If you thought the end of the world would be a good excuse to get your hands on the latest ‘Twilight’ movie, you would be mistaken. In fact, the opposite is true. Edward Cullen and Bella Swan’s love story has inspired countless memes and parodies, and even led to an entire genre of films.
The most prominent example would be Stephenie Meyer’s vampire saga, which continues to this day, with the most recent installment, ‘Empire,’ due in theaters next week. But even before then, you can relive all the magic with the entire ‘Twilight’ oeuvre on Netflix.
Why Is ‘Twilight’ Important?
It’s not hard to see why ‘Twilight’ has endured as long as it has. The simple and stylish love story between Edward Cullen and Bella Swan drives each installment forward, offering audiences a chance to root for the couple as they navigate the difficulties of young love. As the films have gone on, Bella has grown from a relatively conventional and sweet young woman into an independent and empowered young woman, showing the strength of her character throughout.
But perhaps what’s most interesting about ‘Twilight’ is that it managed to completely subvert Hollywood’s conventional wisdom on gender roles and relationships. While the film industry had always portrayed women as the weaker gender, it turned the tables around on the assumption. Not only are Edward and Bella a loving couple, but they’re also the primary breadwinners in the household, providing their parents with comfortable incomes after their untimely deaths. Their relationship was always strong, but ‘Twilight’ humanized it and made it more relatable.
Where Do We Go From Here?
With so much to discuss, it’s only natural that people want to continue the conversation. One of the best places to do that would be Twitter, where users have already wasted countless hours sharing their opinions and poking fun at the latest film. Let’s take a look at some of the most prominent memes and parodies that have stemmed from ‘Twilight,’ and how they’ve managed to stand the test of time:
Bella’s Mummy Issues
One of the most significant issues that spurred the creation of memes and parodies surrounding ‘Twilight’ is Bella’s strained relationship with her own mother. To begin with, as viewers may remember from the very first film, Bella’s mother, Renee, is a strict, no-nonsense woman who disapproves of her daughter’s free-spirited ways. For example, she forbids her from wearing makeup or dresses that aren’t ‘proper’ and gives very specific instructions about how to cook certain foods, all of which are delivered in a very firm tone.
But it’s not until the second installment that we actually get to see what Renee’s like. In ‘New Moon,’ when she discovers that she’s pregnant, she refuses to accept the situation and treats Bella harshly, forbidding her from seeing Edward or acting on her ‘impulsive’ feelings. It’s a sharp contrast to how she treats her other children, who she openly adores. But Renee’s issues with her daughter run much deeper than her immediate disapproval of her pregnancy. It’s revealed in later films that Renee was actually raped as a child and carries a great deal of guilt and anger over what happened.
Throughout the series, we see Renee struggle with her inability to accept her daughter’s happiness. In ‘Eclipse,’ for example, she threatens to cut off all contact with Edward and Bella unless they confess to what she perceives as a betrayal. But it’s ultimately in ‘Breaking Dawn’ that we see Renee at her most frustrated. In the course of trying to maintain a mother-daughter relationship, Bella asks Edward to stay away from her so that she can have some ‘me’ time. When Renee discovers that Bella is marrying Edward, she goes through a complete mental transformation and agrees to give her blessing to the marriage. As her daughter’s wedding day draws near, Renee gets worse and worse, attacking Bella and Edward at their wedding. In the end, it’s only the intervention of their friends and family that stops Renee from physically harming her daughter. As Bella and Edward drive away from the wedding in their limousines, we see Renee wave tearfully as she stands in the rain, watching her daughter and her new husband drive away. This scene is a powerful indictment of the damage that a mother’s unmotherly love can do. But it’s also an acknowledgment of the strength of the maternal bond and the influence that mothers can have over their children. Without Mommy, who would have guessed that little Bella could grow up to be such a remarkable woman?
Is Edward A Bad Boy Or A Good Man?
When it comes to Edward’s character, it’s important to keep in mind that this isn’t actually fiction. In ‘Twilight,’ Edward is a vampire. Vampires are often cast in a negative light in Hollywood, and it’s not hard to see why. They’re depicted as being cold and distant, only interested in feeding on the blood of humans. And yet, in ‘Twilight,’ this stereotype is turned on its head. Edward is an honorable, if somewhat aloof, vampire who only wants to live in peace with his family. He is not interested in harming humans, and has no desire to feed on them. Instead, he enlists the help of Bella and her friends to protect her from other vampires. It’s not entirely without precedent for a vampire to ‘come out of the coffin’ and offer his friendship to humans, but it doesn’t happen often. And when it does, it ends in tragedy. This is the point at which ‘Twilight’s’ satire really shines through. It asks the question: Is being a vampire inherently bad? Or is it possible to be a good vampire?
Throughout ‘Twilight,’ the audience is offered an opportunity to see Edward in a variety of different situations. And in each one, we see that he acts with the utmost integrity and self-control, never taking advantage of his power and always keeping his main priorities in mind: Bella, her health and safety, and the well-being of her family. In the final scene of the last film, ‘Breaking Dawn,’ when Bella’s newborn daughter, Clementine, is kidnapped by a crazed fan who wants to feed on her blood, it’s clear that Edward is willing to cross the “greatest of all human tragedies” to save his loved one. Even then, he only enlists the help of an outsider (a shape-shifter named Jacob) to track down the perpetrator. And it’s this sense of duty and selflessness that makes Edward a hero in the eyes of ‘Twilight’s’ fans. In the end, it’s not the fact that he’s a vampire that defines Edward Cullen, but that he’s a good and dutiful one who refuses to let his identity stand in the way of his family and friends. The stigma that surrounds vampires in Hollywood could not be further from the truth. “He’s not a bad person,” we hear Bella say about Edward at the end of ‘Eclipse.’ “He just wants to be left alone.”
Why Is Nessie Always Tired?
It’s no secret that ‘Twilight’s’ most recognizable beast is its eponymous character, Nessie. Although he only appears in a few scenes, we hear a lot about him. One of the earliest scenes in the series concerns Nessie’s first meeting with an unsuspecting human. The human is lying in bed when Nessie climbs into bed with him, only to find that he’s completely unprepared for the night’s activities. The human then awakens, terrified by what happened and demands that his family call the police. This incident is important for two reasons. First, it demonstrates how ‘Twilight’s’ creatures — including, but not limited to, the ever-popular Nessie — operate in the real world. Second, it sets the stage for future scenes in which Nessie engages in friendly yet playful interactions with humans. It doesn’t take long for Nessie to endear himself to audiences and establish himself as the heart and soul of ‘Twilight.’
The best example of Nessie’s friendly nature occurs in the final film of the franchise, ‘Breaking Dawn.’ In the scene, Bella is sitting at a train station, waiting for her train to leave so that she can continue her honeymoon with Edward. Having just given birth to their daughter, Renee, a few weeks earlier, Bella is weary and wants to take a stroll through the woods to clear her head. While she’s walking, she sees Nessie, and the two engage in conversation. When the police arrive and try to question Bella about the disappearance of the other wolves, Edward steps in and protects his wife. The scene ends with Bella and Edward embracing and agreeing to raise their daughter, Winter, together. It’s a fitting end to one of the most important relationships in cinematic history and a wonderful testament to the enduring power of love.