A new challenge I've taken into the new year is to view many films of the past that I hadn't seen before. I even took the task of using the website Letterboxd and its rating system to identify some. I've started in the '90s and very quickly found a hidden gem in Sarah Jacobson's Mary Jane's Not A Virgin Anymore. The film follows a teenage girl, Jane, who has her first sexual encounter and it shows her reactions to it and the reactions of those around her.
This film has a Clerks vibe to it, with unknown actors and a small community theme. Mary Jane's Not A Virgin Anymore finds its strength in a progressive story from the female perspective. Most of the actors in this movie did not go on to have acting careers, which makes this film even more unique and real. That being said, this is a low budget film. So, of course, it lacks in many technical qualities. That, however, didn't deprive me of getting the actual importance of this picture.
Why hasn't this film been talked about more? There is so much truth to it and it's very honest about female sexuality. And this, mind you, came at the period just before the raunchy, sleazy, male-centric "get laid or bust" films became popular. You know, the American Pies of the world, which puts sex as the end-all-be-all for high school boys. When you measure the two, Mary Jane portrays a more realistic depiction of teen sex in the mid to late '90s.
This movie, directed by the late Sarah Jacobson, should still be relevant today, in how it de-glorifies sex and speaks more truth than most movies about it. It shows sex as just something that happens, something that isn't that much of a big deal, and as something that isn't completely pleasurable to everyone. That,s the complete opposite of some of the more popular sex-themed films of the late '90s and early 2000s, in which sex is a trophy, a notch in the belt, a badge of honor, or the ultimate prize on a pedestal.
Sarah Jacobson's only feature film is an absolute gem. It's not a movie with any innovation in filmmaking, nor is it easy on the eyes. It's just so much more than that. Amongst the dark tone and mid-90s punk rock playing in the background, there's a story and a message that survives and continues to be relevant this very second. Now, more than ever, this film needs to be seen.
My score: ★★★★
Watch: Tubi TV here
Comments