This review by Jessica Critcher previously appeared at Bitch Flicks as part of our series on Animated Children's Films.
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| The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) |
This Halloween my husband and I stayed in and cuddled up with Funfetti
cupcakes and a movie. We capped off our week-long 90’s Halloween movie
marathon with a favorite from my childhood, The Nightmare Before Christmas.
I’ve probably seen this film a hundred times. I know all of the songs
by heart. I remember watching it on VHS when it first came out, which is
making me feel increasingly old. But as is the case with several things
from my childhood, some of the nostalgia wears thin when subjected to
critical analysis.
For one thing, as I would love to describe to my five-year-old self, the
film doesn’t pass the Bechdel test. To refresh your memory, passing the
Bechdel test means a film has to have two female characters (with
names) who talk to each other about something besides men. That’s it,
and yet even this very basic requirement is usually too much for
Hollywood to handle. Sally the rag doll and Shock, the witch
trick-or-treater, only talk to men. According to Wikipedia, the two
witches aren’t given names in the film, only later in a video game. But
even without the name part, they only talk to and about Jack. This sends
the message to boys and girls alike that female characters do not have
anything substantial to contribute to the dialogue or the plot of the
film. Girls and women do not, apparently, have anything interesting or
relevant to say to one another, and children internalize that very
deeply. While this was probably unintentional, the effect is still the
same.
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| Shock |
Maybe you’re thinking that’s a bit harsh. After all, the named female
characters do seem to have quite a bit of agency. Shock is frustrated
with her “dumb” cohorts and seems to be the brains of the outfit. She is
quick to point out flaws in their plans and ultimately decides the best
method to kidnap Santa Claus. But her development as a character ends
with that scene. Shock is a naughty child motivated by nothing apart
from her desire to do mischief. While there is nothing wrong with this
type of character per se, there is something wrong with the fact that
she represents half of the named female cast. And, while Shock is
admittedly fun, I feel she does not do justice to Catherine O’Hara’s
talent.
This brings me to Sally, also voiced by O’Hara. On the surface, Sally is
the perfect heroine. She is constantly outsmarting her doddering
caretaker, Doctor Finklestein. She repeatedly slips “deadly nightshade”
into his food, putting him to sleep so she can wander free. Her
knowledge of herbs and potions is a serious inspiration to Jack in his
quest for the meaning of Christmas. He even asks her to make his “Sandy
Claws” suit, because she is the only one “clever enough” to do it. She
has the foresight to know his plan will be a disaster, so she tries to
stop Christmas with fog juice. Then, she rushes to the aid of Santa
Claus, leading him to tell Jack, “The next time you get the urge to take
over someone else's holiday, I'd listen to her! She's the only one who
makes any sense around this insane asylum!” Jack eventually realizes
that he was a fool not to listen to Sally, or notice her affection for
him.
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| Sally |
So, my five-year-old self loved Sally mostly because she is smart and
resourceful. But Sally isn’t defined by her intelligence. She is defined
by her relationships to the men in the story. Five-year-old me never
bothered to question why she was the property of her creepy father in
the first place. And while Jack is motivated by his role in the
community and a quest for self-discovery, Sally is only driven by her
desire to be with Jack. After Doctor Finklestein declares Sally to be
too much trouble, he sets about building a new female companion who
won’t disagree with him or run away. Sally’s world, which revolves
around being with Jack and taking care of him, is at peace when he
finally notices her and wants to be with her.
I still like the film. It gets me feeling all fuzzy inside and it serves
the double purpose of celebrating Halloween and getting me amped up for
Christmas. But I’m not five anymore. We live in a very complicated
world where many changes need to take place, and girls and boys need to
see these changes in the media they consume. Maybe someday Tim Burton
could revamp the film and have Sally take over as mayor of Halloween
Town (because seriously, that guy is an incompetent idiot). Maybe Shock
could apprentice under the two witches and learn a useful trade to put
her wits to better use. Maybe somewhere in Halloween Town, two women
could talk to each other about something—anything—and the town could
join us all in the 21st century. That sounds more like a Halloween
classic I would want children to see.
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