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Society is now moving past the idea that a man isn’t the catch-all for a woman’s happiness. We are slowly accepting that princes turn back to frogs and feet actually do outgrow glass slippers as cinema sheds some light on what happens after the “happily ever after.” Sofia Coppola’s On The Rocks is a uniquely boring film that sometimes succeeds in excitement — but only when the former Ghostbuster, Bill Murray, is on screen. This film is a laid-back, lived-in view of a well-paid hipster’s life in New York City as Coppola captures a tale as old as time, but with a poorly executed feminist spin.
The film spins the female lead’s tried and true trope, feeling as if she has failed her successful partner by being too boring. On The Rocks fittingly features Laura (Rashida Jones) approaching middle age with her life in a rut: she can’t write, she feels unwanted by her husband, and it appears evident that any enthusiasm for her life fades with each fancy class she takes her children to.
Of course, it’s empowering and much needed in Hollywood to have stories of women on-screen at all stages in life that display various emotions, experiences, and struggles. However, the feminism in On The Rocks is extremely superficial and only sparingly fueled by the protagonist. This is evident with empty lines such as “Don’t listen to him. You’re going to grow up to be strong women and wear your hair however you like” and a Bernie 2016 bumper sticker on a door that is sealed against inconsequential banter with the misogynist lead.
So while just about all the boxes are “checked” for feminism, On The Rocks actually allows patriarchy to ooze throughout the film like a highly unattractive, medieval man haunting a bathtub in search of a baby — Ghostbusters II reference. Even with a woman behind the camera and a female lead, the story stands on the minds and perspectives of men. In fact, Coppola directed and wrote this story, which illuminates the fact that female storytellers can be mutually exclusive from positive feminist representation in media.
Even From A Female Perspective, It’s A Man’s World
The film’s core happens as Laura’s rut deepens and her life unravels. Under the assumption that her husband, Dean, is cheating on her, she teams up with her father, Felix (Bill Murray), to track his motives and whereabouts. Although a fun and humorous plot, the push and pull between the two are shallow regarding the discrepancy between a womanizer and a woman who wants to save her committed marriage. As a 70-year-old man, Felix flirts and charms his way throughout the film, and Laura rolls her eyes in disgust or offers a few snips or pointed questions against his archaic beliefs.
Even so, the audience has a hard time hating Felix (or really Murray) because On The Rocks allows room for Murray to improvise, be larger-than-life and attractive while also going out of his way to be a somewhat devoted father. The nuances reserved for Felix support the concept that men are allowed to move within misogyny as long as they’re charming and not a total dick to the women they have to see regularly.
But the failure in feminism is also seen between the very few female-to-female interactions, such as when Laura takes her children to class and half-heartedly listens to Vanessa discuss her love life. Vanessa (Jenny Slate) is perhaps the most unique character other than Felix, and she’s “just” another mom waiting in line at the fancy daycare that Laura looks in pain to be at. She’s an incredibly open, free spirit who is self-aware and soulful but does tend to indulge in her own problems.
Although Vanessa struggles to take a breath between her stories, her reflections and emotional awareness would normally make for an interesting conversation deserving of some kind of reciprocity. But Laura instead stares off into space, too bothered to be invested in anyone else’s life than her husband’s. This lack of female bond is also seen with the awkward and boring exchanges between Laura and, well, all of the women at her husband’s new business — conversations, including those with Vanessa, that solely revolve around the men in their lives.
This icky, vapid portrayal of relationships among women is again carried over to a scene where Laura has lunch with her mother, grandmother, and assumed sister. The scene’s entirety is filled with the news of Felix being back from Paris, an obvious hatred for him radiating from Laura’s sister, and a plate of cookies that serves the purpose of painting Laura as more likable because she eats sugar. The conversation is forced, and the fact that they’re sitting outside having hot beverages at what looks like an estate from Pride and Prejudice reinforces the stereotype of “girl talk” and “tea time.”
