“You just have all the confidence in the world. I think a lot of people completely miss that’s the thing that really makes them awesome, and you’re not like that.”-Ethan, I Feel Pretty 999
While Amy Schumer’s 2018 film, I Feel Pretty will not go down in history as one of my favorite films, it still had an important message that I feel like all women and men can benefit from. That message is that looks are not everything, everyone is insecure about something, and that simply having confidence will get you far in life.
I Feel Pretty follows Renee who has low self esteem and feels comparatively less attractive than the people around her. After an accident during one of her Soul Cycle classes, Renee hits her head and begins to believe that she turned into someone significantly more attractive. Simply believing that she is beautiful gives Renee the confidence she needs to open the doors to opportunities and relationships she previously closed on herself.
I resonated with this film a lot because the first half of my life I would have considered myself to be conventionally un-pretty. I’m talking raging acne, crazy hair, even crazier wardrobe, etc. It was bad. But even when I acquired a sense of style, learned how to do my hair, and finally found a product that diminished my acne significantly, I still didn’t feel very pretty. The lie I believed was that I still couldn’t be at all desirable to anyone, because once they actually knew me, they wouldn’t like me. It took loving myself deep down for me to actually feel pretty and that’s what this movie is all about.
I adore K.M. Weiland’s book Creating Character Arcs: The Masterful Author’s Guide to Uniting Story Structure, Plot, and Character Development. She also has articles online that talk about the same thing. This is where I first learned the concept of giving your characters a lie.
K.M. Weiland describes the lie your character believes as a “deeply held misconception about either himself, the world, or, probably, both” (Weiland, p.26).
In I Feel Pretty the lie the protagonist Renee believes is established right off the bat: pretty people have better lives.
How did the filmmakers establish the lie?
Well, they put Renee in situations where “pretty people” might have the upper hand. Like getting swiped on Tinder and getting a drink at a crowded bar. Renee even brings up how if she were prettier, she would be working at Lily LeClaire’s headquarters instead of a basement in Chinatown, a place where she believes Lily LeClaire wants to hide the less attractive tech workers.
But side note: the bar scene is total BS. I have been at a crowded bar with my boobs pushed up, leaning over just so the male bartenders can get a better view and I’ve still been passed up for a man. So I feel like in that setting it’s all about being aggressive and making hard deliberate eye contact.
Anyways, ask yourself: What does my character wrongly believe about himself or the world? How can I put my character in a situation that shows the lie being put to action?
The lie Renee believes is refuted just as early as it’s established when we’re shown beautiful executive Avery struggling to feel respected at Lilly LeClaire because of her voice. The lie is also refuted with Renee’s friends, who despite not looking like Victoria’s Secret models, are living perfectly happy lives. Then later, we see a conventional beauty from Soul Cycle, struggling with boyfriend issues and wanting to be considered smart despite her looks.
While there is science to prove that beautiful people are often favored, there is nothing that says they should have better lives than anyone else. The audience is shown that fact most obviously through how positively other characters respond to Renee, knowing her true appearance. They are attracted to her confidence.
What is your favorite movie about self-confidence? What is the lie your characters believe?
