---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whatever the reason, we are not doing a…"
description: "\"Whatever the reason, we are not doing a good enough job getting to women early enough in their careers, supporting them, and enabling them to pursue ca..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/donna-langley-33318_early_whatever-the-reason-we-are-not-doing-a-g_1240787.jpg"
---

#  Whatever the reason, we are not doing a good enough job…

![“Whatever the reason, we are not doing a good enough job getting to women early enough in their careers, supporting them, and enabling them to pursue careers in directing.” quote by Donna Langley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/donna-langley-33318_early_whatever-the-reason-we-are-not-doing-a-g_1240787.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/donna-langley-33318_early_whatever-the-reason-we-are-not-doing-a-g_1240787.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b88/donna-langley-33318_early_whatever-the-reason-we-are-not-doing-a-g_1240787.jpg)

> “Whatever the reason, we are not doing a good enough job getting to women early enough in their careers, supporting them, and enabling them to pursue careers in directing.”

[Donna Langley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-langley/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote acknowledges insufficient early support for women in directing, calling for better mentorship and opportunities.

**In simple terms:** Women need earlier career support in directing.

Key Takeaway

Invest in women early.

Themes

gender equity career development film industry

Mood

advocacy determined

Type

social professional

When to use this quote

- film schools
- studio hiring
- grant programs
- networking events

Key Concepts

mentorship systemic bias

Questions to Reflect On

- What concrete steps can be taken?
- How measure progress over time?

A Different Perspective

Changing culture alone may not fix structural barriers.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/)

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> [We focus on money, getting money and winning. We let the rest of them chase the women. We focus on winning cuz getting women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-gotti/we-focus-on-money-getting-money-and-winning-we-let-the-rest-of-them/)

[Yo Gotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-gotti/)

> [In my sophomore year, a kid told me that the secret to getting women is to play really, really hard to get. I followed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-kinnear/in-my-sophomore-year-a-kid-told-me-that-the-secret-to-getting-women/)

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> [We're working toward getting women's sports to get paid more, getting paid what they should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-pegula/we-re-working-toward-getting-women-s-sports-to-get-paid-more-getting/)

[Jessica Pegula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-pegula/)

> [Men, as an organization, are getting more women than any other group working anywhere in the world. Wherever women are, we have men looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/men-as-an-organization-are-getting-more-women-than-any-other-group/)

[Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/)

> [Part of that problem is women don't run. We don't run for office. It's not that people are overwhelmingly voting against us. We just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mcgrath/part-of-that-problem-is-women-don-t-run-we-don-t-run-for-office-it-s/)

[Amy McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mcgrath/)

> [I don't think I picked up the guitar in the first place as a way of getting women. There are probably better ways of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-blunt/i-don-t-think-i-picked-up-the-guitar-in-the-first-place-as-a-way-of/)

[James Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-blunt/)

> [Directing is a rarefied business. And you see very few women pass that Rubicon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-langley/directing-is-a-rarefied-business-and-you-see-very-few-women-pass-that/)

[Donna Langley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-langley/)

> [I think that women are uniquely suited to the job of directing, and I've seen it firsthand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-langley/i-think-that-women-are-uniquely-suited-to-the-job-of-directing-and-i/)

[Donna Langley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-langley/)

> [That's what I learned most about directing on my own - you've got to build a family, a filmmaking family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/that-s-what-i-learned-most-about-directing-on-my-own-you-ve-got-to/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [“I was ambitious and desperate to direct my first film, so I capitulated and blew it. Never again. Never fucking again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/i-was-ambitious-and-desperate-to-direct-my-first-film-so-i/)

[Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/)

> [Anybody can direct a picture once they know the fundamentals. Directing is not a mystery, it's not an art. The main thing about directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ford/anybody-can-direct-a-picture-once-they-know-the-fundamentals/)

[John Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ford/)

## More by Donna Langley

> [I think that women are uniquely suited to the job of directing, and I've seen it firsthand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-langley/i-think-that-women-are-uniquely-suited-to-the-job-of-directing-and-i/)

[Donna Langley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-langley/)

> [Directing is a rarefied business. And you see very few women pass that Rubicon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-langley/directing-is-a-rarefied-business-and-you-see-very-few-women-pass-that/)

[Donna Langley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-langley/)

> [In my own experience, when we have an open directing assignment of any kind, not just the big films, I would say it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-langley/in-my-own-experience-when-we-have-an-open-directing-assignment-of-any/)

[Donna Langley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-langley/)

> [Failure is a great learning tool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-langley/failure-is-a-great-learning-tool/)

[Donna Langley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-langley/)

> [Real power is having the ability and the resources to tell an amazing story or to say 'yes' to a filmmaker and change not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-langley/real-power-is-having-the-ability-and-the-resources-to-tell-an-amazing/)

[Donna Langley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-langley/)

> [As tastes shift around the globe and there are more roles for women, there are more women who can participate. Salaries will go up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-langley/as-tastes-shift-around-the-globe-and-there-are-more-roles-for-women/)

[Donna Langley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-langley/)

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[Donna Langley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-langley/)

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[Donna Langley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-langley/)

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[Donna Langley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-langley/)

[Explore all 15 Donna Langley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-langley/)

## More Directing quotes

> [Anybody can direct a picture once they know the fundamentals. Directing is not a mystery, it's not an art. The main thing about directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ford/anybody-can-direct-a-picture-once-they-know-the-fundamentals/)

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[Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/)

> [That's what I learned most about directing on my own - you've got to build a family, a filmmaking family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/that-s-what-i-learned-most-about-directing-on-my-own-you-ve-got-to/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

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[Christine Tsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-tsai/)

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[Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/)

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[Sajid Nadiadwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-nadiadwala/)

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[Nicholas Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-ozeki/)

> [The producing thing has come quite naturally to me. I feel like for directing, I would like to be more technically-savvy. I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/the-producing-thing-has-come-quite-naturally-to-me-i-feel-like-for/)

[Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/)

> [I'm addicted to directing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-shankman/i-m-addicted-to-directing/)

[Adam Shankman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-shankman/)

> [Making a movie and not directing the little moments is like drinking a soda and leaving the little slurp puddle for someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/making-a-movie-and-not-directing-the-little-moments-is-like-drinking/)

[Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/)

> [Directing films is easier said than done. The job needs a lot of sensibility to put many things in place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-sethupathi/directing-films-is-easier-said-than-done-the-job-needs-a-lot-of/)

[Vijay Sethupathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-sethupathi/)

> [I starred in a Broadway play that was Sidney Poitier's first directing job and the cast was Lou Gossett, Cicely Tyson, Diana Ladd and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-steinberg/i-starred-in-a-broadway-play-that-was-sidney-poitier-s-first/)

[David Steinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-steinberg/)

> [I don't get nervous when I'm directing a play. It's not like acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-seymour-hoffman/i-don-t-get-nervous-when-i-m-directing-a-play-it-s-not-like-acting/)

[Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-seymour-hoffman/)

> [My dad's a prominent theatre director in Toronto, so I grew up in that world, directing and producing theater since I was a teenager.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-gass-donnelly/my-dad-s-a-prominent-theatre-director-in-toronto-so-i-grew-up-in-that/)

[Ed Gass-Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-gass-donnelly/)

> [The hardest part about directing is getting everyone on the same page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-marshall/the-hardest-part-about-directing-is-getting-everyone-on-the-same-page/)

[Rob Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-marshall/)

Browse all 1,163 Directing quotes

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