Amy Dunne

Last updated
Amy Dunne
Gone Girl character
Amy Dunne.jpg
Rosamund Pike as Amy Dunne in Gone Girl
First appearance
Last appearance
Created by Gillian Flynn
Portrayed by Rosamund Pike
In-universe information
Full nameAmy Elliot Dunne
AliasNancy
GenderFemale
Occupation
  • Writer
SpouseNick Dunne
NationalityAmerican

Amy Elliott Dunne is a fictional character created by Gillian Flynn in her 2012 novel Gone Girl . She is portrayed by British actress Rosamund Pike in the 2014 film adaptation of the same name. Pike was cast as Amy after director David Fincher had seen her in multiple films but couldn't get a sense of who she was. While the character has received mixed reactions, Pike's performance received universal acclaim and earned her multiple awards, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in 2015.

Contents

Described as "cold", "savvy" and "snobbish", and the title character of the story, Amy is a writer and diarist involved in a struggling marriage with her husband, Nick, who frames her disappearance and murder to get him arrested after she discovers he cheated on her.

Appearances

Amy Dunne appears in the 2012 novel Gone Girl and its 2014 film adaption. [1] [2] After years of a frustrating marriage to her husband Nick, Amy discovers that he is cheating on her with a younger woman. As revenge, Amy fakes her disappearance and conjures an elaborate plan to make it seem as if she was pregnant and Nick violently murdered her. On the morning of her disappearance, Amy drained and splattered her own blood across the kitchen and then cleaned it haphazardly. Her original plan was to drown herself after Nick's arrest and have her body found to ensure his death sentence. She is robbed while on the run and turns to a rich ex-boyfriend named Desi Collings, whom Amy had filed a restraining order for stalking. He lets her stay with him, but Amy has regrets after seeing Nick plead for her return in an interview. After watching Nick's interview, she rekindles her attraction to him and spends weeks crafting her escape story. Using lakehouse surveillance cameras and self-inflicted wrist and vaginal injuries, she makes it appear that Desi kidnapped and raped her. She then seduces Desi, slits his throat during sex, and returns home covered in his blood, thus clearing Nick of suspicion. The FBI believes Amy's story and she tells Nick everything that happened. A televised interview takes place in their home seven weeks later. Anticipating Nick's intention to leave her and publicly expose her story, Amy reveals her pregnancy minutes before the interview, having inseminated herself with Nick's sperm from a fertility clinic. Nick reacts violently at first but feels responsible for the child and ultimately decides to stay with Amy.

Development

Creation and characterization

When asked about Amy's noble qualities, author Gillian Flynn wrote that Amy has multiple, such as high ambition, intelligence, and tenacity, traits that she takes to an extreme. [1] When writing Amy's character, she listened to music beforehand to get into character, [1] namely the song Down in the Willow Garden as she envisioned Amy listening to it when writing her diary entries. [3] The character has been described as "savvy" and as a "mastermind" [3] [4] yet "cold" and "snobbish". [5] [6]

When writing Gone Girl, Flynn had missing white woman syndrome in mind, with the phenomenon driving the story's plot and being the reason why Amy's plan works out. [3] Flynn also said she envisioned her as someone who knew the tropes about being a woman, unafraid to use them to get her way. [5] Despite not necessarily intending to make a statement, Flynn wanted to "play with how far can you push a female antihero" when writing Amy's character, [4] saying "I wanted to create a female villain that you cannot write off and that feels in some way that she walks this world" when asked about it. [4] Flynn cites Amy's "cool girl" monologue as being inspired by the 1998 film There's Something About Mary , as Mary Jensen (Cameron Diaz) fit the archetype in the film. [7] The monologue itself was penned by Flynn during a writing exercise and was not initially intended to be included in the book, but Flynn felt it suited Amy, so included it. [7] [8] Flynn also believed that the moment humanized Amy and expressed her point of view. [8]

Film adaptation

For the 2014 film adaptation, Amy's characterization was slightly altered, with Amy being written as slightly more despicable and ruthless. [9] When casting Amy for the film adaptation, director David Fincher became interested in Rosamund Pike after her name was brought up as he had seen her in multiple films and never managed to gain an impression of her or her acting style, this opacity, combined with her status as an only child, like Amy gained her the role. [2] [9] Pike's opinion on Amy reportedly goes beyond whether or not she likes her, more so that she understands her. [5] [9] [10] To portray the character, Pike wore a wig while filming. [2] Fincher found himself rooting for Amy in parts of the film, as he enjoyed the character's cunning plan unfold. [11]

Flynn helped Fincher design the Amazing Amy book series, comparing it to the Ramona novel series. [8] [9] [12]

