Jurassic World most certainly has feminist issues, but Claire Dearing is not one of them.
Promotional material for Jurassic World would have you believe that Chris Pratt’s Owen Grady is the star, and while he is the main proponent for saving the day, this is not his story. This isn’t the kids’ story either. Jurassic World is about Claire Dearing. Everyone else is just a piece to move her story forward.
This article contains spoilers from Jurassic World.
Related: Jurassic World review
Claire does indeed start off very clichéd. Though she’s not quite the hardened, stick up her butt trope, she’s not far from it. Work is her priority, we’re meant to believe she’s somewhat anal (“who makes an itinerary for a date?”), and despite being pleasant enough to her nephews, it’s clear her maternal instincts and compassion are lacking.
But she changes, she grows, which is exactly what she’s supposed to do. A film is meant to have character development. And despite popular interpretation, she doesn’t change just because of a man. It’s not Owen who propels her into action, it’s her nephews, and by extension, her sister. Claire has a heart to heart with her sister about spending time with the boys, and not long after, we see her maternal strings tugged when she sees a family reunited over the security footage. There’s a small smile on her face, a warmth, then she quickly remembers her nephews. Those aren’t the reactions of someone who is completely cold.
When she finds out Zach and Gray are in danger, she goes to Owen asking for help to save them. She takes it upon herself to find them and refuses to be left behind. In doing so, she started a rather polarizing discussion among viewers.
One of the biggest topics of contention is Claire’s wardrobe. It’s true, a skirt and heels are not appropriate attire for jungle trekking. But it is appropriate attire for a business setting, and that’s what Claire is: A businesswoman. Had she woken up that morning thinking she’d be running from dinosaurs through a jungle, she probably would have worn something a little different. But of course she had no idea what the day had in store for her, so she wore what any other woman wears in an office setting.
“She should have changed! Or taken the shoes off!” you scream. When? If your nephews are out in the wild with the most dangerous dinosaur that’s ever existed running around, you’re not going to waste time finding a change of clothes. The thought probably won’t even cross your mind. And taking them off is a terrible idea. Barefoot is not more ideal than small heels. The damage you’d do to your feet trudging barefoot in the jungle is far worse than any uncomfortableness from heeled footwear.
“But it’s unrealistic to do that much running in heels!” you yell back. Is it? Because Bryce Dallas Howard did it. A real woman did it. She wore heels in real life for the entire film. She ran in heels without falling. Isn’t that feminist? To see a woman keep up with a man despite wearing ‘inappropriate’ shoes?
There’s a small moment in the film when Owen stops to hold out his hand for Claire as they start fleeing from the Indominus rex. But Claire doesn’t stop. She runs right past him. She refuses his help because she doesn’t need it, and thankfully, she’s never punished for it. She’s never seen faltering or falling, whether to demean her capabilities or for comic relief. Owen tells her she can’t do this mission in her ridiculous shoes, and she very clearly proves him wrong.
Let’s not forget that Claire also outruns a T. rex in heels, without tripping. The only reason that statement could be considered unrealistic is because a Tyrannosaurus rex no longer exists. Women are capable of running in heels, and certainly in the ones Claire is wearing. There’s nothing anti-feminist about heels. What is anti-feminist, is to degrade a woman for her choice in shoes and attire, and to assume she ‘can’t do it.’ Why can’t she do it? She probably wears similar footwear everyday. She should be fairly comfortable in them by now.
As for her hair, the fact that it went from flat iron straight to wavy is just natural. You can’t sweat through a humid jungle and expect hair to remain coiffed and un-frizzed.
“Well she’s no Ellie Sattler,” you sneer. That’s right, she’s not. She’s Claire Dearing. She’s a completely different character. Ellie is a paleobotanist. Claire is an operations manager. At a time when there is much criticism over a lack of female representation in executive positions, why is Claire being criticized for having a managerial role? Either profession is commendable. To see a woman in film who’s not afraid to get dirty is just as important as seeing a woman in a directive role. Ellie fans were even thrown a bone. When Claire ‘got ready’ by tying her shirt up, it was as much for comic relief as it was a throwback to Dr. Sattler’s wardrobe.
There is one moment, however, that reduces Claire’s character. When the Pterosaurs are set loose and start killing everybody, one of them attacks Owen and he’s in serious trouble, having great difficulty getting rid of it. In steps Claire who deftly whacks the dinosaur off him and shoots it dead. All of this is witnessed by her nephews, who later commend her abilities by enthusiastically saying they don’t want to leave Owen’s side. This does demean her actions a little bit, but the fact remains she did save Owen’s life. She even gets her own car chase scene, driving the van away from the raptors.
Jurassic World does need work in equal representation between genders, this is true. In a film full of men, there are only four women, and one of those women is subjected to a rather graphic and prolonged death scene. But to say that Claire is not a good female character is inaccurate. She demonstrates endurance, bravery, intelligence, and compassion. And yes, she does it all in a skirt.