In my years of watching movies, there are a few rules I’ve learned to go by. One such rule is that a great screenplay can overcome deficiencies everywhere else in the movie. That rule has proven hard, fast, and true, for the 4,000 or whatever amount of movies I’ve seen. And then there’s Twilight like a vampire bus hurtling in the opposite direction. The actors and Catherine Hardwicke’s direction turn this turd of a screenplay into something at least watchable for its chaste 11-14 year old audience of superfans.
I guess bored of the sun and her mom’s love, Bella (Kristen Stewart) decides to relocate to Forks, Washington to live with her father Charlie (Billy Burke). Bella makes a few friends quickly, but her sights quickly turn to the 17 year old feathery haired heartthrob, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). At first Edward is withdrawn and terse with her, but as Bella gets closer, she learns these are defense mechanisms: Edward is a vampire, drawn to Bella but afraid to lose control for fear of either killer her or in his eyes worse: making her immortal.
I don’t put the blame of this screenplay on Melissa Rosenberg, the writer. 1) Because I know she can write and develop truly engaging female characters with superpowers (watch Jessica Jones season 1: it’s stellar). And 2) Rosenberg was given direction to be as faithful to the movie as possible for superfans, so the problems are inherent in Stephanie Meyer’s novel. Meyer’s novel, I guess gives voice to the not quite sexually awakened conservative teenage dreamer who clearly thinks Edward and Bella’s courtship is what true love looks like. Lines like “I completely trust you”, “You better hold on tight spider monkey,” “You’re like my own personal brand of herion” are supposed to be taken seriously in this universe. I’m sorry, but no one is that good. In addition, the side story involving vampires that still eat humans is shoehorned into the movie for cheap thrills solely: mediocrely executed cheap thrills at that (Hardwicke needs to work on her action movie chops).
I will say this though, props to Deborah Aquila and Tricia Wood, the casting directors. Your hard work saves Twilight from being an unwatchable dumpster fire. KStew and RPats get mocked heavily for their performances here and how dead serious they are. But if you’ve watched their careers blossom over the past decade, you realize they were just doing their job, and pretty convincingly actually. Stewart gives Bella a quiet likability, never delving too deep into the stereotypes her performance inspired. You want evidence? Watch here scenes with Billy Burke, both crafting a nuanced, specific relationship when the dialogue is at a minimum, like a real father/teen daughter relationship. In addition, there’s a quiet determination underneath to do right by the people she cares about. Pattinson really dials up the morose here, creating sullen Eddie Cullen as Hardwicke paints his diamond face in a sea of blue and gray. He gets a lot of the god awful dialogue, but like a consummate pro, RPats does his damdest to sell the shit out of it, giving the character little touches when the dialogue is more perfunctory, less longing. Where Aquila and Wood shine though are in the bit parts, casting real actors like Billy Burke to elevate the material. Their best find? A really early version of Anna Kendrick, turning the “best friend” character into something that really pops off the screen.
As a teen romance, Twilight isn’t a revelation. More importantly, it’s not an abject failure either. It’s merely a well acted, decently directed movie written by an 11 year old tweener. It kept me, the opposite of the demographic at least semi interested through its running time, no easy feat for sure. I can’t say I would be clamoring for sequels, but I don’t dread the prospect either, as long as we keep using those bomb casting directors.