Reception

Gillian Flynn 2014 (cropped).jpg
MJK 10907 Rosamund Pike (Berlinale 2018) (cropped).jpg
Amy's creator Gillian Flynn (left, pictured in 2014) and portrayer Rosamund Pike (right, pictured in 2018) both received positive acclaim for their work on the character

Joan Smith of Sunday Times praised Flynn's work on writing Amy, calling it "subtly drawn", and that it helped the story feel unpredictable. [1] Katey Rich of Vanity Fair named Amy the most disturbing female villain of all time. [13] Amanda Dobbins of Vulture wrote that Flynn created a "sociopathic" and "morally indefensible" character in Amy, which helped the novel to become a compelling read. [14] Lexy Perez of Hollywood Reporter called Amy's arc the "most memorable aspect" of the book, writing that Amy is "a fresh, if unnerving" take on the anti-heroine archetype. [4] Pinkbookworm of The Guardian called Amy's characterization "phenomenal" in a review of the novel. [15] Emine Saner of The Guardian praised Amy's character, writing "[Amy] Dunne isn’t likeable but she is compelling". [16] The character is generally credited in starting "The Gone Girl Effect" where every novel with an unreliable female narrator began drawing comparisons to Gone Girl and Amy Dunne. [17] Jessica Coen of Jezebel believed Amy was a more compelling character in the novel, calling her character "vivid" and believing that film's depiction "pales in comparison" and was fairly one-note. [18] Emily St. James of Vox was critical of Amy's character, writing that she comes across more as a "collection of plot twists" than a legitimate character. [19]

Rosamund Pike's performance as Amy in the 2014 film received universal critical acclaim. Pike received an Academy Award for Best Actress nomination at the 87th Academy Awards in 2015 for her performance. [20] [21] Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent wrote that Pike captured her character's "Martha Stewart-like perfectionism" with relentless drive. [12] Aimee Ferrier of Far Out praised Pike's performance, calling it "incredible" and complimenting the actress's ability to portray a "cold, plotting psychopath" with depth. [22] Samantha Ellis of Odyssey wrote that Pike played Amy "to perfection". [23] Ben Sherlock of Screen Rant listed Amy as one of the eight best David Fincher villains, naming Amy a "quintessential femme fatale" and praising Pike's performance. [24] MovieWeb ranked Amy Dunne as Pike's best performance, calling it "beyond brilliant" and convincingly evil. [25] Pike's performance was listed as one of the 30 best of the 2010s by In Their Own League, with James Cain writing that Pike "sells it 100%". [26] Amanda Greever of The Daily Times was positive towards Pike's performance, writing that she seemed to "relish each delicious twist and turn the character takes", adding that it was "very entertaining" to watch. [27]

Cultural impact

Amy is a polarizing figure in feminist media studies.

When the novel was first published, an "onslaught" of discussion about how feminist it is was unleashed. [17] Lexy Perez of Hollywood Reporter wrote that Flynn sparked important conversation about female characters in literature through Amy, and credited Amy with a rise of anti-heroine characters in media. [4] Some people believe that Amy's portrayal perpetuates misogynistic stereotypes, which Flynn, who identifies as a feminist, vehemently denies. [7] [10] [14] Emily St. James of Vox called the 2014 film "the most feminist mainstream movie" of its time, believing that Amy destroying Nick's life symbolized "taking back power for women" in the story. [19] David Haglund of Slate praised Amy's "cool girl" speech, believing it effectively called out double standards faced by women. [28] Eliana Dockterman of Time praised Amy's character, believeing it to be a step in the right direction for complex female characters, writing that Fincher and Flynn "created a female role more complex than the women usually seen in blockbuster films" at the time. [29]

Some argue that Amy perpetuates stereotypes of women making false rape allegations and call it a negative representation of a feminist and that she should not be considered a feminist character due to this. [30] Samantha Ellis of Odyssey also argued that Amy's character should not be considered a feminist icon, as she is portrayed negatively, goes to extremes to tackle inconveniences, and makes false allegations of sexual assault. [23] Lesley Coffin of The Mary Sue believed that Amy's portrayal was problematic, saying that it "supports a disturbing depiction of women as a threat to the male domain". [31] She also heavily criticized Amy's false rape claim, writing that using rape as a plot device is a "problematic" in the film. [31] Alyssa Rosenberg of The Washington Post believed that the character could be considered both misandrist and misogynist as "she hates pretty much everyone" except Nick near the end of the story. [32]

