6 Gender-Swapped Films We’d Love To See: Male to Female Casts

From the gender-neutral, Alien-fighting Ellen Ripley, to the deadpan Vulcan Mr. Spock, to whiny Jedi Master Luke Skywalker (yes, that Luke), the genders of some of our best-loved characters have actually been swapping around for decades behind the scenes. The difference with ‘Ghostbusters’ is that – as a remake – the swap was public knowledge, thus inviting the barrage of misogynistic grumbling that flooded the internet.

This guest post written by the Fanny Pack Team originally appeared at Fanny Pack. It is cross-posted with permission.


By now, you’ve probably noticed that the all-female Ghostbusters reboot/sequel (uh, requel? seqboot?) has been out for a little while now, and judging by its healthy box office performance and mainly positive critical reception, has hopefully forced overgrown fanboys everywhere to eat their premature YouTube dislikes and Twitter rants about “ruined childhoods.”

Although there is chatter of the film as the flagship for a whole new “trend” for gender-swapped remakes in Hollywood right now, there’s actually nothing new about this treatment at all. From the gender-neutral, Alien-fighting Ellen Ripley, to the deadpan Vulcan Mr. Spock, to whiny Jedi Master Luke Skywalker (yes, that Luke), the genders of some of our best-loved characters have actually been swapping around for decades behind the scenes. The difference with Ghostbusters is that – as a remake – the swap was public knowledge, thus inviting the barrage of misogynistic grumbling that flooded the internet. It seems that we’re far more open to gender-swapping when we’re unaware of it, which highlights just how much gender alone can dictate a film’s narrative sometimes.

Inspired by Hollywood’s new appetite for gender-swapping remakes, one of our writers, Chelsey Lang, recently wrote a ‘reverse-Ghostbusters’ list featuring her picks for female-led movies remade with male casts, testing if they would still make sense or be rendered absurd to our stereotype-addled brains. We enjoyed Chelsey’s article so much that we decided to expand on her list across a two-part series featuring both female-to-male, and male-to-female remakes. So, without further ado, here are our top picks for male-to-female gender-swapped films.

Which ones would you shell out some cash for at the box office?


1. The Lost Girls

Written by Hannah Collins

The Lost Boys

Before there was Edward Cullen, Spike, Angel, or even Being Human’s Mitchell, vampires were mainly styled by pop culture as ruffle-shirted, older men with a gentlemanly turn of phrase and a penchant for dwelling in Eastern European castles or stately homes. That was before 1987 rolled up with it’s bleached mullets and Duran Duran-brand of hyper-masculinity to give the aging undead that sexy teenage make-over they didn’t know they needed. I’m talking about cult-classic, The Lost Boys.

To those unfamiliar, yes – the title is a direct reference to J.M Barrie’s “lost boys” from Peter Pan, and merging this parable about the pros and cons of eternal youth with vampire mythology (along with the come-hither-fanged smirk of a then unknown Keifer Sutherland) turned out to be pretty effective at revitalizing both for the modern day. The result is a punk-inflected fairy tale of male youth in revolt – alluring to teen audiences but suitably shocking to all those grown-ups who just don’t get it, man.

But while main character – the mostly human, Michael (Jason Patric) – feels threatened by David (Keifer Sutherland) and his undead gang, he doesn’t feel so threatened by the only female member, Star (Jami Gertz). This is consistantly the plight of the lesser-spotted female vampire: an object of submissive sexuality compared to the sexual dominance that her male counterparts exude. Moreover, Star’s regaining of her humanity by the end of the film paints her more as a victim to be “saved” from the vampire curse, rather than revel in it as the male gang members are allowed to do. (They’ve got at least another ten years to “party hard, Wayne” before Buffy stakes the shit out of the whole nest, after all.)

This is why The Lost Boys is so ripe for a gender-swapped remake, and it needs to happen soon before the vague afterbuzz of Twilight and The Vampire Diaries has fully settled. I want to see a dangerous, morality-ridden teenage girl gang – fanged and fierce – skulking the Santa Carla Boardwalk at night with a token brown-eyed boy member (he could still be called ‘Star’) to reel in the new, unsuspecting human protagonist (let’s call her ‘Micheala’). Less Bella and Edward and more, uh, Beau and Edythe, I guess.

We’ll need some relatively less famous, young faces keeping in line with the original casting, so let’s have Taissa Farmiga (American Horror Story, The Bling Ring) as our fiesty, vamp-busting heroine ‘Micheala,’ Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf) as our eye-candy ‘Star,’ and Zoe Kravitz (Mad Max: Fury Road, Dope) as our badass leader of the pack, ‘Darcy.’


2. Arsonist’s Daughter

Written by Amy Squire

Wonder Boys

I would love to see a new film about female writers that doesn’t center on the “woman fights against society’s expectations to become a writer” trope. Instead, it would be refreshing to see the fact that they’re writers taken for granted. Wonder Boys was based on Michael Chabon’s novel of the same name about a writer unable to finish his latest novel as his personal life unravels. In the 2000 original, a middle-aged literary professor (Michael Douglas) gets caught up in a weekend’s misadventure in the company of his troublesome editor Terry Crabtree (Robert Downey Jr.) and young protege James Leer (Toby Maguire). Their capers involve the theft of a piece of Marilyn Monroe memorabilia, a dead dog, and Crabtree’s roving eye for any man he meets.

This all may sound foolish, but a witty script, showing off the imagination and dark side to these characters, elevates the film above the average comedy. This calls for an accomplished cast. In my reimagining, Jodie Foster plays the dry, weed-smoking genius Professor Tripp who wrote her award-winning novel seven years ago and is hounded by her editor, family, and students to produce the long-awaited follow up. After her husband walks out, her misbehaving editor turns up to chase progress. Crabtree would be the most difficult to cast but perhaps Maggie Gyllenhaal could strike the right balance of intelligence and mischief. Mia Wasikowska has the perfect combination of naivety and brilliance to play the seemingly-innocent but prodigal student Leer.

Something of a cult classic, the thought of remaking Wonder Boys seems sacrilege, but who wouldn’t want to see this dream team’s comedy of errors? We need more female-driven comedies, especially ones that don’t find humor in a woman chasing a man. There is a sub-plot based on Tripp’s love-life, but it’s more of a resolution of an existing relationship, than a romantic love story. The fact that the original film went under the radar at the box office could spell success for a reboot. Since the original title wouldn’t work and Wonder Girls sounds patronizing, I would suggest a new title; Arsonist’s Daughter, the name of Tripp’s eponymous debut.


3. Ant-Woman

Written by Robert Wood

Ant-Man

It’s guaranteed to be far from the worthiest choice on the list, but in terms of the immediate good a gender-swap would do, I honestly think Ant-Man deserves a mention. The 2015 movie about Paul Rudd’s shrinking superhero was good enough in terms of a modern movie, but was a great, missed opportunity for Marvel’s first female-led film.

I should probably start my case by snuffing out the ever-present fanboy protest – I know and love as much about Marvel superheroes as the next three people combined, and there’s no reason there can’t be an Ant-Woman. Hank Pym has gone by many pseudonyms, ‘Ant-Man’ included, and has shared them with men, women, people of color, alien imposters, and robots. There are even female characters with the same abilities – Stature/Cassie Lang, who was in the movie (without her powers), and The Wasp/Janet van Dyne, who was in the movie (kind of, in flashback, in CGI). The latter is a founding member of the Avengers who has done everything Ant-Man has done “but backwards and in heels” (he also took her name when she was dead for a bit – precedent!)

