Who Is The "Manic Pixie Dream Girl?"

Whimsical and fantasy-like, the Manic Pixie Dream Girl (MPDG) character type in TV shows and movies knows how to live life to the fullest. Her main purpose however, is to save the male protagonist from himself and to be the catalyst for his character development. The MPDG has no character development herself and was created by sexism in Hollywood solely to influence the male protagonist.

The term “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” was first coined by film critic Nathan Rabin in a 2007 essay on the movie Elizabethtown. He coined the phrase originally to call out the culture of misogyny in Hollywood and to make it harder for male writers to continue making this type of female character. He has since apologized for coining the term because as the term swept across the internet, it was called out for being inherently sexist as well. The term is inherently sexist when applied to female characters that don’t fit the specific archetype that it was originally used for. To analyze this I will look at both characters that do fit into the box of MPDG, and characters that are mistakenly put into that box, which belittles their character. Learn more about the misuse of the term here. Even if we don’t use the term MPDG anymore, it is important to recognize that female characters in Hollywood need to be more dynamic.

MPDG

Elizabethtown - Claire Colburn (Kirsten Dunst)

Being the character that inspired Rabin to coin the term, Claire is the epitome of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl. She is portrayed as an almost ridiculously bubbly and ditzy character who devotes herself to helping the depressed Drew Baylor. As the male protagonist’s love interest, she serves only to transform his character. A clip from the movie can be found here.

Garden State - Sam Feehan (Natalie Portman)

Sam is a complex character, notably being a pathological liar and having her own struggles, but still does not develop as a character at all. She is there to save the male protagonist, who recently stopped using his medications and is coping with his mother’s death. Sam’s character is quirky and brings life back into his life, without having any real development on her own.

Yes Man - Allison (Zooey Deschanel)

Allison in Yes Man is another character that has a dynamic experience and is almost fully developed, but still only serves the purpose to help the male protagonist. Her character is solely there to help Jim Carrey say “yes” to live life to the fullest. A clip from the movie can be found here.

Mistakenly MPDG

500 Days of Summer - Summer (Zooey Deschanel)

Zooey Deschanel’s character in 500 Days of Summer is often mistaken as a MPDG because she is free-spirited and helps the male protagonist have a transformative experience. She is not a MPDG however because she eventually shatters his male fantasy of her and lives for her own needs and wants. In the film she is able to change her mind about the male character and find her own path. It is important to recognize that just because she has a quirky personality, does not mean she fits into the box that the male perspective puts her here. A clip from the movie can be found here.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Clementine (Kate Winslet)

Clementine in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is also characterized by her eccentricity and charm but has a purpose other than serving the male protagonist, Joel. Her decisions throughout the movie are for herself and when Joel finds out she has erased him from her life, the male fantasy is shattered. An iconic scene from this movie can be found here.