Many films have had a resurgence in popularity over the years, rising from the graveyard of bad reviews and, more commonly, changing perspectives and societal beliefs.
We’ve seen movies that were duds at the box office go on to gain the followings and fandoms they so deserve as times change and people, for the most part, become more progressive and able to look back on days gone by with both shame, and a mindset for growth.
I personally think it’s an absolutely wonderful thing to be able to look back on films as a time capsule for both the good and bad aspects of history, but there’s nothing more aggravating than one receiving a sudden surge in praise without paying any mind to the grossly bigoted and racist behavior of characters even in lead hero roles, and that is fully on display with Jennifer’s Body.
The film itself is a great accomplishment for feminism and queer representation, with stellar performances, disturbing effects and an otherwise solid story, but for every leap forward it made, it also seemed to fumble its way backward with racism, ableism, and a generally “anti everybody who isn’t a cis white woman” viewpoint that feels both dated and somehow still poignant, if looked at with criticism and disgust. However, most of the resurgence in viewership seems to gloss over the fact that these traits are glaring, instead overwhelming the film with praise for the higher points and ignoring things that, quite frankly, made me uncomfortable.
And yes, it does deserve praise, but that praise should also come with a big pinch of excessively white salt. Treating characters of different races and ethnicities, specifically those of Asian descent, with bias, and using their appearances and cultures as a shoehorn for a laugh, may have been considered socially relevant in the 2000s when the film released, but to ignore those things in the current cultural landscape is to erase the problematic history of only recent time. Between the racism and the repeated use of the “R-word,” it’s hard to overlook and it inadvertently takes the wind out of the progressive and forward thinking sails that many would have others believing it has.
While I praise Diablo Cody for doing something different and releasing it against type in a time when pandering to male audiences was the norm and every female in film, especially horror, was basically refined to a withering, screaming sex object, I also feel that these stunted attempts at humor held the film back from accomplishing true “diamond in the rough” greatness, somehow feeling like both a before it’s time progressive thinking film while also being a relic of things best left behind.
With unique and relatable performances from both Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried, and supporting performances that feel realistic for the time, it’s a shame that such a film is largely looked at through rose colored glasses and heart covered hoodies when it could be used as a conversation piece for how we can be better in this modern age. We shouldn’t ignore these aspects of this film, but rather embrace them, talk about them, and do better as a whole. Racism and ableism were a large staple of comedy during this time period in film, and that’s something that should be acknowledged as to how much we’ve grown as a society and as people, and also how certain groups were facing derogatory and discriminatory behavior as the norm just a short while ago. In fact, this kind of thing still happens regularly in real life, and having a film that perpetuates it without any criticism is vile.
I want to love Jennifer’s Body for what it has to say about women, the LGBTQ community, toxic female friendships, and predatory men, but it’s held back from being deserving of that love by dated attempts at comedy that have aged like a rotisserie chicken.
Let’s do better.