And then I saw *that* trailer. I won't share it here. It was awful. It made me want to not see the movie at all.
But then I listened to what women were saying after they'd seen the movie. And I got excited.
So this past weekend, my wife and I went to see it. And I felt like a kid again.
Let's get some things out of the way first. The movie had some flaws.
I cringed at the "sassy black woman" cliché, even though Patty, as a whole, is a wonderful character and had my wife's favourite line ("Room full of nightmares..."). This is not a great movie for racial diversity or representation. It's very, very white.
Then there was Bill Murray. Now, most of the original cast got a cameo (including the lovely bust of Harold Ramis at Columbia University, and the surprise appearance of Annie Potts). But Murray got a whole extra scene at the Ghostbusters' HQ. This scene killed the pace and added nothing to the story. It could have (should have) been cut, and literally nothing would have changed for the rest of the movie. Really, it smacked of Murray wanting more screen time, and being granted it because Bill Murray. I've never been a fan of him outside of Ghostbusters, and maybe Scrooged, and this extra scene felt like pure ego-stroking.
So with those issues firmly established, let's look at what's so important about this movie, and why it's so good.
As I watched, I was wary of a trap I've frequently fallen into, whereby I fake enjoying a movie that's actually really bad. I did it with Phantom Menace and Ghostrider. But it turned out that this time, my enjoyment was genuine. So why was I continually checking myself?
It was because I was seeing something I had never seen before.
The dialogue sounded strange. The characters use a lot of techno-jargon. It was all based in actual terminology used for the study of the paranormal, or on jargon from the original. And it was all well-delivered. The reason it sounded strange was because I'd never seen a sci fi action movie where multiple women were playing scientists. I'd never seen women have scientific discussions. How messed up is that?
There was never one mention of body issues or any of the team wanting to look sexy. The team didn't snipe at each other or try to one-up each other. They dressed appropriately for their work. They ate because they were hungry and didn't complain about being on a diet or start comparing their figures. They were there to do scientific research and to help people.
And then, it all went up to 11...
I love fight scenes. I could write for volumes on the meaning and purpose of fight scenes and their role in narrative. This was one of the most stunning and significant fight scenes I have ever witnessed.
No skin-tight or revealing clothing. No moves posed to make the character look sexier. No male character jumping in to save the day.
There is a standard by which most characters are portayed. I like to frame it as "I want to be that" vs "I want to fuck that," with men falling largely into the "I want to be that" category, and women being presented as "I want to fuck that."
In the cinema, I wanted to be Holtzman.
I'm not the only one to feel that this scene was so important, either,
This movie has broken new ground. It was exactly what I'd originally hoped an all-woman Ghostbusters movie would be like. Women, coming together by their own choice, using knowledge and skills only they have, to do good. To save the day, because only they can.
And that's why this movie is so important. That's why it needed to have an all-woman team. I've repeatedly said that diversity, in and of itself, will improve any story. And here is my proof. Imagine this movie with an all-male team, or even mixed gender. Would it have been fun? Sure. But it would not have been so incredibly significant.
The imagery of women saying "this happened to me!" and being disbelieved, torn down on the internet, and expected to happily endure their treatment.
Women faced with men who oppose them, undermine them, insult them, who treat them worse the more they insist on being treated with respect. Men who only allow them to operate untormented for as long as they can go without drawing attention to themselves.
A villain who is the epitome of the reactionary rejected male. Who thinks others have to suffer because he has had a hard time.
And women, standing together to save the world, and each other (power of friendship, yeah!!). Not fretting over boyfriends. Not jealous of one another. Women who got to be heroes wholly, and deservedly, in their own right.
Not only that, but the original Ghostbusters were running a business. They formed the team because they thought catching ghosts would make them rich.
2016's Ghostbusters set out to catch ghosts in order to study them, Their primary goal is research, the pursuit of knowledge. Sorry, boys, but these Ghostbusters are better scientists than the originals!
Can you remember the last major mainstream movie that featured an all-female lead cast?
It was Sex and the City 2, in 2010.
Do you know what challenges those characters faced? A failing libido. Fear that a husband would cheat with someone more attractive. Not getting jewellery as a present. And making it to the airport so they wouldn't have to fly home economy-class.
It's time for that to change.
I used to say that, when it comes to representation in stories, women get to fight each other, and men get to save the world.
This year, women got to save the world. Let's keep that going!
I used to think I wanted my daughters to watch the original Ghostbusters first. But now I'm not so sure. The movie I first saw as a kid was made for me. It taught me things that seven year-old me needed to learn.
My daughters have different things to learn. And this movie is for them. And every other little kid out there.
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| Light 'em up, ladies |
