Hollywood's idea of 'ugly' - Tamara (2006) Discussion

it's more like: If you have ponytail and glasses, you are ugly.

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"Don't forget about the paint covered overalls."

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she looked better afterwards. the makeup, hair, clothes was a complete transformation for the good. i hate how everybody prefers the plain jane look, maybe it's because that look is less intimidating

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[–] blackwingrose 14 years ago

I think alot of posters are missing the point. Tamara being called ugly had nothing to do with how she looked. Sure she could have used a comb and worn more flattering clothing, but the bullies would have called her ugly anyhow to hurt and demoralize her. They also were calling her trailer trash and slut despite all evidence to the contrary.

Insults are used to hurt people, not be accurate descriptions.

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[–] tcshan 9 years ago

Pretty common trope, all right. Not to go off-topic, but it's the reason people can't tell Clark Kent is Superman.

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[–] choyt19 17 years ago

But this wasn't like 'oh, slap some glasses on a cute chick and bam; instant ugmo'.

They actually made an effort to make Jenna Dewan unattractive, if not ugly. This made her heart-stopping beauty all the more effective.

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[–] cph54 17 years ago

But how did they make her "unattractive"? Make-up and clothes, right?

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[–] ShizaMinelli 17 years ago

Well, yeah, what else would you expect them to use? a post it and a radish?

I only have one photograph in my hands...

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[–] cph54 17 years ago

I've actually seen that.

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[–] ShizaMinelli 17 years ago

Personal home videos don't count:)

I only have one photograph in my hands...

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[–] cph54 17 years ago

Well that's no fun.....

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[–] Hamasaurus68 16 years ago

I think they really blew it when they made this movie.

They should have had another, actually ugmo, actress play the original Tamara. Then have the hot girl play the revived tamara. It would do so much for the plot if the people who killed her didnt know it was her.

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[–] Matador07 15 years ago

I was actually thinking that as I watched this (that she should have come back as the beauty, but started as a different actress). It would have been creepy for them to pick up on it as she talked to them and they realized only one person would know the things she did.

I would also agree by the way with the silliness of the "transformation" here. It was obvious she was beautiful even without the makeup. I guess in some ways it was more legitimate than the tired girl takes off glasses routine, but if they really wanted us to believe she was some ugly outcast, they should have tried something. Bad teeth? Bad complexion? Scraggly hair? Something. As it was, only a blind man could have missed the girl's looks.

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[–] Eliks 15 years ago

:D LOL

i think i will actually see this movie, the opinions are pretty positive.

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[–] Movie_Addict_Nick 16 years ago

Yeah I agree. I thought she was really pretty even before her whole back from the dead transformation. She was alot better looking than the so called popular girl in the movie...you know the one with the butch haircut and what I am assuming is a bad tan. It could be her natural skin tone, but it looked pretty fake to me.

Latest Movie: Tamara (2005, Horror) 4/10.

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[–] xPhenomenusx 15 years ago

umm..I though she was black.

I hate short hair on women. I agree. Tamara, pre zombie looked better than her.

Monsters Vs. Aliens 3D - 8/10
Adeventureland - 9/10

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[–] naniv02 17 years ago

They can't have a "real" ugly girl...or she wouldn't be considered "hot" after the change.

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[–] Moviefreake 17 years ago

The funny thing is, I think girls are really attractive when they're not wearing makeup. And I like ponytails. I was a hopelessly confused when I watched She's All That and everyone was pretending Rachel Leigh Cook was ugly. After that it just got laughable - they literally had to HIDE Anne Hathaway's face in The Princess Diaries behind the hair and eyebrows.

The very obvious secret is that they're not REALLY trying to make the girls look ugly, because they're afraid we'll then actually think they're ugly. It doesn't make any sense, but that's Hollywood.

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[–] cph54 17 years ago

Yeah, you're right of course, and I totally agree about Rachael Leigh Cook. That girl has such gorgeous eyes that you couldn't hide her beauty under fifty pairs of glasses.

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[–] justhatdamngreat 17 years ago

IF ANYTHING... They make her look frumpy... not ugly. They make her look like an attractive girl, who chooses to not put effort into what she could look like if she wanted. it's kinda like Ugly Betty... the girl is by no means ugly. She may not be a knockout either... but ugly she is not. Good old Hollywood... lol giving regular looking girls a complex as long as "the picture show" has ever been around!

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[–] germite 16 years ago

It was a pretty lousy movie, but "Not Another Teen Movie" did a great job of lampooning this phenomenon.

"Great, just jump all over me, why don't you?
What about the nine kids I DIDN'T lose this week?"

