The Heat

[clevermanka]

You might have seen the previews for The Heat, yeah?

The preview does not come even close to the awesome brilliance that is this movie. mckitterick and I saw it yesterday and just thinking about it now makes my eyes tingle with tears from the sheer fantastic amazingness of this movie. If you liked the 21 Jump Street movie, The Heat will make you so so so happy. I would have sworn the two movies shared a writer, director, or producer because The Heat seems to have so many references to 21 Jump Street, but looking at IMDB, they seem to be coincidences. BEAUTIFUL, GLORIOUS COINCIDENCES.

The film is feminist in a way that no other movie I've seen has approached feminism. The commentary on how women are treated different from men is subtle and brilliant. Bullock's character, Ashburn, is despised by nearly everyone in the FBI because she is smart, capable, efficient, showy, and absolutely brilliant at her job. But because she doesn't have a penis, everyone despises her for these qualities and one character utters the line "I wonder why she's single." ZING! McCarthy's character, Mullins, is perfectly written as the (traditionally male) socially maladjusted, loudmouth cop. Everyone is (justifiably) terrified of her even though at her core she just really cares about keeping her neighborhood safe.

One of the things that drives me batty about these male writers who like to take credit for writing "strong female characters" (HELLO JOSS, I AM LOOKING AT YOU, YOU ASSHOLE) is that they might be trying to write Strong Female Characters but they are still writing fucking female characters. A truly strong female character is indistinguishable from a strong male character in the text. Let's take a look at the single one example I can immediately think of as a Strong Female Character whose story didn't rely on her having a uterus:


I heard it rumored that Ripley was originally written as a man, and that wouldn't surprise me at all. See how that works, folks? Just write a fucking person and then call it/cast it as a woman. Sure, you might have to switch out a few phrases, but the overall sense of the character doesn't need to change.

And that is exactly what the writer of The Heat did. Oh, FUCKING SURPRISE! The writer of this movie? Is a woman.

So I'm begging you, if you like this sort of movie (comedy, cop show, explosions, foul language, ridiculous situations), go see this in the theater. Give it your support and your money. Show the film industry that movies about women--strong women, funny women, women who talk about things other than their diets or sex lives--can make money. Please. PLEASE. Don't wait for this one to come out on video. This movie and everyone involved in it deserves the vote of your dollar.

Comments

[miischelle.livejournal.com]

I've really been looking forward to this movie and I'M SO GLAD IT'S AWESOME OMG!!!!!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

SO FUCKING AWESOME.

It's so awesome, I even posted about it on FaceBook for godssake.

[bart-calendar.livejournal.com]

By Alien 3 her being female becomes a major plot point.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean, but I argue that they don't. A man could have been just as protective of Newt, and even though the maternal dichotomy wouldn't have been there, those aspects are not crucial to her as a person.

[bart-calendar.livejournal.com]

Except that the reason she's isolated from the prisoners is that the prisoners have decided that women are some evil anti-god temptation.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

But that's still a plot point that was developed way after the establishment of her as a character. If Alien 3 (which, honestly, I try to pretend doesn't exist, anyway) was the first movie to come out in the franchise and was the one that established her character, I would agree with you. But it wasn't. That wasn't the story that defined her as a person.

One of the reasons I didn't like Alien 3 was that it did exactly that--turned her sex into something that defined her. It was to me an unfortunate development to somehow feminize her in a way that set her apart from everyone else in the movie. Thus relegating her to the Woman's Role in nearly every other movie ever. But even so, the plot of the movie didn't define her character. That had already been established in the first one.

[bart-calendar.livejournal.com]

Fair point. And her gender doesn't matter at all in the fourth Alien film. (Note, these are the only movies I own on Blu-Ray, which should let you know I can debate them in minute for hours if you'd like.)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

And her gender doesn't matter at all in the fourth Alien film

Exactly.

mckitterick really liked that third one, but kee-rist, that movie gets my hackles up in all sorts of ways.

I fucking love the Alien and Predator franchises (well, except for Predator 2). Hell, I even love the AVP movies, although for very different reasons than I love Alien by itself.

