Confession Corner: I Watched 'Twilight' Twice
Filed under: Romance, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom
...And I kind of liked it.
The first time I saw it was at an all-media screening full of women and the lucky teenage girls who knew them – daughters, nieces, friends' daughters, you get the idea.
(Pet peeve: They took away every. Single. Person's. Cellphone. And made us check them like coats at the most insanely tween club ever. I wanted to die. I understand the need to stop rude movie-goers from texting or Twittering during a movie, especially teen girls typing, "OMG RPattz sparkles!" But still, it only encourages me to hide my iPhone in an orifice next time I go to an all-media. Hopefully, it won't come down to full body searches, though.)
And even though a few girls did scream when Robert Pattinson's name came onscreen, and when he appeared onscreen, and when he took his shirt off onscreen, there was some giggling too. They knew it was silly, but the overwhelming crushed-out feeling took over – you know it from when you plastered posters on your wall, and yes, for the most part, those people were just as silly. (Except me, 'cause I had a Death poster from the Sandman comics. That's just how I rolled.)
It was like I could hear – no, feel – them blossoming into womanhood when he appeared onscreen. Creepy.
After dinner, a fellow feminist journalist and I discussed the movie – she "liked it because it appealed to the teen girl desire to just make out endlessly, that so few movies etc ever consider." I hated it because I thought it was stupid and boring, the acting was terrible, and the dialogue worse. I couldn't get through the first novel because the writing was so terrible it almost didn't make sense, and I'm pretty sure I wrote tween stroke material better when I was, well, a tween. And I found many aspects of the plot problematic, from the religious undertones, to the equation of sex and death, and how Edward basically stalks her.
But recently I watched it a second time as a favor, and as I mentioned above, I kind of liked it. I can't pinpoint why – it's still worthy of a cruel dissection by Laura Mulvey, and you could create an entire semester's worth of discussions and lectures and term papers around it for a feminist theory class – but there it was. Part of me got it. The twelve-year-old in me squeaked past the 32-year-old who cynically wondered what shade of lipstick Rpattz was wearing and why they didn't blend his foundation at the jawline, and I felt just a bit giggly and crushed-out like I was in seventh grade again.
So for different reasons, I agree with Erik's and Jessica's respective takes on Twilight fandom. Do I wish that girls were more obsessed with Weetzie Bat than Bella? Of course. Do I understand obsessive fandom? Hell, yes! So while I might not be apologizing for Twi-hards any time soon, I get it. That's why you see grown women reading Stephenie Meyer and Sookie Stackhouse and bodice-rippers on the subway. Because dumb crushes and escaping reality feel good sometimes. And hey, at least they're reading, right?
As an aside, aren't many romantic gestures in the movies stalkerish? I mean, I've seen an actual tattoo of Lloyd Dobbler holding up the boombox in Say Anything, but if that happened in real life, wouldn't any sane person be alarmed?
So, as per Monika's recent post, I gave Twilight a second chance for a variety of reasons, and surprised myself with a slightly different reaction than before.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-26-2009 @ 6:11PM
Master X said...
I read all the books and I enjoyed them. The movie is that bad but its also not great.
I think about of people hate Twilight because its the IT thing now.
Sure it doesnt appeal to everyone but I like a good love story every now and then.
Also IMO the 3rd book was epic, I cant wait for it.
I read them for a girl I know :p but I enjoyed more then I thought but I also like Vampires.
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8-26-2009 @ 7:01PM
Nifty said...
As a 38-year-old woman, I don't think I'm Twilight's target audience, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the series and the movie. I like the first book a lot. I like the series as a whole quite a bit. I think each of the subsequent books has certain problems, but the overall storyline still works for me.
The first time I saw the movie, I thought it was merely okay: overly angsty with stilted acting, but I loved the visuals, and except for Rosalie, they did a great job with the casting. Four months later, I watched the movie again and again thought that it was merely okay...but the second viewing inspired me to read the books again. And that's when I became A Fan.
The main appeal of the story for me is, I guess, the nostalgia of it. The particulars of her situation notwithstanding, Bella's crush feels familiar. I can still vividly remember walking into 12th grade English and seeing HIM for the first time. I literally stopped in my tracks and people bumped into me from behind, just like in a cartoon. Enjoying my crush was a lovely way to spend my senior year, and while I certainly don't pine for that long-ago boy, I can remember him -- and relate to Bella -- as I read her story. *shrug* It's sweet and innocent and fervent and kind of charming. And that's why I like it.
