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- How Similar Are Emily Nelson And Serena van der Woodsen?
- Both Serena and Emily Have Disappearing Streaks
As a movie critic with a penchant for dissecting characters and their intricate backstories, I must say that the parallels between Blake Lively‘s iconic character Serena van der Woodsen from Gossip Girl and her enigmatic Emily Nelson from A Simple Favor are nothing short of fascinating. Both women embody a certain allure, a mysterious charm that keeps audiences captivated, much like the siren song of the silver screen itself.
Initially, when trailers for Paul Feig’s 2018 film, A Simple Favor, were released, fans of Blake Lively from a previous, now-completed project, were left puzzled worldwide. They couldn’t help but wonder what this movie was where their beloved Lively portrays a character that echoes so strongly of Serena van der Woodsen from Gossip Girl.
In the movie “A Simple Favor” – a film that took everyone by surprise six years ago when it was released, making the choice to forgo theaters for its sequel even more puzzling – Lively plays Emily Nelson, a PR professional for a fashion company who is always impeccably dressed, lives in a stunning home, and has a charming husband. However, she is as enigmatic as they come. Her new acquaintance, Stephanie Smothers (played by Anna Kendrick), hosts a vlog centered on crafts and recipes for parents. Despite seeming like an unusual match, they quickly form a strong friendship. Does this plot sound reminiscent of Dan and Serena to anyone else?
How Similar Are Emily Nelson And Serena van der Woodsen?
The simplest connection between Emily and Serena is probably the easiest thing to see, that being their sense of style, a shared fashion sense that can only be afforded by the wealthiest and most elite New York residents. (Oh, that, too: Both characters reside in New York, with Serena in the Big Apple and Emily in the suburbs, which she despises.) Emily tends to dress like she’s about to audition for a classy cabaret gig in Las Vegas. She’s big on suit jackets and Louboutin pants, the likes of which most finance executives wouldn’t dream of dropping thousands on. Both characters are likely to be found perpetually sipping dry martinis in glasses that never seem to run empty.
Although they may seem perfect on the surface, both Emily from A Simple Favor and Serena from Gossip Girl are complex individuals beneath their glamorous facades. They possess everything one might dream of – lavish homes, stylish attire, designer accessories, luxury cars, and captivating appearances. Yet, they both exude a mysterious air of invincibility that leaves even the most cynical feeling powerless to penetrate their defenses. However, hidden beneath this impenetrable exterior lies a world of insecurities and complexities that are as intricate and stormy as the personal clouds that seem to perpetually shadow them. Understanding these deeper connections might require the insight of a skilled psychoanalyst.
To clarify, the character Emily in the film “A Simple Favor” isn’t actually named Emily in real life. Instead, she is known as Hope McLendon, who had a troubled childhood with an abusive family. Her mother was cruel, and her father often physically abused them. In the story, when Hope and her twin sister Faith turned 16 years old, they set fire to their house, which ultimately resulted in their deaths and that of their father. This tragic act allowed them to begin new lives under assumed identities. Hope chose to become “Emily Nelson,” a woman with enigmatic, almost sociopathic traits, perfect for the making of an intriguing mystery film.
Serena van der Woodsen isn’t quite the murderous type, nor has she changed her identity — yet — but she is certainly far more complicated than she presents herself as being. Her nickname, the ‘It girl of the Upper East Side,’ fits her well, but she doesn’t quite feel like the socialite-slash-heiress that she is in title. Thanks to her family’s riches, Serena essentially has it all, but she never seems to match the expectations those have of her, as her party-girl reputation and the dark secrets hidden within her family’s history tend to cloud her ability to succeed in academics and extracurriculars.
Both Serena and Emily Have Disappearing Streaks
In the Season 6 premiere of Gossip Girl, called “Gone Maybe Gone,” Serena dramatically leaves New York after being rejected by her best friend, Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) and her on-and-off love interest, Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley). Though she returns eventually, the startling nature of her disappearance sends ripples through her community, with her friends and family fearing the worst. The same goes for A Simple Favor’s Emily, who vanishes without a trace after agreeing to pick up Stephanie’s son from school. When “she” turns up dead later in the film, much drama has unfolded, including Stephanie and Emily’s husband, Sean (Henry Golding), having slept together, and Sean having taken out a $4 million life insurance policy in the event that Emily died after disappearing.
In the television series “Gossip Girl,” Serena often finds herself intertwined with a character named Emily, who seems to be a persona that Serena creates for herself as an attempt to redefine herself yet again. It’s intriguing to imagine how Emily’s charm and self-assuredness could have supported Serena during her toughest moments, even if it was through a form of self-imposed transformation.
Without a doubt, the twists and turns in both “A Simple Favor” and “Gossip Girl” are so intricate they’re hard to follow at times, and their dramatic flair is undeniably heightened for captivating narratives. Yet, this very essence is what has earned them an enduring appeal among their devoted fanbases. It seems only fitting that Blake Lively’s most memorable character might have influenced her next iconic role. In a way, it’s like one favor from Blake to Blake.
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2024-09-02 04:31