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Entertainment December 10, 2016
It can be hard to find a strong female character in Hollywood whose strength isn’t mocked or revealed as a shocking surprise. But Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso in the upcoming “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” presents a welcome alternative, and she’s not going to let anyone take that away from her.
Speaking with SiriusXM’s Entertainment Weekly Radio, Jones assured fans that her strength would not be mocked, nor would it be undermined by discussions on her appearance. “It shouldn’t be like, ‘Oh, now she’s being strong’ and we will have to suddenly see that as a surprise,” she said.
She also said that Jyn wouldn’t be objectified, explaining, “It’s literally down to the costume. I didn’t want her to be kind of running around in a tank top … It should be just that she’s focused on what she’s doing. She has a very particular task ahead of her and that’s where the focus is.”
And quite the task it is. In the upcoming Star Wars spin-off – which also stars Diego Luna and Forest Whitaker – Jyn is recruited by the Rebel Alliance to steal the plans for the Death Star, the Galactic Empire’s planet-destroying weapon.
Jones’ comments follow the unforgettable controversy that surrounded Bryce Dallas Howard’s heels in 2015’s “Jurassic World.” The film was widely criticized on Twitter for the fact that Howard’s character Claire wore heels throughout the movie, even while walking through a jungle and sprinting from dinosaurs.
The female lead in Jurassic World is “afraid of heights, dislikes bugs, and wears high heels”. ELLIE SATTLER WHERE ARE YOU WHEN WE NEED YOU.
— Alberto (@12minds) June 3, 2015
The most unrealistic thing about #JurassicWorld is that they made Bryce Dallas Howard wear high heels THE ENTIRE TIME
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) June 13, 2015
See you soon, @BryceDHoward pic.twitter.com/dSHIBRw8C0
— Colin Trevorrow (@colintrevorrow) December 1, 2016
“The most unrealistic thing about #JurassicWorld is that they made Bryce Dallas Howard wear high heels THE ENTIRE TIME,” Jarett Wieselman tweeted. Another post referenced Laura Dern’s feminist character from 1993’s “Jurassic Park,” a paleobotanist who dressed more appropriately for the task at hand.
The Twitter user lamented that Dern’s character wasn’t in the reboot, gushing, “The female lead in Jurassic World is “afraid of heights, dislikes bugs, and wears high heels”. ELLIE SATTLER WHERE ARE YOU WHEN WE NEED YOU.”
Earlier this month Colin Trevorrow, “Jurassic World” director and producer on the upcoming sequel, made light of the controversy by tweeting Howard a collage of women’s boots, with the message, “See you soon, @BryceDHoward.”
READ MORE: Women in Music Videos: Self-Objectifying or Objectively Empowering?
However, many praised the character for sticking it out in the heels, including Howard. “She’s in high heels because she’s a woman who has been in high heels her whole life, and she can fucking sprint in them. She can. That’s kind of how I perceived it. She doesn’t have to be in menswear and flats in order to outrun a T. rex. That’s what women can do,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.
With all of the debate surrounding Claire’s heels, it’s easy to see Jones’ point about wardrobe. More people were talking about Claire’s footwear than her accomplishments in the film, which, let’s not forget, include risking her life to ultimately save the day.
However, Jones has made it clear that her character has a “particular task” which will not be undermined by inappropriate footwear or objectifying costumes.
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” releases in theaters Dec. 16.
