obj/subj: scott pilgrim vs. the world (2010).

letterboxd:

★ ★ ★ ★ - (3.9/5)

imdb:

★ ★ ★ ★ - (7.6/10)

rotten tomatoes:

★ ★ ★ ★ - (82/100)

Despite being a critical darling, the film adaptation of graphic novel series Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World flopped hard when it was first released, cementing it as a cult classic of its time. However, appreciation and acknowledgement for the franchise has only increased, even with a hiatus lasting over a decade. As we approach the fourteenth anniversary of the movie's release, it's receiving more praise than ever from both critical and general audiences.

So why am I talking about it here?

the scott pilgrim problem (at least, how i see it).

Scott Pilgrim is a jerk. That's exactly how the story starts- he's a scummy, stupid dude in his early twenties trying to figure his life out and not seeming to care about who he may hurt to get there. He's selfish, insensitive, and generally gross. Just some guy.

The whole point is how he changes. It all starts with him pursuing the girl of his dreams, doing whatever he needs to do to be with her. But, in the process of doing so, his eyes begin to open and he begins to see the impact he's had on the people around him. The film adaptation allows this to be shown as much as it can in its limited runtime, picturing Scott extending olive branches to the people he's hurt. By pursuing the girl he was smitten for, he'd become a better person. And, at the end of it all, they walk into their future together hand in hand.

In the early 2010s, around the movie's release, many male viewers began to idolize Scott. Not because his character arc reflected the progress they wanted to make in their own lives- in fact, most of these viewers thought he never did anything wrong- but because they wanted to be him. They wanted to be the loser that got swept away by the manic pixie dream girl, and nothing beyond that. To a sizable part of the fanbase at the time, Scott's growth and how he came to earn the good that came his way took a backseat to a fantasy. This idolization and mischaracterization led groups of people to believe that Scott's behavior and treatment of others was okay, some even practicing it themselves.

Many people have been put off by this movie by the creepy side of the fanbase, its poorly aged and insensitive material, and a myriad of other reasons. And each given is perfectly reasonable.

personal thoughts

This is my favorite movie.

I stand by my saying that Scott Pilgrim has not yet had a bad adaptation- in my opinion, the graphic novels, movie, game, show, and anime are all worth your time to look into. As for the movie in particular, I adore almost everything about it. The visuals and attention to detail are stunning, the music feels as if it's perfectly tailored to fit every scene, and the humor makes me laugh audibly every time I watch it.

But I also completely understand why people hate it. The main character does a lot of things that could be seen as irredeemable, and for good reason. Some topics are fumbled, messy interpretations of the novels that don't properly convey the message and let Scott off easy. All of the main cast, with one major exception, aren't very likable. A lot of people have bad memories related to it.

I chose to write about this here because it's important to respect different opinions on the things you love. Critics, general audiences, whatever it may be, different thoughts have merit and are worth lending an ear to. It's good to keep your mind open and acknowledge the faults and others' valid criticisms of a piece of media you deeply care for.