Manic Pixie Dream Girl

I agree. While I enjoy this movie, the MPDG is a concept that I wish would just up and disappear.

The Manic Pixie Dream Girl (MPDG) was defined by Nathan Rabin as "that bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures”. He used it to describe the Kirsten Dunst character in Elizabethtown but the Natalie Portman character in Garden State came even earlier - and that character actually fulfilled the criterion “manic” (she was a pathological liar) while Kirsten’s character (strictly speaking) did not. Since then, MPDGs have been identified for other movies but very often they lacked one or more important characteristics of MPDGs, and I doubt Penny in the present movie was one, though Keira’s appearance and dress in the poster suggested some degree of quirkiness in her character.

Unlike the Kirsten and Natalie characters, Penny did not even seem to be interested in Dodge at the beginning. MPDGs are supposed to be of the Bohemian type able to “teach” the men to “embrace” and appreciate life through their imagination and knowledge (e.g. of folk music and history like in the case of Kirsten’s character). There was no evidence that Penny was able to do any of such things. Penny collected old vinyl records, but other than that I see little indication that she had artistic or literary interests. There was also little unconventionality in her thinking, behaviors and actions. Her first thought after learning of the impending catastrophe was to unite with the rest of her family – just like most people in that situation would have wanted to do. I look upon Dodge and Penny as just people desperately in need of companionship (after both had been deserted by their love interests) as the world was coming to an end, and they found each other.

I really don't mind MPDG's at all, but Knightley needs to make this her last foray into the MPDG realm. I would have preferred a repeat performance by Zooey Deschanel in this film.

Too easy to place that label. Overused.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ManicPixieDreamGirl

(;,;)

I read the link and though most of the films listed I have not seen, I was intrigued by this notion, until it listed Zooey's character in Summer in 500 Days of Summer and at that point the article lost all credibility; 500 Days of Summer is about unrequited love and the film clearly points out that his POV is not an accurate depiction of events... that is he thinks she is his dream girl, she's not so sure about it because of all of the fighting so she dumps him, moves out of town, and marries someone else and he was far more brooding after she dumps him than before. That's more of an anti-pixie as is Annie Hall (according to the Wikipedia article).

I disagree anyway for this film, he does as much for her as she does for him. They need each other as friends. Note for example that he abandons his own needs to be with her; For example, instead of getting back together with his highschool sweetheart he stays with her, and he sends her off to England to be with her family even though she is now the "love of my live". Does that make him a manic pixie dream guy?

Also she is clearly not shallow or solely focused on his happiness. Look at the scene where she finds the letter with the address of his highschool sweetheart. She is torn between her own need to be with him, and her friendship for him... so after some soul searching she gives him the letter (a beautifully done scene by the way with some some fabulous acting).

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RIGOLETTO: I'm denied that common human right, to weep.

The Manic Pixie Dream Girl is okay by me as long as she is also a good actress. It's the ones who fail to inhabit and convey the depth of their characters that make me tired early in a film. There are some who are better at it than others. And those actors drive the film, and keep the film interesting. Also, they seem to always get their man, which implies that while the MPDG's purpose is to constantly frustrate the man, the man seems to think it's worth the trouble because at the end of the day, it's the craziest women who are the best lovers!
And most MPDG's are also beautiful. That's why they're called DREAM girls. All that aside, I don't see any of that chaotic ingredient of the MPDG in this film.
This character is simply young, 28, I believe she said. And her occupation was "dabbling." Also, she suffered from hypersomnia, serial monogamy, and was a self professed optimist. But when the waiters and waitresses at Friendsy's got too friendly, she was as freaked out as Dodge, so in that scene it seemed she was a little bit more grounded than an MPDG. Also she had a close relationship with a marine played by Derek Luke. And she was able to appreciate and enjoy mingling with friendly families of strangers in the beach scene. So, not manic, just young. Definitely a pixie with her gamin face and exceptional bone structure.
I was skeptical as to whether Knightley and Carrell would have chemistry, but they did...and it seemed natural, under the dreadful circumstances of waiting to explode into oblivion. I think Keira could play a really good MPDG if she was called upon to do so. But I don't think Penny was that character.

Agreed, I love keira as an actress but this particular part was just...not great. Don't know if I just didn't like her character or the MPDG archetype in general...can't think of one ever played that I really enjoy. Unless you count Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine as one!?