Ambiguity in Welcome to the Dollhouse

One of the main reasons I really enjoyed the film Welcome to the Dollhouse was the many ambiguities it demonstrates; the film doesn’t totally fit into either the comedy genre or the drama genre, it’s ending is up to interpretation, and most importantly – each character is not necessarily all good or all bad.

Certain scenes in the movie emulate more of a comedic tone. For example, the scenes showing Dawn’s brother Mark’s band perform are really hilarious, especially the one where they do a totally off-point cover of “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones.

[my screenshots]

In contrast, there are also a multitude of sequences in the film which are really saddening. Scenes featuring Ralphy getting harassed by the school bullies as well as the one where Brandon gets rejected by a girl who won’t let him come to her birthday party come to mind.

The most interesting aspect of Welcome to the Dollhouse, to me, was the complexity of each character. I don’t think any one character can be deemed as either an altogether “good person” or “bad person”. Take the main character, for instance. At first it seems as though Dawn is always the victim in her interactions with people. We see Lolita tease and torment her, Brandon cheat off of her during a test, and even a school teacher wrongly punish her during the same sequence. Throughout the film, many terrible things happen to Dawn, but she is not so innocent herself. She mistreats her little sister all the time, and even withholds the note which may have prevented Missy from being kidnapped. One of her most cruel moments occurs when she refuses to talk to Ralphy on the phone, and calls him a “faggot”.

[my screenshot]

She pushes her one friend away on multiple occasions. You could excuse her behavior, believing that she acts out in these ways because of all the mistreatment done to her pent-up anger that results from it. However, I don’t think her ugly behavior is justifiable. Ultimately though, I can’t write Dawn off as a totally horrible person. Though she is very flawed, I can still empathize with her.

Other notably multi-faceted characters in the film are Ralphy and Steve. On one level, the character of Ralphy is compelling because of how much we feel for him as an audience. He is treated horribly by his peers, physically and emotionally. However, what I find most fascinating is one moment in the film that reveals that Ralphy is two-toned. Although he always seems sweet and harmless, we actually see him refer to Brandon as a “retard” in one scene. Finally,  the character of Steve flip-flops back and forth between being sympathetic and non-sympathetic. There are several sequences where he appears to be treating Dawn very nicely, particularly when he defends her when Mark unkindly tells her to get out of his room.

[https://teenfilms1990s.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/7dc8f-welcometothedollhouse-2.png]

However, these scenes with Dawn and Steve are very double-sided because we can see that, in actuality, he could really care less about her. Furthermore, we also see him steal cash from Mark’s house when no one is around and Dawn is too pre-occupied to notice.

Personal Reflection: Welcome to the Dollhouse

After watching Welcome to the Dollhouse, directed by Todd Solondz, I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about the film. In the beginning of this movie the director sets up this scene of the “typical” American family. There is a mother, father and three children which includes Dawn, the stereotypical middle child. In the first scene, the audience is able to tell that Dawn is bullied, unpopular and not liked by her classmates. When I was watching the first scene, when Dawn is searching for a seat in the lunchroom, I felt sympathy for her because no child should ever be treated in that way. On the contrary, Dawn doesn’t seem like the sweetest child either, which you begin to see further along in the film. For example, she is awfully bullied at school and turns around to do the same to her younger sister, Missy. When you see how she bullies her sister at home, as an audience, you begin to have less sympathy towards Dawn.

One part of the film that I didn’t really understand was the ending. Throughout the entire movie I felt myself hoping that Dawn would maybe make some friends or become happier with the person she is although, at the end nothing really happens to Dawn. I felt like there should have been a clear understanding that either everything got better for Dawn or everything became more difficult. Overall I enjoyed this film but, I wasn’t too impressed by the way the film ended.

About the Director- Boys Don’t Cry

The Director of the film Boys Don’t Cry, was Kimberly Peirce, she has various awards such as “Hollywood’s best young screenwriter”, and also, “Hollywood’s best young director”. Both for the year 2000 for her debut film, Boys Don’t Cry. During the time since Boys Don’t Cry, Kimberly has done an ample amount of work in the gay and lesbian community. Being an open lesbian herself, her passion for both the gay community and directing fused to create a work of art in film. Her meticulous actress selection, as well as her exemplary directing brilliance, were evidently the perfect blend to create a movie that has shocked viewers, and stayed with their hearts after 14 years. It seems as though, for Kimberly, this was to be her masterpiece because of how touching the story was, her lesbian background and gender identity, certainly influenced her and inspired her to make this story known and singed in the brain of all moviegoers across America. From the perspective of someone from before the movie realese in 2000, the story of Brandon Teena, is not one that would be told many times, however, this movie was so well done, that it would not have to be duplicated, the movie will forever be a remembrance to the essence of who Brandon Teena was, and how he decided to live his life. Not many would be able to pull off a movie like this, but because Kimberly Peirce had dedicated so much time into it, the movie is one that will be remembered for a long time.

