It’s not *all* gloom and doom around here. It was mostly a good Good Friday. Having the day off was excellent. The little man and I made morning visits to the coffee shop and children’s museum. The double mocha at the former helped me gear up for the latter. Then we were on to spend the afternoon with an old friend. Lunch was followed by an afternoon of good conversation and bad cartoon consumption. Then back home, so I could have a little downtime before girls’ night out. Which began with dinner at the restaurant I’d eaten lunch at. And that was a-ok with me. Dinner and conversation were great. But then. My spidey-sense began to tingle when I asked where and when we were seeing a movie. I thought the what had been settled. But it seemed we had varying ideas regarding the selection. I’d thought we were seeing “View from the Top“, which would have been all right. Another idea was “Phone Booth“. I was leaning towards one of the Shaw Brothers’ chopsocky epics, or something in the International Film Fest, but there was only one other taker. So it was somehow decided we’d be venturing out to Southdale. A mall not unlike or far from that which “Mallrats” was filmed at. But I digress. As we departed the restaurant the movie choice was sort of left up in the air. To be determined at the theater. So we headed out in various vehicles. Upon arrival our group hit the arcade. Which was the most enjoyable part of the theater-going experience. But before I knew what had happened, a splinter group showed up and purchased tickets. For “What a Girl Wants“. And, not wanting to break up the group, the rest of us followed suit. If I’d had my car I would have driven home…after another game of Centipede. Instead I shelled out my $8 to behold the most vile bit of claptrap I’ve endured in years. Descriptions from various reviews:
“Clueless without a clue.”
“Never fails to live down to your expectations.”
“Teen movies don’t have to be pandering and idiotic, but you wouldn’t know that by watching this Girl, an aimless piece of fluff that trades in clichés and stock jokes that have for a long time now been signifiers of humor rather than the real thing.”
“An execrable and witless nonstarter that makes a potent case for hanging the Cinderella myth out to dry till the end of time.”
What’s more is how damaging these sorts of films are to their target audience: adolescent girls. Not only do their predictable plots ensure that girls need not think for themselves, they also instill in them unrealistic expectations that will only lead them to be disappointed with their current and future lives. In real life we can’t all be (or necessarily want to be) rescued by wealthy older men, fathers and sugar daddies alike. Our estranged parents are rarely going to get back together and live happily ever after. Not all of us are, or should be, rail-thin with a closet full of the trendiest (and tackiest) clothes. Ugh. Enough. With all that said, I haven’t given up hope entirely on American made movies. I’m willing to give it another go this afternoon. The little man has a visit with his Dad, so I’ll be off to see “A Mighty Wind“, the long-awaited latest offering from Christopher Guest and ensemble. There’s nowhere to go but up.
