Observe and Report -- Yes, It's Date Rape, but It's Not Supposed to Be Funny (but the Movie Still Is)
Wow, from all the hub-hub about Observe and Report ($4.7 million opening day.. or about what people expected Paul Blart: Mall Cop to open with), you'd never guess that everyone is actually seeing The Hannah Montana Movie ($17 million opening day, about $40 million for the weekend).
MAJOR SPOILERS -
While anyone can like or dislike a film, I think certain critics and pundits who don't like the film are missing the fact that Ronnie is not supposed to be likable. He is a frighteningly obsessive, blindingly judgmental psychotic, and a racist to boot. And many of the other characters are unlikable too. Frankly, I loved that Farris played the female lead without any redeeming qualities, as it was a nice spoof on the idealized dream girl, or the comfortably 'bitchy' drama queen who just wants to be loved. Those complaining that it was sexist for Melanie to be so horrible are missing the point - she is horrible and so is Ronnie.
The film has a very similar vibe to The Cable Guy. And once again a major star is being criticized for playing a character that is well outside the audience's comfort zone. What many people are missing is that, first of all, the very 'redemptive elements' that Ronnie achieves may just be in his imagination. It's open to debate, but (as friend and colleague Randy Shaffer first clued me into), there is evidence that the action climax and the mid-film drug dealer beat down were delusional fantasies. Second of all, most importantly, not everything that occurs onscreen is supposed to be funny. Just because it is a comedy doesn't mean that every moment is intended to be humorous. Also worth noting to those criticize Ronnie's alleged redemption is that Ronnie's behavior does not change in the course of the movie. It is only random circumstance that allows his behavior to be viewed in a new, heroic light at the end of the film (again, assuming that the climactic chase actually occurred in the film and not in Ronnie's head), which turns the film around and makes a judgment on the audience instead of just Ronnie.
As for the 'date rape' scene, it's pretty cut and dry date rape, especially from a legal point of view. The humor, if you choose to find it funny, comes from A) wow... he really is a loser and B) wow... he honestly thinks that he had a wonderfully romantic evening. It's perfectly logical in terms of how Ronnie sees the world (he of course thinks of it as a magical night). Audiences who watch the film and think 'that's awesome, he got her drunk/drugged up and had sex on her barely conscious, vomiting body' have their own issues. I'm pretty sure most intelligent folks will think 'he got her drunk and had sex on her barely conscious, vomiting body... that's sad and pathetic'. And even if they don't, that's not the responsibility of the filmmakers.
Whether or not Observe and Report is a good film is open to debate. But criticizing a black comedy/social satire for having unlikable characters, awkward situations, and uncomfortable material is awfully foolish.
Scott Mendelson
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
scott "But criticizing a black comedy/social satire for having unlikable characters, awkward situations, and uncomfortable material is awfully foolish."
this may be true but this date rape scene is TOTAL FANTASY, its like a penthouse letter , NOT satire of life as it is. if they had left the line OUT when she says, "why you stoppin M-f*er" then it would perhaps be satire of a realistic sort of situation. but that line is just a thoughtless attempt to make this scene ok. and if he really is horrible and delusional, why would he stop and suddenly realize she's NOT CONSCIOUS after he ALREADY started having sex with her???
i think, it angers me that it is date rape, even if its done by a anti-heroic satirical character, he IS a hero in the movie (even if its in his own mind). this is all these guys know how to make movies of--- heros out of jerks, and somehow it supposedly ok because we're all supposed to know what big a-holes they are. What is even more upsetting to me that these men sort of, aren't very talented, substaintial writers, and they have the money and power to make what they want, and there is nothing in mainstream culture to counter what they make.
Gee, a squirm-inducing movie about unlikable people, with a "sad & pathetic" drunken hook-up bordering on a date rape. Thanks for the clarification, Scott. It's not like I was planning to waste ten bucks on this thing anyway, but now I know that I'll be avoiding it on DVD and cable too.
The real crime is that that Anna Faris continues to get work.
In Animal House there was a similar set up but the guy didn't do it. My, how times have changed.