That’s why Ant-Man could have a female lead, but why should it get one? First of all, because that choice would add something new and interesting to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Paul Rudd’s “charming fuck-up” portrayal of Scott Lang is fine, but doesn’t bring anything that Chris Pratt, Robert Downey Jr., and Tom Holland don’t have covered. Let a woman add something different to the role – in fact, let a Marvel woman be a fuck-up!

It was announced that Brie Larson will play Captain Marvel, and of course Scarlett Johansson is already a badass Black Widow. Hell, even Ant-Man hinted that Evangeline Lilly will at some point sprout wings as a tough-as-nails Wasp. At least one (probably two) of them will get their own movie soon and enter the Marvel ensemble cast, but there’s not a fuck-up in the bunch. By “fuck-up,” I don’t mean the klutzy-yet-professional woman from a crap rom-com; I mean someone who isn’t immediately good at this, who has made bad decisions they want to atone for, and who can at least deliver their quip allotment in a way that a) we don’t already have and b) includes far more of the audience in the vicarious feeling of agency and ability.

Currently, Marvel superheroes show men (and boys) that you can go from slob/jerk/weakling to hero – that perhaps that’s even how you get to being a hero. That’s a nice message, contextualizing moral behavior as a struggle rather than a quality you automatically possess. Women (and girls), on the other hand, get pre-made badasses who may, in an unguarded moment, reference the appalling tragedy that made them the way they are. Large-scale social change begins with mainstream pop culture and especially with children’s entertainment. If you want more women professionals in business, sports, and STEM in 2036, make more girls in 2016 feel like they could be superheroes.

Who should get the lead role? My first choice would be Fresh Off the Boat’s Constance Wu, a comedic actress who I think could easily pull off the “Oh, God, this now?” that makes Ant-Man fun. Rashida Jones would knock if out of the park as well.


4. The Pursuit of Happyness

Written by Hannah Shoesmith

The Pursuit of Happyness

Will Smith’s portrayal of Christopher Gardener, a Black single father who tackles poverty and homelessness to become a broker, is an honest depiction of the hard struggle it is to be successful. It is a refreshing side of Hollywood where true stories are not whitewashed, where the plight of the Black man trying to succeed in America isn’t devalued or glossed over.

But what if The Pursuit of Happyness had a female lead? What if it were the story of a Black single mother trying to make it as a broker? It is not a new concept that roles written for men have ended up being played on our screens by women. Think Angelina Jolie’s hard-edged character in Salt or Jodie Foster in Flight Plan. The success of this film is down to the honesty of the story. Unlike other biopics, very little was changed from the lived experience of Chris Gardener. Changing the lead from male to female however would expose a deeper, more brutal struggle.

The eventual success of Smith’s character was a hard graft, but what if that character had to also overcome sexism? The dangers a person faces while homeless are tough, but as a woman issues of rape and prostitution are an added danger. There are very little blockbusters that address the stories of Black women within the workplace, or in poverty. It can be perceived by movie big-wigs that there isn’t an audience for these types of films but a single mother’s struggle is probably one of the most relatable stories.

But who would be the perfect leading lady? Even amongst actors of color, there is still hegemony within Hollywood about who gets the roles. Just look at the controversy surrounding Zoe Saldana being cast as Nina Simone. Films such as these are the perfect opportunity to showcase the acting skills of some rising Black female stars. Orange Is The New Black’s Uzo Aduba would be an exceptional lead actress, and we already know she has the ability to captivate an audience and channel emotions.


5. Her(cules)

Written by Alyssa Skinner

Hercules

Growing up watching Disney film after Disney film where the girl was a beautiful princess (whether from the beginning or not) was so …YAWN. She was always beautiful and soft and sweet and feminine and rescued by Prince Charming. Ugh.

And then there was Mulan. Now, that was my shiz.

Mulan allowed me to see that I did not have to beautiful; I did not have to wait for Prince Charming; I did not have to follow traditional rules; I did not have to be soft, feminine and sweet to be liked or to be successful. I could save the entire country, all on my fucking own. Nowadays, there are a few more strong female leads in Disney productions with recent films like Brave and Frozen, but back in the 1990s, Mulan was the only tale able to set this precedent for me. Perhaps this explains my intense love for the epic. While the current and future female-featured Disney stories (Moana <3) should absolutely continue, how about we remake an oldie but a goodie?

Her(cules): half god, half mortal, full female lead character. Voiced by the sweet and badass, Zendaya, Her(cules) is young and naive but fiercely strong and she doesn’t know her true potential, yet. As an outcast teenage girl, Her(cules) has all the struggles of trying to find her identity and her place in the world. When she finds out she is adopted and goes looking for answers, she learns that she is a descendant from the gods and must become a “true hero” to regain her godliness. To become this hero, she sets out to find a trainer. This prickly motivator and sidekick, Phil(omena), played by the hilarious Amy Schumer, will teach her and guide her.

Through her journeying, Her(cules) stumbles upon and ends up saving Mega from a Centaur. Mega, voiced by Jesse Williams, has the smart-aleck, sarcastic, hair-flipping appeal of a true bad boy. A romance is sparked. Hades, played by Chelsea Peretti, uses this love affair to manipulate Her(cules) out of her powers for 24 hours and in tandem, reveals that Mega actually works for her. In the end, Her(cules) saves her God parents, AND saves Mega’s soul from the undead river of souls by sacrificing herself for him. Her selfless sacrifice restores her godliness which she ultimately chooses to give up to stay with Mega as mortals and live happily ever after and all that jazz.

How often does the female lead character get to save the male love interest via a physical feat? BOOM. A female role model that every little girl can look up to and see that are not waiting for a boy or a crown and a glass slipper. They can dress up as with a Grecian cape and sword for Halloween and know that should they choose, they too can be a true god-like hero.


6. Harriet Potter

Written by Maeve Kelly

Harry Potter

Now if there’s one thing that’s hitting the headlines recently, it’s Harry Potter and the ‘Alternative Universe’ Concepts. That is thanks entirely to The Cursed Child, the latest Harry Potter book/film/play/controversy, which presents (amongst other things) multiple alternate realities to the Harry Potter world. Some have pointed out that the play barely passes the Bechdel Test– leaving me (consummate Harry Potter obsessive) to wonder about the level of female interaction in all of these books-come-films.

The Harry Potter series has been applauded in the past for it’s depiction of strong female characters — key of which is, of course, Hermione Granger. Considered the “smartest witch of her age,” Hermione is one of the array of women characters (Ginny, Luna, Molly, Bellatrix, Tonks, Fleur, McGonagall) who prove themselves to have agency, complexities, and flaws throughout the series. J.K. Rowling herself has spoken about the importance of not “marginalizing” women characters, especially within action sequences. So why, then, did Rowling simply not go the whole hog and make Harry a girl?

Quora have previously discussed the concept of a female Harry Potter (suggesting the name ‘Holly Potter’ due to the number of floral names amongst the women in his family), focusing mainly on her relationships with the other characters. Would a romance blossom between her and Ron? Would she be rivals with or friends with Hermione, an equally powerful but arguably less important witch? What would the media pressure that Harry suffers throughout the series do to a young woman? From my perspective, it would be fascinating to see the golden trio re-written with two or even three woman characters at it’s center. This would be instead of Hermione attempting to act as a one-woman-inclusion-machine, representing women, muggleborns, and (more recently) Black people.

