Well, la di da. I'm still writing this and it's almost 2am.
So, the term "manic pixie dream girl" was coined by some movie critic dude describing Kirsten Dunst's character in Elizabethtown, a classic (and heartwarming) chick flick. The idea behind a manic pixie dream girl is a female movie or television character who is a little quirky and not entirely thought-out by the writer; her purpose is merely to encourage the leading man to become his best self without really searching for herself. Although they happen to be the driving force, their male counterparts get a billion times more limelight. The credits roll and we never really got to know her as more than an object of romance.
According to Wikipedia, this kind of girl has been compared to something called "The Magical Negro" - that character of color whose only purpose is to give the protagonist (usually male, almost always white) some non-Western spiritual intervention. The Magical Negro is basically a human-version of a Deus ex machina. Come on, there are so many freaking examples of this.
Overall, "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" is something a sexist writer utilizes while "The Magical Negro" is something an ignorant, lazy writer utilizes. Characters of value and potential become lackluster plot tools, cheap Hollywood fixes. This is hardly suitable for the woke, educated millennial.
Here's another example of a typical, boring MPDG - Cara Delevigne's Margo in Paper Towns. Now, I actually quite like this movie as cheesy and John-Green-y as it is. But Margo sucks. Yes, there are stronger female roles balancing her out but Margo is the epitome of a sexist's MPDG. She's all wanderlusty with zero purpose. The only point of her is so that Nat Wolff can discover himself in his search for her whereabouts. We never have an opportunity to understand her because she's such a shallow character. Bleh.
However, there are certain films that feature manic pixie dream girls - or at least a version of them -who are actually, like, great. Great, and important to the plot of the story. It's not just all about the romance for them. Their characters are actual humans with lives and jobs and responsibilities.
Zooey Deschanel's Jessica Day from New Girl is that kind of MPDG - she's got the not-your-average-gal X-factor going for her. Although not my favorite female role in the entire world, Jess takes care of business despite how adorkable and immature she can be. Jess is actually thought-out and she has crucial importance to the series. We see her grow. Best of all, the series doesn't end with an easy Nick + Jess finale.
Now, whenever I come across a girl in a film who is a little quirky, definitely passionate, and yes, manic, I deem them worthy of this prestigious title. They're the antipodes of that 2000s trend of the no-nonsense business woman character who can't commit to relationships (think Sandra Bullock à la The Proposal). A feminist's MPDG is goofy, confused, and all-over-the-place, yet insist on their independence. They do seek love because they're optimistic (unlike Ms. Bullock), they just don't always get it (also unlike Ms. Bullock). There isn't the usual *cue the kiss* *cue the music* *cue the credits* routine. They don't need a man to break through their cold, bitter walls because they're idealists and thus have little to no cold, bitter walls. And, quite frankly, they tend to steal the best lines.
They have flaws, and not the kind of flaws any guy would find endearing. Not ones that always seem to attract the cliché declarations of love like, "I love the way your eyebrows furrow when you read a book you love." None of that BS. These MPDGs have faults - ones that are real, non-negotiable, and ugly, and provide for a more realistic showcase of what relationships are all about. I mean, I LOVE When Harry Met Sally, but come on.
Below we have a lineup of feminist (and underrated) MPDGs. We're gonna go a little further beyond the more-obvious Jessica Days and Leslie Knopes. Hit it.
Frances | Frances Ha
Okay, Frances Ha is a fantastic film that is much too highly unknown. If you haven't seen it, stop reading this and watch it yesterday - it's on Netflix.
I relate to Frances in so many ways. Watching this movie is like watching myself. I love her. She's an absolute icon for any young millennial in 2017, the encapsulation of women our age. She's confused, crazy, creative, idealist, can't handle her money or relationships, and kind of knows what she wants but also kind of not. She feels like she's falling behind all of her friends and can't seem to obtain all of those life-things a woman is traditionally expected to find. The thing that really makes her stand apart from the other MPDGs is that there kind of is no love interest (unheard of!). There are only implications. That's important. The credits don't roll the moment she's kissed, had sex with, or married that special someone. She's not onscreen to find a happy ending. She's just there to tell her story. "I'm too tall to marry."
Margot | Take This Waltz
I'm sure a lot of people who have seen Take This Waltz are thinking "WTF, how is Margot an MPDG?" Here's my reasoning. She's definitely confused and quirky. She has no clue what she's doing and can't put her finger on what she wants. She feels misunderstood and stuck. And the pièce de résistance - she follows the normal progression of every romance movie ever, only to find it's actually not really what she needs. She's the perfect example of the MPDG idealist. I kind of read the plot like a special kind of social statement: fairy tales are nonexistent and love is not a quick fix.
Ruby | Ruby Sparks
Here's the cool thing about Ruby Sparks. Ruby actually is your typical manic pixie dream girl. She's the girl of this sad, sensitive writer's dreams; a girl without a life of her own who depends on him. Sound familiar? The atypical thing about it - and I'm guessing it's because Zoe Kazan wrote the movie and starred as Ruby herself - is that the whole thing goes to shit. Much to the writer's dismay, this Ruby is an unsustainable fantasy. A doll.
Women like Ruby simply do not exist. They're fiction. Women have their own aspirations and goals. They're their own human beings and, as such, relationships with women - with anybody - will never ever be total smooth sailing. This film demonstrated all of these truths in a very clever, witty way. Perfection.
Annie Hall | Annie Hall
Personally, I think Annie Hall is an ultra feminist icon but I have a feeling many people have made the opposite argument. To me, this film is similar to Ruby Sparks because it has to do with a man trying to pin a woman down and failing miserably. In Annie Hall, we don't watch the man pursue his dreams with the unwavering support of his grinning girlfriend. Instead, we watch Annie - confused, erratic, awkward, and perpetually restless - try to find herself while Woodie Allen's character tries hopelessly to keep up with her. She is not satisfied so easily. The result is pure, subtle feminism and a real depiction of adult relationships. And bonus: Diane Keaton's killer outfits during the whole thing.
A Part II may come at some point! I can't think of any others and I'm too tired to write anymore. Night! (Or morning technically).
L
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