Bridge to Terabithia was the first time I had ever encountered the “manic pixie dream girl” (MPDG). Leslie’s character was so captivating that even at the age of seven, I found myself longing for her mindset, and attempted to adopt the way she interpreted her reality. Like many of the more modern MPDGs, Leslie had a completely unique character, and in turn, a unique way of viewing the world alongside it. She tended to see life’s setbacks as an opportunity, and personal downfalls as a test. She was the type to treat the natural world as her canvas, and run barefoot through fields because simply, “why not?” The key idea behind the MPDG, is simply that she is “not like other girls.” She is entirely different from anyone else that may come along.
The MPDG had a certain charm to it when coming from a character like Leslie, attempting to navigate life and developing her personality as she grows. The downfall of the modern rom-com was this being introduced into adult relationships.
The two most notable examples of the modern MPDG are Clementine from Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind and Summer from 500 Days of Summer. The two characters, while being adored by the majority, all fall into the trope which gives purpose to their male counterparts. These women all serve a role of teaching these men about life. Whether that be to love them, or the world around them. Their key association will always be to their romantic partner, without any chance of ever being an established character in their own right.
The character of Clementine in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is the perfect blueprint for this flawed romanticisation. Before Joel encounters Clementine, his lifestyle is shown to be quite physically gray. He is in his own rut, without any true meaning or purpose, and Clementine is the direct counter to this. Her character attempts to be the physical embodiment of colour and hope for Joel. With her signature blue hair, she is a child-like free spirit, living in the present, and never worrying too much about the consequences. As their relationship develops, she gives Joel a purpose in his life and manages to bring him out of a depressive episode, and once she leaves, she is blamed for his downfall. Despite Clementine warning, “I’m just a f***ed up girl looking for my own peace of mind. Don’t assign me yours.”, she is written to be the villain in Joel’s story.
The same goes for Summer in 500 Days of Summer. Her playful demeanour and romantic personality are seen as bait, as her character exists with the intention of bringing purpose into Tom’s life. From the beginning of their romance, she states to Tom her intentions of never getting into a relationship with him, yet by the end of the film, she is still painted out to be the villain despite staying true to her word.
The characters, while having a child-like and endearing nature, are always grounded within their own sets of issues and traumas which are never developed. It is simply easy to place the blame on them for the unhappiness of the male lead.
Overall, the manic pixie dream girl serves as nothing but a tool for the romanticisation of the child-like woman, acting as the ideal, perfect scapegoat for men in their own stories. As a trope within multiple loveable rom-coms, all it does is set an unrealistic expectation for women in relationships, and allow all men to seem co-dependent and entirely uninteresting. Summer and Clementine are the product of thousands of women assigned the role of bringing life to someone else’s existence, and being villainised once they take the “livelihood” away. Joel and Tom did not need a woman, they needed therapy.
Stay away from the manic pixie dream girl, she’s too good for you.
“500 Days of Summer” by sinemabed is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.