Anyone as chronically online as I am will know the reaction picture of a dishevelled Brittany Murphy and a young Dakota Fanning spinning on a fairground ride looking at each other, which is often used to symbolise a pensive attitude to growing up as a girl.
This still is taken from Boaz Yakin’s 2003 film Uptown Girls. Marketed as a comedy about an immature New York socialite and nine-year-old who is wise beyond her years, Uptown Girls is unexpectedly heart-wrenching.
Molly Gunn, played by the late Brittany Murphy, had rock star parents who died in a plane crash when she was a child, leaving her with an eye-watering inheritance. She grew up with little guidance and an extravagant lifestyle, leaving her stranded when her accountant steals everything.
Molly starts nannying as a way to get by. Hyper-independent little girl Ray, having driven away previous nannies, finds Molly — and her pet pig, Mu — loud, unhygienic, and invasive. With a comatose father and neglectful mother, Ray is used to managing herself strictly. The beauty of Uptown Girls is that Molly and Ray teach the other to act their age: Molly shows Ray the fun in being messy, engaging with pop culture, and relying on others; Ray shows Molly responsibility and discipline.
Often, New Year’s resolutions are associated with a total rebrand. Uptown Girls demonstrates that changes can be made while remaining true to yourself. Molly doesn’t lose her magical whimsy by maturing and Ray doesn’t lose her elegance by being more childlike. Although both characters grow and evolve, they don’t lose themselves or their morals.
Initially wary of each other other, the pair show that friendship can take work but is all the stronger for rough patches. They help each other through bereavement and other uncontrollable external circumstances, making it clear that whatever you are going through, it is easier to manage with friends around you.
Though New Year is a time for self-reflection, it is important not to be too solipsistic. Betterment, growth, and development – the beating heart of every resolution – come through friendship above all. Be there for each other, like Molly and Ray, and revel in what other people can teach you about life.
Photo by Pierre-Etienne Vilbert on Unsplash