How we view women

Um, no.

Yes, Gillian is painted as a sexually active party girl, but she isn't framed as a bad person and if you think she was, I highly recommend that you actually pay attention to the movie/book. She's out-going, flirty and loves her family, she just happens to make bad decisions, just like any other human being, which Sally also does by not accepting who she is and that actually results in ruining her relationship with her children, which is much more emphasized in the book when Antonia (who is actually older) flat out resents her mother when they move out of the aunts' place and loses contact with them. This is what makes the characters more flawed and therefore more human.

Neither the movie nor the book tells us to "shun" Gillian. The movie gets the audience on her side by showing her genuine love for her family through her emotional support in Sally's state of mourning and depression, which makes her even more sympathetic when it's revealed that her relationship with Jimmy is, in fact, abusive. Even after she and Sally kill Jimmy, resurrect him and then kill him again, she still keeps her free-spirited personality because it's who she is, but she's obviously affected by the abuse because she freaks out when he comes back to haunt them. She isn't demonized or looked down on for it, she just acts like any human being would and because she's an abuse victim, she is sympathized.

This movie could have easily fallen under the virgin/whore dichotomy with the foil between Sally and Gillian, but it doesn't. Both characters are equally very flawed, but it's their flaws that draw the story. Sally is uptight and rejects her true nature, which is what draws the emotional plot; Gillian is careless and takes the easy way out of her problems, which is what draws the physical plot. Both traits are important to make the story affective and in the end they overcome their flaws. Sally learns to loosen up and accept who she is and Gillian learns to take responsibility for herself and triumph over the power that Jimmy had over her (through her relationship with her sister, I might add).

Neither Sally nor Gillian are either glorified or villainized for their personalities. They're just two different women with two different stories that happen to intertwine with one another.

---
"Life is too important to be taken seriously"-Oscar Wilde

well i don't really get that from the movie... i felt the opposite, i never got the feeling they were trying to portray gillian negatively, i thought they made her out to be a sympathetic, devoted sister. it was all the people in town who saw her negatively, and the townsfolk were portrayed as mean, narrow-minded people. i actually thought this movie was really unique because its all about women and the relationships are all positive and warm instead of showing bitchy, jealous women competing with each other like movies usually do...

I failed, miserably, to put my comments into any frame of reference. When posting I was in that state of mind that has one subconsciously assuming that their point of view doesn't need to be explained. Wrong, of course.

I didn't read the book, or even know there was one. In fact, I wasn't even referring to the *movie's* characterizations, but to the characterization of the women - correction, of Gillian, and only to an extent - by posters to this message board.

Before posting, I'd read "Gillian is so selfish" comments, as well as others re how she should have done this or that, repeatedly. Additionally, I've always been annoyed when people with special powers or gifts refuse to use them for no discernible or justifiable reason. (KittyGrimm, I'm so happy and relieved that someone agreed with me, to whatever extent, on this point.) "Bewitched" ticked me off even as a little kid; I *hated* that Samantha happily gave up her very essence and picked up a mop and a spatula for that fragile-ego'd twerp Darrin! (I read that Elizabeth Montgomery wasn't happy about this, either.) So I was irritated by Sally, and by the fact that no one else seemed to be. Hence my outburst.

My comments were, I admit, general in nature; movies at their best make you think, and elicit emotion and reaction. Women *like* these characters are often viewed stereotypically, as in my (admitted) rant. I didn't intend to imply that they were so depicted in this movie, and now realize that I was remiss not to make this clear. No offense meant.

My viewing was interrupted a couple of times, so I may have missed something, but a number of posts referred to Gillian's having been out of contact with Sally for quite a while. However, it seems they must have talked or written over the years considerably more frequently than was shown or discussed, or Sally wouldn't have been so adamant about telling Gary - more than once - that she'd "always" (I believe she said) had bad taste in men. Given what was shown in the movie, it seems she'd have known only of one such choice. Again, I could have missed something.

The opposite is true for the film actually. If you pay attention. Although Gilly is a "slut", she embraces who she is, unlike Sally whom we are meant to feel sorry for because she fights against who she is. It is Sally who wants to be "normal" that we are meant to look down upon because she ignores her lineage and who she is solely for the sake of popularity.

We weep for her because she is weak willed.