The Female Fascination with Twilight
So, this post was originally going to be about postmodernism and our culture’s current fascination with fantasy, but I’m going to delay that for next week. The reason being I, as well as many screaming hordes of teenage girls, went to the midnight showing of New Moon last night. I have to add immediately that I went because I wanted to spend time with my friend who was going, not because I was one of the screaming hordes. Just so we’re clear.
I also have to preface this and say that I don’t dislike Twilight or think less of anyone who loves it (though I might tease you mercilessly and I don’t apologize for that. ☺) These are just thoughts regarding the whole saga, especially since I saw the second movie last night.
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There’s so much hype and interest about the Twilight saga that I’m not even going to bother giving much background, either about the book or the author. My summary below will be brief and leave a lot out. If you need more back story for this article to make sense, I’d recommend Wikipedia’s article on Twilight or New Moon.
New Moon as a movie picks up where Twilight left off: Bella is happily in her relationship with Edward and all seems to be well. Well, there is that minor detail that he’s a vampire and has a primal desire to drink her blood. And the fact that’s she’s flipping out about growing older while he always remains the same. Oh, and let’s not forget that Bella’s best friend Jacob, who is in love with her, also happens to be a werewolf, a species violently opposed to vampires. But other than that, things are peachy.
The drive and heart of New Moon is what happens when Edward breaks up with Bella and how Bella copes with this loss. She mopes for several months, not really eating or leaving the house. Then she discovers that she has hallucinations of Edward whenever she’s near a dangerous situation. As this is the only way she can prove Edward was ever real, she seeks out adrenaline rushes in order to see and hear these phantom Edwards. To continue pursuing this, she decides to ask her childhood friend Jacob to reassemble a couple of motorbikes.
Enter complication #2 and the heart of every romance novel: the rival. The rival who happens to be a werewolf and has all the same squishy-melty “Oh, how can I protect you when I’m so much more powerful and can hurt you?” desires that Edward does. Bella sees Jacob’s company as a relief and a balm from the hole Edward’s absence has left. He’s her best friend. She’s happy to keep him at friend status. He obviously wants something more, especially seeing how Guy #1 broke Bella’s heart and left town.
Through various plot twists and twirls, Bella is reunited with Edward and now must face the dilemma of choosing between these two. She chooses Edward. Jacob’s heart is understandably broken. And we won’t even mention all the delicate treaties hanging in the balance as Bella flirts between two warring races. The point is, the movie ends with the happy couple reunited despite unhappy circumstances paving the way for the next sequel. The end.
To be fair, the movie was skillfully crafted. I loved the cinematography, which makes use of colors and soft filters extremely well. The whole movie has a very dreamy quality to it and fits the tonality of a young adult romance. The contrasting bright reds and yellows and the classic architecture of Italy were a treat to watch, especially after the gray quality of Forks, WA. The soundtrack only added to the mood, blending the right amount of rock ballads with sweeping orchestral strings.
The acting was fair. There was great chemistry and tension between the three leads. Bella’s friends provided a great background ensemble against the main drama. The adult cast, though their scenes were brief, were fantastic (especially Billy Burke as Bella’s father Charlie and Peter Facinelli as Edward’s father Carlisle.)
But overall, I didn’t love it. I didn’t mind watching it, but I’m uneasy about the story itself. Maybe I’m jaded. Maybe I’m just an anomaly as a female. There’s just one point about this franchise that truly bothers me: the theme of obsession and placing one’s value in a romantic relationship.
Obsession as a theme is woven throughout the story. When Bella loses Edward, she loses the will to live, and only thinks about the gaping hole in her life. Now, granted, that kind of shock and grieving is to be expected – I’ve been there myself – but her continued response in this is very unhealthy. Rather than grieving through the break up, she puts herself in danger to cling to the remnants of Edward. This is not only counter-productive, but an incredibly harmful model to communicate to women everywhere. It places our value in whether or not we are valued by someone romantically, and that should not be the case.
It’s been time-tested and proven that people will let you down. Even wonderful, love-of-your-life people will disappoint you. If you place your entire hope and happiness in one person, I’m sorry to say they will fail you at some point. No one person can fulfill the longing inside you or even handle that amount of pressure. It’s just not possible. Setting up these mammoth expectations is so unfair to a real, living and breathing human being.