The concept of target audiences only buying into what is familiar to them is probably a key reason that Harry was not originally written as a girl. Rowling published under the initials J.K. instead of her first name, Joanne, amongst fears that young boys would not read a book written by a woman. Nevertheless, now that the Harry Potter brand has gained universal fame, it has already proved possible to retrospectively increase diversity in the series (gay Dumbledore and Black Hermione being key examples). Therefore, I think the time is ripe to see Harriet/Holly take to our screens, alongside her platonic best friends, Ron and Hermione. I’d love the next generation to see an angry, neglected, scarred young girl journey through grief, friendship, and loss to become the powerful symbol of the ultimate triumph of good which Harry was for my generation.

Casting young children would be difficult as they are spotted at a young age and grow with the filming, but we could start off by casting Quvenzhané Wallis as either Harriet or Hermione, and work from there.


See also at Bitch Flicks:

A Fragile Masculinity: Gender-Swapping Male Characters
Top 10 Supheroes Who are Better as Superheroines

Top 10 Superheroines Who Deserve Their Own Movies
Top 10 Superheroine Movies that Need a Reboot
Top 10 Villainesses Who Deserve Their Own Movies


Fanny Pack was created to raise awareness surrounding gender inequality and the simple fact that it still exists today. Fanny Pack consists of a team of writers that deliver valuable content to the wider discussion, whilst inspiring more people to read and write.

Let’s Hear It for the Boy! Masculinity and the Monomyth

As the monomyth evolves, the question is: will it evolve to include the “everywoman” hero archetype, or will the nature of myth itself change to embrace not just the messaging of individualization, but the representation of unique stories for unique people?


This guest post by Morgan Faust appears as part of our theme week on Masculinity.


I had a professor who began our first writing class with a wonderful speech about how as writers we have the most important job in the world since we create the myths that inform and mold society and its expectations of itself. Granted, his job was to convince us grad school was worth $40,000 a year….but the idea that narratives have real power did stay with me (so I guess he proved his point). Our national cinema (by which I mean the big stuff that shows up in theaters and is sent out around the world) says a lot about who we, as a country, think we are.

To judge by last year’s overseas box office numbers, we are a nation of white boys and men who fight imaginary baddies…oh and Angelina Jolie. There are many things we could tease out about America’s self-assumed national identity from our cinematic persona with regard to race, heteronormativity, military prowess, but this is Bitch Flicks and the topic is masculinity, so for today, let’s stick to that. Notably, in those top ten movies we have (often in the form of a sequel, triquel, and I don’t even know where to begin counting the X-Men movies) the story of a scrawny, nerdy, outcast boy who goes on a journey and becomes the hero he was meant to be. This story is known to its friends as the monomyth. So what does this myth say about us? A whole heck of a lot! So come with me, oh humble reader, and you will be transformed!

They’re softly lit, and ready for action.
They’re softly lit, and ready for action.

 

A fantastic, recent example of our everyman hero, monomyth affinity is The Lego Movie. This story has all the notes of the humble hero myth: the hero Emmet, a good-hearted nobody who is chosen by a higher power, Vitruvius, to be the “special,” is then supported by a team of talented people–Wild Style, Batman, and Unikitty–to try and conquer evil Mr. Business. He eventually discovers he had the power to defeat the big bad in him all along! (Sound familiar, Bilbo? Mr. Potter?) Lord and Miller know their stuff. They play craftily with the myth; it’s story structure (ultimately our characters are actually Legos, not people, and they represent the feelings of the boy that is playing with them. Therapists would have loved working with this kid). It has a great message about play and finding your own voice, and says we can all be heroes! Especially boys! Oh, right. While the message of the movie might be about everyone, the story is about an everyman. I am reminded of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” It represents all people, but it definitely says men.

You could be me! Unless you’re, you know, not a straight, white, um, yellow dude!
You could be me! Unless you’re, you know, not a straight, white, um, yellow dude!

 

So let’s dig into the component parts here. We have Emmet who is a good guy, friendly, upbeat, hardworking but unappreciated by his peers (calling Steve Rogers). All of these are traits you choose to have, rather than are born with, which fits in perfectly with the Alger Hiss American Dream we hold so dear: we are not a nation of fated success stories,  we are individuals formed by our choices. Monomyth heroes are often orphans, or at the very least unloved by their parents, so they are truly, self-made men. How to Train Your Dragon’s Hiccup is small, hardworking and big-hearted. Harry Potter, even though put upon by awful relatives, was still generally a good kid who tried his best. And Luke was, well let’s be honest, he was a brat, but he was supposed to be a good-hearted, ambitious kid, who wanted to get out and see the world. This is a particular vision of masculinity; it’s not the “right man for the job” skill set of Indiana Jones, Hercules, or James Bond, instead, these are highly attainable character traits.

For all these boys/men, at some point early in the story, someone or thing plucks them from their mundane existence to send them on their path to greatness. The Lego Movie has fun with this conceit by getting a bit meta and literally calling him “the special,” but it is still the familiar notion that through no action of his own, Emmet is lifted up and named the one person who can save the world; and while he doesn’t see it about himself yet, the powers that be have faith in him that he will one day be the hero they know he can be. Which leads us nicely to the next thing a humble hero needs: his team.

In The Lego Movie this is made up a of team of Master Builders, a group of elite builders with the ability to create anything from legos, a skill that Emmet notably lacks. And while this group has their doubts about him, they never abandon him, they listen, and they follow his leadership. Each is a different variation on Emmet, and a manifestation of a skill set he doesn’t have, which in this case, as in many movies, includes a token woman (in Lego there is a token woman, and a token female crazy pony). Despite their abilities, each of these characters are included in the story only so they can help the hero find his inner strength and attain the goal of defeating evil.

We’re here for you! Here and slightly behind you!
We’re here for you! Here and slightly behind you!

 

Which brings us to the final piece of the monomyth: the hero had the answer inside of him all along. Whether it be the hero’s discovery that in fact he is special, like with Harry Potter (not only am I a wizard, I’m a Horcrux!), or simply that some character trait that had been deemed worthless proves vital, like with Kung Fu Panda’s Po, his love and belief in his heroes proves to be the thing all heroes need to succeed. The journey has brought the hero to a crucial juncture, and in order to defeat the big bad, our man has to come to face-to-face with his true self and embrace his identity.

What a perfect ending to an American myth: we each have greatness inside of us, no matter who we are!

Those aren’t noodles in there, I’m full of greatness!
Those aren’t noodles in there, I’m full of greatness!

 

And it is, it’s a great story, maybe the greatest. In fact, most religions have some version of this very idea at the core of  their system (think how at the end of every yoga class the teacher ends saying Namaste or “the God within me greets the God within you”). So if this self-empowerment myth is limited only to men, what does that say about our culture? Well, we see its reflection in the XY domination of the White House. We see it again in Lily Ledbetter’s fight for equal pay. And we see it in the hiring practices of Hollywood (hey there Colin Treverrow!). We have a national love affair with underdog male success stories, a love affair that has not yet extended to women. And that is a damn shame.

But there is hope, a whole lot of it. Things are changing (Hillary!), and that myth is becoming more inclusive. On the one hand, we see that the traits our male heroes often embrace in order to defeat the big bad are becoming more traditionally feminine characteristics: kindness, generosity, self-sacrifice and teamwork. It’s not just about who’s the strongest or fiercest, it’s about love and respect for others. All good things. And we have Buffy, we have Katniss, and (coming this summer!) the return of Sarah Connor. There is a difference, however, between our female heroes and their male counterparts, and that is that they are fleshed out, full characters. They are not mirrors to reflect an improved image of the audience, they are women with families, feelings and flaws; they are people, not archetypes.

