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fabrisseThis is some stream of consciousness social commentary based on two movies I've seen in the last two days. One was a cheap DVD of a film from a couple of years ago called Something's Gotta Give and the other was a movie called Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief What? It was a Friday night, and I didn't want a horror flick.
The kid's flick was, only marginally, the less offensive of the two on feminist grounds, but, hoo boy, did it hit my race and class buttons hard. The idea is that the Greek gods still come down and mate with mortals and their progeny are left here and sent to a special magical summer camp to become heroes. There are girl heroes. There were one or two kids who weren't lily white in the background. Otherwise, the two characters of color we saw were the satyr and Persephone.
Frankly, everyone, other than Persephone, we saw who was directly linked to the gods had blue eyes. That's how white they were -- except for the sassy, half beast, sex obsessed, and self-sacrificing-for-the-white-lead sidekick. Persephone cheats on her husband regularly and was trading innuendo with the satyr. She also helps the white lead achieve his quest.
More than that, it can be inferred from the discussions held while explaining the magical summer camp to Percy that heroes are born not made. Training can hone their skills, but it's innate. You get your tendencies from your parents -- so Hermes kid is a thief who's good with videogames, Athena's daughter is a great fighter, and Percy, as the son of Poseidon, gets a huge scenic cabin of his very own right by the lake.
Several years ago, Robin Williams referred to a sub-genre of kids movies as "Mom's dead. Let's party."
This movie wasn't quite that bad. Mom gets kidnapped by Hades and is one impetus for the quest. But she's also an emotionally abused wife to Percy's stepfather, and she flat out tells her son that she did it to protect him. According to her, the odor of this tacky loudmouth covered the scent of her son's godly heritage from those who might try to kill him. She let herself be trampled for her son. Why didn't she become a sewer worker? The smell would have been as bad and she could have kept her self-esteem. Let's see, running a home tannery is probably illegal in New York, but I'm sure she could have been creative. Heck, she could move in next door to me. The pot dealers down the hall make sure the rest of us can't smell anything but weed.
First of all, blaming your kid for your poor life choices isn't great. Second of all, what does it do to the kid to be blamed?
Something's Gotta Give has a few issues too. The moral of the story seems to be "date in your age range." That's not a moral; that's a social construct.
The modern romantic comedy trope of people who can't stand each other at first are destined for each other gets a huge work out in this one. By the way, this movie is so WASP-white that Diane Keaton in a black dress is a shock to the eyes.
The trope wouldn't bother me so much if the two characters as presented had anything in common. It might also have worked if there hadn't been another character who treated Diane Keaton's character, and himself, with respect and genuine affection.
The film might have worked for me, if the Jack Nicholson character had been redeemed at the end -- as he is -- and left alone to find a new life now that he's worked out his old issues.
Instead, this woman who has been dating a man who loves and respects her, who gets her sense of humor, and who seems to be a pretty good kisser (we don't get a sex scene with him, sadly) for SIX MONTHS gets back together with a man who hasn't spoken to her in EIGHT MONTHS. I have a hard time believing Jack Nicholson's penis is that much of a magic wand.
Now, I'm all for the healing power of sex, and, yes, passion is just as important as respect. However, the Nicholson/Keaton sex scene revolted me, not for their respective bodies or anything -- Diane Keaton is gorgeous and Jack Nicholson didn't do anything for me when he was younger -- but because, as he's climbing on top of her, he asks about birth control -- she mentions menopause -- and he says "Who's a lucky boy."
This character is reputed to have slept with hundreds of women, and from the on-screen evidence, the reputation is accurate. Post-menopausal women do not have immunity from STDs. Any man with one iota of respect for his bedmate would have used a condom without asking.
What really bothers me, though, is that the writer-director, Nancy Meyer, understands the hallmarks of a good person. She hands them to Keanu Reeves' character.
