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A feminist movie (almost), thanks to Hudgens' performance

posted 11 years ago by teaguetod
12 replies | jump to latest

** possible spoilers **

Simply put: Vanessa Hudgens steals the show.

I would even say that she takes a paint-by-numbers routine serial-killer thriller, and turns it into a (quasi-) feminist film, all through the strength of her performance as Cindy.

Now please hear me out: mainstream Hollywood doesn't make many female-oriented films that aren't romantic comedies, films that 'feel real' about women's lives and their real problems. When was the last time you saw a movie that made you care about an underage runaway druggie prostitute? A victim of men, and the male-dominated world of the sex trade? (Not since Charlize Theron in "Monster," and who wants to sit through that again?)

Granted, this is still a very male-dominated show. It fails the Bechdel Test (when it didn't really need to; a simple scene between Cindy and Allie Halcombe, the detective's wife, would've been nice). And like almost all serial killer flicks, it's littered with So. Many. Dead. Women.

Yet, through its focus on Cindy and her back-story, it still managed to humanize some of those victims for me, and it really made me care about the tragedy of their deaths. (I also thought the photo-list of victims at the end helped to emphasize this.)

OK, I admit I found myself exasperated with some of the stupid messes Hudgens' character keeps getting into, and the number of times Cindy is nearly killed because she runs away from only man who wants to help her. But that's also totally in-character for her as a runaway and a victim of sexual abuse, distrustful of all men.

How many times in Hollywood films are women just exploited as so many pieces of meat? Even here, on these message boards -- and knowing this is a film about a serial killer (yet another) that preys on prostitutes, the most vulnerable women in society -- even here, dudes are asking, Do we get to see Vanessa Hudgens naked? Does she do a striptease? etc.

That's why I say it's a feminist movie (or as good as we're likely to get, considering the genre): because it made me identify w/ the plight of a victimized young woman who has nowhere to go, no hope, and is being hunted (in some form or another) by predatory men every single day of her life.

Who Hudgens is in real life, I don't care. I just wish that more actresses would get more movie roles like this.

Also, hats off to the real Cindy.

[–] katelizabeth 11 years ago

Very well said. I agree.

[–] AndWon 11 years ago

Agreed.

[–] FootwearQuality 11 years ago

"That's why I say it's a feminist movie (or as good as we're likely to get, considering the genre): because it made me identify w/ the plight of a victimized young woman who has nowhere to go, no hope, and is being hunted (in some form or another) by predatory men every single day of her life."

So your definition of a "feminist movie" is something that makes you care about women who are victims of predatory men? I thought feminism was about men and women being equal...

Also, regarding the Bechdel Test--did you miss the multiple scenes between Cindy and the older prostitute who takes her under her wing? She brings her to the strip club, they drink Courvoisier together, get high together, and then she helps Cindy get psyched up to dance. The film clearly passes the Bechdel Test.

[–] lazarillo 11 years ago

I don't know (and don't care) if it's a feminist movie, but why cast Vanessa Hudgens who 1. is not a great actress (although she isn't terrible in this), and 2. is more likely to induce boners among half the audience than sympathy.

Everybody has already seen Hudgens naked in "Spring Breakers" and 10,000 "leaked" internet photos, that's not the point (or it's not MY point). The strip-club scene is completely unnecessary to the plot and the fact she only half-ass strips makes it even worse. I don't know why it's "feminism" to play a prostitute or stripper, but sexism to do an actual nude scene. I don't know why it's "feminism" to stick your thong-clad ass in the camera, but sexism to take your off your top like any real stripper would (if you MUST include a stripping scene in the movie at all).

I actually agree completely with the OP that it's sad some guys see this movie just to see Hudgens not-quite naked, but that's unfortunately why she has had a career (so far). Still, actresses who get cast for their looks really need to quit trying to "tease" their way to respectability. If you're a good actress (or actor for that matter), no mature person CARES whether you do nudity or not in a movie, but you should if you're going to take certain roles. It would have been just as stupid if Matthew McConaghey and the other muy sexy guy hadn't done what REAL male strippers do in "Magic Mike" because they want to be "taken seriously as actors" or some nonsense.

[–] teaguetod 11 years ago

lazarillo:

This is only a guess, but maybe the non-nudity was done on purpose in this case, so that the gossip and buzz about the film wouldn't revolve around a Hudgens' nude scene. Since this serial killer preyed on strippers and prostitutes, maybe they wanted to avoid turning it into an exploitation film out of respect for the victims. I know that may sound ridiculous, but the list of victims and their photos at the end isn't something I've seen in many serial killer films. It does show they were at least trying to be sensitive to the plight of the victims.

I haven't seen Spring Breakers; I didn't know she had a nude scene in that movie. I normally don't seek out a film because it stars Vanessa Hudgens. That's probably why I was so impressed with her performance in this movie.

I also agree with you about the hypocrisy over nude scenes and 'being taken seriously' in Hollywood. I think it's more an American thing, and less so in other countries. One amazing American TV series that is both very feminist (in my opinion) and also features a fair amount of female nudity is Orange is the New Black on Netflix. Yes, it's a Women in Prison show(!), but somehow totally avoids being exploitative.

[–] teaguetod 11 years ago

FootwearQuality:

OK, first: I'm a man, so it's not really for me to say if something qualifies as 'feminist.'

And yeah, I admit this probably isn't the ideal feminists dream of when they imagine a 'feminist' movie. I guess I thought that showing a relatable character in this situation, someone we could empathize with, was better than nothing.

As for the Bechdel test, I'm not sure two women talking in order to enable one of them to follow the life of stripping and prostitution is really what the test had in mind.

[–] honeyforu 11 years ago

No but it does make us empathetic to her situation, which I believe is one of the steps to working towards an equal society.

[–] varundev 11 years ago

Excuse me !! It is not feminist movie but as the victim recovered was a girl and thus story leads. It is like all the films as were Heroines leads the role. As The hero here were married and has kids and she is not the heroine thus the 2nd actress does it.

So how can you call it a feminism ? If so as per your thoughts every movie is a feminism .

And 1 more thing
if you meant to say she leads to Villain then i say Hell NO. In this movie Vanessa never helped him to find the Villain.
She was just dodging.

I will tell you what feminism in a movie describes.

Feminist movies are those movies in which movie only directs in female PERSPECTIVE.
In this movie Nicolas is the perspective !!!!!
Thanks.

[–] shawneuser 11 years ago

If you say so...

Cindy is annoying as hell, and every woman in this is useless.

[–] mildu619 11 years ago

oh my god nobody cares

[–] sageonelove 10 years ago

I agree, and having Cindy nude would have made me feel like a participant in her exploitation .... I was glad they showed she was a flawed human being just like everyone is.

[–] lazarillo 10 years ago

Sorry that makes no sense at all. Women are not "exploited" simply because they're nude in a scene where the role clearly calls for it. Yeah, that makes guys want to have sex with them maybe. But I think I can safely say that guys want to have sex with Vanessa Hudgens when she sticks her thong-clad ass in the camera in this movie or her short-shorts clad ass in the camera in the PG-rated "Journey 2 the Forbidden Island", or when she demonstrated her "booty dance" on a recent appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman". She'd have to appear in a full-length burka in every role to avoid being "exploited" if that's your definition.

It's also taking a dim view of men if you think we can't possibly like or have any sympathy with a female character if she sexually arouses us. Obviously, that's ridiculous.

They should have left the whole strip-club scene out because otherwise nudity would not have been relevant to this particular plot. But it also wouldn't have been a big deal. If you really consider is a "feminist" performance, it wouldn't changed that one bit if she had a nude scene.