[bart-calendar.livejournal.com]

Fincher did the best he could with the third one given the script Joss handed him. I love the visuals and I love the Australia metaphors. And her becoming Christ at the end is very well done.

Joss just doesn't know how to write two hour story archs. He's good when he can get 24 episodes to make his point, but not so much in shorter media forms.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Wait, Joss wrote Alien 3? SWEET JESUS THAT EXPLAINS SO MUCH.

[bart-calendar.livejournal.com]

Doesn't it?

That said he did it uncredited. He wrote Alien 4 with a credit, which implies to me that he was trying to set up a long term story arch.

(I only know this because of the commentary tracks on the Blu-Rays.)

[orrin.livejournal.com]

I didn't know about Joss, but in his defense, everybody and their brother wrote Alien 3 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_3#Development).

[bart-calendar.livejournal.com]

That's true. He was pretty much the final script doctor as far I can tell from the rants Fincher gives on the commentary track though.

[orrin.livejournal.com]

My understanding is that the original Alien was written as mostly genderblind, with most of the characters (including Ripley) not assigned genders until casting. No clue how true that is, but that's the story.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

It certainly wouldn't surprise me.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

Melissa McCarthy is comedy brilliance. We watched a really silly flick of hers called Identity Thief (Theft?) and she was soooo good that it made us really like what we thought was going to be a "pass the time, there's nothing else on" show.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the suggestion! I'm so looking up her previous stuff.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

Skip Bridesmaids. It was awful.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I've heard mixed things about it. I think it's one of those love-it-or-hate-it shows. I heard it compared (favorably) to the first Hangover movie, which I liked a lot.

[miischelle.livejournal.com]

Second on Identity theft - super awesome.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I know what mckitterick and I will be renting next time we have an evening at home in front of the TV.

[tessagratton.livejournal.com]

I thought this preview looked so horrible if you weren't you I wouldn't believe you that it's actually funny. Now we have to see it! :)

I disagree about writing genderblind. It can serve a good purpose sometimes, as an experiment, but when that's put forward as "the way to do it" (as in, you should just write a Hero Person, not a Hero Female Person) then the default Person will still default to Man. Until we convince culture that women are 51% of people and that a Female Hero who is Very Womanly In Her Heroism is as cool/important/strong as Men, then it won't work well enough.

Also my head hurts so I'm not sure I'm being clear. I really just want to say that I don't think we're ready for "genderblind" to equal anything other than "masculine."

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I don't think we're ready for "genderblind" to equal anything other than "masculine."

I think I understand you, but I disagree with you that it can't be done. And that's cool!

Yeah, I was SO not impressed with the previews for The Heat, but man oh man I'm glad I gave it a chance based on stuff I saw on Tumblr. Similarly, the previews for Pacific Rim still send me into a stupor of yawns but I'm going to go see it opening weekend so I can support an action movie that isn't all America-Fuck-Yeah-focused and features POC in quality roles.

[tessagratton.livejournal.com]

I was trying to explain to my mom why I really wanted to see Pacific Rim but wouldn't be dragged dead to Lone Ranger, and it basically boiled down to YAY POC ROBOTS AND ALIENS WOO vs HOMG GENOCIDE FOR LAUGHS WHUT.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Pretty much, yeah.

[alryssa.livejournal.com]

the default Person will still default to Man

Basically, yeah. Until social attitudes adjust to accomodate the fact that women are actually legitimate people in their own right, the 'genderblind' definition to everyone just defaults to 'white male'. Which is irritating but sadly true.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I'm curious why Ripley worked so well, then. What happened there that can't/doesn't happen anywhere else?

[alryssa.livejournal.com]

Because, much like Resident Evil's franchise, people aren't there so much for the characterisation as they are for the OMG ALIENS/MONSTERS and the ensuing horror/gorefest they promise.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Ah. Hm. Another opening-of-my-eyes that I don't see media the same way most of humanity does.

