Shailene Woodley diverges from conventional action casting
Shailene Woodley as an action star? What’s she going to do cute people to death? If it weren’t for four facts, this criticism of Divergent’s casting might be valid.
Fans of the first Terminator will recall that Linda Hamilton was not the bad-ass that she became in the later films. In fact, she was a bit flabby and did a lot of running with Arnold telling to come with him if she wanted to live. However, she became a hardcore hero in the second film. She was ripped, a little crazy and knew all about guns and explosives. Hamilton was able to grow into the role.
Divergent is not an action film. While there are some action scenes, the movie could have been made into a long montage of training with an ‘80s’s riff behind it and probably done well enough. However, taking the training seriously allows for character development, and it is through this that the audience learns about the qualities that will help Woodley’s Tris get through the ordeal.
Woodley never seems dangerous, which makes for the only funny moment in the film. She seems determined, smart, love-struck, sad and several other emotions and attitudes, but never dangerous even when she is kicking butt. She can act, and that covers for what would be the more obvious failings of her inability to transform her body the way that Hamilton did for the Terminator films.
The most important thing to know is the context of the film. Divergent’s basic premise is that the society divides its people into five needed categories; those who do not fit neatly into a category are a danger to the society. It is in this context that the viewer can realize that Woodley’s casting was the perfect choice. She doesn’t look like someone who can do what it takes to accomplish the goals of the brave, but her acting chops and her ability to bring out the determination and mental strength of Tris make her believable in the role.
- Linda Hamilton
- The film’s genre
- Woodley’s acting ability
- The context of the film
Fans of the first Terminator will recall that Linda Hamilton was not the bad-ass that she became in the later films. In fact, she was a bit flabby and did a lot of running with Arnold telling to come with him if she wanted to live. However, she became a hardcore hero in the second film. She was ripped, a little crazy and knew all about guns and explosives. Hamilton was able to grow into the role.
Divergent is not an action film. While there are some action scenes, the movie could have been made into a long montage of training with an ‘80s’s riff behind it and probably done well enough. However, taking the training seriously allows for character development, and it is through this that the audience learns about the qualities that will help Woodley’s Tris get through the ordeal.
Woodley never seems dangerous, which makes for the only funny moment in the film. She seems determined, smart, love-struck, sad and several other emotions and attitudes, but never dangerous even when she is kicking butt. She can act, and that covers for what would be the more obvious failings of her inability to transform her body the way that Hamilton did for the Terminator films.
The most important thing to know is the context of the film. Divergent’s basic premise is that the society divides its people into five needed categories; those who do not fit neatly into a category are a danger to the society. It is in this context that the viewer can realize that Woodley’s casting was the perfect choice. She doesn’t look like someone who can do what it takes to accomplish the goals of the brave, but her acting chops and her ability to bring out the determination and mental strength of Tris make her believable in the role.