Horror Heroines: Sidney Prescott (Scream, 1996)
Scream was released 22 years ago with the teenage Sidney Prescott as the main character. One year after her murder of her mother, Sidney is trying to move on with her life. Her world is turned upside down when two of her classmates are murdered. News reporters descend on the town of Woodsboro and the emotions surrounding her mom’s death and the subsequent trial are brought back to the fore. She tells her friend Tatum that it’s ‚Äúdeja vu all over again‚Äù for her. Later that night she is attacked in her own home by the killer; for the duration of the movie she is fighting for her life against Ghostface.
SPOILER ALERT: Sidney is the final girl and manages to survive the brutal attack at the hands of her boyfriend and his best friend.
Scream is the movie that rejuvenated the horror industry. It took some of the elements of the slasher movies of the ’70’s and ’80’s but updated it for the modern audience. Instead of the main female character running away or cowering in the corner: Sidney chooses to fight. When she’s asked by Ghostface what her favourite scary movie is she replies: ‚ÄúWhat‚Äôs the point? They‚Äôre all the same. Some stupid killer stalking some big-breasted girl who can‚Äôt act who is always running up the stairs when she should be running out the front door. It‚Äôs insulting.”
When her boyfriend is pressuring her to have sex, she refuses. It’s only when she is ready that they do end up sleeping together. Throughout the movie Sidney’s emotional and physical strength is evident. She never stops fighting to save herself.
-Michelle O’Brien
Junior Girl
Girl Museum Inc.