Tortured Love
Inspired by the Valentine’s Edition of New Yorker’s “Critics at Large” podcast, I have recommendations of my own. (My favorite shout-out of theirs was James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room. My only addendum to their excellent analysis is this line from the novel: ‘Nobody can stay in the garden of Eden,’ Jacques said. And then: ‘I wonder why.’”)
Begin with…
Midnight Sun (Stephanie Meyer)
While in no way close to the mastery of Baldwin (duh), Midnight Sun, Stephanie Meyers’ retroactive version of Twilight told from Edward’s point of view, is a perfect encapsulation of teenage lust and love from the perspective of stunted growth. The story is perhaps deeper and more layered from Edward’s perspective, as he’s arguably the more interesting (though frustrating) character when compared to Bella (the wet noodle every girl/Mormon Stephanie Meyer stand-in).
Followed by…
Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë)
Not only is this Bella’s never-ending obsession, but I am unashamed to say it is also mine. There’s nothing I adore more than yearning atop rainy cliffs, and God, did my favorite Brontë—sorry, Anne—give us a lot of that here.
THE GIRLS IN COURT
Begin With…
The Red Parts (Maggie Nelson)
The Red Parts is the real-time account of the 2004 trial of a man suspected of Maggie Nelson’s Aunt Jane murder in 1969. Both an insightful portrait of generational grief and an incisive rejection of catharsis, The Red Parts doesn’t revel in true crime and interrogates the very meaning of “Justice.”
Followed By…
Gypsy Rose Blanchard
It is hard to recommend a person, per se, but over the past six months, Gypsy Rose Blanchard has become a bonafide influencer. In a way, the public’s embrace of Gypsy Rose has raised questions of justice—did Gypsy Rose deserve what she got? (I lean toward “no”). What privileges has she been afforded that allowed her, a lá Martha Stewart, to rebrand prison time as a footnote in the vast tapestry of her life and career, rather than a life-ending sentence?
I’d recommend reading this think piece about Gypsy Rose’s new status as an American folk hero alongside these tabloid pieces.
SATURN RETURNS OF NEW YORK
This comes from my lovely friend Joe. Thanks, Joe!
Begin With…
Girl Friends (1978)
Followed By…
Frances Ha (2012)
YOUTH: A TORTURE DEVICE
Begin With…
Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)
A darkly funny, and unrelentingly bleak take on the palpable shittiness of growing up as a young girl. Think Eighth Grade without the tenderness. It’s Jawbreaker by way of Mean Girls.
Followed By…
Billy the Kid (2007)
A documentary by Jennifer Venditti, Billy the Kid is a comedic, tender portrayal of a young Maine teenager as he struggles with the aches of bullies, family troubles, imminent manhood, and identity. While equally dark as Welcome to the Dollhouse, Billy the Kid soars with hope and heart.
WE ARE DUMB BUT MUST, AGAINST ALL ODDS, GET OUT OF OUR STIFLING TOWN
White Boyz is just Three Sisters gender-bent, basically.
Three Sisters (Chekhov)
Whiteboyz (1999)
Insufferable Rich People Getting Murdered
While both films are inspired by Dame Agatha Christie, these films explore the distinctly American point of view of class dynamics and the myth of a “Great Man.”
Begin With…
The Last of Shiela (1973)
Written by Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim with performances from Raquel Welch, Dyan Cannon, and James Coburn, The Last of Shiela is gloriously petty, skewering 1970s Hollywood culture.
Followed by…
The Glass Onion (2022)
Rian Johnson utilizes these themes for the modern age, centering on a tech billionaire and his various problematic, grasping orbiters. A cleaner mystery and more exciting character exploration, I’d argue, than even the critically acclaimed Knives Out.
Books & Bildungsromans
Begin With…
Northanger Abbey (Jane Austen)
Jane Austen’s first novel, published posthumously, is a giddy entry into the Silly Women canon. Catherine, at seventeen, has never been anywhere, and as such has lived much of her life through books, specifically deliciously unserious gothic novels. So when she’s whisked off to Bath, she is unprepared and wonderfully naive.
Followed by…
Party Girl (1995)
Parker Posey stars as Mary, in the first film to premiere on the Internet.