Reviews, Interviews , News, Commentaries, My Top 5 Movies, Best-Of Lists, Filmmakers of Faith, Film ForumThe Twilight Saga: New Moon
1. Which movie line brings the biggest lump to your throat?
- "I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world."
- "This is true love … you think this happens every day?"
- "I don't want my soul if it means I can't have you."
2. Which line leaves you most concerned for the mental well-being of the speaker?
- "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my closeup."
- "You talkin' to me? Well I'm the only one here."
- "The pain is my only reminder that you were real."
3. Which line would you most want your daughter to head for the hills if a guy said it to her?
- "You should be kissed, and often, and by someone who knows how."
- "Men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way."
- "You are my only reason for staying alive."
Kristen Stewart as Bella, Robert Pattinson as Edward
Those might not be the exact questions you would be asked on a Facebook quiz to discover which New Moon character you are, or whether you should have a "Team Edward" or "Team Jacob" graphic on your wall. But if you recognized more of the (a) and (b) answers above than the (c) options, you're probably not in the target audience for New Moon.
There are other possible clues. Here is one that worked for me: My favorite moment in the film comes when Bella's friend Jessica is critiquing a zombie movie they had just seen. "What's the deal with zombie movies?" Jessica asks crossly. "Is it like a metaphor for consumerism or something? Get over your self-referential cleverness. Some girls just like to shop."
This pointed critique does not appear in the novel version by Stephenie Meyer, although the zombie movie is there, and Meyer does put a very different critique of the movie onto Bella's own lips: "I got nervous when the movie started," Bella narrates. "A young couple was walking along a beach, swinging hands and discussing their mutual affection with gooey falseness. I resisted the urge to cover my ears and start humming."
Gooey falseness, of course, is the Twilight Saga's whole raison d'être. "[T]he rapt, the intense, the swoony-devout; seldom a hint of gaity" was C. S. Lewis's disparaging description of distorted media images of sexuality (in his chapter on Eros in The Four Loves). It's also precisely what rabid fans of human-friendly vampire hunk Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and mortal chick Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) want from their story.
Taylor Lautner as Jacob
When Edward wants to know why Bella won't allow him to give her a birthday present, she responds, "Because I have nothing to give you in return." To which Edward's comeback is "Bella, you give me everything just by breathing." Everything Bella says to Edward amounts to Ah, Edward, you're too good and perfect for me; how unworthy I am of vampire love. And everything Edward says to Bella amounts to Ah, Bella, so pure and ethereal is my love for you that your mere existence is synonymous with my total good; I could neither wish for more, nor endure less.
Ultimately, Edward admits that he does want her blood, pretty badly sometimes, and yet he is adamant about not going there: not getting physical, not going all the way—even when Bella herself begins to pressure him. You can see why 14-year-old girls eat this stuff up. That the Edward Effect is no less potent for many of their mothers seems troublesome.
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Against the "saga"
I've read all the books in the twilight saga and there was so much romance it looked like it puked on every page, and yes Meyer repeated the same words over and over again. Plus in every book there was only one chapter with some action, horror for a person that was told there was action in the books, and really I have no clue how they made a movie out of the series. Now I haven't seen the movies, and I will never see them, I think we should be worried about how obsessive these people are. There's a difference between loving the series and going to see it again, and loving the series so much that you see it every chance you get. I actually know some people who saw twilight a lot. So that is a two cent view from a person who doesn't like the book series.
EC Jarrell
bWhat an awful review. It doesn't even discuss the film's merits as a piece of entertainment. It just gets hung up on the theme of "suicide" because the reviewer has a theological contention. But suicide is a common literary motif, and I don't think Twilight endorses it. This review doesn't talk about most of the movie--the awesomely evil Volturri, for instance, or the fight scenes. I'm a 22 year old guy. I'm kind of ashamed to say it, but I rather like Twilight and find it relatively engrossing and intriguing for what it's worth. It's soapy-pop melodrama with some adventure and suspense thrown in, a pretty quick fix kind of thing, but it's got its strengths. I really cared about the characters, as campy as the whole thing is. This movie was pretty well done, exponentially better than the first in terms of pacing, script, cinematography, special effects, and even acting. By the way, Bella did find out Jacob's secret when Jacob's friend turned, because Jacob turned right after that.
Nelli
I think your point about being careful of the type of 'love' that we pedal to teens is the most important one. Pastorally, the number of teens and twenties that I have had to nurture through "difficult relationship issues" only to find that they are going through what every couple goes through, is unbelievable. The 'problem' with these couple is they have unrealistic expectations of love and so when there is a difficulty and they feel like their partner is difficult to like or get on with, suddenly their 'love' begins to fade and this must not be "God's perfect person for me"... For goodness sake! Love and relationships are hard work, they require us to sacrifice our own interests for those of our partner and lay down what we want for what they want. We'll get hurt and we must learn to love through the hurt, like God does with us. These types of films only serve to perpetuate this misconception of what love and relationship really is!
Liz
I liked this movie, and if you have a problem with that, then get over it. I'm a Christian, heck one of my parents is a pastor, and even she liked it.
Lauren
I would highly agree. Both the book and the movie, while entertaining, peddle obsessive love to young girls and housewives. Bella's identity is wrapped up in another person; when that person (Edward) leaves her, she unfairly transfers all her value and identity to Jacob, knowing, as you said " that he hopes for what he can't have." To teach young girls that real love is obsession is only to set them up for failed hopes and unrealistic expectations in their future relationships; it is unfair to them. Thank you for having guts enough to say what needs to be said - more people need to read this article!