Now I know romance novels are fascinated by relationships and their dynamics. It’s part of their charm and drive as a genre. New Moon focuses on Bella’s tension with Edward and Jacob and heightens the drama between all three to make the story engaging. However, it often does so at the cost of two things: 1) it grossly mischaracterizes men as either wounded, gallant heroes or bad guys with a good side and 2) it sets up an impossible expectation for a partner in real life.
Now, guys, this is just my guess, but it’s been my observation that women idealize what men should be in romance novels rather than what they actually are. Just seeing the differences between the novels men and women write in the same genre says that much to me. Men do care about their relationships, but they don’t care in the same way women do. Men need to be tested and drawn into a quest or a goal that’s larger than themselves. The woman is key in that journey, absolutely, but she’s not the point.
Women, on the other hand, long for their beauty to be noticed and unveiled, to be fought for and pursued. Our temptation is to demand that we become the entirety of a man’s focus – and that’s neither possible nor healthy. A real, functioning relationship means that both people have something to offer to the other, ways that they sacrifice and serve the other person. When a relationship becomes about filling the needs you have, it has shifted from love to selfishness. Even moments of personal sacrifice are rendered with the thought of “What will you do for me now?” That can ruin love.
Folks, Twilight is obviously a phenomenon for a reason. There wouldn’t be thousands of women flocking to the theatres if it wasn’t addressing some deep-rooted need or desire. The fact that not just one but two dangerous (but good) guys are fascinated with Bella draws me in. Who, as a woman, wouldn’t want to catch the attention of two honorable (not to mention attractive) guys? Who wouldn’t want to be told, “My greatest desire is to protect you and keep you safe”?
It says that women are longing for someone to care enough to protect them. It’s not that we’re incapable; it’s not that we can’t handle it ourselves. But the truth of the matter is, most of us would much rather go through life with someone than without. Even if that someone isn’t a boyfriend or a spouse, we like doing life with other people. Women long to be important in their relationships and valued in them.
Where does this come from? And how can it possibly be satiated when our longing is so great? My next thought might seem odd, but bear with me.
One of the great writers and speakers of the Christian faith, C. S. Lewis, once wrote in Mere Christianity:
“The Christian says, ‘Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction of those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probably explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on one hand, never to despise, or be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage.’”
–C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, emphasis mine
Bam.
Does this not fit the bill? Does this not describe exactly what all the craze and fervor driving this force known as Twilight? It’s not that the longing women have is impossible; it’s that the desire’s often directed at the wrong thing. Romantic love, full of its ups and downs, its soaring joys and soft day-to-day beauties is a marvel. Love truly is miraculous and encompassing and wonderful. But it’s not the point. It’s meant to satisfy on many levels – absolutely! – but it’s also meant to arouse a far deeper love and desire for someone much greater.
His name is Jesus. He came to this earth as a deity restricted and bound by mortal confinements – and he did so by choice.
Why, you ask? Why would an infinite God choose to limit his own power and authority?
He did it to ransom and win you, to interact with you in a way you could understand. His greatest desire is to love you, to protect you from all the forces and evil that would harm you:
“The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.”
–Isaiah 59:15-17, emphasis mine
Is that not badass? Is not that cool? The God of all creation is so upset that there was no one to intervene for you that he intervened himself. He pulled out all the stops to come and rescue you from your hurts and to fulfill the deep needs you have inside you. And not only is he powerful, he is so, so gentle. Look at this passage, just a little before in the same book:
“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart”
and
“’Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.’”
–Isaiah 40:11 & 49:15-16, emphasis mine
He also swears a vow of unbreakable love for you. For you:
“’Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”
–Isaiah 54:10
Ladies, the desire you have deep, deep inside of you to be loved by someone, to matter is not wrong. It’s not invalid. It’s just sometimes misplaced. No matter how sweeping your longing for the man you will someday marry or are married to, he will let you down. No matter how wonderful he is, he will never fully satisfy you because he was never meant to. It was meant to remind you that there is a God who loves you and who gave everything for you.