The men are traveling the world and living stories worthy of the women back home to gossip about. None of them care enough about the others’ well-being, and daggers are most certainly in a few of their glances. Plus, can we just not invest any more money in the stereotype that women who eat dessert are somehow better than those who opt out due to calories. Women can have their cake and eat it, too — or they can choose a salad, or some fluffy Cheetos, or anything in-between this tiring black and white cliché.
The “Strong” Woman Stuck Between A Rock And A Man — And Another Man
But among the most frustrating concepts in On The Rocks is the conclusion of Laura and Felix’s storyline. After being yelled at by Laura for his lifetime of philandering and the broken hearts he left behind (including her own), Felix twists his questionable morals onto his daughter. He stares at her, unfazed, and asks what happened to her because she used to be so much fun — she then leaves the room in an exasperated huff. That, I believe, is their “big” moment of truth.
Yet this is a crucial clash because, with only a few words, it becomes clear that Felix and Laura have the relationship that they do. After all, it’s “fun.” This is the first time the conversation turns dark with Laura wanting answers and closure for the pain her father caused the women in his life — the only time when Felix is silent, far from goofing around or coming up with quippy one-liners. Laura wants her partner-in-crime to be her father, but he’s bored by the idea of having that kind of responsibility. The same boredom that festers as the deepest insecurity of our protagonist. Don’t worry, though, because they’ll hug in a couple of scenes as if decades of injustices didn’t happen.
Even worse is how neatly the movie shifts upon learning that Dean, spoiler alert, isn’t cheating on her. This, naturally, is discovered while Felix and Laura are stalking her husband in Mexico because anything less would be ridiculous. After receiving a call from him as she is just about to break down his suspected mistress’s door, Laura flies home without Felix and has a very low-key conversation with her husband. So low-key, in fact, that it just feels uncomfortably fake. Yet apparently, this is enough to fix everything in her life magically. Everything.
Unfortunately, Laura is only thinly veiled as a strong female lead because of a few empty lines on female empowerment and being a successful author. But as On The Rocks draws to a close, it’s apparent that this is all just smoke and mirrors — all of her insecurities go without any context except for being tied to the men in her life. Her talk of feminism isn’t seen at all in her walk among her female counterparts. She fears that she is boring, and after nearly three hours, the audience hates to agree. She is boring, awful, and easy to dislike — much unlike her male co-star. Once again, the man takes the driver’s seat in a project created by and about women.
The Takeaway? Apparently Men Both Ruin And Rule A Woman’s Autonomy
Instead of giving us a movie that takes a deeper look at the psyche and frustrations of a woman who is struggling with her creative career, losing her precious time to her children, and feeling like a spectator in her own life, Coppola gives us On The Rocks — a vivid and unique look at New York City. At the same time, the audience waits for the next Bill Murray scene.
Laura doesn’t pull herself out of her own rut; rather, that’s because her husband isn’t sleeping with his account manager, and a simple scene cut. In addition to defeating her writer’s block and regaining her self-confidence, she can now whistle as she says goodbye to Felix, who’s on his way to his next shenanigan. These men put Laura’s life on hold and are also the sole reason for her whiplash rebound.
The cherry on top is the symbolism in the movie’s very last scene — a brand new watch from her husband to replace the watch on her wrist from her dad. As Felix says, “The bangle was once a reminder that women were once men’s property.” From her father to her husband, Laura’s superficial feminism is a mere appeal to the current world we live in, a checked “woke” box.
From the explicit to the implicit, words to actions, and sexism to stickers, On The Rocks is a fun film for Bill Murray fans, but not a win for feminism. Although it seemingly had the makings of giving us a powerful woman’s unique perspective on taking control and navigating life in a world that doesn’t let females evolve, I suppose we’ll settle for some impressive singing from the guy who couldn’t even catch a freaking gopher in Caddyshack. At the same time, we look for feminist inspiration elsewhere, anywhere.