Jennifer's Body (2009)

For the 2023 post about Jennifer's Body please click here.

Long, long ago in a time before we realized we are living in late stage capitalism Jennifer’s Body (2009) premiered. To the dismay of teenage boys across America the film catered to an audience not sitting through over an hour of content just to see a naked Megan Fox. I recall trying to sneak into the R rated feature as I had always been a tad in love with Megan Fox even before I could admit my attraction to women. Lo and behold thirteen year old me had to (not so patiently) wait for the movie to hit premium channels on Comcast. When it did I set a recording and waited. That recording lasted on our DVR for years and played almost nightly.

From my first viewing I became entranced. I couldn’t understand why people seemed to hate it so much. I wanted to BE Jennifer even though I naturally related more with Needy, played by Amanda Seyfried. I found it relatable and hilarious, I could see myself in the characters. Be it the teenage angst or the female rage I felt the movie spoke to me in a language I understood. Frankly, I didn’t mind if Jennifer ate all of the boys in the movie as long as I got to watch.

As an adult watching Jennifer’s Body is like stepping into a time capsule of a time not too long ago but mostly forgotten. Where jokes trended on the side of not so politically correct and the entanglements of toxic female friendship aired on the side of romantic partnerships. Before we knew the language of mental health diagnosis or understood the pathology behind behavior. Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for the progress we have made in respecting ourselves and one another as human beings but returning to one's adolescence will always bring on nostalgia.

Needless to say it is an all time favorite of mine. I have admitted that and then promptly had to defend it long before its magnificence became recognizable to the general public.