I don’t think the Twilight saga is a bad thing, not at all. It can be beautiful if it points you in the right direction. Shortly after the first movie came out, I remember talking with my friend Renee about all this, and she said something very insightful: “I think this fascination with Edward is really a longing for Jesus. We all want someone who’s powerful, but also gentle to pursue us. Edward holds himself in check with honor, but still wants Bella absolutely. It’s the female heart crying out for a Savior.”
That, I think, is the right way to view the books – as a signal flare for something much, much bigger. When a story like this points me to Jesus, I think it’s fantastic. However, with the void many girls feel from fatherless homes or absent/abusive fathers, I’m concerned that Twilight might breed a destructive view of men and relationships. There are loving and strength-giving relationships to be had, but even the most wonderful men are only foreshadows and hints of who our God is.
I feel like I could write a series of posts about this dynamic of women running after love, but there are books much better qualified to do so. I would recommend Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge first. It addresses a woman’s longing for beauty and romance in the context of God aptly and accurately. I’ve linked their website below if you’d like more information.
Thanks for sticking with me on this post, as it’s much longer than the others. Please share your thoughts in the comments box below. We’ll see you next week!
(References/Resources:
Ransomed Heart Ministries → Captivating
Google Images
Internet Movie Database
Stephenie Meyer Website
The Twilight Saga
Wikipedia: Twilight
The Twilight saga is © Stephanie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, all rights reserved. Images were only used to illustrate Jamie’s point. No infringement on copyright is intended.)
Jamie’s Top Ten of 2009
I have a confession to make. I really enjoy top ten lists. There’s just something very satisfying about reading a predictable and concise list that’s driven by a theme. Like The Park Bench’s ”Top Ten Reasons Dating a Vampire Sucks” (did she mean for that to be a pun? I think she did.) I like it when lists are clever and funny. I also like making lists.
So, today, as I was driving home from work, I started compiling a list of
TOP TEN MEDIA THAT GOT JAMIE THROUGH 2009
There’s no order or reason to this list save I want to tell you what entertained me in the year 2009. Really it’s just pure self-indulgence, to be read if you’re really bored or just really like me a lot. ☺ As I said, I like making lists and I like writing about the things I find interesting. Be warned now, there will be spoilers, so please don’t read if you don’t want to know certain plot twists. So, without further ado (and in no particular order):
10. Closer Than Your Skin by Susan D. Hill
This is more of a local Bozeman book that’s been bouncing around various Christian circles. I finally sat down to read it while attending a weekend retreat featuring the author as the guest speaker. While I was expecting something beautiful, I was blown away by how much God used this to transform my perspective of how he loves us, and to see how greatly he desires to speak to us in the everyday mundane aspects of life.
Susan writes with such a warm, inviting voice that it’s hard not to be drawn in. Sharing stories from her life — both good and bad — I found myself fascinated by her journey in learning to hear God’s voice more clearly. I found myself longing for more than what I currently had in my own dynamics with God, and felt so very glad for Susan’s humble insights in the matter. This is a great read, whether you consider yourself a Christ follower or not.
9. The Chronicles of Chrestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones
These books, and pretty much everything else she’s written, too, are just brilliant. This is one smart and funny lady who’s still writing in her eighties! Incredible. I can only hope to have the stamina and charm she has when I’m that old. For those of you unfamiliar with her work, she is most well known for Howl’s Moving Castle, which was recently adapted by Studio Ghibli in Japan and then released in America via Disney.
Ms. Jones is gifted at creating charming, slightly old-fashioned worlds rich with familial love and humor. I think what draws me to her writing the most is her intuitive grasp of those little quabbles and affections that family members have for one another in all kinds of circumstances (something you see very strongly in Dark Lord of Derkholm.) There is something inherent in me that enjoys seeing homey family units at work, even if they’re just cooking dinner or having an argument. When you can sense the underlying love binding all the members together, it’s very comforting to read.
8. The revived Doctor Who (featuring David Tennant as the Doctor)
I blame Victoria. I blame Victoria for getting me hooked on all manner of good, but time consuming media that I spend hours and hours thinking about. We both have a weakness of speculative fiction of all kind – fantasy, science fiction, urban fantasy, you name it. So when she moved to London and discovered the revived version of the longest running science fiction TV show of all time… well. It was only a matter of time before I got sucked in.