His character talks to Diane Keaton's about her work. When they're shown together, it's usually by warm light. He respects her shyness, but shakes his head when she tries to say she's not beautiful. They are shown as comfortable together from the very beginning. They laugh together. There's an ease to their physicality together that never manifests when Keaton is with Nicholson.
But what's important is that the woman ends up happy with a man who is more successful than she is -- difficult for the "most successful female playwright since Lillian Hellman" to find -- and that the man is older than she is.
I know this type of chick flick is a Cinderella fantasy of sorts, but it really bothers me that the story we're telling ourselves is that conflict will lead to passion, love cannot be easy, and stay within your (age, class, race) limits.
GAAAGH!
The kid's flick was, only marginally, the less offensive of the two on feminist grounds, but, hoo boy, did it hit my race and class buttons hard. The idea is that the Greek gods still come down and mate with mortals and their progeny are left here and sent to a special magical summer camp to become heroes. There are girl heroes. There were one or two kids who weren't lily white in the background. Otherwise, the two characters of color we saw were the satyr and Persephone.
Frankly, everyone, other than Persephone, we saw who was directly linked to the gods had blue eyes. That's how white they were -- except for the sassy, half beast, sex obsessed, and self-sacrificing-for-the-white-lead sidekick. Persephone cheats on her husband regularly and was trading innuendo with the satyr. She also helps the white lead achieve his quest.
More than that, it can be inferred from the discussions held while explaining the magical summer camp to Percy that heroes are born not made. Training can hone their skills, but it's innate. You get your tendencies from your parents -- so Hermes kid is a thief who's good with videogames, Athena's daughter is a great fighter, and Percy, as the son of Poseidon, gets a huge scenic cabin of his very own right by the lake.
Several years ago, Robin Williams referred to a sub-genre of kids movies as "Mom's dead. Let's party."
This movie wasn't quite that bad. Mom gets kidnapped by Hades and is one impetus for the quest. But she's also an emotionally abused wife to Percy's stepfather, and she flat out tells her son that she did it to protect him. According to her, the odor of this tacky loudmouth covered the scent of her son's godly heritage from those who might try to kill him. She let herself be trampled for her son. Why didn't she become a sewer worker? The smell would have been as bad and she could have kept her self-esteem. Let's see, running a home tannery is probably illegal in New York, but I'm sure she could have been creative. Heck, she could move in next door to me. The pot dealers down the hall make sure the rest of us can't smell anything but weed.
First of all, blaming your kid for your poor life choices isn't great. Second of all, what does it do to the kid to be blamed?
Something's Gotta Give has a few issues too. The moral of the story seems to be "date in your age range." That's not a moral; that's a social construct.
The modern romantic comedy trope of people who can't stand each other at first are destined for each other gets a huge work out in this one. By the way, this movie is so WASP-white that Diane Keaton in a black dress is a shock to the eyes.
The trope wouldn't bother me so much if the two characters as presented had anything in common. It might also have worked if there hadn't been another character who treated Diane Keaton's character, and himself, with respect and genuine affection.
The film might have worked for me, if the Jack Nicholson character had been redeemed at the end -- as he is -- and left alone to find a new life now that he's worked out his old issues.
Instead, this woman who has been dating a man who loves and respects her, who gets her sense of humor, and who seems to be a pretty good kisser (we don't get a sex scene with him, sadly) for SIX MONTHS gets back together with a man who hasn't spoken to her in EIGHT MONTHS. I have a hard time believing Jack Nicholson's penis is that much of a magic wand.
Now, I'm all for the healing power of sex, and, yes, passion is just as important as respect. However, the Nicholson/Keaton sex scene revolted me, not for their respective bodies or anything -- Diane Keaton is gorgeous and Jack Nicholson didn't do anything for me when he was younger -- but because, as he's climbing on top of her, he asks about birth control -- she mentions menopause -- and he says "Who's a lucky boy."
This character is reputed to have slept with hundreds of women, and from the on-screen evidence, the reputation is accurate. Post-menopausal women do not have immunity from STDs. Any man with one iota of respect for his bedmate would have used a condom without asking.
