(no subject)

[moominmolly]

I haven't seen Up yet. I probably will. But when I first read the synopsis, something snapped: AAAUUUUGH YET ANOTHER ADVENTURE MOVIE ABOUT A BOY OMFG. I think I bored everyone that day with my blah blah no movies about girls blah blah blah. But all I've seen so far are people talking about how good it was, or how sad, or possibly both. Nothing new there, really. So it was wonderful to catch this on twitter: "Ask Pixar to make a movie about a girl? Why, that's just P.C. B.S.!", referencing this open letter on NPR.org, entitled "Dear Pixar, from all the girls with band-aids on their knees". Read them both. It won't take long. (Also of note: a column about the Bechdel rule, and how hard it is to find movies that fit it.)

No point here, just life as usual.

Comments

[shaggy-man.livejournal.com]

It's not really about the boy. It's pretty much about an old man. The boy is the wacky comic relief sidekick. Like the dog.

Which is all arguably better, in that you don't get elderly protagonists all the time.

But your point about the lack of girl protagonists still stands.

[badlittlemonkey.livejournal.com]

Which is all arguably better, in that you don't get elderly protagonists all the time.

This is very true -- the fact that two of the most important characters in the movie were old men means something, but clearly doesn't help in regards to girl characters.

Now I'm wondering...what might the movie have been like if the gender roles were reversed? If Carl was more the adventurer when they were young, Ellie the meeker one then -- but grew and learned to be brave and adventurous when she was older, after Carl passed away? The fundamental message of the movie could've been the same, and I think she could have bonded with Russell just as easily...

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

An elderly introvert, at that. How many movies have introvert protagonists? Rawr.