Thoughts on Emma Stone's Vancouver Sun interview, and other Tumblr stuff

[skalja]

(Reposted from Tumblr; the interview in question is here.)

It sounds like Gwen's portrayal is pretty much on target, which is good!(Gwen) grew up on the Upper East Side (of New York), had a very stable family - a daddy’s girl,” she said. “Her father was the police chief. . . . She’s the oldest in her family (and) she has younger brothers. She is

Comments

[sandoz_iscariot]

oh Spider-Man reboot, why do you always make me want to tear my hair out? (It just sounds so...grimdark and depressing, especially since I'm 99% sure at least one of the Stacys is going to be killed off in the finale.)

Avi Arad called Peter Parker’s romance with Gwen Stacy “probably the greatest love story in Marvel (Comics history).”

The "greatest tragedy" in Marvel comics I could buy, but not greatest love story. I'm not a fan of pushing Gwen as "Peter's One True Love" and the tendency for writers and fans to elevate her to sainthood because she died is sad and creepy.

[skalja]

The "greatest tragedy" in Marvel comics I could buy, but not greatest love story. I'm not a fan of pushing Gwen as "Peter's One True Love" and the tendency for writers and fans to elevate her to sainthood because she died is sad and creepy.

Yeah, exactly. Saint Gwen is a cipher who bears no relation to the actual character, and a cipher who's often objectified and infantilized at that. (Cf the scene in Marvels where Gwen walks out among the Atlantean tanks and we're supposed to see this as a demonstration of her sweet innocence and purity of heart, as opposed to impulsively and potentially life-threateningly risky.)

And it really says something that so many fans and creators think Peter's "one true love" is the marble statue on the pedastal. Not that I buy into the "one true love" thing, period, seeing as one of the reasons I love Peter/MJ so much is that the two of them weren't instantly meant for each other, either in-universe or out, and did so much growing.

[dlasta]

it's like if Juliet died and Romeo went on to be a character in other Shakespeare plays moaning about it.

*THIS*. Heh.

Also, so much WHYYYYYY?
Can't they just do it *right* this time? Better script, better actors, better special effects? ...you know, since they obviously have to?

[skalja]

Honestly I have zero objection to Garfield and Stone -- I actually fancast Garfield as Spidey about a year before he was actually cast, though I'm afraid the movie might taint that petty accomplishment for me, and as for Stone my only objection is that she should've been MJ -- but everything else we've seen so far...

[dlasta]

Stone should have been MJ. I'm not just talking about the looks but she has that something that gives her weight on screen. (Unlike Dunst who always seems lacking something.)

I think they will manage at least a fairly good movie. It might not be 'our' Spiderman but it can't suck more than the ones that came previously. Right?

[skalja]

Yeah, weight is a good way to put it. Dunst is very airy, and that's not always a bad thing but MJ should have a certain pull that draws our attention even if we're not really sure what drives her.

See I'd love to think that but (a) I actually enjoyed the first two movies apart from the love story and (b) whatever the faults of Raimi's trilogy at least he had some basic comprehension of the origin story! I just ... this is so thematically divergent it's not really Spider-Man anymore.