SCREAM 3 Deserves More Love
Scream 3 had big shoes to fill. The first two films in the franchise are pretty close to perfect. And that would be a tough act for anyone to follow. Add to that the departure of original screenwriter Kevin Williamson, a series of last-minute rewrites, and Courteney Cox’s bangs and you have yourself a set of challenging circumstances.
Synopsis:
While Sidney and her friends visit the Hollywood set of Stab 3, the third film based on the Woodsboro murders, another Ghostface killer rises to terrorize them.
Fans of the series and critics alike haven’t been especially kind to Scream 3. After all, it wasn’t what we were expecting. But if you take your mind off of what didn’t work for a moment and have a look at what did, you may be pleasantly surprised. I didn’t much care for Scream 3 the first couple of times I watched it but with the passing of time and greater reflection, I don’t think it should be counted out as a dud. It’s not the crown jewel of the series but there is still a lot to appreciate about this oft-maligned threequel.
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On the subject of the passing of time, I would argue that the past 20 years have given audiences a chance to see just how ahead of its time Scream 3 was. It’s ironic that the film was distributed by The Weinstein Company’s Dimension label, yet it calls out Harvey Weinstein-esque predatory producers whose lecherous behavior took a permanent toll on Sidney’s mother’s well-being. Genre vet Lance Henriksen turns in a spot-on performance as sleazy producer John Milton.
But the calling out of toxic behavior on film sets doesn’t stop there. One of the Stab 3 actors even rebukes a costar for belittling a fellow cast member that wouldn’t sleep with him. This kind of stuff has been going on behind-the-scenes for decades (and still does). And it’s refreshing to see a script that calls attention to that and condemns the abuse of power close to twenty years before movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp.
After watching the film for the first time in a while, I am also struck by what an accurate sendup it is of the vapid and superficial nature of Hollywood. The key players in Stab 3 lack even a modicum of depth and that’s to say nothing of the way the films in the Stab universe callously exploit real-life tragedy in the name of box office success.
True crime is fascinating but fan culture becomes toxic when we forget that the stories we see on Dateline or listen to on popular podcasts are about real people who have had their world turned upside down in the worst ways imaginable.
Just because the headlines are riveting doesn’t mean that it’s ok to forget the plight of the victims and their loved ones. And this is a point that Scream 3 makes clear. Violence in the media was a hot button issue in the year 2000 and screenwriter Ehren Kruger (through the course of multiple rewrites) tells a story that showcases the dangers associated with glorification of violence.
Speaking of rewrites, Scream 3 was plagued by many last-minute changes that can make the film feel a bit discombobulated. But, seeing the script for Stab 3 undergo last-minute rewrites makes this possibly the most meta installment in a series, putting the word “meta” in the public consciousness. You have actors playing actors in a movie within a movie complaining about their lines being rewritten when the exact same thing was happening behind the scenes of Scream 3. It doesn’t get much more self-referential than that.
To be clear, I am not saying that Scream 3 isn’t the weakest film in the franchise. It is. But the series is solid and being the least effective entry in a strong franchise isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Scream 3 was inundated by scheduling issues, studio meddling, and daily rewrites. But all things considered, it’s a fun, clever film that shouldn’t be dismissed for being the weakest in what is easily one of the most consistent slasher franchises to date.
Amongst the film’s numerous scheduling challenges, Nev Campbell was only contracted to be on set for twenty days. And that forced screenwriter Ehren Kruger and legendary director Wes Craven to get creative with the story they were telling. Sidney’s absence for much of the flick is definitely noticeable and it feels a little strange to see less of the star than we do of the film’s supporting characters. But in spite of that, that Craven and company made the most of a challenging situation. If you haven’t seen Scream 3 in a while, consider giving it another look and see if you can enjoy it for everything it is, rather than everything it isn’t. You may just find that the film has more going for it than you remember.
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