Mary Jane's Not a Virgin Anymore

I thought this movie was really bold. Yeah, this was a first feature for the film maker. Hopefully we'll see more projects from her in the future. This movie was really important to me. It rang very true. If I saw this movie in my preteens I would have been *WAY* more informed about sex. The film makes it okay for a chic to be in control of her sex life. How many films have shown a girl how to get off-- and not from or for a man's perspective? Don't get me wrong. The sex scenes

were not only only hot but they were awkward, very true to life. Very much like a first time. I loved this movie. My friends and I cheered at the end.

While I agree the screenwriting isn't the greatest, for the period in which it was released, it has very progressive views. Very open-minded for the mid 90's, and sadly, even today. It showed same sex relationships, single parenthood, female sexuality, sexual harassment and more without judgment or stereotypical characters in a time where that was taboo and unthinkable.

I really enjoyed this film. I felt that _Mary Jane_ perfectly portrayed issues about sexuality. I liked the juxtapositions of real life scenes of sex with discussion and portrayal of 'movie sex scenes.' I thought that the plot line was really good, but that it was occasionally difficult to watch because of the rough way that the film was shot. Many of the scenes were really dark. then again, it was done on the cheap, and an admirable job was done all in all.

So I knew nothing of this film or its director Sarah Jacobson coming into this viewing at MoMA, but thought I'd check it out. Many of the criticisms leveled against the film are true. The script is weak, as are most of the technical aspects of it. The characters mostly represent archetypes and much of the dialogue is eye-rolling. However, to this films credit I actually worked in a movie theater and also moved to NYC in my twenties and I distinctly remember people just like these characters in the film also saying equally fatalistic, clueless, nonsensical things. To that I must give some credit where it is due, which leads me to think that it is the direction that lets the film down? Not sure about that but I will say that for as much bad as this film contains I'm happy that I decided to check it out, and while it's clearly not for everyone, it just might be worth it for those still curious.

Finally, an honest portrayal of a slice of life. Something that won't ever come out of Hollywood.