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8-27-2009 @ 9:27PM
rsd said...
The books are not bad, if they can keep teenager's attention. They also kept my attention, a 51 y.o. avid reader. Understand this: Stephanie captured the teen soul; hit it on the nose! When you meet your first crush/love, it's that crazy and intense. The term stocking really does not apply, because there is a certain innocense associated with that obsessive behavior, and an hormonal pull that is uncontrollable (multiply that by 100, by adding the thirst for blood, and the physical limitations it imposes). The problem, here, is adults judging teenager behavior. They usually are too harsh, which explaint the generation clashes, and consequent teen angst and rebellion. It's only a movie, people: allow yourself to dream. Too bad that so many of us have already forgotten what being a teenager really is!!!
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8-26-2009 @ 7:42PM
Jennnn said...
Twice? Ouch. I tried to sit through it once and couldn't make it past the first 5 minutes!! Technically, it looked terrible and I couldn't make myself watch the rest.
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8-27-2009 @ 2:03AM
Toyang said...
I loved the books and I loved the movie. Really, if people just stopped being cynical and over analytical over each and every detail of both the books and the movie, its quite enjoyable. Those who whine - "those aren't real vampires!" etc..don't take it too seriously - it's just a book. If you don't like the story, then don't read it and don't watch the movie.
I myself haven't seen The Dark Knight, because it's just not my type of movie. But I don't whine and bitch about it or its popularity.
SM is not the best writer in the world and she doesn't claim to be. But she is a wonderful storyteller - the millions of fans who love the saga attest to that. The movie wasn't that great - it could have been better. But it had an appeal all its own, not least of which at least Rob & Kristen tried to make it less cheesy lol. What worked in print def wouldn't have worked on film most of the time haha.
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8-27-2009 @ 7:39AM
BloodwerK said...
The kinds of girls who like Twilight are the ones who aren't ashamed to BE girls. There's way too much of this "one of the boys" crap going on, far as I'm concerned...
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8-27-2009 @ 10:51AM
Helen said...
I am outside the realm of the normal fan (I think). Being 48 and happened to watch the movie with my teens. I loved it, something just appealed and I really wanted to read the books to understand all the unspoken angst in the movie. My teens bought me the first two novels for mothers day and I read them in 1 week, ran out and bought the next two. Should I be ashamed - No. It appeals, it is written for chicks. Don't think guys would quite get it. My history of films and reading appeal to Mr Darcy, Mr Rochester, Johnny Castle from Dirty Dancing, An Officer and a Gentlemen, total escapism and some dysfunctional romances. Edward is 93 in a 17 year old body - what woman wouldn't go for that. He is old fashioned, considerate, committed and broods. I just love fantasy! Thanks Stephanie Meyer!
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8-27-2009 @ 12:25PM
Seth said...
I think it is important to point something out: we don't really examine the characteristics of a thing, and then rationally decide to like it. We rather subconsciously find a thing appealing, and then retroactively examine it to find ways to rationalize it. (There is a large body of research in psychology that supports this emotions first process of cognition.)
If we experience a thing differently after repeated exposure, it should scarcely be a surprise. In this case, it seems that the emotional experience of the social event might have swayed your gut reaction in a positive manner.
In any case, for my money, I liked Twilight as a book, although I don't have much interest in the film. It perfectly captured the vertigo of infatuation, but then, I am emotionally primed to react to this sort of thing. To all the haters out there, you need to recognize that your dislike is not a matter of empirical designation. You're more likely channeling some innate feelings about teen love and being an outsider than making a cold, rational assessment.
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8-27-2009 @ 12:40PM
jim said...
I watched it twice.. but the second time it was the Rifftrax for it. Which was TOTALLY worth it lol
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8-27-2009 @ 12:49PM
Anthony said...
The difference between creepy and romantic when it comes to behavior is entirely down to how attractive the subject finds the perpetrator.
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8-27-2009 @ 3:59PM
bobby1423 said...
i will never watch twilight i mean come on some emotional ass vampires whats that. if im going to watch a romance movie i got so called chick flicks 27 dresses the notebook ect. real vampires arent like that real vampires are like John Carpenters Vampires or 30 Days of Night even Blade movies. thats why i hate twilight and would never watch it. the only reason i thought about watching it was cause of kristen stewart she was great in cake eaters, also speak but it aint enough the idea of emotional ass vampires for humans no less is just stupid
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