I’m not going to go into the “love her or hate her, at least she’s different!” argument because that’s not at all satisfying. If someone is genuinely awful their last defense is “well that’s just Bob being Bob, you gotta give him that!” So that’s not what this is about. I do, however, think that there are certain aspects to Kristen Stewart that are distinctly her own, which makes for a unique ability to play specific types of characters that literally no one else can play right now. Who else out there can mix the neuroses of Woody Allen with sexual adolescent girl angst? I haven’t seen anyone else match the awkwardness of Jesse Eisenberg with the weird confidence of Julia Roberts. Aside from someone who can deadpan as hilariously as Aubrey Plaza, there are very few young actresses who can stray from the molds of bubbly, cheery, smile for the camera Madonna (that is, virginal) figure or steamy seductress vamp. This is the classic dichotomy. And it keeps women from being able to give complicated performances depicting complex characters. More young actors like Stewart, who don’t fit easily into any mold, facilitate these increasingly rich roles for young women. It’s not much easier for young men, granted, but damn.
Continue reading on the next page…