These heroes are women, but they aren’t everywoman.
These heroes are women, but they aren’t everywoman.

 

As the monomyth evolves, the question is: will it evolve to include the “everywoman” hero archetype, or will the nature of myth itself change to embrace not just the messaging of individualization, but the representation of unique stories for unique people?

 


Morgan Faust is writer/director who works in LA with her creative partner and brother Max Isaacson. Together they form the duo BroSis. When they aren’t writing action films with kick-ass women heroes, they’re keeping it goofy over at FunnyorDie.com.  Click here to see what she means.

Twitter @morganfaust

Instagram @brosisgrams

 

 

Unlikable Women: The Roundup

Check out all of the posts for our Unlikable Women Theme Week here.

Dolores Jane Umbridge: Page, Screen, and Stage by Jackson Adler

Umbridge works as Undersecretary to Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge. Through her position in the patriarchal wizarding government, Umbridge enables job discrimination, segregation, incarceration and harsh sentencing, and physical violence and genocide against marginalized people. She not only politically supports these efforts, but personally enacts violence against marginalized people and their allies, including children.


Never Fear: Unlikable Black Women on Orange Is the New Black and Luther by Rachel Wortherly

When I searched my mental rolodex for Black female characters in film or television who are unlikable my mind continued to circle. I was lost.


“I’m Not Bad, I’m Just Drawn That Way”: The Exceptionally Beautiful Anti-Heroine by Jessica Carbone

And if you’re anything like me, every reader of this site wants the same thing: to see more portrayals of women on film, televisions, and beyond that reflect their complexities, strengths and weakness alike. We want a greater range of body types, a greater representation of lifestyle choices, a broader world of occupations and skill sets and backstories and destinies.


Evil-Lyn: Fantasy’s Underrated Icon by Robert Aldrich

A character with few rivals and even fewer scruples, Evil-Lyn was arguably one of the better developed villains in the show. And in the annals of females from sci-fi/fantasy, her name should be spoken of in the same breath as Wonder Woman and Princess Leia.


A Fine Frenzy: With an Outspoken Anti-Heroine and a Feminist Lens, Young Adult Is Excellent by Megan Kearns

In this witty, hilarious and bittersweet dramedy, Theron plays Mavis Gary, an author of young adult books living in Minneapolis. Mavis’ life is a hot mess. She’s divorced, drinks her life away and the book series she writes is coming to an end. She was the popular mean girl in high school who escaped to the big city. Mavis returns to her small hometown in Minnesota full of Taco Bells and KFCs intending to reclaim her old glory days and her ex-boyfriend, who’s happily married with a new baby. As she fucks up, she eventually questions what she wants out of life.


Political Humor and Humanity in HBO’s VEEP by Rachel Redfern

She’s a toxic political figure, a creator of monumental gaffes and inappropriate situations who doesn’t even have the excuse of good intentions. Her intentions are always self-serving and she treats her staff atrociously, often assigning them the blame for her mistakes.


Bad Girls and (Not-So)-Guilty Pleasures in The Bling Ring by Amy Woolsey

Coppola’s refusal to condemn, explain or apologize for her characters makes for a rather opaque experience. To state the obvious, these are not likable individuals. They exhibit no visible remorse for their crimes, seemingly oblivious to the concept of personal boundaries, and think about little besides fashion and D-list celebrities.


Why Maxine from Being John Malkovich Is The Best by Sara Century

Maxine is a perfect character. She stands up for herself, takes no guff off of anyone, and goes for what she wants while issuing remarkable and hilarious ultimatums to those around her. I don’t just like Maxine. I don’t just love Maxine. I am Maxine.


American Mary: In Praise of the Amoral Final Girl by Mychael Blinde

Directed by the Soska sisters, American Mary features a complicated female protagonist who starts out as a likable badass but ends up as an amoral psycho. The film celebrates the power of bodily autonomy and depicts the horror of taking it away.


Reclaiming Conch: In Defense of Ursula, Fairy Octomother by Brigit McCone

Ursula’s show-stopper, “Poor, Unfortunate Souls,” presents case studies of mermen and mermaids made miserable by culture. What this song really teaches is that internalizing cultural messages is a fatal weakness, and rejecting cultural conditioning is a source of great power. Small wonder that Ursula had to die the most gruesome onscreen death in all of Disney.


Bad Girls Go to Heaven: Hollywood’s Feminist Rebels by Emanuela Betti

Hollywood has produced some of the most memorable bad girls and wicked women on-screen—from silent era’s infamous vamps to film noir’s femme fatales—but bad women do more than just entertain, particularly if we’re talking about the sweepingly emotional and excessively dramatic world of woman’s melodrama.


Why We Love Janice and Why We Love to Hate Janice by Artemis Linhart

Is Chandler going somewhere, just minding his own business? Chances are that Janice is just around the corner. As Janice once put it, “You seek me out. Something deep in your soul calls out to me like a foghorn. Jaaa-nice. Jaaa-nice.”


Cristina Yang As Feminist by Scarlett Harris

As people, no matter what gender, it is seemingly second nature to want others to like us and to portray our best selves to them. Just look at the ritual of the date or the job interview. That Cristina defied this action (though we have seen her star-struck when meeting surgeons like Tom Evans and Preston Burke) made her not just a feminist character, but a truly human(ist) one.


Triumphing Mad Men’s Peggy Olson by Sarah Smyth

What exactly, then, makes a character “unlikeable”? How can we define this complex term? Broadly, a character is unlikeable when they behave in an amoral or unethical way (which, of course, depends upon our individual morals and ethics), particularly when their motivations are unclear. However, when it comes to female characters, this term seems to diversify and pluralize.


Hate to Love Her: The Lasting Allure of Blair Waldorf by Vanessa Willoughby

In an interview with the New York Times, Gillian Flynn says, “The likability thing, especially in Hollywood, is a constant conversation, and they’re really underrating their audience when they have that conversation. What I read and what I go to the movies for is not to find a best friend, not to find inspirations…It’s to be involved with characters that are maybe incredibly different from me, that may be incredibly bad but that feel authentic.”


Young Adult‘s Mavis Gary Is “Crazy” Unlikable by Diane Shipley

Mavis is truly transgressive. Not only is her plan against most people’s moral code, it shows no solidarity for the sisterhood and no respect for the institutions women are most conditioned to aspire to: marriage and motherhood. Mavis alienates feminists and traditionalists alike. Not that she cares–she only wants to appeal to men. And she has done so, seemingly effortlessly, for a long time.


Ruthless, Pragmatic Feminism in House of Cards by Leigh Kolb

Claire is a horrible human being for many, many reasons–but her abortions aren’t included in those reasons. The show makes that clear.


Top 10 Villainesses Who Deserve Their Own Movies by Amanda Rodriguez

While villainesses often work at cross-purposes with our heroes and heroines, we love to hate these women. They’re always morally complicated with dark pasts and often powerful and assertive women with an indomitable streak of independence.


Stephanie McMahon Helmsley: The Real Power in the Realm by Robert Aldrich

She’s proven herself to be as diabolical as she is brilliant, manipulating wrestlers against one another and circumventing any and all rules to reach the ends of her choosing. She’s pit wrestlers in matches with their jobs on the line, or the jobs of their spouses (in the case of a short-lived feud with Total Divas darling Brie Bella), added heinous stipulations to matches, or just flat-out fired anyone who disagreed with her.


