Julia Stiles Wanted to Be Just Like Kat Stratford, Too

By now, it’s pretty well-established that “subversive” is Stewart’s thing. Imagine her, age 17, refusing to play Bella Swan in the perky, bright-eyed manner the adults all had in mind, and choosing instead to mope around like she was actually in love with an undead person. (“The studio was trying to make a movie for kids. They didn’t want what actu... See more

It is only very recently that this postmodern hatred towards every kind of ideal has gone fully mainstream — mainstream enough to take over TikTok. Just ten years ago, teenagers still revered ideals. They looked up to the red-lipped sexiness of pin-up girl pop stars like Katy Perry, a standard of beauty that was artificial — injected with plastic a... See more

Between the unexpected success of Anyone but You (the not-very-good rom-com that starred Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney), the critical and audience reception for The Idea of You (the quite good rom-com with Hathaway), and the juggernaut success of TV adaptations like Bridgerton and The Summer I Turned Pretty , it seems that society is, once again, ... See more

Glass explained that her takeaway of what people wanted from her next was a film about a strong woman, a strong lead character.

“What does that mean?” Stewart asks now, narrowing her eyes. “It’s bullshit. It means that we’re not actually letting women define themselves. It’s the assumption that we need to be empowered by the people deciding who gets... See more

I grew up as a pleasure to have in class . A little chatty, sure, but my homework was always done, and I got along well with my schoolmates. I loved the approval. I knew how to be good; I was always smiling, laughing, and ready to lend a hand. In her 2023 book On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and The Price Women Pay to Be Good , Elise Lo... See more