*sigh*

[alryssa.livejournal.com]

And, I've thought about this a bit more and I really am not comfortable with the 'genderblind' concept; it feels too much like erasure of identity, and as someone who ID's as genderqueer, that's really not my bag. It's telling me that my identity doesn't matter, that I should be homogenous like everyone else (when current social attitudes dictate that 'white male' is the default setting) and... nope, can't get down with that. Women characters should be treated with the respect they deserve; they don't need to be doing 'everything men do' in order to be seen as viable characters. 'Toting a gun' shouldn't be the ultimate definition of what constitutes a 'strong' female character IMO.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I agree with you, and I don't want you to feel erased at all.

My problem with the way "Strong Female Characters" as they are written right now by people who claim to be feminist is that...they aren't (the characters or the writers, IMO). Exhibit A (http://data.whicdn.com/images/14903233/1256285317_1280x960_cool-eliza-dushku-wallpaper_large.jpg) and Exhibit B (http://www.firefly.withoutshadow.com/wallpaper/serenity_official/inara_1280x1024.jpg). Notice the toting guns in both examples, too.

Edit: You know, I think I just really have a hate-on for Joss Whedon.

[alryssa.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank GOD. I was beginning to think I was the only one who didn't think Joss was such hot shit.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

You're not alone.

*fistbump*

[alryssa.livejournal.com]

I thought Firefly was bad; Dollhouse was just downright creepy as fuck.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I watched Firefly for the pretty but I had to ignore a lot of the elements and plot lines to be able to enjoy it. Much the same way I do with Supernatural.

[blackdwarv.livejournal.com]

God, I can only hope it is better then the preview. I don't think I can survive anything that would be *worse*. (And second strike: Sandra Bullock... who has yet to be in anything watchable...)

male writers who like to take credit for writing "strong female characters" (HELLO JOSS, I AM LOOKING AT YOU, YOU ASSHOLE) is that they might be trying to write Strong Female Characters but they are still writing fucking female characters. A truly strong female character is indistinguishable from a strong male character in the text.
Ohgodyes. There really is a difference between an actual female character and "Girls Kick Ass!" which 90% of the time comes down to some sort of male fantasy character (see: Charlie's Angels, Sucker Punch, etc...). Ugh.
I don't agree that they are indistinguishable from a male in the text, though. There is nothing keeping a female from being feminine and and pretty... even passive, and still being a great character. Failing the Bechtel test, I think, is an example of institutionalized sexism, not of personal. It is, however, an example of really shitty writing. (And Alien 3 & 4 suffered from that... shame, because 1 & 2 were so good...)

...I'll go and see The Heat on your recommendation. But it looks like genderswapped Tango & Cash to me (and that is a classic example of bad MALE character writing...)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Not having seen Tango & Cash, I can't say whether it's a genderswapped version. But, as I said, if you liked the 21 Jump Street movie, I would be shocked if you didn't like The Heat.

If you hated the 21 Jump Street movie, don't bother seeing this one.

There really is a difference between an actual female character and "Girls Kick Ass!" which 90% of the time comes down to some sort of male fantasy character (see: Charlie's Angels, Sucker Punch, etc...). Ugh.
I don't agree that they are indistinguishable from a male in the text, though.

Your view coincides with tessagratton's, above, I think. I definitely see your points and I agree with you to some extent. But I'm just So. Fucking. Tired. of seeing Strong Female Characters as recognizably gendered in some way that makes them seem less real than male characters OR as being put on pedestals.

[blackdwarv.livejournal.com]

Oh, god yes.

[chronovore.livejournal.com]

The Wikipedia article for Alien says Scott wanted a unisex crew, so that any role could be interchangeably male or female. It also says Ripley was the last character cast.

And, yeah, Alien 3 was utter dreck; whether or not you like Joss, it was a train wreck production, and can't be blamed on any one person. It is the only Charles Dance movie I try to actively ignore.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

The Wikipedia article for Alien says Scott wanted a unisex crew, so that any role could be interchangeably male or female. It also says Ripley was the last character cast.

Interesting!

It's good to know I'm not alone in my hatred of Alien 3. GOD DAMN I loathe that movie.

[dotar-sojat.livejournal.com]

Even the two minutes with the re-activated Bishop android? 'cause I will go to my grave believing that half of Lance Henrickson stole all of Alien 3.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

TBH, I've only seen it twice, and apparently I've blocked large portions of the movie. I don't remember Bishop making an appearance.