Suzanne Stone: Frankenstein of Fame by Rachael Johnson

The would-be news anchor is not only an extraordinarily unlikable–though entertaining–protagonist; she also embodies certain pathological tendencies in the American cultural psyche.


King Vidor’s Stella Dallas and the Utter Gracelessness of Grace by Rebecca Willoughby

These repeated conflicts make for a number of scenes in the film that, as Basinger has also asserted, are painful to watch. Our emotions are in conflict: Stella’s aims are noble, her execution hopelessly flawed. It’s hard to like her when she’s so inept, impossible not to sympathize because her purpose is so noble.


The Complex, Unlikable Women of House of Cards by Leigh Kolb

These women are complex, if not likable, and that’s a good thing.


Summer: Portrait of a Recognizable Human by Ren Jender

When the family sits down to eat, a platter full of pork chops is placed in the center of the table just as Delphine announces she is a vegetarian. As the others interrogate her (a tedious line of questions familiar to many vegetarians) and one of the men even offers her a plate full of rose petals to feast on, she tries to walk the tightrope many women do–in all sorts of conversations–of not wanting to be seen as a “bother,” but still trying to stick up for her own beliefs.


Anne Boleyn: Queen Bee of The Tudors by Emma Kat Richardson

Anne Boleyn was considered by many contemporaries to be the very living, breathing definition of an unlikable woman. And perhaps “unlikable” is too soft a term here – at points in the 16th century, following her execution on trumped up charges of adultery and treason, Anne was so widely reviled that very few of her own words, actions, or even accurate portraits remain today, thanks to Henry’s redoubtable efforts to wipe her off the record completely.


Patterns in Poor Parenting: The Babadook and Mommy by Dierdre Crimmins

This is not to say that Amelia and Die are not sympathetic characters. Both want to do the best for their sons, but neither can handle the stress and actual responsibility of disciplining them. I do not mean for this to seem like an attack on Die and Amelia’s parenting skills, but rather a way to look at the sudden appearance of women in film who are not good at parenting.


The Real Hated Housewives of TV by Caroline Madden

Naturally, we are all on these anti-heroes’ sides, despite their bad deeds. And Tony Soprano, Don Draper, and Walter White all have an antagonist: their wives. They call their husbands out on their lies, moral failings, and oppose them. Thus, they are seen as the nagging wife that everyone hates.

 

Dolores Jane Umbridge: Page, Screen, and Stage

Umbridge works as Undersecretary to Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge. Through her position in the patriarchal wizarding government, Umbridge enables job discrimination, segregation, incarceration and harsh sentencing, and physical violence and genocide against marginalized people. She not only politically supports these efforts, but personally enacts violence against marginalized people and their allies, including children.


Written by Jackson Adler as part of our theme week on Unlikable Women.


When I saw the words “Unlikable Women” in regard to this Theme Week, I immediately thought of Dolores Jane Umbridge from the Harry Potter franchise. Umbridge works as Undersecretary to Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge. Through her position in the patriarchal wizarding government, Umbridge enables job discrimination, segregation, incarceration and harsh sentencing, and physical violence and genocide against marginalized people. She not only politically supports these efforts, but personally enacts violence against marginalized people and their allies, including children. She is assigned by the ministry to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in Harry’s fifth year of schooling, and also as the Hogwarts High Inquisitor to make sure that the school is run how the ministry desires. Umbridge was already representative of every person to was put in a position of power and trust who abuses that power and trust for their own self interest and sense of self worth and enjoyment. Many children have experienced such ill behavior from teachers, though hopefully not to the same extent as Umbridge treats her students, and Umbridge is arguably the most hated Harry Potter character by the fandom. However, when they vocally condemn the character, fans don’t always list the many violent actions the character condones and practices, but instead often insult Umbridge for her looks, for her love of pink, for her age, for her size, and for her love of cats, getting some form of satisfaction from this sexism and ageism against a character they despise so much. This is certainly problematic, especially since by condemning these aspects of this cruel character, they condemn middle-aged and older women as a whole, including the talented actress Imelda Staunton who plays her in the films. Also, overlooking Umbridge’s oppression of marginalized groups (even the ones to which she belongs) is erasure, which in itself is a violent act and promotes other violent acts, of marginalized groups and their experiences. While merpeople, werewolves, and centaurs do not exist in the real world, the ways in which they are marginalized and attacked in Harry Potter are very real for many people around the world and throughout time, including those being persecuted today.

On J.K. Rowling’s website Pottermore, “the place to explore more of the magical world of Harry Potter than ever before and to discover exclusive new content from J.K. Rowling,” Rowling has confirmed that Dolores Jane Umbridge is “half-blood,” and provided more of the character’s background. While not entirely a surprise for fans, it confirms that the Umbridge in the Harry Potter books sets herself against those with whom she has shared lived experiences as both a female non-“pureblood,” making her more culpable than many of the other villains in the story, who have largely lived in ignorance and privilege since childhood, such as Bellatrix Lestrange. There is a strong correlation between “blood status” in the wizarding world and racism in our world, and I believe that Umbridge is representative of a Biracial Black and White woman who claims only Whiteness and helps the White patriarchy in its violence against people of color, especially fellow women of color, and their allies in an attempt to gain power and decrease its marginalization of her own life.

Fanart of Hermione Granger via  mariannewiththesteadyhands.tumblr.com
Fan art of Hermione Granger via mariannewiththesteadyhands.tumblr.com

 

The British wizarding society in Harry Potter is in many ways more equal in terms of gender and race than real world Britain and America. While characters in the book series still face microaggressions (and occasionally stronger discrimination) due to their gender or ethnic makeup, it seems that J.K. Rowling wanted to create a (somewhat) diverse cast of characters whose abilities are not (typically) questioned due to their gender and/or ethnicity, similar to Shonda Rhimes’ approach to casting for Grey’s Anatomy. Sadly, those who cast the Harry Potter films mostly cast White actors, and screenwriter Steve Kloves and the many directors of the film series limited the lines and character development of White female characters and male and female characters of color. The role of Dean Thomas would probably not have gone to Alfred Enoch, and been given to a White actor instead, had Rowling not insisted that the character is Black to director of the first two films Chris Columbus, who she described as “slightly taken aback” by the amount of background information she had for the character. Despite the casting of Emma Watson, much of the fandom sees main female character Hermione Granger as a woman of color, usually Black or Black and White Biracial, and some see Harry himself as Biracial, usually Black and White. Race and gender are (almost) non-issues for most witches and wizards in J.K. Rowling’s story, but discrimination itself is still a strong topic, just often in regards to fantasy creatures in place of people of color. This can be interpreted as dehumanizing the lived experiences of people of color, and while it can be argued that J.K. Rowling’s approach puts the focus more on the actions of the oppressors than on the bodies of the oppressed, thereby possibly avoiding victim-blaming or grief porn, there is a strong tradition of White sci-fy and fantasy authors appropriating the experiences of people of color to add drama to their whitewashed stories, and however good her intentions may have been, Harry Potter still falls into that trend in many ways. However, the main topic of discrimination in Harry Potter is “blood status,” the story’s middle ground between the Grey’s Anatomy-style representation and the appropriation of people of color’s lived experiences of oppression.

