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by Sandra Olmsted

   Ocean’s 8, the all-female installment in the franchise, opened bigger than any of the other, all-male, installments. In a tribute to the power of women to influence the box office, Ocean’s 8 earned a franchise record over its first weekend, earning estimated at $41.5 million, according to Box Office Mojo. Women, who represented 69% of the audience based on polls conducted by CinemaScore, drove the biggest opening weekend in the history of the Ocean’s franchise. Some questions the industry is asking is why and how do we do it again.

What makes Ocean’s 8 special might to a better question. First, writer/director Gary Ross rounding up today’s top actresses. Second, he and screenwriter Olivia Milch gave them multidimensional roles, believable words, and solid motivational backstories, some of which were gender specific and other that work across gender. Yes, Ross and Milch also checked all the boxes for what women love: Glamor, Jewelry, Gowns, and that Met Gala. While those are part of the old Hollywood formula, the real reason women gravitated to Ocean’s 8 was the characters. The portrayal of strong, powerful, intelligent women outsmarting everyone to improve their lives, however, appeals most effectively to women. Often portrayed as only eye-candy or subordinate or submissive to the male characters, women apparently want to see strong women with problems and emotions with which they sympathize. Great actresses delivering stunning performances as powerful, realist women is a throwback to the Golden Age of Hollywood, when big female stars had better roles.

Probably the hardest part of why Ocean’s 8 succeeds for the male-dominated industry to swallow will be letting go of the notion that every movie must be marketed to the 17-35 males. The box office demographics have, in fact, denied that notions for more than several years. Even 17-to-35-year-old males, the audience that the industry focused on for too long to the exclusion of all others, however, can enjoy the film because of the attractive women and the heist-driven excitement. That, too, is a return to the Golden Age of Hollywood formula of something for everyone in every film. Wide appeal and something for everyone is the formula that young Hollywood has ignored for too long.

   Ocean’s 8 stars Sandra Bullock, Helena Bonham Carter, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, Mindy Kaling, Rihanna, and Awkwafina. The Costume Institute Gala at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the biggest event on the fashion fundraising calendar, provides opportunity and reason for the glamor and fabulous gowns, which women will absolutely enjoy. What those powerful women do in those gowns will really draw the crowds to this Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow spectacular. Ocean’s 8 is in theaters now, rated PG-13 for language, drug use, and some suggestive content, and runs a fun, exciting, and intense 110 minutes.