Edge of Seventeen Personal Reflection

After watching Edge of Seventeen I overall thought that it was a good movie. However, there were a few things that I was upset with pertaining to the characters. First of all I was very upset in the fact that Eric had totally destroyed the relationship that he had with Maggie. For instance it was obvious to Eric and everyone around him that Maggie had a crush on him, however, even when he had revealed to her that he was gay she still accepted him and remained close friends with Eric. Yet when the time had come when Eric is uncertain about his sexuality he seeks Maggie for help. Instead of just accepting the way he is, he has a sexual experience with Maggie in which Eric was left totally unsatisfied and making Maggie feel completely unless and ruining their friendship.

Another problem I had was also involving Eric which was when he was going around the clubs and just trying to find anyone to be with when he first discovered he was gay. What I didn’t like about this was the fact that when everything was normal he wasn’t like he was going around looking to hooking up with just anyone I don’t know what had instantly changed once he was gay. I understand that it is a movie and they can’t run on forever but I would have enjoyed it more or it would have made more sense if he had taken things a lot slower or only tried to get one guy, most likely Rod. In conclusion, while I did think that Edge of Seventeen was a good movie I had problems with Eric’s character and thought that some things could have been changed to improve him.

Edge of Seventeen Personal Reflection

After watching Edge of Seventeen, written and directed by David Moreton, I gained insight into the world of a closeted homosexual battling the fear of finally coming out. A genre of film I usually try to avoid, regardless of the main characters sexual preference, coming of age romance movies aren’t my favorite. Although the plot was predictable, and certain scenes were unnecessary, the director did a good job documenting Eric’s progression into a more comfortable gay man.  After discussing the film in class, the short reviews we read allowed me look at this film in a different light. Initially discrediting the movie for sub-par acting and cinematography worthy of a high school science video, refocusing my attention on Eric and the movie’s portrayal of masculinity was very interesting. We discussed that all times Eric was passive, and the other men around him were always in control. Both Rod and the man at the club had years of sexual experience that Eric didn’t, and were simple using the young man for pleasure. After Eric changes his hair, begins to wear make up, and mimics style similar to the legendary David Bowie, the public idea of Eric changes. At this point the audience knows Eric is gay, but he is still too afraid to come out. Finding one of the reviews we read in class accurate, Eric’s passiveness allows him to change everything about himself before even admitting to himself, family, and friends who or what he really is.

Personal Reflection- Boys Don’t Cry

The film Boys Don’t Cry, directed by Kimberly Peirce, had a distinctive impact on myself as a viewer. The movie depicts young  teenager Teena Brandon’s sexual identity crisis set in Falls City, Nebreska. Throughout the movie I was constantly surprised by the lack of empathy and open- mindedness of the people who were in Brandon’s life. There were scenes in this movies that I almost couldn’t watch because of the cruel and vial nature of the actions of some of the character’s in the film.

The scene that affected me the most was when Brandon gets raped and beaten up by John and Tom in the car. Throughout the film Brandon was developing a friendship with Tom and John and was beginning to be included as one of the boys. Therefore I was completely shocked that when John and Tom found out that Brandon is in fact a girl, they decide to beat Brandon up and then rape him. Additionally, I was even more upset at the end of the movie when John and Tom  kill young Brandon Teena, which made the film worse to watch and harder to handle. 

It is my understanding that the movie was made to deliver the message that treating anyone that is differently in this fashion is horribly wrong, and it is calling our cultural values into question. This film made me think a lot about the nature of sexuality and gender with shocking value and made me realize what kind of indifference there used to be in the world. It also brought to my attention how we can continue to change our ideas of people and acceptance all people. 

P.s : I did not include the video of the rape scene of Brandon Teena on this blog post because of my unwillingness to watch that scene again, and its graphic nature.

Stevie Nicks and “Edge of Seventeen”

After watching the movie Edge of Seventeen, I thought a bit about why it is named Edge of Seventeen. Sure, Eric is meant to be about seventeen, and yes, he could arguably be on the “edge of seventeen,” meaning that seventeen is not really his mental age, but the title doesn’t exactly fit in the same way that Dazed and Confused or Clueless fits. After some research, I found that the movie is named after a very popular song off of Stevie Nicks’ album Bella Donna. According to the website, Stevie Nicks wrote the album of which it is featured after both her uncle Jonathan and John Lennon’s deaths. The song title apparently came about after a conversation with Tom Petty’s wife, Jane, about when the couple first met. Jane had a southern accent and when she said “at the age of seventeen,” Nicks thought she had said “edge of seventeen.”