In the wizarding world, many witches and wizards look down on muggles (people with no magical abilities), and believe that the fewer muggles in one’s lineage, the better. Witches and wizards who come from muggle families are called “muggle-borns” or by the highly discriminatory “mudblood,” and are considered by many to be just as inferior as muggles. “Half-bloods” are more generally accepted, though they still face some discrimination, and in order to be successful in wizarding society, many “half-bloods” play up their wizarding lineage, or deny that they have any muggle lineage at all, thereby claiming to be “pureblood,” such as in the case of Dolores Jane Umbridge. Rowling’s use of “blood status” in the wizarding world can easily be compared to peerage in Great Britain, and while it is not a requirement of “blood purity”/peerage that a “pureblood”/peer have no people of color in their lineage, or that they are wealthy, it remains that Whiteness and wealth often go hand in hand with “blood purity”/peerage. The first character the reader meets in the series who vocally prides himself on being “pureblood” is Draco Malfoy, who has a “pale” face, “white-blonde hair,” “cold grey eyes,” is from an incredibly wealthy family, lives in a mansion, has two devoted parents, a servant (just one is enough, as Dobby is a talented house elf capable of powerful magic), and is overall a clear representation of a child raised and wrapped up in privilege. White patriarchal Draco is the first character we hear use the word “mudblood,” and he uses it against Hermione Granger, who, again, is often and can easily be seen as a Black girl. She is described as having “bushy brown hair,” has brown eyes, and is the first to voice that house elves are “slaves,” taking the shocking revelation that Hogwarts runs on slave labor quite personally. Pansy Parkinson, the eventual girlfriend of Draco Malfoy, often teases Hermione about her hair, and also teases Angelina Johnson (who is indisputably Black) about her hair, going so far as to say that Angelina’s braids look like “worms coming out of [her] head.” Draco also teases Hermione about her hair, and in a chilling scene in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in which Lord Voldemort’s supporters start marching through a huge wizarding event, openly torturing muggles, Draco says to her “Keep that big bushy head down, Granger” if she doesn’t want to be attacked by Death Eaters (of which Draco’s father Lucius is one) and be forced to “show[…] off [her] knickers in midair,” though it would “give us all a laugh.” In this scene, he is saying to her that she needs to be submissive, or that she will be forcibly, and possibly sexually, assaulted by his father and his father’s friends. The first time, and every time after, that Draco calls Hermione a “mudblood” there are strong racial overtones specific to violence against Black women, and it carries throughout the entire series, and especially into scenes such as the one described above.

“Blood status” is then a thinly veiled metaphor for race in the Harry Potter series, and most often in terms of Black and White. Dolores Umbridge claims that she is “pureblood,” and enjoys the privileges of passing as such. Umbridge grew up with a wizarding father who worked as a janitor, and a muggle mother. Umbridge lived the intersectional oppressions of race, class, and gender. Umbridge’s sadism is compared to Bellatrix Lestrange’s by Rowling, and they share further similarity by their devotion to patriarchal figures, with Umbridge’s devotion to Cornelius Fudge, and Bellatrix’s to main villain Lord Voldemort. As Audre Lorde states in “Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference,” “white women face the pitfall of being seduced into joining the oppressor under the pretense of sharing power.” Umbridge also “face[s] [this] pitfall” by metaphorically only claiming her White/wizarding lineage. This is because “For white women there is a wider range of pretended choices and rewards for identifying with patriarchal power and its tools.” Audre Lorde further explains “It is eas[y] […] for white women to believe the dangerous fantasy that if you are good enough, pretty enough, sweet enough, quiet enough, teach children to behave, hate the right people, and marry the right men, then you will be allowed to co-exist with patriarchy in relative peace-“. Umbridge certainly internalizes this fantasy, using her “girlish” laugh, dressing herself and her office overtly and extremely feminine, and by the way in which she chooses to teach her students. Bellatrix is not only “pureblood”/White, but is naturally conventionally attractive. As Rowling states, she marries a man she does not love, taking “a pureblood husband, because that was what was expected of her,” though “her true love was always Voldemort,” albeit as obsessive form of love, which I think is more like that created by Stockholm Syndrome. Much like White women’s relationship with the patriarchy, Voldemort had no love for Bellatrix, loving “only power and himself,” “value[ing] people whom he could use to advance his own objectives.” Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters are more openly violent than the ministry, though the Ministry of Magic has many of the same biases as Voldemort, and are more discrete in how they treat those they deem inferior to themselves. Cornelius Fudge is “blinded by the love of [his] office” to what is best for the wizarding community at large, as Dumbledore states in the novel of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Fudge and the ministry most likely overlook Umbridge’s sadism because, on the surface, she comes across as unthreatening to their privilege. She plays into the single, middle-aged cat lady stereotype, and constantly compliments and supports Fudge in order to gain favor.

(Left to Right) Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge, Emma Thompson as Professor Trelawney, and Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall
(Left to Right) Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge, Emma Thompson as Professor Trelawney, and Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall

 

Umbridge finds an enemy in Professor Minerva McGonagall, whom Rowling has revealed on Pottermore to also be “half-blood,” as well as a feminist. McGonagall works closely with Albus Dumbledore, a known ally to all marginalized groups in the wizarding world. Professor Dumbledore uses his White male/wizard privilege to uplift the talented women/witches around him, as well as that of marginalized people of all genders, giving the deserving McGonagall the position of Deputy Headmistress. Umbridge has had to resort to less direct means to get favor from the patriarchal ministry, including become extreme in her violence against those against whom the ministry is biased, including fellow female non-“purebloods.” McGonagall, who usually shows solidarity with her fellow female colleagues, frequently makes her ill feelings towards Umbridge clear, and is unabashedly happy when Umbridge is forced to leave the school. Due to their ages, it is likely that McGonagall either taught or attended school with Umbridge, and she and Dumbledore are further threats to Umbridge due to their knowledge of her past and her “blood status.” Umbridge is therefore relentless in her ambition to gain and then use authority over McGonagall and Dumbledore. Though betrayal and loyalty to “blood status”/race is not as much of a theme in the relationship between Umbridge and McGonagall in the films, especially as both actresses are White and Rowling’s biographical information on the characters may not have been known by most of the film team, Imelda Staunton and Maggie Smith portray the resentment and anger between two opposing women well. Maggie Smith’s McGonagall is particularly supportive of Emma Thompson’s Professor Trelawney, opposing Imelda Staunton’s Umbridge in her ill treatment of other women. Their characters are then representative of White women who support the patriarchy, and White (perhaps even intersectional) feminists.

J.K. Rowling’s biography of the Umbridge on Pottermore reveals a bit of how the character developed resentment, ambition, and cruelty. However, the Harry Potter film series does not contain such extra information. In the books, it is left up to the reader to decide if Umbridge truly believes the things she says, or if she is merely doing whatever it takes to keep and gain power. In the films, Imelda Staunton’s performance as Umbridge is absolutely terrifying in her sincerity of every discriminatory word she utters, every belief she claims to possess, and in every new rule and punishment she enforces. Her self-righteousness is reminiscent of White female conservative Christians who feel incredibly justified in her hate and discrimination, a sort of person with whom Rowling is perhaps particularly familiar, as she had faced discrimination from fellow Christians for raising her first child alone for a number of years. In interviews for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, in which the character of Umbridge first appears, Staunton states that she and her director worked closely to make sure that Umbridge came across as a multi-faceted and realistic character. In the scene in which Umbridge first forces Harry to write in his own blood “I must not tell lies,” the book Umbridge merely comes across as bullying, cruel, and sadistic, taking true pleasure in Harry’s pain. However, when both characters are seen as “half-blood”/”Biracial,” Umbridge’s actions can be seen as an attempt to educate a young Biracial boy in how to get by and get ahead in a world dominated by White patriarchy. Staunton plays up Umbridge as an attempted mentor to her students, even though Staunton and most of the actors playing her students are White. When Staunton’s Umbridge forces Harry to write in his own blood, she seems nervous, upset, and sad at the violence she is about to inflict upon him. However, she comes to the decision that such a drastic measure is necessary for the good of the wizarding world, and even to Harry himself. She wants the lesson to “sink in” that what he did was “wrong.” In an interview on the DVD for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Staunton reveals that her Umbridge is “making the most of what little power she has, [and] she will hang onto it […] until her last breath,” and, evidently, also onto her convictions. In the film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, again playing up the connection to White female conservatism, this includes the right to dictate the sexual and romantic behavior of the students. Staunton’s Umbridge’s belief that supporting the patriarchy is the right thing to do, including the right thing to do for women and girls, which adds extra conflict to her arguments with Maggie Smith’s McGonagall and Emma Watson’s Hermione Granger.