What I can I say? David Tennant makes such a wonderful, verbose Doctor. He’s charming, he’s funny, and he carries himself with an infectious curiosity that draws you right along. He also holds a presence of authority as that makes me shiver a little because it makes me wonder if Jesus displayed a similar authority when he walked this earth as a man. The Doctor also has a deep loneliness and sense of tragedy about him, which underscores the humor and makes it very real (a nice touch by Russell T Davies who was the head author while Tennant was acting.) It’s a quality show and I’ve really enjoyed entering this universe and getting to know these characters.
7. Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog by Joss Whedon
First of all, if you haven’t seen Dr. Horrible, you must go and watch it right now. Once you’ve done that, we can talk.
Simply put, Joss Whedon is brilliant. Like, really funny brilliant. Like freaking won an Emmy brilliant. It’s slowly becoming my opinion that humor is necessary in life. There is so much that heartbreak, so much injustice in this world, that those who can find those weird daily quirks and expound on them have a rare gift (or, in this case, those weird not-so-daily quirks). I’m glad Joss Whedon and others like him have this capacity for humor and share it. I’m not blessed that way as an artist, but I’m grateful that there are others who are.
6. Witch Hunter Robin by Sunrise, Bandai Entertainment
This charming little 26 episode anime caught me by surprise. It’s in the serious supernatural genre, an anime type that doesn’t always grab my attention because I get bored. (What can I say? Even I’m a little ADD sometimes when it comes to flat visuals. The brighter colors of animes like Bleach or Fullmetal Alchemist engage me constantly.)
However, knowing the golden, “All 26 Episode Animes Focus on the Bigger Plot by Episode 13” rule, I stuck it out until episode 13. As expected, the show really picked up and I greatly enjoyed the philosophical questions and character dynamics that the show explored. I especially liked Robin, because she’s such a quiet and unassuming heroine who still manages to carry the show. Her dynamic with her team members at STNJ were subtle and realistic and fun to watch. The somber tone of this show fit my own emotional state in life when I watched it. It was just nice to have something more subdued but still interesting to entertain me for a while.
5. How I Met Your Mother by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas
Didn’t I mention something earlier about humor redeeming real life? This is another grand example of combining real life (to a certain extent) with great humor. My roommate Julie is the one who got me hooked on this and I’m forever grateful to her. HIMYM has the same tenor and feel as Friends, but I personally like this one better. Probably because Neil Patrick Harris as Barney steals the show. He’s an utter slime bag, but somehow he’s my favorite character. Talk about paradigm shifts.
HIMYM is a show about relationships and the ways they move and change with the various traumas and triumphs life deals you. Ultimately it’s driven by the question of who the “mother” of the show is, as it’s told from the “present day” year of 2030. The narrator is recounting his many adventures which lead to meeting his wife… a question yet to be resolved as far as I’ve watched (which is Season 3, so don’t spoil it for me.)
4. All Colour But the Black (Bleach)
I have another confession to make: I love artbooks. Doesn’t matter the genre, series, or even premise, I adore visual art and I LOVE looking at rough sketches, concept sketches, backgrounds, character designs, finished illustrations… I’m postmodern in every way you can imagine in being icon-centric and visually stimulated. Maybe it’s because of my aborted attempts to hone my art skills in high school, but something in me has always been inspired and even fascinated with the visual medium. And not just hand drawn art. I love good cinematography in movies, graphic design on web sites, panel layouts in web comics… Who knows what triggered this in my brain, given as I’m a writer and all, but it’s there. And I loved the Bleach artbook. I want the next one to come out because I personally like the Arrancars more.
3. Up by Pixar
In a nutshell, it’s astonishing to find a children’s movie that has so much heart and depth to it, let alone one whose main character is at least 80 years old. Granted, there are charming draws for a younger audience like Dug the talking dog and Kevin the bird, but this movie surprised me with how well it did despite the unusual story. Granted, that should be a given when the creator is Pixar. Oh me of little faith.
Still, the realist to my optimist wonders if Pixar’s sold out (just a little) by producing Toy Story 3 for 2010. However, given that they’re going for one of the last frontiers in that story’s plot (ie – what do toys do when their owners go to college?), I have some hope left.
For more of my thoughts about Up specifically, see: this post on Pixar and Up.
