By Marrissa Ballard | Managing Editor
The romantic comedy or “rom-com” has become an integral part of pop culture and Hollywood film. Even though the stories rarely change and we can always expect a happy ending, this genre continues to reel in audiences and box office success. When Amy Schumer decided to write and star in a semi-autobiographical rom-com, I was hoping for something unique. Instead, the two hour long Trainwreck is as familiar as any rom-com that has graced the silver screen in the last few years.
As millennials become increasingly entrenched in a “hook-up” culture, rom-coms like Trainwreck, Friends with Benefits, and No Strings Attached have explored the same story: an independent, commitment-phobic woman hooks up with a guy she has no intention of dating, but always ends up with him in the end. The drama in these films stems from the anticipation of the happy ending, which is reached through a convoluted plot and many character arguments.
Schumer plays Trainwreck’s main character, who is aptly also named Amy. Unfortunately Schumer’s acting and humor are as original as the film’s premise. Like many comedians, she relies on jokes about her weight, unhealthy eating, and lack of physical ability to carry her performance. Many of her jokes fall flat, especially within the slurred and plentiful narration that is peppered throughout the story as a vehicle for clumsy exposition.
But not all of Schumer’s humor is cliché and familiar, and this is perhaps why the film is so disappointing. Her best and most viral work is from her Comedy Central show, Inside Amy Schumer, which features inventive skits that tackle social issues. Schumer has been hailed as a progressive feminist in publications like Vogue, and many women were expecting a bold statement in her big screen debut. Trainwreck was billed as a unique exploration of the “modern woman,” but it ends as an exploration of how this modern woman slips back into the traditional roles expected of her.
Amy’s sister Kim, played by Brie Larson, exemplifies the traditional role of a wife and mother. A subplot within the film explores how these two vastly different sisters navigate their complicated relationship. Amy is continually cruel towards Kim, insulting her even on the day of a tragic event, and Kim dislikes Amy’s promiscuous behavior. Kim believes that getting married and pregnant are “what people do” and Amy disagrees wholeheartedly. Throughout the film, the audience waits for the pivotal moment when the two will reconcile, but that only happens when Amy has a change of heart and starts to agree with Kim’s beliefs about marriage and family. Thus the overall message of the film is that Amy must change and bend to everyone else’s wishes in order to be happy and successful.
Not everything is so dreary, however, as Saturday Night Live star Bill Hader makes the most of his role as Dr. Aaron Conners. Hader’s deadpan remarks create some of the funniest moments in the film, and he plays well off of Schumer.
Like every dreamy love interest, Aaron is perfect and selfless. The film often lingers on his many achievements, either by honoring his work or displaying his acts of charity. Amy, in contrast to Aaron, is completely selfish and narrow-minded. Even though he is neither our protagonist nor the character Trainwreck wants us to root most for, Aaron is the most empathetic and developed character in the film.
Aside from Aaron, stereotypes and tropes populate the landscape of the story. Most of the characters are cardboard cutouts that never fill out into real, fleshed out people. Instead, the audience receives fragments that must be pieced together. The result is a messy picture that reveals little, and the audience is left wondering why these characters act the way they do.
But the main issue I have with Trainwreck is not that it is not particularly funny or well-written, but rather the homophobic undertones the film tries to disguise as humor. Many of the scenes in the film mock homosexuality as a way of emasculating and poking fun at several male characters. The issue with these jokes is that, in every single one, seeming “gay” is the only punch-line.
Steven, played decently by John Cena, is the first male to receive this treatment. The whole joke within Cena’s short appearance is that, while outwardly he is a bulky man obsessed with working out, he makes sexual comments towards men and has his most intense sexual reaction when thinking about how Amy “looked like a dude” when they first met. He is immediately less attractive to Amy, and the audience is encouraged to agree with her when she tells him that his remarks are “gay.” Not only does the film start with this off-putting humor, it continues to play on it even when it drifts off-key. This depiction of homosexuality also adds a stifling awkwardness to many of the film’s scenes. The only surprising thing about Trainwreck is that such offensive and gendered humor came from a supposedly feminist mouthpiece.
It does not matter that Trainwreck contains some genuinely amusing moments and talented actors. It does not even matter that as an actress and a writer, Schumer failed with this unoriginal rom-com. What matters are the messages Schumer chose to embed in the film. The humor and blatant stereotyping are where the film truly becomes a train wreck, and the most tragic aspect of this wreck is that Schumer will be praised for it.
