For the common movie fan, if they’re so inclined to know who wrote the feature film they just witnessed, a quick Google search can quickly yield a result. However, what most people don’t realize is that just because a name is listed as the sole “writer” on a film doesn’t mean that the person attached is responsible for every word on screen. That’s something that Tracy Oliver would like to stress to people who saw her recent film, “Little,” and are upset over a transphobic joke.
After fans and critics called the comedy out for including what many are calling a transphobic joke, screenwriter Oliver took to Twitter to clear her name and assure fans that she is not the person who wrote the joke, and she definitely doesn’t condone it.
For those that haven’t seen “Little,” the film revolves around media mogul Jordan, who is a bit of a jerk, and magically gets turned back into her awkward teenage self through movie magic. However, before the body-swap hilarity begins, there’s a joke where Jordan mistakes a young girl for being a boy, making light of the situation by saying, “Oh, he’s transitioning?”
For Oliver, the criticism for the joke became too much and she wanted to distance herself from the line, in particular.
“As a feature writer, when you hand your draft into the studio, you have no control over what ends up on screen,” Oliver said. “Often, you’re elated. Other times, you’re disappointed. I did not write that particular joke and was disappointed to see it. It was insensitive and unnecessary.”
She continued, “It was disheartening and mean spirited. I’ve been wrestling with speaking up or not, but I had to. That joke doesn’t represent who I am at all.”
Of course, there’s no way of knowing who wrote the joke, unless that person speaks up. Oliver is credited alongside director Tina Gordon for the script, but again, it’s hard to know if it was written by either of them. It could have been improvised or added later by an uncredited writer, as these films tend to go through many different iterations from script to screen.
Either way, Oliver just doesn’t want her name associated with that brand of humor.
As a feature writer, when you hand your draft (s) into the studio, you have no control over what ends up on screen. Often, you're elated. Other times, you're disappointed. I did not write that particular joke and was disappointed to see it. It was insensitive and unnecessary. https://t.co/0sytsyhBFF
— Tracy Y. Oliver (@TracyYOliver) April 22, 2019
It was disheartening and mean spirited. I've been wrestling with speaking up or not, but I had to. That joke doesn't represent who I am at all.
— Tracy Y. Oliver (@TracyYOliver) April 22, 2019