2. Wolf’s Rain by Bones and Bandai Entertainment
I have a theory: any anime that has music composed by Yoko Kanno will be awesome. Not only does she compose music that I often want to buy, I think she and I have the same taste in stories. Most of the shows that she’s scored have an intriguing speculative and/or whimsical aspect to them, while also being fantastic in nature. It’s just a theory right now, but as I slowly watch all the shows for which she’s composed music, I’m slowly proving it to be true.
As I look at this list, clearly I’ve been watching a lot of anime this year. But in my defense, I think it’s because of this generation’s fascination with the fantastic juxtaposed against the mundane (there’ll be more on that this Friday with my weekly article.) Wolf’s Rain is set in an undetermined time, though it has hints of being post-apocalyptic. Humanity is ragged and scattered between domed cities and wolves have been extinct for 200 years. Or so everyone thinks.
In actuality, wolves have developed the capacity to blend in with humans by appearing human themselves. They do this to merely survive, but their true desire is to leave this world altogether and find the mystical Paradise prophesied in the Book of the Moon. Wolf’s Rain follows the story of a pack of four wolves seeking Paradise and what befalls them along the way.
While many “serious” animes have the flaw of being too somber, Wolf’s Rain strikes an ideal balance. There is a wonderful sense of the fantastic juxtaposed against the daily grind to make it interesting without being alienating. There’s also moments of everyday humor (found primarily in the characters Hige and Toboe) that keeps the show lighthearted in the midst of its graver undertones. Overall, I have to say that I was riveted after I got past the first episode and I enjoyed the ebb and flow of this show very much. It broached the list of anime I want to buy – and knowing how expensive anime is, that’s saying a lot.
1. Bleach by Tite Kubo, Shueisha, Viz Media
(anime & manga)
I know I said these media were in no particular order, but I lied where Bleach is concerned. While the others can shuffle about on the list, Bleach is different. There are several reasons Bleach made the #1 spot, most of them primarily having to do with God (odd sentence, I know).
First off though, I have to say that Bleach is not without its flaws. There are days I’m grateful for the fast-forward button on YouTube because half the show is, “Well, I deflected your weapon’s super awesome attack with my super secret technique which was culminated after 15 years of training and blah blah blah blah blah…”
…OMG, will you just SHUT UP and fight already??? Those Hollows ain’t going to sit around while you yap your trap. Oh wait. They are sitting there while you talk. Sigh.
But that major annoyance aside, Bleach has a lot going for it. There is a depth of development in the six core characters that makes them multi-dimensional instead of the tired archetypes in the shonen genre. Tite Kubo is also very gifted at creating interesting and sympathetic villains who have reasons for what they do (even if their flashes of backstory explaining these reasons before imminent death become predictable.)
Kubo is also gifted at subtlety. He writes a nuance of plot and draws such detailed visual cues that I usually don’t catch them away. The hints he drops about the reason for Rukia’s declining power in the human world during seasons 1 – 3 were brilliant. As were the design changes in Ichigo’s mask as his hollow powers flux and change. Despite many trite jokes and over-the-top macho moments, Kubo is a very gifted storyteller.
But here’s the biggest reason I like Bleach. It actually ties to the personal trajectory of my life.
When I started Bleach, my boyfriend and I had just broken up. I was feeling rather heartbroken and vulnerable. As I often do, I found solace in story, because story often gives voice and form to what is intangible to me. And, as God often does, he showed up in this story of Bleach and met me precisely where I was. He swept me up into a story of adventure, of developing strength to protect the weak, of giving everything to save one’s friends. It was the funny and engaging story I needed to survive this year.
By the time the Arrancar arch came around, I became a huge fan of Orihime and made her my avatar (see: Avatars (Part 1)). In making Orihime my avatar, I couldn’t help but also develop a crush on Ichigo. To me, Ichigo embodies a very key element of God’s heart, namely this: God loves to fight on behalf of the weak and the vulnerable – and he will do so with honor and gentleness.
Feeling unwanted and lonely and just wrestling through those all too common break-up insecurities (am I still lovely? will someone still want me? OH MY GOD, WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME???), God’s protective quality conveyed through Ichigo was a reassurance I needed to remember.
