The Cool Girl: Analyzing Amy Dunne's Monologue from the film "Gone Girl"

Gone Girl is a 2014 film based of the novel by Gillian Flynn of the same name. The story revolves around the couple Nick and Amy. They appear to be the perfect couple to everyone around them, but in reality their marriage is extremely toxic. Amy is horribly unhappy in their marriage, and when she finds out Nick is having an affair with one of his students who is easily 15 years his junior, she reaches a boiling point. Amy begins to conspire to frame him for her own murder. This is one of my favorite films not only because of it's thrilling and dynamic plot, but for Amy's six minute monologue infamously known as the 'Cool Girl' speech.

Although Amy's rant on this "Cool Girl" persona is dark and undeniably disturbing, I found myself not only sympathizing, but agreeing with a lot of what Amy had to say during her monologue. She is sick with who she has become by marrying Nick. She truly believes that Nick has destroyed her and she deserves revenge. When you take out the whole framing your spouse for your own murder bit, Amy's monologue is intrinsically feminist and powerful. It speaks to all the women who feel like they need to dumb themselves down or act a certain way to keep a man. Amy has become exactly the kind of woman she doesn't want to be and she refuses to allow it any longer.

Another reason I cheered for Amy during the monologue is that in the beginning of the film, Nick appears to the viewers as a lying, cheating, and all together kind of shady guy. Viewers feel the need to be on her side. This sudden twist that Amy actually planned to frame Nick for her murder shifts the entire mood of the film. Suddenly, Amy is presented as this brilliantly psychotic mastermind, not the relatively flat character that she originally seemed.

The bit of the monologue I plan to focus on begins with a shot of Amy in a dirty gas station bathroom. She begins to cut and dye her hair furiously. The shots are quick jump cuts to different angles of Amy's face and as well as what she is doing. We never see her finish an action fully. This creates a feeling of tension, a frantic mood for the scene. Amy is trying to run and hide so no one will find her. She is willing to do anything, even change her appearance dramatically. She doesn't care. She just wants Nick to suffer like she has. These feelings are translated well into how this scene plays out. We can clearly see Amy's anger and broken mental state in these shots. 

Amy's dialogue is also critically important to the impact and power of this scene. While she angrily slashes her long platinum blonde locks off she says; "Nick loved a girl I was pretending to be. 'Cool girl.' Men always use that don't they? As their defining compliment. 'She's a cool girl.' Cool girl is hot. Cool girl is game. Cool girl is fun. Cool girl never gets angry at her man."After that, there is a quick jump to Amy driving in her car, devouring a burger and fries at the same time she hisses the line " [Cool girl] only smiles in a chagrined, loving manner... and then presents her mouth for fucking." The shot then jumps again to Amy shopping in a superstore. The shots again are quick and jarring. She walks down the aisles throwing an assortment of sugary snacks into her cart- everything she couldn't have when she was pretending to be Cool Girl. She continues her monologue, in a disgusted voice, "I waxed stripped my pussy raw. I drank canned beer watching Adam Sandler movies. I ate cold pizza and remained a size two. I blew him. Semi regularly. I lived in the moment. I was fucking game." The juxtaposition of these contradictory shots and dialogue further illustrate Amy's rage and feelings of betrayal.

What makes this monologue so effective is Amy explaining everything that a Cool Girl is and should be juxtaposed with shots of Amy being everything that a Cool Girl isn't. Obviously, Amy isn't fueled by directionless rage. She may psychotic, but there is a point to what she has to say. Amy uprooted her entire life for Nick. She sacrificed so much in order to be with him. She even gives him money to open a less than successful bar. She gives and gives and gives to Nick, but he still betrays her. So, Amy plans to destroy everything that she's fabricated in order to get and keep Nick's attention. She also will destroy Nick, because in her mind Nick deserves to suffer like she's suffered.

Example of washed out, greyed colors in the film

Another important aspect of Gone Girl is the overall Mis en Scene. The film itself gives a a very cold feeling. The lighting uses a lot of shadows and the colors often looked washed out. Greys and neutral colors dominant the film's color palette. This not only reflects the dark and twisted plot, but the extremely toxic relationship between Amy and Nick. Scenes with brightness or color really only appear in the beginning of the film, when Amy's plan has not yet been revealed and she continues feign the role of the innocent and helpless housewife.

Nick and Amy silhouetted as they fight 

As the film continues and as the plot grows darker and more complicated, the lighting itself becomes darker, shadows and contrast are more prominent. Silhouettes are often used when Nick and Amy are interacting, they are shrouded in darkness to show the disfunction and toxicity of their relationship. The colors are less muted and the contrast is much greater than before. There is not pop of color, nothing to show any hope in this situation. Amy has already made her decision to frame Nick for her murder. She has been planning for awhile now and their is no turning back. By the time the audience discovers Amy's true character, it's too late. They have seen Nick be a lazy oaf, ungrateful towards Amy's generosity, and even physically abusive. The audience wants Amy to get the revenge she wants so badly. And of course, Amy always gets what she wants in the end.

Works Cited

Gone Girl. Dir. David Fincher. Twentieth Century Fox, 2014. Film.

Barsam, Richard and Dave Monahan. Looking at Movies. New York: W.W. Norton & Company,      

2013. Print.