As a long-time gamer and movie enthusiast, I find myself intrigued by the recent debate surrounding the lack of an onscreen kiss between the main characters in “Twisters.” Having grown up watching films where physical intimacy was often a key plot point, it’s fascinating to see how our cultural perspective on this topic has evolved.
[This story contains spoilers for Twisters.]
The controversy over portrayals of intimate scenes in movies is once again stirring up debate among viewers, with many expressing strong opinions on social media about the ending of “Twisters,” a film directed by Lee Isaac Chung and featuring Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Anthony Ramos.
After the 1996 film “Twister” featuring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, a new movie emerges with Kate (Edgar-Jones) overcoming her past trauma of a tornado encounter to help a team in Oklahoma monitor dangerous storms. In “Twisters,” Kate develops an unspoken bond with YouTube sensation and storm chaser Tyler (Powell). However, you might be surprised that their romantic feelings for each other are never explicitly shown through a kiss on screen.
As a gamer, I’ve noticed my friend expressing disappointment when romantic relationships in games lacked physical interaction. They even avoided encounters with the attractive male characters, preferring to keep things platonic. It’s interesting how our modern culture seems to shy away from intimacy, choosing instead to ignore it or push it aside due to its complexity and potential messiness. We seem to have decided that it’s better to avoid dealing with it altogether.
In fact, the filmmakers chose not to include that particular scene in the final cut. A kiss between Powell and Edgar-Jones was filmed by Chung, but it didn’t make it into the released version. Clips of their lip-lock surfaced online, yet it wasn’t part of the movie. The actors explained that this was due to a suggestion from executive producer Steven Spielberg, and they agreed with the decision.
As a gamer, I can relate to Chung’s evolving perspective as a filmmaker. Lately, I’ve noticed shifts in audience preferences too. In my last project, I included a romantic scene with a passionate kiss. But after getting feedback from focus groups and beta testers, it became clear that not everyone appreciated it. So, I made the tough decision to scrap it. It wasn’t an easy choice, but I believe that listening to my audience and adapting to their preferences is essential for creating an engaging and enjoyable gaming experience.
The discussion about the film “Twisters” has revolved around recent studies indicating that members of Generation Z are less drawn to on-screen sex scenes compared to previous generations. However, steamy scenes in newer movies like “Challengers,” “The Idea of You,” and “Red, White and Royal Blue” have still managed to capture the attention of younger viewers. Nevertheless, films appear to be showing fewer instances of gratuitous nudity or intimate moments (according to a study last year, sexual content in major films decreased by almost 40% since 2000). Director Powell explained that leaving out the kiss in “Twisters” was essential for Kate’s character development, emphasizing that her self-realization didn’t depend on having a romantic partner.
Brian Hurwitz, an in-house writer at Dolphin Entertainment and UCLA lecturer, points out that Gen Z and younger millennials may view intimate scenes as a representation of past inequality, where women had less control over such portrayals. Hurwitz explains, “It’s the uneasiness, a sign that any sort of intimacy now feels compulsory.” As evidence, he references the controversy last year over Spanish soccer player Jennifer Hermoso receiving an unwanted kiss from her federation’s president, who subsequently resigned.
Hurwitz argues that modern younger audiences are less drawn to provocative films due to easy access: “Back in the ’80s, graphic content was a major draw for getting kids into theaters to watch slasher films. They were eager to see young women portrayed in sexual scenes followed by their deaths. But now, it takes just a few seconds for today’s teens to view such content on their phones. Why would they need to go to the movies for that?”
Hurwitz argues that the romantic scenes between Powell and Arjona in “Hit Man” on Netflix significantly contribute to the plot. In contrast, he notes that unlike the original 1984 film “Beverly Hills Cop,” where Eddie Murphy’s character brings his colleagues to a strip club, the recent Netflix sequel “Axel F” does not include such a scene.
In the wave of the #MeToo campaign in 2017, there has been a growing trend in Hollywood for employing intimacy coordinators to oversee sexually explicit scenes. This practice remains a subject of ongoing discussion, with some industry insiders extolling their importance and even suggesting that they deserve an Oscar, while actors like Jennifer Aniston and Michael Douglas have opted against working with them, with Aniston expressing her discomfort by commenting, “This is already awkward enough.”
Michael Bronski, a media professor at Harvard University and former film critic for “Gay Community News,” believes that the debate surrounding “Twisters” would have been significantly altered if the romantic moment had featured an LGBTQ couple. According to him, such a scenario would have sparked greater outrage among queer viewers as they might perceive it as an act of censorship instead of an artistic decision.
It’s looking probable that a follow-up to “Twisters” is on the horizon, considering the Universal film has earned over $80 million in its first weekend at the domestic box office. Essentially, audiences may soon discover if Powell and Edgar-Jones’ characters finally give in to their romantic feelings. Although some have criticized the lack of a kiss (“The most impactful stance Kamala [Harris] could take currently is to firmly denounce removing the kiss from ‘Twisters’,” commented podcast host Clay Kelly), not everyone shares this view.
Bucher expresses his appreciation for a deeper query Gen Z is grappling with: the pursuit of authentic connections beyond fleeting moments of intimacy.
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2024-07-24 21:25