Moxie
Screenplay by Tamara Chestna and Dylan Meyer; Produced and Directed by Amy Poehler; Based on the YA novel by Jennifer Mathieu; Starring Hadley Robinson, Amy Poehler, Lauren Tsai, Alycia Pascual-Pena, Nico Hiraga
Genre/Format: Netflix Movie
Released in 2021
Rating PG-13
Plot Summary: 16 year old Vivian and her best friend, Claudia, walk into high school at the beginning of the school year discussing the ranking list that the boys are creating. They seemed resigned to this misogyny, but Vivian starts noticing more instances of sexism at school that seem to get swept under the rug.
Out to dinner on a Friday, Vivian talks to her mom, Lisa (played by Amy Poehler), about the problems she sees at school and asks for her advice. Lisa reveals to Vivan that the Riot Grrrl movement in the 1990s inspired her to protest. The movement emerged from a group of women in the punk rock scene who "decided they wanted to start a “girl riot” against a society they felt offered no validation of women’s experiences." They "believed in girls actively engaging in cultural production, creating their own music and fanzines rather than following existing materials" (Feliciano, 2013). Lisa explains to Viv: "Me and my friends protested everything" because "what are you going to do, nothing?!"
Later that night, Vivian rummages through her mom's old suitcase with her high school memorabilia. She discovers zines that Lisa and her friends made; this inspires Lisa to create her own zine and, thus, MOXiE! was born to highlight and protest the misogyny she witnesses at school. On Monday morning she places the zines in the girls bathroom where they are sure to be seen. By lunch, news has spread about the zine and everyone is talking about it. Of course, Vivian wrote and published the zine anonymously, so everyone is wondering who was responsible.
A new zine comes out every Monday that focuses on last week's injustices and encourages many of the girls to show their solidarity by doing things like draw hearts and stars on their hands or wear tank tops on particular days. As the girls become more empowered they find their voices and start asking for changes. Of course, the girls face resistance and the school administrators target the Moxie girls instead of holding the males accountable for their actions, or for even turning a blind eye to the injustices.
In the end, Vivian reveals that she is the creator of MOXiE! in a gripping protest outside of the school where the girls demand change and accountability.
Creator Background: Comedian Amy Poehler is widely known for her work on SNL, Parks and Rec, and has written, created and starred in many other films and TV shows. She is also a co-founder the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), an improv and sketch comedy troupe. She often works with Tina Fey and, together, they have forged new paths for female comedians.
Tamara Chestna and Dylan Meyer are both Hollywood screenwriters and producers (IMDB)
Critical Evaluation: Moxie is a fun movie with a great soundtrack about important issues. Women and girls today continue to deal with sexism and misogyny, much of which gets ignored, internalized, or dismissed because "boys will be boys." What this movie pinpoints perfectly is the degree to which these issues are aided and abetted by others to maintain the status quo. It is not easy to watch a principal who refutes the culture of toxic masculinity or a teacher who wishes to offend no one and, in so doing, perpetuates the norm of that culture.
And, though it's wonderful to see Vivian surrounded by diverse classmates, their characters are underdeveloped. As the creator of Moxie, Vivian acts as the spokesperson for the movement which, unfortunately, means that she has put herself into the familiar trope of the white savior. Although a movie cannot always represent all the characters accurately, it seems like an easy fix to have the characters speak for themselves. Nonetheless, I think this is an important movie for teaching teens to recognize everyday sexism and misogyny and give them some ideas for disrupting the status quo.
Creative Use for a Library Program: I would host a zine making workshop and encourage all the teens to use the medium as a form of self-expression. We would provide all the materials necessary and include a short presentation about the history of zines.
Speed-Round Talk: Have a little Moxie and come see what it means to be a rebel girl!
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: Challenges to Moxie might be that it lacks intersectionality and focuses mostly on the story of a white girl. Those who want the movie to go farther in addressing the issues faced by the other marginalized girls might find this movie lacking. But, instead of prohibiting it, we can accept it for the voice-finding, coming of age movie that it is--one that shows us we need more of these kinds of stories from a wider array of people and experiences.
Reason for Inclusion: I included this movie because it shows a girl finding her voice, expressing it and using it to make a positive change. I hope it would inspire other girls, other teenagers, to find their own voices and use them to encourage the change that our society desperately needs. Moxie does all of this in a fun package--an excellent soundtrack, the quips of Amy Poehler and relatable characters.
References
Bikini Kill - Rebel Girl (1992). (2013). Youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=bOCWma5vOiQ
Feliciano, S. (2013). The Riot Grrrl Movement. NYPL.com.
https://www.nypl.org/blog/2013/06/19/riot-grrrl-movement
IMDB. (a). Dylan Meyer. IMDB.com. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3231710/?
ref_=ttfc_fc_wr3
IMDB. (b). Tamara Chestna. IMDB.com. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2309894/?
ref_=ttfc_fc_wr2
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