A Film That Advertises Fire & Delivers Trouble
When ‘The Other Woman’ was set to be released in the year 2014, There was a lot of word around town about the movie, especially after the trailer was released, mostly because of the things it showcased. Although the plot was highly exaggerated, there was to be comedy, “female empowerment,” and more than a bat of an eyelash full of glamour. The excitement was half revenge and half drama, quirky and a reasonable dose of nonsensical. Above everything else, there was to be discussions based off of the movie months prior to the premiere of it.
The new women-led comedy movie the other woman with Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, and newcomer Kate Upton, raised the question: would it do well at the box office with the rest of the superhero productions and male blockbusters taking over the big screen?
The Other Woman was centered around Carly (Cameron Diaz), a successful lawyer, who in her wildest dreams perfectly imagines a future with Mark King only to, a second later, come crushing down to reality brutalized by the fact that he is married to Kate (Leslie Mann), a somewhat crazy yet lovable housewife. What is more interesting, instead of tearing each other down, the two women form an alliance. Their friendship strengthens further when they learn that Mark is also cheating with Amber (Kate Upton), a charming and simple young woman who is more innocent than evil.
Rather than competing against each other, the three women with different stereotypes the business woman, the house wife, and the young girl, decide to fight and in the process, they manage to crack a smile and draw strength from each other. Their mental and emotional strength helps them pull off what is referred to as slapstick humor, wit, as well as intense emotional development that combines with the climax of the story that exposes Mark to be the villain in the chaos, only to bring him down in the end.
To the audience, the story was appealing because it turned a cultural stereotype on its head: instead of women competing for a man, they stood together against falsehoods. Part of it illustrated an increasing cultural appetite for stories where women determine the outcomes of their narratives.
Cameron Diaz and the Question of Reinvention.
As one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, Diaz faced a transitional phase by the time The Other Woman was announced. The actress’s days of portraying the charming woman in There’s Something About Mary and the Charlie’s Angels franchise were over, and now she was attempting to steer through an industry which often sidelines women as they approach forty. Playing Carly was a safe return to the romantic-comedy genre, while also an opportunity to showcase her comedic timing which was still unmatched.
A confession made by Diaz, concerned what was most amusing to her was not the humor, but the theme of friendship, thus the message of the movie. To accomplish the role, she focused on building natural rapport with her colleagues instead of rehearsing heavily choreographed moves. It was this very spontaneity which made her scenes with Leslie Mann to come across as genuine rather than rehearsed dialogues, but rather as the natural rhythms of two women learning to trust each other.
Leslie Mann’s deeply moving, comedic, indescribable performance
If Diaz is the glamorous backbone of the film, then Leslie Mann was its emotional center. As the wronged spouse and wife Kate, she seamlessly mixed neurotic, over-the-top comedy with real, genuine fragility and vulnerability. Critics had acclaim for her performance as the one that stood the most, as she was able to make the audience both laugh and ache equally and simultaneously.
In her personal life, Mann was often recognized because of her roles as the stereotypical awkward and relatable female in his comedies. But in her film, The Other Woman, she was able to prove that she could stand out and shine all by herself. She later confessed that certain parts of Kate’s emotional and defensive character stemmed, in part, from her own life, as a Hollywood wife and mother where more often than not, women feel most invisible, which was a shatteringly honest thing to say. It is this layer of depth and honesty, which transformed a character that had the potential to be a caricature, the hear and soul of the film.
Kate Upton and the Pressure of a Breakout Role
Upton in the film was a crucial moment. A successful model, she was making the jump into mainstream acting. Her casting resulted in both excitement and skepticism, upton was she capable of professionally performing or she was a putond only for her superficial features.
Upton was able to balance Diaz s sassiness and Mann s tension. Like Diaz and Mann, upton was also intimidated but the filming set was treated like a boot camp. The bond between the M 3 ladies helped her ease into the position. Some of her critics were silenced.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau said he didn’t take Game of Thrones for no reason, which was a plus, because he had no choice but to devote his time to Mark King. His portrayal was more self-explanatory, as he was just as recognized as Jaime Lannister, a ‘flawless,’ ‘dangerous,’ charismatic character. Coster-Waldau loosened up as he stepped away from his charm and told the world that he adored the villainous side of the character. His clothes and character ‘refinement’ was a ‘feast’ for many, as he deserved the ‘vengeance’ as a victim of ‘charming’ laughter, which was mastered.
As for the audience, they, especially the women, attacked the cinemas from the very first Friday. The humor, the bling, and the joy that came simply from the women solidarity lit the ‘madness’ in the audience. The hype was equivalent to the people, and the box office hit more than $190 million worldwide. The audience proved that they had a point about the ‘mush’ of ‘female camaraderie’ as they kept ‘female selfishness’ at the back.
The audience was polar opposite. The first side praised the chemistry that the participants had while the latter said that it banked too much on ‘mind-thumbing’ humor. The people that had a darker view, even for a split precious of the movie, focused on the blaring issue — the issue that women must stick up for each other.
The Bonds and Battles Behind the Camera
Every work of art is bound to have its weaknesses, and the on-screen laughter was no exception. Reportedly, Director Nick Cassavetes took it upon himself to encourage improvisation, which, to the audiences’ delight, cultivated unforeseen interactions but was a nightmare to the more meticulous directors. Having a more extensive resume in comedy, it was simple for Mann and Diaz to catch on, unlike Upton, who was heavily impacted during her initial phases.
The rumors of scheduling issues did, in fact, have some truth. While juggling commitments, Diaz required the fastest pace of the crew, which is ultimately scheduling wise. Rather than fracturing the film, the constant competition did seem to benefit the three leads, who quite frequently described the shoot as ‘summer camp with some mischief.’
This is where some lesser known, yet history defining moments, were ‘created.’ Iconically, the scenes where Upton ran in slow motion along the beach and the wild bathroom fight were never in the original script. Rather, they were the result of spontaneity during on set as a result of a peculiar experiment.
Why It Still Resonates
The Other Woman, viewed in hindsight, was not only a rom com, but a statement about the time period when females friendships were novelized and put in the center of Hollywood blockbusters. It proved that glitz and lunacy could be joined with empowerment, and that demi-goddesses tilted the universe in their favor seeking stories where women were not competitors, but companions.
For Diaz, it was almost the last major film of her career, before taking a break from the film industry. For Mann, it was a first indicator of her leading lady capabilities. For Upton, it was a first step into Hollywood narration. For the viewers, it reminded that there is a sweet revenge but there is something sweeter, and that is the solidarity.
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