Twilight

POINTLESS CHILDHOOD BACKGROUND When I was 13-14, I decided to give Twilight a chance. All my friends were HP stans, I didn't care about wizards, I didn't even care about reading for fun since I was 9, only reading books for assignments. I knew there were memes about Bella and Edward and 'x is a better love story than twilight'. My cousin from the Philippines wanted an Alice Cullen necklace from Hot Topic (when NM came out) because mech was so hard to find. And that Paramore was on the soundtrack, one of my favorite bands at that time and to this day. Either way, I decided to pick up this book, ignore getting shit from my sister and my friends and ended up reading the entire series within 2 weeks, enraptured in this idealistic, naive and all-consuming idea of love. I remember going to Half Price to get Eclipse and New Moon DVDs, feeling embarrassed of being a Twilight fan and giving into being a teenage girl. I think the first time I saw Twilight, I likely rented it from the library and watched it in my bedroom on my XBOX 360 not realizing how much I would continue to love this series forever. It's bittersweet that when I was just starting getting into it, it was already ending with BDP1 and 2. I experienced it in theatres for the first time during the 10 year anniversary with my 1 estranged friend from middle school who was a Twihard since the beginning. ACTUAL REVIEW Even though at this point the last time I read the book was when I was 13/14, the small details and care that Catherine Hardwicke put in this film still stand out to me. From how the blue filter makes Edward's hair look like the copper bronze penny it should be, to giving Bella subtle warm highlights similar to the reddish tone described in the books. Its how Victoria wears thrifted clothes and Laurent wears buttoned down shirts because he was from an aristocratic family in France. Kristen and Rob get flack for being 'awkward' and 'cringy' but to me they encapsulate the fumbling awkwardness of your first love so perfectly- this movie is the beginning of Bella and Edward, and I could only wish we had more dialogue between them during lunch, classes, etc. Catherine took what little was given about the Ballet studio scene and directed something so exciting and complicated for an action sequence, taking artistic liberty like Alice beheading James and having the entire floor get ripped to shreds. She made the car crash so easily to understand yet have the same impact as it did in the books despite how confusing it was described as. How there's a frame of Edward with wings, or the full moon transitioning in his eye, and how I constantly feel and understand Bella's personality so easily with how she frames shots that show how well Kristen plays these quiet characters. The haziness of the fogged meadows and mossy trees, the initial shot of the deer are so beautiful to me. The soundtrack is god-tier iconic, with Muse, Paramore and Linkin Park, perfectly capturing the music of year 2008, and fitting the vibes perfectly of moody, introverted teenagers. Lastly, I just want to say that Bella Swan and Kristen Stewart deserve all my love. From Kristen picking Flightless Bird to Bella being my comfort emotional support baby that I just have wanted to protect from 13 till now. Bella Swan IS the MAIN CHARACTER, the IT GAL, who said horny girl rights when no one else did. Happy 12th baby.