Lets Talk About The Mummy (1999)

Let’s talk about The Mummy (1999)

Someone was talking at me yesterday about this movie and I was getting riled so I decided to go full rant. Specifically in regards to the feminist podcast that slammed it.

I don’t even remember which podcast it was, but I am still rankled and baffled that any “feminism in movies” podcast could jump to anything but “this movie is phenomenal.”

First of all, even just discussing the overall quality: sure, it might not have been groundbreaking with its cgi or plot twists. But back in the 90s, that wasn’t the standard of measure like it is now (and even now is a shitty standard that needs to die). This movie was light and funny and yet hit all the right beats to maintain the dire stakes needed to make it a compelling action flick.

Its characters are fully realized and entirely distinct from each other. Even those treated with a broader brush, such as the Americans, were charismatic enough that we were fully invested in their fate. The entire cast of characters were real people with real impact and real agency.

The script is quotable and fucking hilarious. There are gems from literally every single character. Rick and Evie have actual chemistry, aided by Rachel Weisz’s natural magnetism and Brendan Frasier’s career-long knack for acting utterly charmed with his female costars.

Actually, let’s talk about Rick O'Connell for a second. This is peak 90s Brendan Frasier. He is absolutely GORGEOUS, suave, and cool, rugged and handsome. He is the epitome of the 1920s adventure hero. Dear god I want to kiss those casting directors. But for all his general peak masculinity? He’s feminist as fuck. He is equally dumbstruck by Evie as she is by him, and it’s wholly evident that it’s more than a “oh no she’s hot” thing.

How do we know?

He steals her some tools to dig with. This gift demonstrates that he a) has identified her passion for archaeology, b) has recognized her proficiency in the field, despite it not being explicitly stated on screen, and c) sees a chance to restore her full and active participation in the discovery of Hamunaptra.

There is never a moment where Rick assumes to be the leader of the expedition. He is the weapons expert, the muscle–and he knows it. Better than that, he’s totally okay with it. He follows Evie’s lead in all things.

Another favorite moment of mine is when they’re facing off with the American team on Day 1, and Evie realizes there’s a chamber underneath Anubis they could use to excavate the statue. She puts her hand on Rick’s arm, looks him in the eye, and says very deliberately “there are other places to dig.” And he yields, instantly.

By comparison, see the way the Americans treat their workers and guide.

Does he groan about his work being made exponentially harder as a result? Nope. And that’s a recurring theme in his behavior the entire goddamn movie. The only time he is in charge is when a situation is in his wheelhouse– namely, combat and rescue. And it deserves mentioning that the majority of the time that he’s in charge, Evie is not present.

Meanwhile, Evie– her adventurer’s spirit chafing in an academia that dismisses her for her gender– is an absolute marvel. She is visually coded as being very feminine (she’s in dresses and long hair most of the film), but that fact in no way detracts from her competence and agency.

She is consistently protrayed as a fully capable expert in egyptology and there is never a single moment where she waffles on what to do. Even when she’s the damsel in distress, she actively makes the choice to be so because she weighs the potential outcomes and decides doing so provides their best chance of success.

Evie is never the passive victim. She is constantly brash, constantly scheming, and saves the lives of her would-be rescuers mid-abduction. And when her brother (who is the failure of the family, against type) needs help with translation, she correctly translates for him while being throttled by a mummified priestess.

When I first saw this film, I was too young to realize how novel it was. Back then, all I knew was that it was just a good time. But now as an adult– an adult acutely aware of the treatment female characters have gotten in the twenty years since– I marvel at the respect with which the writers and directors treated Evie.

I marvel at how tender Rick was allowed to be, despite his rugged adventurer archetype.

The Mummy (1999) is peak storytelling. It doesn’t try to outsmart the audience, but rather lays out a consistent, coherent narrative that gives the characters and viewers room to breathe. It invests the audience enough to care whether the characters succeed in their goals.

The Mummy (1999) does it right. It’s the reason that any talk of the Tom Cruise version gets an immediate eyeroll from me, because whatever modern grimdark grit they shove into a story about a mummy cannot compare to the reliable and timeless entertainment of the 1999 adaptation.

All modern media should aspire to be the kind of film that The Mummy (1999) is.

YOU hates terfs

Encanto au 

based of off @renrenlady and their papa Bruno au and this post 

Mirabel madrigal is the daughter of the cursed prophet and this lead to her childhood before her door ceremony to be a little rough. shes not hurt in any way but she dose hear people talk bad about her papa. 

on her fifth birthday the door doesn't turn to ash, instead it turns to gold dust and cause the house to light up as casita leads her to alma’s door witch is glowing even more. once the small five year old touches the door it changes. 

this lead to the little girl and the family's relishing that shes the next candle barer. ( their is more to that ) 

alma dear alma freaks out because she didn't choose her. she didn't want a child to take care of the candle much less Bruno's child. how could she be good for the encanto ? this leads to her asking bruno about it and to see how this change  affects the magic. taints it. how shes connected to the magic. so he leaves but not before saying good buy to his daughter and leaving her a good buy note with a vision plate. its the plate related to his wife and how they meet. this leads to the five year old growing up knowing who her dad is and unfortunately being semi raised by her tia’s. being the next head of house hold leads to her learning how to be the best version of herself and semi ignored by her abuela. not because she hated but because she looks to much like bruno. 

cue mira’s younger years learning how to do everything under the sun she could to be a good leader and her listing to the village. 

when Antonio comes mira is ready and willing to help her tia/mama. due to mira relying on both her tia’s she sees her cousins as her siblings. 

instead of running into the room and screaming about the magic she asks her siblings/ cousins if they noticed anything. this lead to a sibling adventure on saving the magic. on this adventure the each slowly lose thier powers or already lose said powers and are trying to get it back. 

they only get it back after opining up and talking about their trauma and coming to a understanding and making a support system amongst themselves. this is due to their miracle being reinvigorated by a healthier family bond until they are back in castia’s main halls and the cracks return. 

Trope: Enemy to Caretaker

See also: Unconventional Caretakers.

Reasons Why I Love This Trope So Goddamn Much (not anywhere near a description of the totality of my feelings on this topic, but a start):

- The vulnerability.  The sheer terror of being exposed in front of someone you hate (who hates you).  The panic and stoicism of attempting to cover up the pain until it’s too much.  Until you can’t.  Until the agony is worse than letting them see your tears.

- The mistrust.  The constant second-guessing.  The suspicion of every move they make.  The concocting of escape plans, one after the other, because how can you tell the difference between being restrained for your own good and being captured?  The cuffs sure look the same.

- The surrender.  Hitting rock bottom.  Watching you give in and knowing that you’ve given up on everything because if you can’t fight against your enemy, you can’t fight against anyone.

- The unexpected compassion.  A hand where you expect a fist.  A bandage where you expect a break.  Snappish words and voices raised in anger and understanding, finally, that their bark is worse than their bite.

- The lack of safety.  There is no one to catch you when you fall.  No one who’s safe, who’s reliable, who’s trustworthy.  You are hurt and alone and you curl up and wait for the blow.  The slow relearning of trust.  The hesitant steps towards hope.  (The shattering, sometimes.)

Enemy.  To.  Goddamn.  Caretaker.

Please.

july ‘19 vs september ‘19 

(insp.)