L: The Manic Pixie Dream Girls (MPDG)
This is my list of all the Manic Pixie Dream Girl (MPDG) films I think really define what the MPDG is, so no Eternal Sunshine or Annie Hall here. What is MPDG you might ask? well as Nathan Rabin who coined the term has stated they are "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."
In my opinion, the MPDG solely exists (like a come to life fairy/angel/muse or ahem, pixie) to remind the lonely, sad, depressed, existential, misanthropic, young man what life and love is really all about, and occasionally act as a muse to reignite their creativity. They are sometimes sporting a pixie hair cut, and act like a child in an arrested development who is carefree and has no character arch or emotions except for happy, cheerful, and whimsical. They exist as a one-dimensional character, only to get the male protagonist out of his slump which is whatever the current state of his dull life.
Films I didn't include because I don't think they fit for whatever reason:
Here is my list (categorized by year), comment if you think I should add a film or if I missed any important ones!
In my opinion, the MPDG solely exists (like a come to life fairy/angel/muse or ahem, pixie) to remind the lonely, sad, depressed, existential, misanthropic, young man what life and love is really all about, and occasionally act as a muse to reignite their creativity. They are sometimes sporting a pixie hair cut, and act like a child in an arrested development who is carefree and has no character arch or emotions except for happy, cheerful, and whimsical. They exist as a one-dimensional character, only to get the male protagonist out of his slump which is whatever the current state of his dull life.
Films I didn't include because I don't think they fit for whatever reason:
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- Annie Hall
- Harold And Maude
- I Love You Alice B. Tolkas
- Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
- Something About Mary
- Breakfast at Tiffany's
- Bringing up Baby
- French New Wave (Jules & Jim/Breathless/A Woman is a Woman)
- Some Like it Hot
- Almost Famous
- Weird Science
- The Apartment (or any Shirley MacLaine film)
- Stranger Than Fiction
- Joe Versus The Volcano
- The Palm Beach Story/It Happened One Night
- Autumn in New York
- Two Lovers
- Moonlight Mile
- The Last Kiss
- LA Story
- Happy Go Lucky
- Amélie
- Along Came Polly
- Petulia
- Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
- It's Kind of a Funny Story
- The Baxter
- Youth in Revolt
- Xanadu* (*actual muse)
Here is my list (categorized by year), comment if you think I should add a film or if I missed any important ones!
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