Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Recently, I was stuck at home with the chicken pox. Lucky me, in my mid-twenties, I could stay home all day. (To me, quite boring- not a treat).

Since we just got a DVR, I scoured the TV guide to record some movies. I based my searches on looking for recent movies, and ones that had recognizable actors (as well as the blurb being something remotely appealing). I found Wicked, which is from 1998, and features Julia Stiles as a main character.


The Main Plot

Early in the film, it is revealed that the family in this film is what might be considered dysfunctional. The father, played by William Moses (wow, from Perry Mason!) is having an affair with the au pair (a.k.a., the babysitter). At the same time, the mother (Chelsea Field) is having an affair with “the guy next door” (Patrick Muldoon).

Not far into the film at all, we see the mother bludgeoned to death with a greek tradgedy mask, and the killer is not revealed to the viewer.

The family mourns, but not for long. The older daughter, Ellie (Julia Stiles) soon takes charge. She rejected her mother’s authority in the past, so now she acts as the authority. Her little sister, Inger, is played by Vanessa Zima.

The movie shows the evolution of Ellie’s behavior and later the marriage of her father to the au pair. I won’t delve too much past that, so as not to reveal any plot spoilers.

Wicked is R rated, which makes sense. There is swearing, sexual scenes, drinking, and other things that make it inappropriate for a younger audience.


The Characters

I was interested to see Julia Stiles in an early role. She definitely is young, and the film shows her youth, but also her maturity. After the mother dies, “Ellie” seems to assume the motherly role in the household. Things have to be perfect, and she cooks and cleans to no end (and forces her sister to do so as well). Most shocking is wearing her mother’s makeup and clothes, from gowns for dinner to sexy lingerie. I think Stiles’ age fit this role just right, because if she had been any older, the effect wouldn’t have been anywhere as strong. She really fits the role of the rebellious teenager in every respect, and does an excellent acting job.

Ellie is by far the main character. Her father, Ben, is a plain sort of guy. He’s distraught by his wife’s death, and seeks comfort in his children. Maybe a little too much comfort, as Ellie wears her mother’s lingerie, the two get a little too close for comfort.

The other characters aren’t really worth talking about. The younger sister is cute. The neighbor seems creepy, and the detectives looking into the murder are pretty lazy. Everyone other than Ellie, her dad, and his love interest are pretty much just on the periphery.


Clueless Me… and the Electra Complex

After researching some info on this movie, the “Electra Complex” kept popping up. This is one of those things that would really help in watching this movie. For example, if you knew what a film noir was, and the critical elements of one, and then watched a film noir, you would know what was happening as the plot develops, and would probably be able to predict quite a bit. I felt like I was in the dark in the same way with Wicked, because had I known about this theory, I would have been greatly enlightened (as I am after the fact).

So the Electra Complex has to do with an obsession with the parent of the opposite sex. The parent of the same sex poses a challenge or rivalry. There’s a Freudian theory where the female child wants to engage sexually with her father and remove the mother from the picture. In other words, Ellie rejected her mother’s authority, and attaches to her father, becoming intensely jealous and territorial over him. The Electra Complex makes things much more obvious in the film, even down to Ellie’s name, which would indicate the complex (Ellie=Electra?), and the fact that the theory is drawn from Greek history (hint: Greek tragedy mask).

There is a whole lot more to this whole theory, but that’s the jest of it. You can see where it really is an integral part of the plot. One of those things where you look back and say, “Oohhhhhhhh”. I can see this movie being played in psych classes.


My Dislikes of this Film

Ok, so after realizing that the whole concept of the Electra Complex meant that a lot of the plot went over my head, there was still plenty for me to criticize. First of all, after the mother’s death, there is little mourning. Sure, they all shed some tears, but then it’s right back to the daily routine. But hey, they’re dysfunctional.

Ellie’s transformation is very instantaneous. Sure, her dad tells her that she’s his favorite, but that doesn’t mean Ellie knows how to be a mom and wife all of a sudden. But it also gives you an indication as to what the producers of this movie are trying to tell you (I won’t spell it out, as it would reveal too much).

