Why Sierra Burgess is a Loser

Warning: spoilers up ahead.

Fine.

So I finally got around to watching Sierra Burgess is a Loser and I can honestly say that it met my expectations, because I was expecting it to be, well, bad. It was a huge disappointment, because this movie could have been so much better.

Instead, Netflix gave us this unsatisfying slop and threw Noah Centineo into the mix as if it would make things better (spoiler alert: it doesn't). I was mainly bothered by two things.

Firstly, this film romanticizes catfishing. Jamey, a football player, asks Veronica, a popular mean girl, for her number. Veronica instead gives him Sierra's, and so Jamey texts Sierra thinking that she's Veronica. Sierra plays along, and justifies this deceit by telling her friend that either way, those are "her words." Some may argue that Jamey wouldn't have even "fallen for" Sierra in the first place because of her looks, because she wasn't "pretty enough," and that this film shows that you don't have to be smoking hot to snatch yourself a man. Okay, sure, but does that really justify deceit and potentially hurting the other party in the long run? Surely there are better ways to send this message?

Secondly, Sierra doesn't deserve her happy ending, because she never worked hard to earn it. She never internalizes the fact that she was wrong, and she never takes full responsibility for her actions, nor does she suffer any consequences for them. Sierra never properly apologizes to Jamie for catfishing him and kissing him without his consent. At least, not until he does his big romantic gesture (which is something the person in the wrong usually does, but I guess Sierra didn't get the memo). Sierra never properly apologizes to Veronica for publicly humiliating her in retaliation for something that wasn't even Veronica's fault (the Sunflower Song reeked of excuses and a lack of remorse so it doesn't count). The only person Sierra apologizes to is Dan, her best friend, for ditching him, and this is literally the least offending thing on the list. In spite of her lack of proper remorse, her apology was handed to her on a silver platter. Veronica forgives Sierra and convinces Jamey to do so as well.

The film's ending was unsatisfying because it treated Sierra like the victim when she was anything but. Here's a list of alternate (see: better) endings I thought of. I'm sure you can think of more as well.

1. Sierra recognizes that she is in the wrong and actively seeks forgiveness and reconciliation with both Jamey and Veronica. She undergoes growth and gains new wisdom from her experiences as a result.
2. Sierra recognizes that she is in the wrong and shows up at Jamey's door to set him up with Veronica instead. Veronica and Jamey agree that they do not like each other romantically, and Jamey ends up with Sierra instead. Veronica, touched by Sierra's selflessness, forgives her.
3. Sierra loses all of her friends as a result of her actions. Sierra Burgess is a Loser becomes a cautionary tale for teens pretending to be someone they're not.

I was disappointed because of what the film could have been. In the midst of the body positivity movement, this could have been such a good opportunity to encourage girls who feel like they don't meet society's standards and remind them that they are worth more than their weight, their pant size, or body shape. This could have been a beautiful way to show that beauty isn't skin deep, and everyone is deserving of love. This could have been a story of the power of platonic friendship, and what girls can achieve when they support one another instead of tearing one another down. Instead, this film somehow manages to fail in both areas. Like, come on! 

 - Jenny Kheng (01/10/18)