Movies and television have always been a distorted, relieving, and sometimes magical reflection of reality. Even in the stories that reach into the stars or the convoluted dreams of the human mind, they’ve always been something the audience can relate to. Characters can say what we can’t, they can change our minds, or make us feel seen, and that’s what makes film so special.
Since the beginning of filmmaking, women haven’t only been pushed to the background of the industry but also in the scripts that are written in male-dominated writing rooms.
Whether it’s the lack of female presence in general or the disfigurement of a woman’s strength or intelligence, many movies have portrayed the bleakness of potent sexism.
Reese Witherspoon once said in one of her most notable speeches: “I dread reading scripts that have no women involved in their creation because, inevitably, I get to that part where the girl turns to the guy, and she says, ‘What do we do now?!’ Do you know any woman in any crisis who has absolutely no idea what to do?”
I think this captures the damage of ignorance, or rather, adverse inaction, on the female audience when they see how they are portrayed, or how they used to be.
In the past decade, women have propelled into the forefront of many acclaimed and emotionally dominant movies. More importantly, to my own viewing pleasure, they’ve also made phenomenal growth in the television industry.
I’ll always remember the “feminist” episodes on Disney Channel, and then later learning that popular 1990s sitcoms had reduced their women to sex appeal.
Yet, a project that includes a large cast of women doesn’t mean that they’re well-written, and this is where many television shows and movies still struggle. At the same time, many have succeeded and made my list of my favorite characters to analyze.
Independence and Connection
Sydney Adamu from HBO’s The Bear is phenomenally written and overall centric to the success of the show. She’s captured the hearts of many, and Ayo Edebiri’s performance emphasizes the character’s strengths, weaknesses, dreams, and emotions.
A glowing aspect of relativity and audience affinity for Sydney is her ability to maintain an independent personality and yet still have meaningful connections with other characters — like a real person (crazy, I know).
Her authoritative personality adds a brazen authenticity that many writers seem to be scared of. Certain prejudiced audience feedback usually labels strong and commanding women as unlikeable or annoying, and Sydney proves these misogynistic critics wrong.
Her leadership, snarky personality, and straight-to-the-point talking style make her enticing; she transforms beyond the gender of her character and caters to the comedy of the genre.
Yet, I also believe her relationships with other characters are extremely important to her character. She isn’t cold. She can be straightforward, but also kind-hearted and hardworking, constantly being of help to her counterparts.
I think this speaks to a woman’s ability to be independent without being separated from her relationships, and letting it bleed into media is so important for representation.
I think there are many things to comment on surrounding Sydney’s character and the audience’s thoughts, even concerning racial reactions, but to this point, her desire to learn and be successful is truly admirable, and I encourage everyone to watch this show!
Imperfection and Dreams
I was searching for a movie with a character whom I admired, and I was drawn to Disney’s Cruella (2021) prequel adaptation. I think that the character of Cruella is fleshed out and painted so perfectly complex that it creates an interesting narrative, but also something to ponder.
I feel this movie is one of those situations where you’re pushed to root for the villain because they’re originating from difficult circumstances, as well as forced under pressure from a bigger, badder villain. In fact, everyone knows Cruella becomes an awful person, but her character in Cruella is simply too chic to hate.
Cruella is the product of an unfortunate upbringing, and that’s what makes her compelling, because how long can her actions be justified before she’s simply no longer a good person?
Her flaws are so deeply interesting to me, because on an equal side, you want her to succeed in her dream of fashion and overcome those who doubt her.
No one wants to be told they can’t, and I actually criticize this movie for making her arc so dissatisfying. I feel that the ending brought an abrupt conclusion to something more complicated than what they explored inside the movie.
Cruella in Cruella didn’t feel like a villain to me; she felt like a broken young woman who should’ve been given a chance. It was a true mischaracterization of her character in One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), and I’ll forever mourn that. I think her character’s short of perfection if you ignore the ending scene and the connection to the sequel movie.
Strength and Emotion
Considering relevancy and my new favorite show to binge, The Pitt’s Dr. Trinity Santos surprises me in her ability to be enigmatic and insufferable in every episode. However, it’s not unexpected that a show praised for its medical accuracy would have its characters be just as realistic and neatly crafted.
I’ll be honest, I don’t like Santos, but I can appreciate that being an unlikeable character doesn’t make her a bad one. I think her flaws, strengths, and constraints on emotions really make her compelling, even if I don’t enjoy how she treats others in the hospital.
Letting Santos have both her strengths and objectively harsh flaws, alongside her thinly veiled past, makes her a well-rounded character. She’s also a product of her environment; she refuses to accept change or make changes in her own behavior; this is an interesting writer’s choice instead of a cheap cop-out.
By making a woman who is self-sacrificing and self-deprecating continuously, you create a glass canon, leaving the audience to wait for an explosion.
For many, Santos is a relatable character, creating a space for those with a past that includes mental health issues and sexual assault. She’s a soldier in the hospital, constantly advocating for those who can’t speak for themselves against their abuser, and this speaks volumes for her past and how badly she truly wants to be there helping people.
Her emotion and strength aren’t so easily separated, and this makes her different from many female characters who are cornered into only one of those tropes.
I think it’s incredibly stupid to assume that someone who’s emotional can’t be intelligent or tough when they need to be — and unfortunately, this assumption is constantly being projected onto women.
As film evolves, it’s important that we don’t stop creating women who are strong. This doesn’t always mean they’re rude. This doesn’t always mean they’re incapable of being soft.
A well-written character is defined by their humanity. The closer the writer can be to the character, the better, because, as always, we create to provoke others to do the same. Art is a lifeform that needs its authenticity to convey its beauty.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest!