One fan’s reaction to “Wonder Woman” proves director Patty Jenkins is a real-life superhero
No doubt about it, Wonder Woman as a whole is empowering, but one fan showed that the forthcoming film (due June 2nd) expertly carries on that tradition, while complimenting director Patty Jenkins at the Wonder Woman Master Class at YouTube Space LA last Friday. “I’m a comedian and I make awkward comedy videos on YouTube and I was,” she began after attending an early screening, before becoming very emotional, “so incredibly moved by this film.” Fellow attendees met her words with wild applause.
Wonder Woman marks the first starring feature film for the beloved character in her 75-year history, and is inspiring as hell.
"I think we are at a really important time for women to rise up and I’m so excited by the message of this movie," the fan continued of the film, which has already received widespread praise in its first reactions. "I’m excited by who Steve [Chris Pine] was in supporting women and showing that being that kind of man actually just makes you stronger.
Jenkins appeared to be very humbled by it all, and joked that instead of the fan taking her to coffee — as she suggested, to have her many questions answered — that she should take her as a thank you.
"I couldn’t agree with you more about the world and I feel like that was part of the duty that was put in my lap. [It] was like ‘God, it’s time for a new kind of hero.' To be a hero is not easy and it’s not simple and it’s not bang, it’s over. It’s unbelievably complicated and it’s going to require us being better people.
“This is the story of someone we relate with, taking the journey to learn to be a hero and realizing it is so difficult and you’re not always even able to say it’s people who deserve it,” she added. “In fact, you’re saving a lot of people who don’t deserve it. Why do you do it, then? Because that’s what you believe.”
What’s more, Jenkins encouraged the audience to take their own steps in that direction. “If we all don’t become the hero, we’re not going to be able to save this world because there’s nobody coming and so it means all of us — and particularly in the day and age of the internet, and the day and age of different countries colliding, and different types of people — if we don’t become accountable and challenge ourselves to be more loving and thoughtful with our power, because we all are powerful, then we’re not going to save the world.”
She also spoke of the opportunity she had to say something meaningful through Diana, who “stands for love, truth, and beauty,” and how being the hero is the “harder, less glorious choice.” And getting back to the fan: “For you, as a non-superhero fan, to feel that experience, which I cared about very much too, always saying I want to make a great superhero movie and a beautiful movie that takes advantage of that to say something, that means so much to me. I won’t forget what you said tonight.”
The fan concluded by expressing that the film felt like “a call to action,” which Jenkins said she would love — and hopes it encourages people to become heroes themselves. From this interaction alone, we certainly want to throw on our super swag and fight the good fights, with Jenkins, and star Gal Gadot, by our side for good measure.
