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Today we welcome back our Friday Forum series where Anastasia (Gen X) and I (Gen Y) exchange letters and invite readers to join the dialogue in comments. This week we take on the return of the underdog, the few and far between female misfits in movies and more. Remember to add your thoughts in comments! Here’s what we came up with…

Dear Anastasia,

Hooray for the return of Friday Forum! I’ve missed these exchanges and I think I have just the topic to get us back in the game: the return of the relatable hero, charming in all of their flaws. I know some might argue that this is a more recent development brought on by teens’ newfound exposure to sides of real-life icons that they never could access before (thank you, Twitter), but I think you might agree that the history of anti-cool (as in misfits and rebels) actually has a pretty long history with an especially strong showing in the 1980s. Bueller?

Seriously though, Ferris’ infamous joy ride in Cameron’s dad’s sports car was totally one of the images that flashed through my head as I watched the trailer for upcoming comic book film “Kick-Ass,” the story of an mild-mannered high-school student (Aaron Johnson) who decides to try his luck at being superhero. If you haven’t seen the preview yet, take a look. Pop Candy blogger Whitney Matheson called the formula “a cross between Spider-Man, Freaks and Geeks and Kill Bill,” and personally, as you may have gathered from my commentary in Essentials, I’m completely on board.

Controversy around gratuitous violence aside, what’s not to like? It’s exactly what draws me (and countless t(w)een readers) into YA adventure reads like “Harry Potter,” “Percy Jackson,” “Hunger Games,” and my most recent obsession Leviathan — that balance between the escapist comic-book-type fantasy and authentic adolescent awkwardness. Speaking of… watching the trailer, you also definitely see the Judd Apatow staple of camaraderie among loser guys including “Superbad” breakout star Christopher Mintz-Plasse (though his alter ego Red Mist is a far cry from McLovin).

My response to that motif is a little more conflicted than other influences. On the one hand, it’s somewhat endearing to see guys in films like this (“She’s Out Of My League” and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” also seem to fit the bill) let their guard down (a voiceover in the ‘Kick-Ass trailer says “My only superpower was being invisible to girls”). But it also points to a common complaint with Apatow films and a missing component of this callback to Hughes-type anti-heroes: where the girls are. Molly Ringwald in “Pretty in Pink”/”Sixteen Candles” or Ally Sheedy in “The Breakfast Club.” It’s been years since “Juno” and “Nick and Norah,” and I feel like we’re still waiting. And yes, in “Kick-Ass” we see weapon-slinging tween “Hit Girl,” but the precocious-sidekick-wise-beyond-her-years role doesn’t exactly fill that same niche for teenage girl moviegoers.

It just makes me wonder whether it’s the industry or something else that keeps us from seeing the types of multi-dimensional, relatable girl characters you see so often in YA fiction and even on TV, make appearances in starring roles on the big screen? I know the most recent high profile example of underdog ladies making good ( “Whip It”) didn’t exactly make a splash in theaters, but my hopes aren’t quite dashed yet. With Natalie Portman producing not one but two contenders road trip comedy Best Buds and Booksmart, co-written by the amazing Sarah Haskins about two overachieving high school senior girls on a mission…I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Meredith

Dear Meredith,

I’ve missed these chats as well, and it’s good for my brain to think thoughts other than, “when did my daughter have her last bottle?”, “Did she nap?”, etc. Yes, I miss Molly Ringwald’s “Andie” from “Pretty in Pink,” the teenage girl with her own sense of style and agency (though I still kind of hate the ending) or Ione Skye’s brainy “Diane Court” in “Say Anything,” or even Reese Witherspoon’s “Tracy Flick” in “Election,” more fully fleshed out teenage girl characters. I think these types of characters have been banished to indie film land as Hollywood sticks to formulas it can bank on — the Apatow-esque male anti-heroes, male super heroes (real or wannabe) and traditional male action heroes. The smart/cool quirky girls and women seem to be relegated to fantasy land vs. high school like Emma Watson’s “Hermione” in “Harry Potter” or even animated Coraline or Tim Burton’s latest teenage incarnation of “Alice.” Or they are in girl-powered “chick flicks” like “Whip It.” Even though the first woman finally won an Oscar for directing (a war film), movie-making still tends to be a bit of a boy’s club.

In many ways, the teen girl anti-heroes are on TV — any of the girls on “Glee,” Claire on “Heroes” (though I think that show jumped the shark awhile back), Alex Dunphy, the brainy younger sister on “Modern Family” or the edgier teens on cable shows. Diablo Cody, who wrote “Juno,” is the writer behind “The United States of Tara,” which has great teen characters. I think television and publishing are probably more female friendly genres in terms of getting these types of characters on the page or small screen than movies on the whole. It would be nice to see interesting, quirky, strong female leads in teen films who are more than just the girlfriend or sidekick. I, too, look forward to Natalie Portman and Sarah Haskin’s flicks as well as to “The Runaways” to hopefully fill this void.

Anastasia

Dear Anastasia,

As I hurry to finish writing this response so I can make it to the second half of the NYC Teen Author Festival Symposium, I can’t help but think of the many, many content-creators out there dying to do just that. Not only in the realms of publishing and television, but online as well with web series and collaborative storytelling platforms. Just earlier this week we heard from Lauren on the awesomeness of “The Guild,” written by the equally awesome Felicia Day. Maybe with the help of fervent fans and the power of social media amplifying this need, we’ll see that void get filled by demand? For you, me and your little future teen girl moviegoer, I hope so!

Meredith

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Categorized under: Movies & Music, TV

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