Lizbeth Finn-Arnold

The Sexy Goddess Trope in Films and Why It Makes Me Cringe

There is something worse than the Manic Pixie Dream Girl Trope. Saw a french film last week called MY GOLDEN DAYS, which all the critics of course love. But to me it was dreadfully pretentious. Instead of the manic pixie, we have the french version -- the Needy Pouty Alluring Sex Goddess. She's the beautiful adolescent girl who oozes sex appeal and experience, and has the young male protagonist under her tantalizing spell. He's mesmerized (as are all the boys), and literally cannot function without her.

Sexy Goddess is a fantasy, a obsession, a fetish, an object for male pleasure. However, underneath her seemingly confident exterior she's a needy, fragile child with the emotional and mental capabilities of a five year old. She doesn't have dreams/goals of her own (other than mesmerizing boys) and she has no story arc. She exists merely so the young man in this coming of age tale can act out his fantasies and dispose of her when it's time to grow up and become a man.

52 Films by Women

Film #1 in my #52FilmsByWomen experience-- ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW by Miranda July. This is a quirky little film that is both disturbingly depressing and hopeful at the same time. Ebert called it the best film of the 2005 Sundance festival back when he saw it. I'm not sure I'd call it the greatest film, although as a piece of performance art it explores some interesting ideas about love, connection, isolation, art. Sometimes when we get access to a new voice, a unique voice, and see a film that doesn't rehash the same old stuff we've seen before, we can feel as if we are seeing cinema for the very first time. It can seem as if the director/writer is redefining film right before our eyes.

 

This is why we need a diversity of voices. We don't all speak the same language. We don't all have the same experiences or perspectives. I'm personally drawn to smaller films, with more personal voices (Brooklyn, Room)and don't feel all that compelled to run out and see white-man-against-the-world survival mode films(Revenant, The Martian). I'm not making judgement on those who like those films, but some of us seek a different kind of cinematic experience, and we deserve more variety. To us, many of the films being produced by the studios seem awful stale and way too familiar.

 

#52FilmsByWomen #MirandaJuly

Jennifer Aniston Takes on Chronic Pain in Cake

I've been pretty harsh on Jennifer Aniston in my past critiques, but I have to say I agree with Rex Reed's review (don't I always?) and think she did an amazing job in CAKE, proving once and for all that she's a much better actress than I (we) give her credit for. If only she would push herself even more and take on roles usually reserved for Julianne Moore and now Reese Witherspoon (another actress eager to shed her 'girl next door' personality).

Few people saw CAKE and it's a shame. Truth is it is a hard film to watch, with a protagonist who is tough to like, which is why it didn't burn up the cineplexes. Understandably raw grief is not everyone's cup of tea. For some reason I like films in this genre, especially when done gracefully. GRACE IS GONE and RABBIT HOLE are two of my favorites in the grief genre (John Cusack and Nicole Kidman give amazing performances in those films too).

Mommy Blogs...A Lifeline for Mothers

“Mommy Blogger” Lizbeth Finn-Arnold, discusses the personal, positive impact of blogging on her life as a woman and as a mother in the "Out of the Woods" passage she contributed to the book, Literary Mama: Reading for the Maternally Inclined. Blogging offered Finn-Arnold a new outlet and perspective on the role of mothering. With limited prior knowledge to the options and various mothering styles, Finn-Arnold found blogs created by other mothers to offer new perspectives on mothering, helpful recommendations, and comfort in knowing she was not alone in her experiences.

Go to American Motherhood to read more.

Review from Hormone-Colored Days

As a regular visitor to the Literary Mama Web site I was pleased to find some of my favorites like Andi's "The Plant" and Nicole Cooley's "Thirteen Ways of Looking at Being a Mother and a Poet" in a conveniently portable book. I also enjoyed some new essays like Lizbeth Finn Arnold's take on a visit to Walden Pond, "Out of the Woods". I even liked the poetry- something I never bother to read online.

Read more at Hormone-Colored Days.

Review From CarolineAndTony.com

Lizbeth Finn-Arnold’s encounter with Henry Thoreau in Out of the Woods (an essay which is inspiring some thoughtful discussion over at Midlife Mama and at ReadingWritingLiving) starts bitterly:

Thoreau may advise “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity,” “But Thoreau wouldn’t have lasted ten minutes in his tiny cabin with my two tots.”

But a visit to Walden Pond with those rambunctious kids helps Lizbeth figure out how to create the solitude she needs to write in the midst of her chaotic life.

Review from Arch Words

Another essay that drew me in was "Out of the Woods," by Lizbeth Finn-Arnold. The author engages Thoreau's words in a dialogue that questions what his ideas about solitude can mean for a mother-writer. I could identify with her struggle to combine writing and motherhood; during Ben's first year, I found myself angry with the male writers of the past who could go into a room and close the door while someone else cared for their children. But Finn-Arnold discovers her own sense of solitude and her own voice as a writer--paradoxically by realizing "my children were my greatest inspiration...my Walden Pond... a mirror into my very own soul."

Review from Mommy Blogger

My first question is about Lizbeth Finn-Arnold’s piece, “Out of the Woods,” where she wrote about being overwhelmed by the 24/7 demands of parenting young children. ... Do you think that her sentiments are shared by other parents who may be afraid to talk about being overwhelmed for fear they’ll be labeled as “bad” parents.

Review from Mother in Chief

In her essay, Out of the Woods, Lizbeth Finn-Arnold found a way out of a nurturing rut and ultimately rediscovered herself, her interests, and her passions. She wrote: "I had become stuck in a maternal pattern of nurturing others before myself...It has become easier to reclaim some of my former self, as my children get older, become more independent, and spend more time at school. I have also learned to take the time to nourish my soul, mind, body--without feeling guilty."

Read more at Mother in Chief.

Review from Chicago Parent

Lizbeth Finn-Arnold's thought-provoking essay "Into the Woods" is like a creamy caramel, giving readers something to chew on as she reflects on her need for solitude while visiting Walden Pond with her children in tow. Contrasting her brief visit with Henry David Thoreau's two-year stay at the famous pond provides food for thought for any mom whos struggled with the sticky issue of carving out "me" time in her busy schedule.