In general, I didn’t think there was much to the plot. I wasn’t sure if Wicked was supposed to be overly bizarre, or if it was supposed to be a horror. As I watched, there wasn’t a whole lot to hold my interest, other than Ellie’s strange behavior. The basic idea is that the mother dies and Ellie takes over in a wicked sort of way. The ending adds a little more, but not much.

In addition, there are things that are vague or underdeveloped. As I mentioned earlier, you can’t really get into this without the background or understanding of the Electra Complex. Knowing about it would give the movie viewer a clear advantage.

But vagueness is a common part of the plot. I guess we’re supposed to be a little confused, but Wicked was missing something. As I watched, I felt like there was something that was supposed to be happening, and my expectations as I reached the end of the film were not met.

I didn’t enjoy the end of the movie. By no means was it predictable, but I wasn’t find any kind of interest in the storyline. Wicked succeeded in painting a bizarre mirage of events, but that’s about it. And the ending didn’t satisfy me. The “use your creative imagination” approach just wasn’t effective for me, after a plot that seemed lacking.


What Kept Me Watching? And, the Art of Being Wicked

This is one of those films where it’s worthwhile, once you’ve started, to finish it. I wanted to know what would happen in the ending. The story had captured just enough of my interest to keep me going.

The truly redeeming quality of this movie is Julia Stiles. Although I must add that none of the acting is bad, at all. William Moses (the father) has been around for a while, and he really fell into this role. I think it was the structure of the movie that just didn’t balance the importance of the characters.

Ellie is truly a wicked character. It was eerie how she acts and how well her bad intents are portrayed. I did find her character humorous at times, and then creepy at other times, so I did enjoy the film in that respect.


Websites

Sony: http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/catalog/catalogDetail_DVD043396069947.html?ID=DVD043396069947

My other movie reviews- movies to avoid:
New Best Friend: http://www.epinions.com/content_102882709124
Playing Mona Lisa: http://www.epinions.com/content_102474223236
Caveman’s Valentine: http://www.epinions.com/content_15563787908
Josie & The Pussycats: http://www.epinions.com/content_51860573828
My Big Fat Greek Wedding: http://www.epinions.com/content_77005360772
The Ice Rink: http://www.epinions.com/content_74172698244
RPM: http://www.epinions.com/content_96292802180
Love & Death on Long Island: http://www.epinions.com/content_69190848132
Movies that I recommend::
Happenstance: http://www.epinions.com/content_73032306308
24-Hour Woman: http://www.epinions.com/content_16422047364
Sleeping With the Enemy: http://www.epinions.com/content_61010644612
Tuck Everlasting: http://www.epinions.com/content_76039884420
Lady From Shanghai: http://www.epinions.com/content_20654165636
Bound: http://www.epinions.com/content_21595524740


Overall

Without the knowledge of the Electra Complex before watching Wicked, this film didn’t have what I would consider it’s “desired effect”. I wasn’t able to appreciate the deeper meaning and the use of psychology. As I mentioned earlier, I think the best metaphor would be to watch a film noir movie without having a clue as to what film noir is. Because when you start watching a film noir, you have a general idea as to who plays what role, and you can even guess what is going to happen. Instead, the plot was lost and dull. To me, being bludgeoned with a Greek tragedy mask meant nothing to me, until I read a little about the Electra Complex.

If you think you’re going to watch this, I would suggest doing a search on the internet or doing some other kind of quick research on the Electra Complex. It will make a world of difference. Also, if you’re a psychology student, it might be a fun movie to watch and analyze, and I’m sure after watching Wicked, you will never need to study this concept again.

I didn’t appreciate Wicked, and I felt that it had the potential to be enjoyed if I were prepared or had a little insight. But even with knowledge of the theory used in this film, I would be, by no means, riveted with suspense.





Recommended: No

Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age