Weitz, C. (Director). (2009). The Twilight Saga: New Moon [Motion picture]. United States: Summit Entertainment. (Based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer.)
Why watch this film
Imagine you fall in love with a guy and he turns out to be a vampire. You’re okay with that but he dumps you and leaves town anyway. Then you finally find a new guy, and he turns out to be a werewolf. Watch New Moon to find out how Bella deals with these awkward situations.
Plot summary
Bella is a senior at a high school in Washington state. She’s in love with Edward, another student at the school, but he’s a bit older than her, like 100 years or so. He looks pretty good still, a little pale, but otherwise you wouldn’t think he’s a day over 25. He’s a vampire. But it’s okay, because his family has sworn off humans.
Bella wants Edward to make her a vampire, but that makes him uncomfortable, so he and his whole family leave town. Bella is devastated. Sits in a chair in her bedroom for months. Finally she realizes that when she does something reckless Edward shows up, kind of ghostlike, to tell her to straighten up. So she buys some old motorcycles and asks this guy Jake, a student at another school, to fix them up for her so she can be reckless on a regular basis.
First thing you know Bella’s all in love with Jake. That’s cool, until Jake starts hanging out with the wrong crowd and ends up a werewolf. That makes it hard for Jake to trust his intimacy. If he loses control and Bella is around he might hurt her. (Bella, do you see a pattern here?) Plus, it turns out Jake’s werewolf crowd and Edward’s vampire family are sworn enemies. What’s a girl to do?
Critical evaluation
As a librarian I know I need to keep up on popular culture so I can serve the young patrons’ needs well, but, I gotta say, this movie is crap. I don’t mind the vampire stuff. Vampires are kind of interesting. Can’t say the same for the werewolves. But it’s the vision of love and relationships in The Twilight Saga: New Moon that makes me want to puke. What kind of role model is Bella for a young woman? It’s not so bad that she falls in love with a vampire. Edward is cute enough and he treats her well. But wanting to become a vampire herself? Isn’t that kind of chucking your whole identity to be like your man? And when he leaves she sits in a chair being miserable for months. Get a grip, girl. Then she starts hanging out with Jake and all the sudden loves him as much as she loved Edward? What’s with the fascination with overbearing, way-to-powerful guys who admit they might brutalize you at any minute? Bell is not a good model for young women who are learning to build healthy relationships.
I have to admit that it’s an inspired move to put the vampires and werewolves in the same movie. If I thought all the teenage fans of Twilight were going for the chuckles, I wouldn’t mind this movie nearly so much. But even if they do see the humor in the film, I’m afraid it’s the relationship drama that’s going to stick with them in the long run. Again, it’s just not healthy.
About the director
Chris Weitz was born in 1969 in New York City. He is the third generation of his family to be involved in film production (a grandfather was a producer, his mother was an actress, his uncle was a director, etc.). His other directorial work includes About a Boy (2002) and The Golden Compass (2007). He also received credit as a screenwriter for both films. Weitz also acts (Mr. and Mrs. Smith, 2005) and produces (Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, 2008). (Biography for Chris Weitz, n.d.).
Genre: Coming of Age, Film, Supernatural powers
Curriculum ties
In a media literacy course or unit, New Moon could be used to show how popular media perpetuate stereotypes about woman, men, vampires, werewolves, etc.
Film-talking ideas
Most teenagers have probably heard of this film, but if one needs to do a film-talk, one could give a little historical background on the vampire and werewolf genres and then show a clip of them going at it in New Moon.
Viewing level/interest age
The PG-13 rating suggests that the film is appropriate for both middle school and high school students.
Challenge issues
The film is rated PG-13, and it has no profanity, explicit sex, or serious violence (although I cringed a lot when the master vampires were throwing Edward around on the marble floors and steps). Some people have religious objections to vampires and werewolves.
Responses
• Remind the challenger of the policy (in the case of the San Francisco Public Library) to present “all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.”
• Inform the challenger that you think the film sucks, too, but what are you going to do when it’s backed by all that Hollywood money?
Why I chose to view this film
When I read the following in a New York Times article about record-setting opening-weekend ticket sales for New Moon, I felt a certain responsibility to check it out:
Female moviegoers, particularly teenage girls, drove ticket sales, as expected. Summit said the audience was only 20 percent male, an improvement from the first movie; 50 percent of the audience was under the age of 21 (Barnes, 2009).
References
Barnes, B. (2009, November 22). ‘Twilight’ dawns bright at the box office. The New York Times. Retrieved November 29, 2009, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/movies/23box.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=twilight%20new%20moon&st=cse
Biography for Chris Weitz (n.d.). The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved November 29, 2009, from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0919363/bio
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