While the song is not featured in the movie, and there is not a lot of information surrounding why the name was chosen for the movie if the song was not featured, one can assume that the name was chosen for the purpose of relating to Eric. While his physical age may be seventeen, his mental age may be on the “edge of seventeen.” Throughout the movie, he finds that he is not the person that he thought he was, and even reverts back to the person that he was in the first few minutes of the movie (the innocent, straight, high-schooler). However, upon further discovery of himself and the world that he wishes to be a part of, he moves past that old seventeen-year old self, and moves to the “edge” of seventeen.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_of_Seventeen_(film)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_of_Seventeen_(song)

Morality in The Incredibly True Adventure

A lot of what I’m about to say is very similar to what I went over in my class presentation. But instead of discussing the production of the clip we watched, I’d like to discuss morality. In the diner scene we have Evie and her three “friends” sitting together in a booth. Together probably isn’t the proper word to use here, considering Evie is sitting alone on one side while her three friends are united on the opposite. This composition is important for this scene because the scene needs to pose two sides for a conflict to occur. The conflicting question when we approach this scene is “Will her friends accept her after she admits to being in love with a girl?” Unfortunately the answer is no. The answer throughout the film is consistently no, too. We see this happen not only with Evie’s “friends” but also her mother and other locals. Is this right? Well, for the time period this film takes place in,  this may have been considered normal, so the answer is yes. However, since normal is forever changing and a considerably socialized, subjective word, we today may consider the answer to be no.

I discussed in class about the colors of the cups and how they each represent different themes within the characters. For example, the red cup/character represented love, desire, and compassion. But was that character truly compassionate toward Evie, even though she left her in the end? It’s debatable. Furthermore, one might think that red stands for blood, war, and danger. If this is the case, maybe that character wasn’t trying to be warm-hearted at all. She didn’t exactly stand up for Evie during that scene, she just sort of avoided the problem. Was that right of her? I don’t think so. I believe that if she we’re a true friend she wouldn’t have left Evie in the diner, and would have stood up for the way she felt. She, as well as all of her other friends should have accepted Evie for who she was, regardless of sexual or emotional orientation. But that’s just my opinion.

Here’s the clip I’m referring to:

Wooderson’s Car- 1970 Chevelle SS 454

Wooderson is undoubtedly the coolest guy in Dazed and Confused; he is the ultimate jock/cool older guy you want to be friends with in high school. His “epitome of cool” persona is reflected in the car he drives.  Wooderson drives a 1970 454 Chevrolet Chevelle SS. This IS the classic muscle car.  It is one of the most famous and praised vehicles from the muscle car era. It has a big block engine, a 454, which means it is a very powerful car, and is the manifestation of American muscle.  Wooderson is fit to drive this car because he is the older guy all the other kids look up to, see as a role model, and want to emulate.  The car’s personality fits like a glove with Wooderson’s. This car is about enjoyment, adventure, and the good times- just like Wooderson.

I first saw this movie back in high school, probably around sophomore year, and when I saw this car, I fell in love with it.  Today, it is still my dream car. Just like Wooderson it is the epitome of cool and style.  Having knowledge about this car gave me further insight into Wooderson’s character and his frame of mind.

This is a beautiful car, a work of art, and an extension of Wooderson.

Here is another link to a good picture of a 1970 Chevelle:

http://http://marlin-car.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/1969-chevelle-ss-454-hgri30ld.jpg

Personal Reflection

The film Edge of Seventeen by David Moreton and Todd Stevens was a good film in which it left an impact on the viewer. I watched this movie having no idea what it was about. I figured it had to do with a female because of the films title. You can obviously tell I was proven wrong once I realized this had to do with a boy stuck in a crisis in which he doesn’t know whether to identify as straight or as gay. Once the character Rod was introduced, it was clear from that first conversation that Eric was going to start becoming confused about himself. The best part of this film was the acting between Eric and Maggie. They were interesting in the sense that you could see the chemistry between them in the beginning but once Rod comes into the picture, their chemistry subtlety begins to fade and makes it that much worse for Eric. As a whole the film seemed to a good a job portraying some of the difficulties gay, lesbian and bisexual people face when trying to find out who exactly they are.