Summary
Twistercontains a couple of villains (including tornadoes themselves), and while some might perceive Jami Gertz’s character as one of the bad guys, she isn’t deserving of any hate and warrants much more respect than she gets. Gertz stars as Dr. Melissa Reeves, Bill’s fiancée, intheTwistercast. From the beginning of the 1996 disaster thriller film, it is evident thatthe movie wants the audience to root for Bill and Melissa to break up so that he can reunite with Jo,but that doesn’t mean that Melissa is a bad person.
Aside from playing Melissa inTwister,Jami Gertz is known for her role as Judy Miller in the CBS sitcomStill Standing.
Bill and Jo, two storm chasers who fell in love on the job and got married, are in the midst of a divorce whenTwisterstarts. Melissa travels with Bill to Oklahoma, where Jo and her team track a storm system, to get Jo’s signature on the divorce papers. However, the chemistry betweenBill Paxton and Helen Hunt’sTwistercharactersis alive and well from their first meeting, and viewers immediately know how this story will end. When Jo convinces Bill to stay and see"Dorothy" work inTwister, it’s all over for Gertz’s character, butMelissa still isn’t a villain.
Jami Gertz’s Melissa Was An Innocent Character In Twister
Melissa Wasn’t A Villain
WhileJan de Bont’sTwisteris very much a disaster thriller, it’s also a romance movie, as proven by the love triangle between Bill, Jo, and Melissa. So, although the action scenes featuring Bill and Jo racing to place “Dorothy” in a tornado’s path and get out of the way in time are exciting, viewers also can’t help but be eager to see how the love triangle plays out. SinceTwisteris very obvious in pushing Bill and Jo’s relationship,it can be easy for some to regard Jami Gertz’s character in a poor light. However, Melissa isn’t a villain.
DespiteTwister’s intention not to paint Melissa as the bad guy and her apparent innocence, the circumstances of the situation mean that some will always regard Melissa negatively.
Theweather disaster moviewants the audience to endorse Bill and Jo’s reconciliation. But,the story doesn’t outwardly blame Melissa for the couple’s initial breakupas she never asks to be the “other woman.” DespiteTwister’s intention not to paint Melissa as the bad guy and her apparent innocence, the circumstances of the situation mean that some will always regard Melissa negatively.
Twisters Will Have A Very Hard Time Beating One Original Twister Record
Twisters may have secured a higher Rotten Tomatoes score than Twister, but the new flick will have a hard time beating one of the 1996 film’s records.
Why Jami Gertz’s Twister Character Deserves More Respect
Melissa Didn’t Fall Into Any Typical “The Other Woman” Stereotypes
Melissa is never outwardly jealous, mean-spirited, or pessimistic inTwister.She constantly tags along for storm chases (even when terrified, as most sane people would be) to support her fiancé. Melissa is also courteous towards Jo, although it’s clear Jo is still in love with Bill. Jami Gertz’s character then keeps her composure when she breaks up with Bill. Melissa understands that Bill and Jo are meant to be together, and instead of being spiteful,Melissa ends her relationship with Bill with compassion (while still respecting herself and her feelings).
Ultimately, Melissa knows her worth inTwister’s storm-chasing storyand still handles the tough situation better than anyone could. Given the situation, it would be understandable if Melissa were to lash out a bit. However, Bill’s fiancée holds her composure, meaning more should respect Melissa inTwisterinstead of judging her harshly for things she’s not to blame.
Twister
Cast
In Twister, Bill and Jo Harding, advanced storm chasers on the brink of divorce, must join together to create an advanced weather alert system by putting themselves in the cross-hairs of extremely violent tornadoes. Jo’s childhood was stricken by the trauma of losing her father to a deadly F5 tornado, setting her on the path of a storm chaser. Having developed a new technology with her team named “Dorothy,” Jo seeks to make Tornadoes more predictable to give people a chance to make it to safety. Jo’s obsession created a rift between her husband, but new breakthroughs may bring them back together as the two pursue their greatest challenge yet - an incoming system that will produce yet another F5.
