opportunities to play “character” parts that are often reserved for male actors. Between Catherine Keener’s terrifying depiction of the CIA leader Cynthia Foards in the underrated sequel Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Faith Hill’s inspirational role as the matriarch Margaret Dutton in 1883, and Margaret Bowman’s hilarious, scene-stealing performance in Hell or High Water, Sheridan has written female parts that go beyond the obvious “inspirational hero” clichés.
2:31
Related
Taylor Sheridan Made Big Changes to Tom Clancy’s Action Thriller, but That’s a Good Thing
This isn’t the John Kelly you remember.
‘Landman’ Has Deceptively Strong Female Representation
The controversy around Landman is somewhat unfounded, as skeptics may have claimed that Larter’s portrayal of Angela, as well as Michelle Randolph’s role as her daughter, Ainsley, are too sexualized. However, Larter has defended the portrayal, stating that Angela is “able to express that side of herself,” and that “the character is a full rainbow.” While it may be easy to take moments of Angela in a bikini out of context, she makes some surprising choices throughout Landman, including a storyline in which she becomes fixated on providing joy to members of an elderly community. While the performance may seem absurd and heightened, it’s consistent with the tone Landman is aiming for; the fact that Angela is such an outspoken character makes her complex relationship with Tommy (Billy Bob Thornton) even more interesting.
Landman has many other female characters that represent a broader spectrum of roles, with Paulina Chávez’s portrayal of Ariana Medina being a particular standout. Despite losing her husband, Elvio (Alejandro Akara), in a horrific accident, Ariana has to keep protecting her children and finding new opportunities, even if that means coming into conflict with her family. On the flip side, Kayla Wallace gives a reprehensible performance as Rebecca Falcone, a causation lawyer who helps Tommy skirt around the law during instances of legal discrepancy; it’s rare to see an eloquent, intelligent female character who is given the opportunity to represent the worst that capitalism has to offer. Given Sheridan’s ambitious plans for future seasons, it’s expected that these characters will continue to play prominent roles; despite being only briefly in the first season, Demi Moore seems primed for a more significant part moving forward, particularly in the wake of the critical acclaim that she earned for her performance in The Substance.
Sheridan has a brash, confrontational style of writing and has succeeded in crafting characters that don’t fit into the traditional molds of “heroes” and “villains.” While there aren’t many of his female characters that could be described as “role models,” the same could be said of many of his male protagonists, such as Alejandro (Benicio del Toro) in Sicario, Tanner (Ben Foster) in Hell or High Water, or even Tommy in Landman. Sheridan deserves praise for the roles he has given to his female actors; while it’s easy to judge how they are written from afar, Sheridan has nonetheless created onscreen opportunities for women that would not have existed otherwise.