If you don’t believe that God will meet you on your level, know that he does. Sometimes it just takes a change in perspective, even a change in the way we view God to fully understand what he’s doing. You see, he’s not as lofty and high up as everyone seems to think. He became a man; he chose to enclose infinite power in finite dirt so he could touch us, know us, and love us in a way we could grasp.
Just as I was feeling so worthless and un-lovely, just as I really needed to know that God still loved me and found me worthwhile, he sent a story to me. He didn’t speak in a booming voice. He didn’t slap me around and say, “Why don’t you get it?” He sent me a story, which is something I understand and love.
I love that – I love that Jesus will meet me right where I am to speak to me, even if it seems silly or too “lowbrow” for him. God will meet you right where you are, speaking in the languages and passions that you know and speak, too.
This list is just a reflection of all the places God met me this year. So, if you endured to the end or even just browsed this post, thanks for reading! We’ll see you Friday with a real article.
(References/Resources:
Google Images
Wikipedia
Closer Than Your Skin
-Closer Than Your Skin (c) Susan D. Hill and Waterbrook Publishing, all rights reserved.
-The Chronicles of Chrestomanci (c) Diana Wynne Jones and , all rights reserved.
-The Doctor Who franchise (c) Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber, Donald Wilson, and the BBC, all rights reserved.
-Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog (c) Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy Productions, all rights reserved.
-Witch Hunter Robin (c) Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment, all rights reserved.
-How I Met Your Mother (c) Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, all rights reserved.
-Fullmetal Alchemist (c) Hiromu Arakawa and Square Enix, all rights reserved.
-Up (c) Pixar and Disney, all rights reserved.
-Wolf’s Rain (c) Bones and Bandai Entertainment, all rights reserved.
-Bleach (c) Tite Kubo, Shueisha, and Viz Media, all rights reserved.
All images were used only to prove Jamie’s point. No infringement on copyright is intended.)
Pixar’s the In-Word
Apologies, all! I was at a conference this weekend and had no Internet connection to post this Friday. Here it is, a few days late:
If you haven’t figured it out by now, I tend to think about things a lot, and a lot of deep things at that. However, this Friday’s post isn’t going to be as insightful as much as… fan-ish
As you’ve probably gathered from the title, I’m going to talk about Pixar today, specifically their newest release Up. If you’re disappointed that there’s not some new, profound truth about our world or ourselves, please cut me a break. My brain can’t work that hard all the time, you know. ☺ I’ll try again next week or the week after that, I promise.
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Pixar’s the in-word lately when it comes to computer animation. Granted, while there are other titanic companies like Dreamworks Animation to compete, I would still maintain that Pixar holds a corner on the market when it comes to fan loyalty. I mean, when you have people who mark their calendars in anticipation of Up’s DVD release and who run out first thing in the morning to buy it for $15.99 at Target, you know you have loyal fans. Not that I’m talking about myself or anything.
But seriously, what is it that generates such positive support for a company with now ten feature length films to their credit, not to mention a whole host of animated shorts, which have garnered just as much praise?
In two words: quality and loyalty. Let me expound.
In a Hollywood world where billions upon billions of dollars are thrown both upon actors and special effects budgets, I would say that Pixar instead focuses on making a good story first; the actors and special effects come second to the story, and they are there to enhance the story rather than the other way around. How many movies have you seen that had so much hype because so-and-so was in it, but then utterly flopped in the theatre? And how many times have you heard of that no-name film that had a quarter of the budget, but got rave reviews? The secret, folks, is quality story over quantity of budget.
Hollywood is also not a place for loyalty or fans of it. Hollywood, from what I’ve seen, is about the capitalistic bottom line and the bottom dollar. This does not bode well for the loyal fan I am. I could care less if movie X or book Y is shiny and pretty and has the latest effects; I want quality of story and quality of character development. Once I’ve found it, I’m incredibly devoted and incredibly hard to please when new fandoms are introduced. To put it shortly, Hollywood wouldn’t like me very much because I’m not their frantic consumer. I’m a bit of a selective movie snob.
So, how does Pixar fit these two qualities and often exceed and confuse Hollywood expectations?
Let’s look at Up since that’s what sparked this Friday’s post. (And there will be SPOILERS, so be wary if you haven’t seen the movie already and want to.)