Joe Walker as Dolores Jane Umbridge in Starkid Production's A Very Potter Sequel
Joe Walker as Dolores Jane Umbridge in Starkid Production’s A Very Potter Sequel

 

Another interpretation of Umbridge is that in Starkid Productions’ A Very Potter Sequel, the second of three musical parodies of Harry Potter franchise viewable on Youtube, and highly popular among the fandom. While not entirely feminist, Starkid does delve into the sexism that Umbridge undoubtedly must face in her day-to-day life, and the unhealthy way in which she copes with it. While J.K. Rowling compares Umbridge’s loyalty to Fudge with fellow sadist Bellatrix Lestrange’s loyalty to Lord Voldemort, Starkid Productions compares Umbridge with Hermione, with the common thread not being sadism, but the sexism faced by both from their male peers. Like Staunton’s Umbridge, Starkid’s Umbridge plays up Umbridge’s attempted mentorship of her students, especially in regards to Hermione. This is representative of what Brigit McCone describes in “Reclaiming Conch: In Defense of Ursula, Fairy Octomother,” with older female characters’ lessons often being important to the growth of female characters, though patriarchal storytelling reconfiguring these characters as villainesses instead of mentors/fairy godmothers. In the books and films, Hermione has this mentorship split between McGonagall and Umbridge, with them being similar to the nice mother and evil mother tropes described in Katherine Murray’s post “Child-Eating Parents in Into the Woods and Every Children’s Story Ever.” Starkid’s A Very Potter Sequel is void of McGonagall, and Umbridge takes on more of a multi-faceted role as attempted mentor to Hermione. Umbridge even gives life lessons to her female students, including Hermione, upon first meeting them, informing them of “the way the world works” for “frumpy” girls and women, and saying that she will be there “mama.” Umbridge is played by Joe Walker, who also plays Voldemort in the musical trilogy, and while the character being played by a cisgender man causes some potentially dangerous mixed messages, it does emphasize the harm both Voldemort and Umbridge has caused Harry Potter, with both being the only characters in the books to leave lasting scars on Harry, and also emphasizes the way in which the fandom relates to the two villains. Though both Umbridge and Hermione are again played by White actors, their physical and emotional similarities are explored in a way similar to how they could have been further explored in a film version that saw the characters as Biracial able to “pass” as White and a Black girl attempting to find her way in a White patriarchal world. Starkid’s Hermione claims about herself and Umbridge that “We’re both ugly, we’re both bossy, and nobody likes us,” showing how internalized unrealistic (and White) standards of beauty are internalized, how the assertiveness and confidence of women is erased by claims that they are “bossy,” and how reinforced these ideas are in every day life within a (White) patriarchal culture. Sadly, the characters’ needs for self-validation by White men is emphasized in Starkid’s production, with Ron and Hermione’s condescending monologues to Hermione about self-acceptance (undermined by their hope to gain a homework tutor/romantic partner), and Umbridge only finding happiness after rape by centaurs (no, really). Umbridge’s rape is somewhat representative of empowerment via rape fantasy, such as described in Brigit McCone’s “Blurred Lines: The Cinematic Appeal of Rape Fantasy,” though this positive interpretation of rape is still incredibly harmful, as McCone also describes. In the books, however, it is through gender and racial solidarity that lead to the defeats of Umbridge, the Minitry, Bellatrix, and Lord Voldemort.

Umbridge is a complicated character in each form of media she inhabits, and though her violence and discrimination is hateful, she is a woman (of color) trying to navigate through a (White) patriarchal world. She is successful in gaining (some) privileges for herself due to her actions, though at the expense of fellow non-“pureblood”/White women and other marginalized groups. Dumbledore claims that “it is our choices […] that define who we really are, far more than our abilities,” and yet this quote of his mentions nothing of the effect that circumstances can have in affecting life choices. Though circumstances do not entirely excuse her crimes against marginalized groups, and she is rightfully arrested and imprisoned after the defeat of Lord Voldemort, as confirmed by Rowling via interview and Pottermore, excusing her violence as merely innate is ignoring the way in which society institutionally encourages that sort of behavior. Hopefully a more thorough understanding of the character encourages a more thorough understanding of the ways in which society and individuals inhibit human rights, especially those of women of color.

 

 

‘Divergent’ is Not So Divergent But Still Crucial for Feminism

I’m hopeful that ‘Divergent,’ as the first installment of the series, is setting Tris up to be a memorable heroine in her own right in the following films. I’m hoping that ‘Divergent’ is the story of the forging of our heroine, the exploration of her talents, abilities, and heart and that the second and third films will show her learning from her experiences, becoming a leader, and inspiring others.

"Divergent" Poster
“Divergent” Poster

Written by Amanda Rodriguez
Mild Spoilers
Trigger Warning: mention of sexualized violence

The much-anticipated film Divergent is based on the series of teen sci-fi novels by Veronica Roth dealing with a walled-off, post-apocalyptic Chicago wherein society has divided itself into factions in an effort to create order and peace. Our heroine Beatrice “Tris” Prior (Shailene Woodley) finds out she is “Divergent,” a taboo non-conformist who doesn’t fit into any of the factions and is therefore threatening to the caste system.

The five factions of the "Divergent" universe
The five factions of the Divergent universe

 

Disclaimer: I haven’t read the novel series yet.

As a sucker for female-driven sci-fi stories, I liked the premise, but Divergent stands on the shoulders of many young adult and teen movies that came before it. Divergent features training-based dream-like hallucinations like in Ender’s Game.

Tris frees herself with the realization, "This isn't real."
Tris frees herself with the realization, “This isn’t real.”

 

Tris is another thin, white heroine who learns she is more capable than she ever suspected, much like Katniss from The Hunger Games or Clary from The Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes series.

Tris must be brave and not flinch at the knives flying at her.
Tris must be brave and not flinch at the knives flying at her.

 

Divergent‘s Choosing Ceremony has young people choose which faction they’ll belong to for the rest of their lives (“faction before blood”). With factions like Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless, the Choosing Ceremony hugely resembles the Sorting Ceremony from the Harry Potter series, wherein wizarding youths are sorted into houses like Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw (representing bravery, hard work, and intelligence respectively).

The factions seated at the Choosing Ceremony
The factions seated at the Choosing Ceremony

 

Divergent also spotlights the obligatory overwrought teen romance replete with multiple manly rescues of our heroine in a way that bears a strong resemblance to Twilight (though Tris admittedly has more fortitude and independence than her counterpart, Bella).

Obligatory sunset make-out session...with tattoos.
Obligatory sunset make-out session…with tattoos.

 

Divergents themselves are essentially misfits with special abilities that speak to the potential of human beings for evolution into a more advanced species like in the famed comic book turned cartoon series turned movie franchise X-Men.

