Moxie
*Spoilers*
I discovered third wave feminism and Bikini Kill my freshman year of college. Kathleen Hanna immediately became one of my biggest heroes (watch her doc The Punk Singer please!) and I soon also fell for the exploits of bands like Le-Tigre, The Breeders, Hole, Sleater-Kinney, Bratmobile, and L7. Even though I was born in the nineties, the culture and movements of riot grrrl felt very much of the past; too far for me to touch. Gen Z, for all their stumbling blocks, are probably the most educated, mobile, and gun-ho generation since Gen X, and that exemplary revolutionary spirit fuels this Amy Poehler helmed comedy.
There was a lot of heart to this and it’s an honest look at how high school functions, even in the current day. At one point Lucy says the school is an outlier, but it’s really not. My high school experience was marred by homophobia, racism, and misogyny, and I was heavily bullied from elementary school on. One of my middle school bullies is now in prison for rape, and I am not surprised, as you probably weren’t when the quarterback was unmasked near the end. We have all been in uncomfortable situations where we didn’t feel safe, whether your appearance is remarked upon, demeaned and dismissed, or even followed or catcalled, we have all been there.
While the central point and inspiration was great, there was a lot of choices and plot holes that made absolutely no sense to me, such as:
Why did Vivian hate her mom’s boyfriend? Did they cut a scene where it’s revealed he’s conservative or are we just supposed to guess?
Why did the film bring up so many issues but then never address them fully? (Transphobia, racism, ableism, homophobia, etc.)
Why was everyone so mean to that mascot kid?
What does that ending mean? How could he finally be in trouble, when she hasn’t put in a complaint and hasn’t submitted a testimonial?
Why did they all act like it was the principal’s fault that their friend didn’t win student athlete when it was a student vote?
These issues with the film’s plot and tone really messed with my enjoyment of the film overall and make it a very uneven watch. It’s tough to cram so many central points, plot, and emotional heft to a single film, and I think that’s why it was originally produced as a book. I think some important aspects of the film were probably lost on the cutting room floor, and I think if this had been reworked properly it would be that much better of a film. If they had maybe cut out the whole Lucy/Claudia/Vivian friendship triangle it would have glided along better. Ultimately, the side characters, who aren’t disengaged white girls with pretty privilege, are probably the ones who should be telling this story and the ones who are the most interesting.
Feminine rage and violence really hasn’t been appropriately delved. Men have “Fight Club,” a book and film about how society puts men into boxes wherein they must exist, and their emotional needs are not met. The closest female equivalent I have ever experienced was “Dietland” a book about an obese woman who comes to accept herself for who she is, while witnessing a mass movement of female rage and retribution. It is one of the most piercing, life changing books you will ever read. “Moxie” is a junior approximation about true rebellion in a whitewashed suburb. If this film at least serves as a stepping stone, as an educational tool to those who haven’t heard of Kathleen Hanna and don’t know what “Girls to the front” means, it’s a good start.
