MOXIE
US, 2021, 111 minutes, Colour.
Hadley Robinson, Lauren Tsai, Alycia Pascual-Peña?, Nico Haraga, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sydney Park, Josephine Langford, Amy Poehler, Ike Barinholtz, Marcia Gay Harden, Joshua Walker.
Directed by Amy Poehler.
More than topical.
Had Netflix premiered Moxie in January 2021, most of us would have nodded our heads, a high school version of Me#Too, teenage sexual harassment, bullying, some inept responses from school authorities. But, premiering in March 2021, it is not just an American story, it is a universal story.
And, it is highly significant in the Australian social context, political context, sexual harassment context, legal context, that has provoked enormous media consideration, public and private discussions, protests.
A bit of help from Wikipedia first: there is a definition of ‘moxie’:
1 : energy, pep woke up full of moxie.
2 : courage, determination it takes … moxie to pull up roots and go to a land where the culture and probably the language are totally foreign— M. J. McClary?.
This film is based on a contemporary novel by Jennifer Mathieu, female screenwriter, Tamara Chestna, and directed by well-known and popular comedian, Amy Poehler (who plays a significant role of the central character’s mother). This is a women-focused story, centring on a 16-year-old at high school, Vivian, played effectively as both shy and strong by Hadley Robinson.
Vivian’s mother, Lisa, was something of a rebel and protester in her day and has communicated something of this to Vivian who does not quite know how to assert herself, is in admiration of a new student, Lucy (Alycia Pascuale-Peña) black/Hispanic, who makes quite a mark in the literature class on the first day of the new school year, posing the question of why they should study The Great Gatsby (‘written by an old rich white man…’). She is brusquely interrupted by the supreme self-confident football jock, Mitchell (Patrick Schwarzenegger, quite dashing but in what turns out to be a courageous performance for a most unsympathetic character). Mitchell continues to taunt Lucy.
In the Australian context, Chanel Contos, remembering her school days at a private school, collected stories and testimonies ‘over 3,000 testimonies of sexual assault from current and former schoolgirls from across Australia, some claiming they were raped by boys from all-boys private schools, some when they were as young as 13’. Moxie illustrates most tellingly a lot of this kind of harassment. Incidents can seem small and insignificant, easily passed over – the Principal (Marcia Gay Harden) answering Lucy’s complaint by distinguishing what is annoying (can be discussed and quietly settled) from what is harassment (which requires the trouble of investigation and paperwork).
Incidents help us appreciate how hurtful and harmful male presumptions and conscious and unconscious arrogance can be – and are. Texts assessing students quickly do the rounds, ‘the most bangable’. ‘best fat ass’. Male giggling, Mitchell as super-hero, presumption that he be the only candidate for school sports representative (with a $10,000 scholarship.
Vivian is stirred and designs a small magazine to highlight the issues. She calls it Moxie, at first 50 photocopied issues, hopefully left in the restroom, that someone will pick it up. Success. The girls find a voice and begin to make it heard. They decide to nominate one of their own sports captains to stand against Mitchell. (Vivian also has some sixteen year old’s issues, attraction to a nice fellow-student, Seth (Nico Haraga) who is on her side, sexual relationships seriously considered, but difficulties with her mother finding a sympathetic friend).
There is an appeal to all the students to physically protest, going outside to gather, challenging the school status quo and the principal.
Then, in the final fifteen minutes, Moxie becomes even stronger and more topical. A girl anonymously emails Vivian to reveal she had been raped on prom night. At the protest, she reveals herself and the 17 year old fellow-student who was responsible…
Netflix offers an opportunity for accessible story, images and incidents – and serious discussion, especially for school students, teachers and parents.
1. The title and its meaning? Use? Spirit? And Vivian’s magazine?
2. An American small town, homes, streets, school, classes, sports, assemblies? The corridors of the school, toilets, principal’s office? Sports arena? The musical score?
3. Sexual harassment issues, bullying? At high school level? Students’ education, lack of sexual respect awareness? Girls as targets? Acceptance, protest, not going to authorities, fears? The role of boys, taken for granted language and insults, texting? And the issue of rape?
4. The 21st century, awareness in high schools, the Me#Too movement and consequences?
5. Vivian’s story, 16 years old, living with her mother, quiet, her room, her mother as a companion? Her mother’s memories of protest in the past? Vivian observing, best friends with Claudia, seeing Lucy in class, talking with her, Claudia upset? The other girls and their bonding?
6. Vivian observing Mitchell, the teacher’s welcome in the class, Mitchell self-confidence, arrogance, seeing himself as the star, arriving late, alleging helping people, the issue of The Great Gatsby, his talking over Lucy, putting her down? His best friend and unthinking support? The sports star? To be the school representative? The $10,000 scholarship?
7. Lucy, background, black/Hispanic, assertive, comments on The Great Gatsby, old rich white male…? Her self-assertion? Boys putting her in her place…? Going to the principal, the principal evading the issue, annoyance or harassment?
8. Vivian, deciding to do something, creating Moxie, the cutouts, the binding, taking it to the printer, 50 copies, leaving them in the restroom, hoping someone would take them? The symbols on hands? People reading, responding? Her further issues? The support of the printer? Her not revealing her role, people speculating?
9. The principal, her reaction? Her presence at assemblies, the sports meeting, the announcements, her reaction to the protest and everybody walking out of classes? The competition, boats, representative? Acknowledging Kiera? Mitchell winning?
10. Claudia, her mother, control, Claudia shy, hurt with Vivian’s reactions, friendship with Lucy and the others? Her signing up Moxie and giving it legitimacy? Her being suspended? The scenes with her mother? Her coming out of herself, clothes, demonstrations? The bond of friendship?
11. Seth, his place in the class, friendly with Vivian from childhood, her mother’s memory of him wetting himself, his growing up, hire, change, attraction to Vivian? The meetings, the discussions, discovering her authorship of Moxie? The invitation to dinner, Vivian acting up about her mother’s friend, condemning him, his leaving? The car, the sexual encounter, his reticence and wanting it to be special? Alienated from Vivian?
12. The girls, the decision to promote Kiera for the scholarship, her reticence? Her agreement, the nomination, the surprise, the campaign and promotion?
13. The match, Mitchell, the victory, his winning the scholarship? His reaction? The girls and the disappointment?
14. Moxie, the harassment, Vivian and her decision to reveal the truth, everyone wearing a tank top, the protest, her speech? The teacher and finally supporting them?The girl and the anonymous email? Speaking up? The victim of rape? Denouncing Mitchell?
15. Vivian and her mother, different generations, tensions, pride, the boyfriend in the supermarket, Vivian’s unreasonable reaction, her behaviour at the dinner?
16. Her mother coming at the end, the reconciliation, her pride?
17. The principal coming to class, summoning Mitchell?
18. The familiarity of the high school stories, comic, serious, romance? But in the context of respect for women, sexual harassment, consequences?
