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Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Manic Pixie Dream Girl: NOT the scourge of modern cinema
I'm going to go out on a limb here and venture to say that the Manic Pixie Dream Girl is not, in and of itself, going to result in the downfall of cinema. Nathan Rabin from A.V. Club defines it best; the Manic Pixie Dream Girl "exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures."
The modern inclusions are, in fact, countless. Think the most beloved example, Garden State. Think Elizabethtown. Think as far back as Annie Hall. Their sole purpose in the movie is to be the catalyst to the male protagonist's big maturing/awakening/realization of some sort. This is problem number one. The role is limiting. Her background is unknown and unimportant. She has no character development herself. She is strangely attracted to these shlubs (unlikely, but to be generous, not impossible), whose existence in HER life adds nothing quite as significant.
The thing is, the MPDG is an evolution of the out-and-out dream girl. Think Phoebe Cates in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. What's changed is that the dream girl has become more personalized. Instead of THE dream girl, she's HIS dream girl; tailor-made for his needs, not the needs of all men in general. Pretty idealistic, at best.
The MPDG is supposed to be that girl who's a little odd, but still pretty. In fact, for a character whose personality is at the center of her entire raison d'etre, she is always gorgeous. And yet, she's portrayed as the little weirdo who no one else knows about, who's perfect for only the protagonist. Quite a well-kept secret, don't you think?
The MPDG can be done well (though, if done well, one has to ask if she ceases to be a MPDG). Amelie is magnificent. Manic, pixie, and sure as hell the audience's dream girl. The difference is that the entire film is from her perspective. She has a background, emotions that we care about, and seems to be as effected by the final relationship as her male counterpart.
Another example is Happy-Go-Lucky, where Poppy's relationship is secondary to the other events in the movie. Manic pixie dream girl who can hold the audience's interest by herself.
Of course, these are all very very controlled versions of weird. Any weirder and the audience would be alienated. So the challenge to filmmakers (and to myself) is to craft a Manic Pixie Dream Girl who can make us all proud with her depth.
The modern inclusions are, in fact, countless. Think the most beloved example, Garden State. Think Elizabethtown. Think as far back as Annie Hall. Their sole purpose in the movie is to be the catalyst to the male protagonist's big maturing/awakening/realization of some sort. This is problem number one. The role is limiting. Her background is unknown and unimportant. She has no character development herself. She is strangely attracted to these shlubs (unlikely, but to be generous, not impossible), whose existence in HER life adds nothing quite as significant.
The thing is, the MPDG is an evolution of the out-and-out dream girl. Think Phoebe Cates in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. What's changed is that the dream girl has become more personalized. Instead of THE dream girl, she's HIS dream girl; tailor-made for his needs, not the needs of all men in general. Pretty idealistic, at best.
The MPDG is supposed to be that girl who's a little odd, but still pretty. In fact, for a character whose personality is at the center of her entire raison d'etre, she is always gorgeous. And yet, she's portrayed as the little weirdo who no one else knows about, who's perfect for only the protagonist. Quite a well-kept secret, don't you think?
The MPDG can be done well (though, if done well, one has to ask if she ceases to be a MPDG). Amelie is magnificent. Manic, pixie, and sure as hell the audience's dream girl. The difference is that the entire film is from her perspective. She has a background, emotions that we care about, and seems to be as effected by the final relationship as her male counterpart.
Another example is Happy-Go-Lucky, where Poppy's relationship is secondary to the other events in the movie. Manic pixie dream girl who can hold the audience's interest by herself.
Of course, these are all very very controlled versions of weird. Any weirder and the audience would be alienated. So the challenge to filmmakers (and to myself) is to craft a Manic Pixie Dream Girl who can make us all proud with her depth.
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