Unless I missed something, she was never referred to as 'American Mary', only 'Bloody Mary', or 'Doctor Mary'; nor do I remember it mentioning that she was an American as opposed to Canadian.
This bugs me more than it should . . .
It bugs me too.
The writer/directors are Canadian, the lead actress is Canadian, and the film was shot in Canada. It couldn't be more Un-American.
...still a good film though.
Wanted to add my 2 cents:
Not sure how it is in Canada, but in America student loan debt has reached astronomical proportions. It's Mary's debt that starts her looking for work on CraigsList and that is what sets her on her journey into body mod culture. If you think about, Mary couldn't defer her loan payments anymore and she had to make payments (or was it she was just flat broke and couldn't simply pay? I forgot).
Hence, she had to resort to desperate measures to make her payments (surgical student going to strip). Lo and behold, her surgical skills actually make her good money but alas the American Dream turns into a nightmare with Mary being raped and her dropping out of med school. Still with loans on her back, she continues to do her underground body mod schtick. Her fatal mistake was the revenge murders (really can't blame her).
That's what I took from the title:
Mary is an American living the American Dream (medical school and making loads of cash on the side) then she soon realizes that dream all too quickly becomes a nightmare (loan debt, rape, murder, betrayal).
It's probably not that deep, but that's what I got from the title.
I really think the writer/directors should of embraced their culture and made it a critique of Canada. It's really a cliche at this point to critique the American economy.
shareI took the title pretty straight forward...that she was a nobody, who got to do what she wanted to do, and make lots of money doing it. In a sick way, she lived the American dream! I personally think the title is catchy.
shareToo bad others can't. They like to make it too deep, and to think about it more. Really, I don't understand why people have to turn things into something it doesn't need to be. Must be bored to come onto the forums like this to start something that really isn't meant to be started. Just because she is from Canada, doesn't mean squat. The movie is about the character, not the actor. They do it with other movies too. People from U.K. have acting jobs that are in the U.S. They have voice overs for people that speak differently, and are supposed to be from another country or voice training for them.
I am a gore watching freak!!!
If it don't have it, it isn't worth the watch.
Soska Sisters just answered this on their Tumblr blog, (google twisted twin productions tumblr, twistedtwinproductions.tumblr.com).
There are many many conscious layers of depth to why it's called American Mary, including the idea that in America plastic surgery is viewed as being acceptable while body modification is viewed as weird.... which is inherently hypocritical. They juxtapose Beatriss 'betty boop' look with the modern plastic surgery look as a comment on the ephemeral nature of the beauty ideal. just that idea alone has made me pause and think... and they list many other ideas as well.
just brilliant filmmakers. i love their work so much.
Americans love putting 'American' in front of anything:
American Sniper
American Psycho
American Hustle
American Beauty
American Gigolo
American Gangster
American Buffalo
American History X
American Pie
American Yakuza
American Graffiti
....and so on
Americans love putting 'American' in front of anything
Living the american dream?
shareBecause it sounds cool? Trying to riff on American Psycho?
share