What really bothers me, though, is that the writer-director, Nancy Meyer, understands the hallmarks of a good person. She hands them to Keanu Reeves' character.
His character talks to Diane Keaton's about her work. When they're shown together, it's usually by warm light. He respects her shyness, but shakes his head when she tries to say she's not beautiful. They are shown as comfortable together from the very beginning. They laugh together. There's an ease to their physicality together that never manifests when Keaton is with Nicholson.
But what's important is that the woman ends up happy with a man who is more successful than she is -- difficult for the "most successful female playwright since Lillian Hellman" to find -- and that the man is older than she is.
I know this type of chick flick is a Cinderella fantasy of sorts, but it really bothers me that the story we're telling ourselves is that conflict will lead to passion, love cannot be easy, and stay within your (age, class, race) limits.
GAAAGH!
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no subject
Date: 2010-02-20 05:12 am (UTC)I have not seen either of these films, but they both sound disturbing. The Diane Keaton flick sounds insulting. And that sex scene sounds horrific, actually.
This theme of conflict leads to love is problematic, especially when contrasted with a non-conflicted relationship. What's wrong with compatability? What's wrong with companionship and someone who actually understands you? Why do people have to remain confined within their limited categories? Shouldn't a personal connection transcend these limits?
Grrr.... I'm aggravated and I haven't even watched these films.
Although it is true that most kid's films
hateignore (and/or kill) mothers (Robin Williams is right about that).Sounds like you had an interesting night. Or, you know, not.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-21 07:31 pm (UTC)Children's films need to have a reason for the kids to adventure. I get that. A missing parent or parents leaves a child open to experience in a way that children from an intact household rarely get to pursue. I don't really understand why it has to be the mother most of the time.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-20 05:38 am (UTC)I really get your problem with the Diane Keaton flick. They probably can't imagine writing good scenes without that conflict. And they probably thought of the menopause comment as a way to make postmenopausal women feel good by making it a badge of freedom. But you're right, in this case it would tend to show the character's self-centeredness. Does Nicholson's character become any less self-centered at the end? And does the other guy develop a conveniently-previously-hidden flaw?
no subject
Date: 2010-02-21 07:36 pm (UTC)I like your idea of having the poor swineherd who saves the day be a real poor swineherd and not a prince in disguise.
The Jack Nicholson character does redeem himself a bit. Enough that I think the happy ending would have been for him to end up on that bridge in Paris alone and looking at a real romantic future for himself. The other man does not develop a hidden flaw. He actually frees the woman to be with the man she's still in love with -- although it happens off screen.
One thing that really struck me about the second male character is how much SELF respect he had. Too often the "Ralph Bellamy" role is written like he's either a twit or a doormat. This character was neither.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-20 05:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-20 03:03 pm (UTC)the movie... sorta sucked in comparison
no subject
Date: 2010-02-21 07:38 pm (UTC)The blue eyes thing got to me. It's rare among the Greeks. Olive skin and dark eyes are far more common. But all the actors we saw playing Greek gods were blue eyed.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-20 06:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-21 07:39 pm (UTC)Happy birthday, by the way.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-21 09:30 pm (UTC)Thanks, sweetie. :) *hugs*
no subject
Date: 2010-02-21 07:46 pm (UTC)There was an article in The Washington Post a couple of weeks back expressing shock and amazement that some men were in long-term relationships with women who made more money than they did and therefore held all the power in the relationship. That last bit was more implied than overtly stated, but the idea was definitely there.
Jack Nicholson's character is a self-made man who makes more money than she does and is therefore more powerful. My take-away from the movie wasn't that Keaton was taken down a peg, but that a strong woman must have a stronger man in her life. An equal or someone who is willing to be less powerful than she is would somehow be unacceptable.
If this is the romantic fantasy we're selling to adults, no wonder I can't get my sixth grade girls to try anything that might interfere with their finding *boys*.