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In 2005, the novel Twilight by Stephenie Meyer reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list. The story of a young girl named Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) falling in love with a vampire, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), really resonated with young readers who could relate to Bella’s quirky personality. The first book was followed by three more novels, all brought to the big screen starting in 2008.However successful the books and the movies were, one prominent critic of the books was the prose, especially the dialogue between the characters. Some critics found some parts of the books to be cringe-worthy. The movies themselves have no shortage of moments where the dialogue is lacking but somehow makes the characters more charming.
The Exchange During Gym Class
After Bella accidentally hits Mike Newton on the head with a volleyball, Jessica bounces into the scene, interrupting their conversation and asking Bella the following question. “Aren’t people from Arizona supposed to be, like, really tan?” says Jessica. “Yeah. Maybe that’s why they kicked me out,” answers Bella.
This dialogue, meant to be funny, comes off as awkward. Jessica’s attempt at impressing Mike with her humor falls flat, and Bella’s response is no better. But this serves to Bella’s advantage. She’s new at this school, and socializing isn’t her thing. Therefore, every exchange with people will be uncomfortable, making her more endearing because it can’t be easy to be a new student.
Talking to Edward Cullen for The First Time
The first time Edward sees Bella, she’s in the path of a fan that blows Bella’s scent right at Edward, who reacts as if he’s repulsed. He disappears for a week after that day. He returns to school, apologizes for his behavior, and speaks to Bella about the rain. Bella says she’s not a fan and adds, “Any cold, wet thing, I don’t like really…”
A lot of things are cold and wet. Does Bella not like cold drinks then? Instead of this odd comment, any other line about disliking the rain could have fit nicely here. But although strange, it cements Bella’s character as someone who is not good at conversing, making her more relatable to many socially challenged people.
Edward’s Confession at The Restaurant
Edward develops an obsession with Bella, and in this part of the movie, it is revealed why. He can read minds except for Bella’s, making her fascinating to Edward.
“I don’t have the strength to stay away from you anymore.”
There is a reason this movie was not popular amongst parents of teenage girls. Edward’s behavior towards Bella by coming into her room at night, watching her sleep, and now stalking her is concerning. But Edward is not a typical teenager. He is a vampire who has never encountered anyone like Bella before. Curiosity then turned to obsession. In this obsession, he got to know Bella and actually fell in love with her.
When Bella Confronts Edward About Being a Vampire
From Edward’s “Say it. Say it. Out loud.” to the pair comparing themselves to a “stupid lamb” and a “sadomasochistic lion,” all the dialogue in this scene is cringe-worthy. It’s hard to believe that when Bella realizes that Edward is a vampire and her blood is like his “personal heroin brand,” her reaction is to answer, “I don’t care.”
The scene would be more believable if Bella was actually scared of Edward. Instead, she follows him around like a lost puppy in the woods and exclaims in awe at his diamond skin dazzling in the sun in one scene that had fans of vampire mythology seething with rage. Vampires are supposed to die under the sun, not sparkle. Although difficult to watch without chuckling, this scene speaks to the power of love and how sometimes it renders people blind to the realities of a situation, especially when they’re young.
“You better hold on tight, spider monkey.”
During Bella’s first visit to the Cullens’ house in Twilight, she sees Edward’s room. After claiming she’s not scared to be alone with him, he decides to take her for a piggyback ride up a tree, where he utters these words.
What a weird specificity to compare Bella to a spider monkey. All monkeys ride on their mother’s back, not just the spider monkeys. This line could have worked just as well without that unfitting reference. Still, we have to admit, seeing Edward be playful with Bella and acting his age before turning is refreshing.
“My Monkey Man”
This truly remarkable line is uttered by Rosalie Cullen (Nikki Reed) in the first film during that famous thunderstorm baseball game about her partner Emmett after he caught a ball climbing up a tree.
Comparing another person to a monkey in such a short time-lapse in the movie is strange and redundant. Still, like Edward, Rosalie is also a tortured soul, and this is not an existence she would have chosen for herself. She is presented as broody and mean towards Bella, but the real Rosalie emerges in this scene, and she is someone who can actually have fun.
The Switzerland Reference
In one particularly intense scene between Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) and Edward Cullen in Eclipse where they are both arguing about Bella’s safety, she breaks up the tension by saying the following sentence: “Stop. I’m tired of this. From now on, I’m Switzerland, okay?”
This is perhaps one of the corniest lines in the whole saga. The problem is that before Bella says it, the scene between Jacob and Edward is quite dramatic. The exchanges between Jacob and Edward are some of the most entertaining throughout the saga. Having this good scene interrupted by such a wonky phrase cuts the tension in a way that feels unpolished. However, this phrase solidifies what was already known about Bella and what makes her somewhat charming. She is very clumsy at expressing herself.
“Let’s face it. I am hotter than you.”
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Jacob says this to Edward in Eclipse while they are in a tent with Bella up a snowy mountain, and she is freezing. Jacob proposes to get into Bella’s sleeping bag to warm her. One of the side-effects of being a werewolf is having an unusually high body temperature.
This was a cheap shot at making the teenage girls giggle and the adult audience uncomfortable as Jacob is a teenage boy. But the phrase is funny and falls in line with who Jacob Black is now that he’s a werewolf. Compared to the vampires, the werewolves are bon-vivant in their own way. They love to eat, play, and have fun at each other’s expense. They are loud and rambunctious, and the scenes where they are in their natural human form are always fun to watch.
Emmett’s Wedding Toast
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In Breaking Dawn Part I, Emmett (Kellan Lutz) makes a toast to honor the newlyweds Bella and Edward. And part of his speech contained this inadvertently inappropriate sentence. “Bella, I hope you’ve gotten enough sleep these last 18 years because you won’t be getting any more for a while.”
The double entendre of this phrase, and Bella’s dad, Charlie’s annoyed reaction to it, makes it absolutely improper and hilarious. The humans think one thing, but the vampires at the wedding know what Emmett means. Vampires don’t sleep, and Edward has promised to turn Bella right after their honeymoon. The added bonus is that Emmett’s joke falls flat, making it even funnier.
The Loch Ness Monster Comment
Bella gives birth to a baby in Breaking Dawn Part 1. Fearing she might die, Edward turns Bella by biting her several times. When she wakes up as a vampire, in Breaking Dawn Part 2, she is not pleased to learn that Jacob has a nickname for her daughter. “Nessie? You nicknamed my daughter after the Loch Ness Monster?”
This response feels out of place in this context. They already live in a fantasy world where fantastical beings exist. The mention of yet another mythological creature that has nothing to do with them and that might as well be real too is incongruous. The scene is meant to be funny and lighthearted, with Bella angry at Jacob. However, it’s hard to take the actors seriously when such lines are uttered. But oddly, it serves to elevate Jacob, who again demonstrates his humor by picking such a silly nickname.