Gillian Flynn vehemently denies accusations of misogyny. In an interview with The Guardian , she said: "[calling the novel anti-feminist due to Amy's actions] puts a very, very small window on what feminism is," and defended Amy's character by saying "one thing that really frustrates me is this idea that women are innately good, innately nurturing" and that Amy's portrayal challenges this. [33] Flynn also wrote on her website that she was unsatisfied with the lack of intimidating female villains in literature, and that Amy was a method of introducing a wicked female villainess. [34]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Flynn, Gillian (24 May 2012). Gone Girl. Penguin Random House. p. 472. ISBN   978-0-7538-2766-6.
  2. 1 2 3 Gone Girl (DVD). 20th Century Fox. 3 October 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Lee, Stephan (26 June 2012). "'Gone Girl' author Gillian Flynn talks murder, marriage, and con games". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 25 December 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Perez, Lexy (20 December 2019). "Gillian Flynn Reflects on 'Gone Girl' Legacy and the Growing Appetite for Anti-Heroines in Books". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Brooks, Xan (27 September 2014). "Gone Girl unleashes battle of the sexes at New York film festival". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  6. ↑ Brockes, Emma (3 October 2014). "The Gone Girl phenomenon: Gillian Flynn speaks out". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 Rose Hyden, Anastasia (31 July 2022). "11 thrilling facts about Gillian Flynn's "Gone Girl"". Salon. Archived from the original on 1 August 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 Vineyard, Jennifer (6 October 2014). "Gone Girl's Gillian Flynn on Cool Girls and David Fincher". Vulture. Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Labrecque, Jeff (27 September 2014). "'Gone Girl': Why David Fincher cast Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  10. 1 2 Grossman, Lev (25 September 2014). "Gillian Flynn's Marriage Plot". Time. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  11. ↑ Lattanzio, Ryan (9 October 2014). "David Fincher Reveals 'Gone Girl' Secrets and Whose Side He's Really On (Q & A)". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  12. 1 2 Macnab, Geoffrey (25 September 2014). "Gone Girl, review: Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike excel in David Fincher film". The Independent. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  13. ↑ Rich, Katey (17 March 2015). "Why Gone Girl's Amy Dunne Is the Most Disturbing Female Villain of All Time". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 5 June 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  14. 1 2 Dobbins, Amanda (3 October 2014). "Yes, Gone Girl Has a Woman Problem". Vulture. Archived from the original on 12 October 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  15. ↑ Pinkbookworm (25 September 2015). "Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn – review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 October 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  16. ↑ "The Gone Girl backlash: what women don't want". The Guardian. 7 October 2014. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  17. 1 2 van Rensburg, Laurie (14 April 2022). "Gillian Flynn's anti-heroines and the dark side of feminism". CrimeReads. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  18. ↑ Coen, Jessica (6 October 2014). "Gone Girl's Biggest Villain Is Marriage Itself". Jezebel. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  19. 1 2 St. James, Emily (6 October 2014). "Gone Girl is the most feminist mainstream movie in years". Vox. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  20. ↑ "THE 87TH ACADEMY AWARDS 2015". Oscars. 22 February 2015. Archived from the original on 10 March 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  21. ↑ "Oscars 2015: Best actress nominees". BBC News. 23 February 2015. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  22. ↑ Ferrier, Aimee (11 April 2023). "Under the Spotlight: Rosamund Pike's stunning performance as Amy Dunne in 'Gone Girl'". Far Out. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  23. 1 2 Ellis, Samantha (11 September 2015). "Amy Dunne Is Not a Feminist Icon". Odyssey. Archived from the original on 16 March 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  24. ↑ Sherlock, Ben (31 August 2022). "8 Best Villains In David Fincher Movies". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  25. ↑ Altman, Kate; Reynolds, Robin (20 September 2023). "Rosamund Pike's Best Performances, Ranked". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on 23 September 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  26. ↑ Cain, James (30 January 2020). "Best Actress of the Decade, entry no. 7: Rosamund Pike". In Their Own League. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  27. ↑ Greever, Amanda (8 October 2014). "Like the book, 'Gone Girl' a riveting tale with a disappointing end". The Daily Times. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  28. ↑ Haglund, David (29 September 2014). "The Strange Thing David Fincher Does With the "Cool Girl" Speech in Gone Girl". Slate. Archived from the original on 27 December 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  29. ↑ Dockterman, Eliana (6 October 2014). "Is Gone Girl Feminist or Misogynist?". Time. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  30. ↑ Scanlon, Kelly (26 January 2024). "The impact of 'Gone Girl' on the American justice system and a real-life kidnapping case". Far Out. Archived from the original on 10 March 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  31. 1 2 Coffin, Lesley (6 October 2014). "Gone Girl Is A Solid Noir Marred By Sloppy Storytelling and Sexism". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  32. ↑ Rosenberg, Alyssa (3 October 2014). "Is 'Gone Girl's Amy a misogynist? A misandrist? Or both?". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  33. ↑ Burkeman, Oliver (1 May 2013). "Gillian Flynn on her bestseller Gone Girl and accusations of misogyny". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 September 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  34. ↑ Flynn, Gillian (2011). "I Was Not a Nice Little Girl…". Gillian Flynn. Archived from the original on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
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