Caitlin’s Pop of Culture: Revisiting the “Twilight Saga”

In 2009, a lot was going on. Our nation had our first Black president, Michael Jackson died, Apple introduced the iPad and Justin Bieber was on the rise. But, probably the most significant event that happened that year was that I, as a small curly-haired fifth-grader, picked up Stephanie Meyer’s masterpiece, “Twilight.” Like most pre-teen and teenage girls, I fell in love with Bella Swan’s supernatural love triangle. Movies were watched, t-shirts and posters were bought, heck, I even had a “Twilight” birthday party! Yes, I was a Twihard, for the most part. Momma Hunt only let me read the first two books and movies because of the mature content. Of course, my obsession died, and I fixated my time on other things. 

Fast forward 11 years later, and I’m a senior in college with a lot more experience under my belt. In other words, I no longer fantasize that I would pique the interest of a vampire or werewolf. Still, with everything going on in this world, I decided to take a trip down memory lane and indulge in this iconic guilty pleasure. Follow my column as I re-enter the world of Bella, Edward and Jacob, both on-page and screen. Let’s take it back to where it all began- “Twilight.”

*SOME SPOILERS AHEAD*

Book

For those of you not aware, “Twilight” is told from the viewpoint of 17-year-old Bella Swan, who moves to Forks, Washington, to be with her father. Upon arrival, she encounters and becomes fascinated with the Cullen family, particularly Edward. She soon discovers that the key to Edward’s beauty and intrigue is that he is a 109-year-old vampire. 

So, the plot is pretty basic, which leads to a pretty dull first half. If you’ve read the book jacket, then you already know that Edward is a vampire and that he and Bella will be together. But, Meyer does little to create any type of tension or “will they or won’t they” energy. Instead, she makes a very slow, painful build to the book’s climax, which actually builds a lot of momentum and anxiety in a reader. Before that, though, it’s merely just a bunch of back and forth between Edward wanting to hang out with Bella and then him staying away because he is a “monster.” 

In terms of writing, Meyer is both a good and a lousy author. Meyer’s writing is on the level of an experienced Wattpad writer. It’s nothing to gawk at or be impressed by, but it’s not complete trash. It’s easy to read and stay focused on the story. Meyer’s writing also has some magical quality that keeps you enthralled with the characters and the supernatural world around them. Credit should be given to Meyer because she knows how to world build and create her own lore for her creatures. 

At ten, I found Bella, for lack of a better word, stupid. While the basis of my argument was based on her choice of men (something we can explore later), I just found her boring, and in some ways, Bella is. Meyer has created Bella to be “not like other girls,” which worked for 2005, but not 2020. Her love of Jane Austen, appeal to pretty much every guy at Forks High School and her careless way of always getting hurt (both physically and emotionally) are tired, old tropes in young adult literature. I’m still not in love with our heroine, but, at 21, I can find characteristics that I at least like about her. 

For one thing, Bella is more independent than pop culture paints her to be. The girl is fine to just chill at home or run off places by herself. She hates to be babied, even though that’s how everyone wants to treat her. She also has a bit of a fierce, passionate streak in her. Bella leans into her feelings and is very retrospective of how she feels and also why she feels that way. 

I was indifferent towards the book Edward now and then. His charms have never worked on me and probably never will. He just seemed so bland to me, with his whole personality twiddling down to him being a vampire and having an insane need to protect and be with Bella during every hour of the day. (I would say every waking hour, but the dude doesn’t sleep and even watches Bella sleep. Creepy!)

“Twilight” honestly does not have much going on plot-wise. It, however, does an excellent job of world-building and character establishment. 

Movie

I, at ten years old, thought this movie was peak cinema. I laugh at my younger self. Released in 2008, the movie adaptation directed by Catherine Hardwicke is so dated and so cringy. Yet, I low-key loved every moment of it. 

The movie does a pretty good job of adapting Meyer’s novel by keeping much of the same plot with some added elements to make it more movie-friendly. While that is all well and good, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg could have done better. Awkward and cringe is what best sums up Rosenberg’s script. Many of the lines and interactions between characters don’t seem natural and are often forced. Usually, a great cast and a director can change that, but I did not dig the direction either. 

Director Hardwicke is known for edgy, teen angst films (see “Thirteen” as an example). Naturally, Hardwicke was game for using that as her framework for “Twilight,” and I hated it. Hardwicke is trying way too hard to make these otherwise “soft” characters into something they’re not. A framework like this works for movies with deep, controversial topics. The only real rebellious thing happening here is a vampire breaking the rules to be with a human. It kinda ruins the whole first love/meeting your soulmate feel of the book. Still, much of Hardwicke’s work is iconic. I mean that blue hue in the cinematography! The vampire baseball scene! *chef’s kiss*

“Twilight” shot many actors to fame, namely Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. Stewart plays Bella with her trademark awkwardness. When I first started watching the movie, Stewart’s awkward tendencies annoyed the crap out of me. As the film progresses, though, you can tell Stewart, like Bella, is beginning to feel more comfortable. You start to believe that Stewart is the perfect person to portray Bella. While the book Edward does nothing for me, the movie Edward does because Pattinson is just the best when it comes to Edward! The brooding, the anger, the romance! Pattinson’s interpretation helped me understand why Bella would risk her safety for a guy like him. Billy Burke and Peter Facinelli also fully encompass their roles as Bella’s quiet, mild-mannered dad, Charlie, and Edward’s adoptive vampire doctor Carlisle, respectively. All the performances, in general, have their low points, but that’s on Hardwicke and Rosenberg. These exceptional actors are really just working with what they got. 

So, “Twilight” was teen angst in its lowest form. It’s awkward, cringy, and sometimes painful to watch. But, isn’t that just the teen experience in a nutshell? Still, it’s loyal to its source material, something that can rarely be said for book adaptations, with off the charts chemistry between its two leads and even experiments with the film techniques that pay off in the long run.   

• bella swan
• books
• halloween
• Kristen Stewart
• movies
• Robert Pattinson
• twilight
• vampires