I think it’s fair to say that Pixar delights in setting expectations and surpassing them (and they obviously have so much fun doing it, how can you not love it?) Look at it: Up is about an eighty-plus year old man named Carl Fredericksen who’s trying to figure out his life after losing his beloved wife. In defiance of being placed in an assisted living home, he instead pursues his and his wife’s life-long dream of world travel by using balloons to convert his normal house to a flying house.
…oh yeah. I can hear the kids just flocking to the theatres now.
I mean, REALLY. Our protagonist is at the Medicare age! I can already hear Pete Docter and Bob Peterson (the directors) rubbing their hands together and cackling with glee at sucking us into the story anyway.
Granted, there are a ton of charming and funny appeals. There’s a Golden Retriever named Dug with a collar enabling him to talk (and if dogs would say anything, I have no doubt they would say the things they do in Up.) There’s a young Wilderness Explorer named Russell who’s optimistic and cheerful. There’s also a mythic dodo-esque bird that Carl and Russell are trying to save from being hunted by Dug’s owner. It really is a charming and well thought out story with as many humorous moments as thoughtful.
Because while the movie does touch upon some great, great gags (“I do not like the cone of shame”), it touches upon very difficult aspects of real life – which, in my opinion, makes the humor all the funnier. In the first ten minutes, we watch a recap of Carl’s life with his beloved Ellie, from their first meeting to her death. In the first ten minutes! If that’s not gusty for an animated movie targeted toward children, I don’t know what is. We see throughout the course of the movie that Russell’s father is absent and his family is broken. We even have compassion for Dug, who overcomes the bullying of his pack to be top dog.
My point is, by not avoiding the reality and sorrow that life has as well as the joy, Pixar creates a texture and depth in their movies that many other animated films miss. Dreamworks Animation, Pixar’s closest counterpart in the industry, creates fun movies, but that’s all they are – fun. Pixar makes you think as well as laugh, and that, I think, is the primary reason they win so much critical acclaim as well as a multi-aged fan base.
And the fact that they’ve done this with a majority of their films makes me respect Pixar all the more. For a corporation in modern day America – in Hollywood nonetheless – to maintain such a vision and standard is nothing short of miraculous.
So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take my shiny new copy of Up and spend some time in front of the TV, laughing, crying, and being very grateful there’s such quality movie making for me to experience and share.
(Up is (c) Pixar & Disney, all rights reserved. Images are only used to illustrate Jamie’s point. No infringement on copyright is intended.)
Fantasy-Romance v. Fantasy-Quest
I recently read a YA (young adult) fantasy book called Graceling by Kristin Cashore. It was a decent enough book: good fight scenes, interesting characters, a fairly engaging plot. But somewhere toward the middle (specifically when Katsa and Po… well, I won’t spoil it for you), I found myself losing interest, dropping away from the story. Yes, the protagonist gets her true love, saves the day, matures and evolves, but something about it was still unsatisfying. As I pondered why this was, I began jotting down my reactions. This jotting soon became a sweeping journal-esque essay about my thoughts on the fantasy genre and the differences between masculine driven fantasy versus feminine driven fantasy.
First, both genres have a distinct tenor and often share many similarities. For example, here are some basic patterns I’ve seen in fantasy books intended for a female audience (specifically a YA audience):
The protagonist of adventure-fantasy for women is a woman (duh) who is strong and intelligent, sometimes athletic, and sometimes beautiful. Protagonist Lady (PL) is usually gifted (or cursed) with some ability or insight that separates her from society. Due to said circumstances, she has been deeply wounded by people. PL has a hard time trusting others who have abused her or simply misunderstood her because of her gift or gender. PL at the story’s start is generally guarded and strong.
Then comes Love Interest Man. LIM is the exception to everyone else she’s ever met. He disregards the ways society has treated her and treats her just the opposite — like a person. And an intelligent/strong/athletic/beautiful person at that. He often also annoys her or challenges her or just goads her in a way no one else can. Therefore, she hates him. And thus, they are extraordinarily compatible.
(Here the reader slaps his/her head and goes, “OH COME ON, PL!!! Just KISS LIM already!”).
