I have become that kind of unemployed person who sees even blockbuster movies on the dates they are released because she can go to a matinée, and so I saw Scott Pilgrim vs. the World on Friday. I thought it a good time. It’s a popcorn movie, but it’s way smarter than popcorn movies are as a general rule, and subject to the qualifications you’re about to read, it contains characters who are young women and who actually resemble human beings. I hardly knew what to do with this. And while I know that a Michael Cera backlash looms, I still find him kind of charming in his unique blend of creep and emo. But I’m a forgiving Canadian like that. (Someday I’ll write you an essay on why I feel like Americans don’t quite get Michael Cera or Ellen Page, but I’ll have to fortify myself first.)
Related caveat: I admit that much of my enjoyment was probably amplified by my nationality, and also having been so recently repatriated to Toronto that it still seems like I have left the center of the universe for its outer reaches. It’s a bit fun to see some Canadian standbys (Second Cup, Loonies and Twoonies) that are neither Mounties nor beavers force their way into the imaginative consciousness of an American movie. But there I go, bringing nationalism into it.
In any event, I had intended to do a longer writeup than this this week, but then stumbled across Mike Barthel’s review at The Awl. I am no comic-book, or, to be more polite, graphic-novel aficionado, though I know it’s snobbery, so I am unable to compare the two in the way he can for you, so I suggest you go read for yourself. A taste:
The problem with the movie is… well, in the simplest terms, it doesn’t pass the Bechdel test. For a movie based on an art comic, this is weird, to say the least. And it’s absolutely not true about the comic. One of the best things about it is that Scott often seems like a minor character in the context of his friends, all of whom are living much richer and fuller lives than he is. Female characters form friendships, male characters come out of the closet off-screen, and ex-girlfriends move on. The comic makes a joke about this: Scott’s self-centeredness causes him to assume, as fiction readers do, that nothing important happens without him around. But, of course, things do all the time.
Happy Sunday, y’all.
Ha – that’s one of the first things I said to the comic book nerds I saw an early screening with: “It definitely doesn’t pass the Bechdel Test” but I loved it anyway for its intersection of comics, music, video games and nerds. Plus you do get the sense that the main character is oblivious about the significance and consequences of his action up until the [climactic moment I won't ruin].
I’m glad to hear it’s more lady-character-development friendly in comic form, but (and this is rare for me) I don’t hold the narrower focus against the movie in this case because it was already condensing 7 comics into one movie.
I also feel like because the women are so real-seeming, I took it for granted that they had things going on off screen – they stop in the middle of them to give Scott a call and yell at him about something, then get right back to their lives.
PS I am also that kind of unemployed, so *high five*
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jim Milles, Pursuit of Harpyness. Pursuit of Harpyness said: "I Don't Know If I Can Hit A Girl": Scott Pilgrim vs. the World @ http://bit.ly/b5kwXh [...]
Me three: Unemployment and partial employment has made me like and go to movies a whole lot more than I did before.
Um, actually, the movie does pass the Bechdel test: it does so in the first five minutes, and conversations between women continue through the film. It also contradicts a popular rape myth: she says “I’ve changed my mind, I don’t want to have sex with you” in the middle of the act, and he says “ok”. And then they go on to not have sex.
It is in no way a feminist masterpiece, but it’s a very fun movie and well worth seeing!
Haven’t seen this yet, but I can’t wait! It’s not surprising that, in streamlining six books for one movie, a lot of subplots were eliminated. That doesn’t feel like a a feminist offense to me.
The one thing about the books that skeeved me out was the Knives Chau thing. Even though their relationship is chaste, and Scott is very child-like, it was still gross.
[...] much less pass the Bechdel test. Which isn’t to accuse the movie of sexism! Like Michelle notes, it’s actually a really refreshing film in that the female characters behave like actual [...]