The 90s definitely weren't lacking in kick-butt female role models. From Buffy Summers' expert vampire slaying/pun-making skills to Daria's rebellious apathy and snarky wit, it was a decade focused on female strength in media.
The music scene saw a prominence in female-led acts as well. Alternative bands like Bikini Kill coined the "Grrl Power" movement, a phrase that was later embraced my international superstar girl-group the Spice Girls who built their brand on the ideas of "positive female friendships."
Yet, one early 1990s heroine that often goes unappreciated is Sidney Prescott, the lead character in Wes Anderson's beloved "Scream" franchise.
The "Scream" movies re-defined the slasher genre and defied its typical clichés with scripts full of classic horror movie references and self-aware, referential humor. It's also been widely praised for its inclusion of memorable and powerful female characters. Rather than just feature the typical bloody demise of the hot and dumb "scream queen," the series defies tropes by placing its female characters at the center of the action. Instead of showing up for a few scenes to "have sex and get murdered," the women in "Scream" all have their own unique traits and roles. They are heroes, business women, mothers, sidekicks, cheerleaders and even villains. These characters are admired for the way they challenged the traditional teen stereotypes of "The Jock," "The Nerd," and "The Dumb Blonde." And, at the center of everything, lies Sidney Prescott: The Final Girl.
Sidney starts out as a high school girl, struggling to deal with the brutal murder of her mother and soon finds herself being stalked and terrorized by a masked serial killer who starts picking off her friends. For four movies, Sidney then must fight for her life and fend off multiple dangerous murderers while she tries desperately to keep everyone around her safe and expose the identity of the Ghostface killer for good.
Her involvement in these sensational crimes eventually makes her famous in her small town, earning her the epithet "The Ultimate Survivor." But Sidney's bravery and constant willingness to come to the rescue proves that she is so much more than just a survivor. Surviving is passive. It's nothing more than just trying not to die.Sidney is not a survivor. She takes control over her own destiny. She puts herself at risk again and again to protect the people she loves. Sidney Prescott is a fighter.
"Scream" is also incredibly feminist for the way it presents various female relationships. Sidney and Tatum's friendship in the first film is notable for the way it is actually allowed to develop on screen. We, the audience, aren't just told that Tatum is Sid's best friend, but we see multiple scenes of them hanging out at school, bonding at sleepovers and offering each other tons of emotional support when dealing with boy/family woes.
Actually understanding how much the two girls mean to each other is what ultimately makes Tatum's eventual demise all the more heart wrenching and impactful for audiences.
Another one of Sidney's essential female relationships is with high powered, ambitious TV reporter, Gale Weathers, who wrote a scandalous memoir about her mother's murder. Rather than treat their feud as a petty, catfight, Sidney's grudge against Gale develops over the four movies to a mutual respect as Gale joins the fight to stop the killer and eventually the two characters even grow to care for and protect one another.
Sidney's character also realistically changes and develops as she deals with more and more trauma; she evolves from a bubbly, slightly insecure high school senior, to a guarded college student battling PTSD, and finally, in "Scream 4," to a take-no-prisoners, self-assured woman who refuses to be defined by the tragedies of her past.
Ultimately, Sidney Prescott is a role model and an amazing example of a female protagonist because of how she is allowed to be human. She has no superpowers, extraordinary training or superior intellect. All she has to take on a vicious serial killer is her strength and her friends. She worries about having sex with her first boyfriend, she lashes out physically when angry, she gets scared and cries and suffers breakdowns from her grief, but above all, Sidney Prescott is a role model because in spite of all the pain she goes through, she never ever gives up.