See Scott Mendelson's Profile
What concerns me about the discussion is the idea that 'Melanie is already established as a slut so it's ok'. However offensive that is on its face, the film doesn't actually state that Melanie sleeps around in the film. If I recall, the only other time she is shown engaging in sexual behavior is towards the end of the film, long after the would-be date rape scene. That viewers are quick to assume that Anna Faris's character is portrayed as slutty right off the bat, purely because of her tight-fitting outfit and extreme valley girl vocabulary, says much about the character of those making such statements.
I agree. I am also glad you clarified, EXPLICITLY, that intercourse with a person who is out of her (or his) mind drunk (or drugged) is legally raped.
Many not very aware men (and very few women) argued on your other post that it is not rape. That scared me a lot more than a movie making fun of rape.
Huff Po might do a service by writing a column that explains to people that having sex with people who cannot legally consent (drunk, drugged, brain damaged, minors, etc.) is sexual assault/rape. Quite a few of their readers do not seem to understand that. And that is chilling.
Here's my silly take on this movie (if you care to read)
http://balmer.typepad.com/watercooler/
When I watched the movie on Friday I didn't think of it as a date rape scene. It reminded me of when I hooked up with girl and we were both drunk out of our minds. But thinking about that scene now, Rogen is NOT drunk. She is. She's also high because she was taking his prescription drugs. I'm willing to bet that the filmmakers wanted to make the audience squirm a little bit with this scene. The reality is that Rogen's mall cop is mentally jacked-up. The movie makes a point that the only way he can sleep with a girl is if she's intoxicated. But Anna Faris' character is portrayed as a slut. And at no point in that movie (after their sex scene) does her character imply that she's been raped. Since her character didn't have a problem with having sex with Rogen, I didn't have a problem with that scene.
But Anna Faris' character is portrayed as a slut.
What the hell does that mean?
I think the problem here in particular is that this movie is billed as a comedy. I haven't seen it, and until reading the reviews I assumed it was going to be typical Seth Rogen fare - not because I assume Seth Rogen can only make movies like "Knocked Up," but because that's the way it's presented in the previews and trailers.
When you see the rape scene in, say, "The Accused," there's no question about whether or not it's supposed to be funny, because it's not a funny movie, it wasn't advertised as a funny movie, and no one in their right minds thinks it's supposed to a funny scene. But since this movie is advertised as a comedy the assumption is that yes, you're expected to think this is amusing. I think Scott is right in terms of what the filmmakers intended (if they even realized how awful that scene was), but since everyone walked in and thought they were about to see slapstick, well, you do the math.
And for the record, a woman can be as slutty as she wants, get wasted and fall on the floor passed out and covered with vomit, and if she doesn't consent to having sex, it's rape. Her behavior is certainly stupid and invites abuse, but the "fault" is with the man who does the raping. Period.
See Scott Mendelson's Profile
Actually, the theatrical trailer (not the red band) portrayed the movie as dark, quirky, and off the beaten path. What I liked about it was that it was edited and composed like a serious trailer for an action drama/serious character study. It certainly didn't look anything like Knocked Up or Pineapple Express. I don't think the trailer was deceptive at all, in fact it's what made me want to see the film.
I imagine that the movie's creators didn't even think of the scene as date rape, just thought it was a humored (badly) sex scene. THAT is the saddest part of all. Now, everyone is claiming that it is an issue of taste in humor. Its rape. And having it happen on a date, doesn't make it any less true, no matter what the character's traits.
This review is exactly right. Depicting something doesn't mean the filmmakers tacitly support the act.
Whatever gets people talking about date rape and the fact that it happens a lot and its IMMORAL/ILLEGAL/WRONG/LIFECHANGING et....is OK with me....lets start a national dialoge instead of bashing a movie that depicts real life events..talk to your teenage children about what to do it they or one of their friends has this experience or if they or one of their friends have committed this act...its OK to talk about it
You're saying: yes, it's date rape, but therefore it's also funny because this guy commits rape but is a loser. Really? Come on, let's be on the level: the point of the scene was to push the envelope and make a joke about rape. But rape is just not going to be funny to a whole bunch of people (especially those who are the target of date rape--women).