Tris defies categorization, her test revealing her to be Divergent.
Tris defies categorization, her test revealing her to be Divergent.

 

Lastly, I think we should expect the second film (Insurgent) to really play up the youth rebellion angle like in The Legend of Billie Jean.

Outlaw youths on the run, trying to be understood, striving to overthrow an unjust system.
Outlaw youths on the run, trying to be understood, striving to overthrow an unjust system.

 

So, yes, Divergent is derivative and predicable. Funny how a movie with an emphasis on the importance of being different…isn’t all that different itself. I was, however, still entertained, and I’m willing to wait and see if the second two films pave their own way, uniquely establishing themselves within the lexicon of the iconic pop culture fantasy/sci-fi teen series genre.

Divergent is basically an unnecessary prequel. I’m a fan of training sequences and didn’t tire of them despite the fact that Tris repeatedly gets her ass handed to her.

No wonder she's always getting gut punched with a defense like that.
With a defense stance like that, no wonder she’s always getting gut punched.

 

However, almost an entire film dedicated to Tris’ martial training, her budding romance, and the requirements of survival within the faction of Dauntless are not strictly necessary for the big picture scope of the series. I suspect the real story starts in the next movie, Insurgent, with the caste system in upheaval and Tris coming into her own as a leader of dissidents.

I was disappointed at the under-utilization of Kate Winslet‘s extensive acting powers in her role as the Erudite leader and villainess Jeanine. I’m frankly so tired of the cold, fanatic female villain trope. Jodie Foster played a similarly uninspired role in the sci-fi film Elysium. At first, I hoped that Jeanine would only be Tris’ first foe, the patriarchy-complicit woman, and that Tris would advance beyond that to actually deconstructing the patriarchal system of oppression in the following films. A quick Wiki search disabused me of that notion.

Kate Winslet as Jeanine in "Divergent"
Kate Winslet as Jeanine in Divergent

 

No, it looks like our lead villain throughout the series will be Jeanine, which makes me question the underlying thematics behind the class structure that the film and book series critique. Is it claiming that cold, intelligent women are the problem? Are they the purveyors of this dysfunctional culture? If so, for which real world social ill is the post-apocalyptic world of Divergent a stand-in? What problematic mechanism of power does this sci-fi series seek to illuminate? So far, all we’ve got is a generic argument that being different and thinking differently is a good thing. Not much subversiveness going on there.

Tris also gets rescued a lot, mostly by her love interest, Four, played by Theo James (James Franco called…he wants his face back). This made me roll my eyes a lot because I didn’t pay $10 to watch a young woman lead be so dependent on a dude for her survival. Not only that, but through a fear simulation, we learn that one of Tris’ greatest fears is that Four will try to rape her, and that theme isn’t delved into at all. However, I did admire the close, loving relationship Tris shares with her mother (Ashley Judd) and that her mom also rescues her in a surprising act that would make both factions Abnegation and Dauntless proud.

Tris mother, Natalie, brushes her hair on test day.
Tris’ mother, Natalie, brushes her hair on test day.

 

As with so many other aspects of the film, I’m letting our heroine’s constant need to be rescued slide because I’m hopeful that Divergent, as the first installment of the series, is setting Tris up to be a memorable heroine in her own right in the following films. I’m hoping that Divergent is the story of the forging of our heroine, the exploration of her talents, abilities, and heart and that the second and third films will show her learning from her experiences, becoming a leader, and inspiring others. At the end of Divergent, we saw a glimmer of her potential in her rallying of others, quick thinking in a crisis, her empathy, self-sacrifice, inventiveness, and the steel in her spine.

Tris is endlessly tenacious and never gives up.
Tris is endlessly tenacious and makes up her own mind about things.

 

The bottom line is that, despite Divergent‘s glaring flaws, I am so inspired by this outpouring of stories written by and about women. The mathematical expression of the term divergent is, simply put, “having no finite limits.” Right now, Tris’ story is empowering young girls and women with her bravery, her vulnerability, and her centrality. We have so desperately needed greater representation for young women so that they can imagine themselves in the roles of heroines, leaders, and catalysts for change. It is an important step forward that these films are being made at all. It is a coup that they are so damned popular, proving that people, in fact, DO want to see stories about women and that those stories DO sell. Eat your heart out Hollywood.

 


Amanda Rodriguez is an environmental activist living in Asheville, North Carolina. She holds a BA from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio and an MFA in fiction writing from Queens University in Charlotte, NC. She writes all about food and drinking games on her blog Booze and Baking. Fun fact: while living in Kyoto, Japan, her house was attacked by monkeys.

Bitch Flicks’ Weekly Picks

TIME Unveils 2013 Most Influential People in the World by Kerensa Cadenas via Women and Hollywood
Will ‘Mad Men’ Ever Be as Good On Race as It Is On Gender? by Eleanor Barkhorn, Ashley Fetters and Amy Sullivan via The Atlantic
Stop Saying that Men Don’t Read Women by Ester Bloom via Slate’s Double X
A Night with Barbra Streisand by Melissa Silverstein via Women and Hollywood
Infographic: Where are the Women Directors? by Kerensa Cadenas via Women and Hollywood
What have you been reading and/or writing this week?? Tell us in the comments!

Bitch Flicks’ Weekly Picks

Amber‘s Picks:

How Twitter Reflects the Themes of Our Society from The Nerdy Feminist

The Future of Feminism series from Fourth Wave

Vogue Italia’s “Haute Mess”: Racist, Ignorant, or Brilliant? from Racialicious

Spotlight: Anna and Modern-Day Slavery from Her Film

Sympathy for the Devil: On HBO’s Game Change, and Hating Ladies for the Right Reasons from Tiger Beatdown

Capitol Control: The Irony of The Hunger Games Movie Mania from Bitch

Stephanie‘s Picks:

“BYT @ SXSW Movies: Wonder Women by Jeff Spross for Brightest Young Things

“Tavi Gevinson on Creativity, Taste, and the Word ‘Girly'” from Huffington Post

“Hungering for a Female Hero: Hunger Games May Break New Ground” by Tom Long for Detroit News

“The Bitch List: Does Your Screenplay Have What It Takes?”

by The Bitch Pack

“On Feminism: Romantic Femininity” by Hila Shachar for Le Projet D’amour

Megan‘s Picks:

It’s Women’s History Month! Celebrate by Seeing The Hunger Games and Vote with Your Dollars This Weekend via I Will Not Diet

Will the Box Office Change the Gender Balance in Film? via Feminema

Mad Men: Set Me Free – a musical mash-up with the series’ female characters via Pop Culture Pirate

Steel Magnolias Remake Cast Announced: Queen Latifah, Phylicia Rashad to Star via Clutch Magazine

The Feminist Harry Potter Tumblr You’ve Been Waiting For via Bust Magazine




Leave your links in the comments!

Bitch Flicks’ Weekly Picks

Hermione Granger: The Heroine Women Have Been Waiting For from Huffington Post

Spotlight on the Samsung Women’s International Film Festival from Gender Across Borders

Best Ever Hindi Films by Women Directors from Rediff Movies

Mila Kunis Is SO HORRIBLE! (This, too, is sarcasm.) from Shakesville

2011 Kids’ Movie Titles Feature 11 Male Stars from Reel Girl

Violence Against Women in Peru, and the Films of Claudia Llosa from Bad Reputation

Murder, She Blogged: Mrs. Columbo from Bitch Magazine

Tell Got Milk to End Its Sexist “PMS” Ad Campaign from Change.org 

Leave your links in the comments!