"Some people are ok, mostly I just feel like poisoning everybody"

I've seen a few films recently that deal with a central issue, the toxic friendship. I never realized how prevalent this topic is in films for teenage girls! Soemtime it is blatant and outright, like Thirteen and Mouth to Mouthand, others its a little more underlying, like in Ghost World and Poison Ivy. The film i most recently watched was Ghost World, it has all the components of a teen angst film, the two friends who exude confidence and edge but really are dealing with their own insecurities and cut people down constantly to build themselves up. They are best friends and always seen around with each other (kind of like a modern day Romy and Michelle) and doing something different. I enjoyed that aspect of the film, Enid had her own individual style and both of them did not want to follow the status quo. At the same time these girls are living as a duo, and even when one doubts the others idea (like pranking Steve Buscemi) they wind up doing it anyways. Sometimes it is even harder to speak up against close friends than a stranger, because there is a fear of lsoing that person. Throughout the film you see Enid dealing with her own issues of self confidence, pushing a boy or two away from Rebecca and constantly being cynical. I liked her cynical attitude but I know on a personal bases that is a defense mechanism, cut someone else down before people cut you down.

Reoccuring strain on a close duo friendhsip is the entrance of new comer, especially a man. As Rebecca wants Enid to get a job, find a place to live and let them move on with their lives Enid is hesitant and starts focusing her life and attention not on Rebecca but on an older gentleman Seymour.He is an old soul, much like her, and the two become close, leaving Rebecca alone in her attempts to find a place to live. Like most friendships the truth is not easy to share and Enid's truth is that she needs a change and her own identity. (Thora Birch also plays this character in American Beauty as the not so typically pretty friend who wants someone to connect with). On a positive note Enid does not change the way she dresses or undergo a radical makeover to get Seymours attention (even though the fatc that she is 18 might have been her allure more than her mind at first) she continues to be off beat and in that regard the movie does indirectly show that being yourself is the best solution. That you don't have to change yourself completely to find that connection. More movies should promote people with their own identities finding someone rather than it always showing girls "find his interests, make them your own"

Frienships are beautiful, but one that does not allow the individuals to evolve is damaging. There will be those true friends who know you and want you to grow and there are those, like in Ghost World, that wish for things to stay the same and breed of one another's insecurity and further seperate themselves from other people.
The most difficult thing is realizing you are in a toxic friendship, especially because the friends you surround yourself with while your in it are your world, there is no 3rd party. It is easy to find like-minded people, but at the same time having diversity in ideas and opinions is what helps people grow, much like in feminism. Groups that were previously marginalized expressing their ideas and injustices is what makes feminism move foward and be more inclusive.