See Scott Mendelson's Profile
Number one rule of comedy - nothing is funny to everybody.
Number two rule of comedy - everything is funny to somebody.
If it's not funny to you, then so be it. As I said, I don't think the scene is supposed to be knee-slappingly humorous. But it absolutely makes sense in the context and development of Rogen's character so it's fair game to be included in the movie. Whether you take offense or choose to not be entertained by it is up to you.
I'm following the discussion, though there's no chance I'll bother to see the movie. I think your observation is clear and to the point. If the audience thinks the date rape is cool, that is their problem. If the "hero" thinks it's cool, that's his problem. If the purpose of the scene is to convince us it's cool, that deserves the ire the film has incurred.
But whether you are right or the critics are right, if the scene reduces our sense that date rape is a crime, individually or collectively, that is very unfortunate. Having sex with an unconscious person is about is quintessential a socipathic act as I can imagine.
Rafael, Rembrandt --- Rogan?!?
Poking fun at sacred cows has always been one of the arrows in a comedian's quiver, but the challenge is to know how to hit the target. The offense here may be that the execution of the joke just wasn't that funny.
I'll wager that the filmmaker did accomplish one thing he never expected, getting folks to talk about the subject of date rape. Adding something to the social dialogue and having an earnest conversation about a topic is usually reserved for --- wait for it --- art. Gulp.
Yes, the scary part here is "Observe & Report" has just entered the same area as Robert Mapplethorpe’s photos and sacred icons being sculpted in fecal matter. So don't be surprised if one day you're in a multimedia exhibit at MOMA and next to the Venus DeMilo and Mona Lisa, you see Seth Rogan's fuzzy rump riding that poor girl.
So, just stand back - stroke your chin and muse: "Ahhhh, Rogan" and feel good about being cultured.
when are women going to take some responsibility here? if you go out and get drunk anything can happen to you. and yes, that IS your fault. If you don't get drunk and don't act like a slut you are far less likely to put yourself in a vulnerable position, whether it's getting nailed when you're semi-conscious or driving a car while intoxicated. Of course, this applies to males as well. But it's mainly the women who are doing the whining. Pitiful.
Well even if that may be true in your little world, it isn't from a legal point of view. You can whine all you want about women getting drunk and acting slutty, but it's still a man's responsibility to make sure he doesn't put his dick in anyone who hasn't given express, conscious consent. The scene as it is in the movie, even with her line "Did I tell you to stop?" could still be date rape in real life, as the drunk-drugged ramblings of a semi-conscious woman hardly count as real consent. Is it really that hard for men to keep their dicks out of people they aren't absolutely certain want to have sex with them? Pitiful.
I get how the scene was intended in this movie though, and I don't think anyone is trying to promote date rape. But I do think for those women who have had to go through something like a date rape, that a scene like this might be more than a bit disturbing, especially if they weren't expecting it.
so then, is it your fault for having money in your wallet and somebody mugs you? or for driving a nice car and somebody carjacks you? or for having a nice home/things and somebody breaks into your house and robs you?
I do understand where you are coming from but when somebody violates you in that way, it is in NO WAY the woman's fault. The blame for women [when it concerns rape and abuse] is with the mothers (fathers too, but we are talking about blame of women) who don't have frank discussions with their children about sex and respect for women from a young age. It is also women who allow themselves to be domestically abused in front of their chidren (boys & girls).
EVERY parent [of the abuser AND the victim ]is responsible in some way when a woman is abused--
Teach your child from a young age what sex is and that no one has any right to put their hands on another person (or animal for that matter) for any reason without that person's permission. POUND IT THEIR HEAD (not literally, of course)
Wow, I hope you don't have any daughters when and if you ever grow up.
More like "she intentionally got herself drunk and decided to have sex with him, then, when he thought she'd fallen asleep, he stopped until she told him to continue, at which point he apologised and continued". It is sad, but it's not rape.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