LIM and PL fight, literally and mentally, because in a feminine fantasy book, both are equally important. Because they fight, they bond. And suddenly, though PL swears she hates LIM, he rises in her respect.
And lo. Something happens. There is the Moment of Weakness (this comes in all varieties and flavors: she emotionally breaks down, she’s wounded, he’s wounded, the kingdom’s falling apart, etc.). Suddenly PL reveals to LIM a vulnerable side she’s not shown anyone. It scares her; she anticipates rejection again — and somehow it’s worse because she’s let LIM closer than anyone else.
But lo, again. Rather than exploiting her, he sympathizes (gasp!). He shows understanding (squeal!). They have a moment (Yay!). The deep, dark crevasses of PL’s soul that she thought were unconquerable are suddenly… conquered. LIM proves by not running away from the Moment of Weakness that he “understands” her, or at least can apprehend what he doesn’t understand.
PL thusly melts. LIM is let into the deep, dark canyons of her soul. She learns to trust him. They fall in love. They ride all over the world, save the kingdom, and all is well.
The reason I point oute these characteristics (and poke some fun at them) is because I think they point very strongly to the expectations and desires of the audience, specifically women who read fantasy. (Because let’s face it, even women who love fantasy love romance.) Many women love the idea of being swept up into a larger story with someone. And women also love the complex interpersonal dynamics between people.
I personally am far more drawn to an adventure-romance than straight romance. In straight romance, I get bored because the point is the drama. It’s all about who looked at who with that squinty-eyed smile last Tuesday while that other so-and-so was eating poached eggs for breakfast. And it repeats for three hundred pages. Shoot me.
(Not to say that it can’t be done well. Jane Austin, for example, is gifted at making such a story interesting. But authors like her are few and far between.)
Fantasy-romance has a different tenor. Fantasy-romance appeals to women, who, like me, are engaged by romance being a part of the story, rather than being the story. The point of fantasy-romance is how the tension affects the quest and vice versa. Unlike the male equivalent of the fantasy genre, there is a higher focus on relational drama and interpersonal dynamics.
For example, a straight masculine-based story — say the original Star Wars trilogy — will be much more interested on the quest itself (as well as awesome fight scenes and really cool monsters). We cheer Luke because we want him to become a Jedi, to use the Force. We want him to overcome his difficulties and blow up the Death Star. Oh, and there’s a girl he somewhat has the hots for, too, along the way. (…and for those of you who have seen the rest, we won’t explore the weirdness of it. Just go with me for now)
It’s a fact: masculine literature thrives on the challenge of the quest. Men want to see the hero challenged, thwarted, even momentarily defeated before he overcomes. It’s engaging because of the transformation he undergoes, both physically and personally. You follow the hero because you want to see him become more than he was. The girl is somewhere along the way, of course, and she’s often very important. But she’s never as important as in a fantasy-romance. Here in a fantasy-quest story, the quest has more importance than the relational dynamics.
This is not to say that one is better than the other. This is just my observation of both. Personally, I love both fantasy-romance and fantasy-quest. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t tend more toward fantasy-romance — I am a woman after all. But I do love fantasy-quest because I also love a masculine perspective. I may not understand it, but I do appreciate men’s point of view and the ways they look at the same genre and see it so differently. Sometimes it’s really nice to have a lot of monster-chopping without so much relational angst. I say, chop those monsters! 
I think what this post boils down to is that I love fantasy. I love the different flavors and tenors of it… and I’m a huge nerd. Gosh, who would have thought.
(References/Resources:
Graceling by Kristin Cashore on Amazon
This Is My Secret – Kristin Cashore’s Blog
Google Images
Graceling is (c) Kristin Cashore, all rights reserved.
Star Wars franchise is (c) George Lucas, all rights reserved. Images are only used to illustrate Jamie’s point. No infringement on copyright is intended.)
A Quick Promotion
Now is the time to plug those wonderful people who keep you going when you just feel like giving up. That’s right, I’m talking about you Patchwork Girl Productions (and I seem to have adopted your announcer voice. Hm.) Those of us struggling through the annual tradition of NaNoWriMo salute you.
(Oh. Wait. No, I’ve adopted the Budwiser radio commercial voice. That’s where it’s coming from. Or from this, which, we all know also pays homage to the Budwiser radio commercial.
