8/15/2023 0 Comments Look deeper![]() Unfairly derided at the time for its direct targeting at female audiences, it’s undeniable that Twilight struck a chord with its intended audience and Hardwicke was able to translate that to the screen. Her sense of empathy for teenage characters would prove vital when Hardwicke was called to direct the feature film version of the bestselling novel Twilight. Twilight (2008) Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in Twilight ![]() No matter what the larger context of the movie, Hardwicke is committed to being truthful to her teen characters. It’s the ability to view the complexities of all the characters without succumbing to cartoonish extremes that remains a hallmark of Hardwicke’s focus on character. All the main characters have their own motivations and no one is painted as an outright antagonist. Hardwicke has to tell a familiar story regarding a rise to stardom, but what matters is that she anchors the movie in the emotions of her teenage leads. And the same honesty she brings to young women is present in the tumultuous lives of these young men. Based on true events, Hardwicke is given the opportunity to explore the difficulties that come from fame and conflicting philosophies between teenagers as they are thrust into adult life. While many of her stories focus on female protagonists, Hardwicke also showcased a male teen perspective in Lords of Dogtown, a biographical story about skateboarders in 1970s Santa Monica. Lords of Dogtown (2005) Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk, Michael Angarano, and Heath Ledger in Lords of Dogtown Thirteen proclaimed that Hardwicke was someone who understood the value of being true to the feelings her characters were experiencing. She wants to portray what it’s like to be a teenage girl with brutal honesty, and that’s a perspective many films either sugarcoat or ignore entirely. To see that kind of honesty on film was surely shocking to many parents, but Hardwicke wasn’t looking to shock. Though many critics took the film as a cautionary tale, Hardwicke isn’t judgmental with the way she presents the story. Her filmmaking style presents itself as raw as the emotions and turmoil that a teenage girl is experiencing. ![]() Thirteen is a striking and powerful debut from Hardwicke. When Hardwicke stepped into the director’s chair for the first time, she came out the gate swinging with Thirteen, a raucous exploration of Tracy Freeland (Evan Rachel Wood), a thirteen-year-old girl who begins to explore her rebellious nature through her friendship with one of her school’s popular girls, Evie (co-writer Nikki Reed). Hardwicke got her start in cinema as a production designer and art director, learning as much as she could from talented directors like Tim Burton and Richard Linklater and contributing to everything from Tombstone to Three Kings. ![]() Thirteen (2003) Evan Rachel Wood and Nikki Reed in Thirteen Let’s take a look back at some of the landmark teen films of Catherine Hardwicke’s career and how she was perfectly poised to tackle the science fiction thrills of Don’t Look Deeper. Hardwicke has had a particular fascination and commitment to telling stories about teenage characters, particularly teenage girls, and the unique struggles they face in society. Spanning nearly four decades, the illustrious filmmaker now brings her talent to the Quibi series Don’t Look Deeper, a story about a young woman who discovers that she’s actually a robot. ![]() Catherine Hardwicke has had an incredible career. ![]()
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