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[–] brianshapiro 16 years ago

Again, I think America Ferrara looks better on Ugly Betty than how she dresses for Award Shows. Again, that's not saying she couldn't do away with the monobrow and braces; but she at least looks cute as Ugly Betty. When she dresses glam for award shows, she just looks dumb.

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[–] brianshapiro 16 years ago

She looks prettier before the transformation, without the glam look. She's more attractive to me that way. Of course, she could have done something in between the two looks, and that would be fine too.

Its like those talk show makeovers, where they inevitably make the person look worse by making them fake

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[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] trickyhomer 16 years ago

I don't think they really tried to make her "ugly" in this film... I didn't think she was ugly before. After, she just has a more sexual side that shows through her clothing. Before, maybe she didn't wear what was in style or whatever, but I didn't think she was ugly.

I know a lot of films try that whole glasses and ponytail thing to make a character "ugly," and the person who mentioned Not Another Teen Movie hit the head on the nail; they did a great job of making fun of it.

I think, though, what makes these characters "ugly" is that their personalities, before and after the change. Who likes people who kill people and seek revenge and all that? However, in all that hate and anger, there is some beauty in the character because you have a lot of sympathy for them after they do the awful things they do. That's how I feel, anyway.

Carrie, for example... Sissy Spacek wasn't/isn't ugly, especially not in that film. However, the prom was her only time to shine, really, and show off the beauty she already had, just like characters like Tamara. However, television shows like Ugly Betty, in my opinion, are completely over-doing it. And how long can a girl wear braces, anyway? It just seems a little ridiculous to me... most people, you would think, if they had any potential at all (most do, in my opinion), that they'd make a bigger effort to look nice. Not saying looks matter, they shouldn't, they do in a lot of cases, but I'm not judgmental, so... I'm just saying, though, that in this day and age, I think most people know how to fix themselves up. Yeah, whatever, I'm rambling, so... I'm done, ha.

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[–] RelpScooby 8 years ago

Hey I may be late on this, but YOU are just plain sick !!!

Sissy Spacek is UNATTRACTIVE....unfortunately with or without make up or wardrobes.

Even her set of twins wouldn't have made me aroused.

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[–] Hamasaurus68 16 years ago

Agreed. I would sooooo hit that.
I wish she was in school when I was. Hell, no one want her? I'll take her!

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[–] thedayshoursminutes 16 years ago

-spoilers-
I thought they did a pretty good job of making Tamara look plain - I was surprised at how pretty she was after the whole death thing (I haven't ever seen that actress before). Whoever said that self-confidence has a lot to do with how attractive someone looks is totally right. I have teenage sons and some of the most popular girls in their school are actually not very pretty but they have a lot of self confidence. Likewise, some of the super quiet & shy girls are gorgeous and don't even realize it (yet!)
They did the same thing with the character of Roger - he is a good looking guy who they tried to make dorky with glasses and an ugly shirt. Actually none of the guys were very good looking, IMO. The teacher was cute and the girl with short hair was pretty, otherwise none of the "popular" kids were all that good looking.
This was an OK movie - the "burying the corpse" scene was like a lousy remake of "I Know What you Did Last Summer" and the acting was TERRIBLE - I mean, these kids just watched a classmate cut off his ear, tongue and stab himself in the eye...they all go, "eeuw!" and after school they're standing around casually talking about how weird it is that Tamara is still alive. Even the teacher is just chillin' at home, having a drink and reading the paper after witnessing something that would actually mess people up for a long time. Maybe that should be blamed on the writing rather than the acting, but it's easy to pick on such lousy characters.
I also hate how easily people die in movies - fall down and hit your head - instantly dead! It just doesn't happen like that.

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[–] InsideTheCastleWall 16 years ago

yeah that and they put them in clothing from 10 years back and expect that to be enough.

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[–] truehyena 15 years ago

Hollywood has always had a messed up idea of 'ugly'; we used to laugh watching 'Buffy' and how Xander was a 'dork, nerd loser'. He was better looking than any guy in my high school. And 'Teen Movie' does totally hit the nail on the head.

As to this movie, I guess Tamera's early dream sequence sorta ruined it: You had already seen her as a teen sex pot, so you now know how she's going to look later. They did 'plain her up' pretty well. I had thought that maybe a fat suited actress would have been better, but then it would have made some of the later movie not make sense (Tam, you lost 100 pounds overnight!)

"Yes, it's the Apocalypse alright. I always thought I'd have a hand in it."

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[–] RRPounder 15 years ago

Does any of these theories apply to Lori Petty?

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[–] ThePerplexicator 15 years ago

The movie is CANADIAN more than Hollywood.

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