Anna Kendrick Was the Best Thing About Twilight: Change My Mind
The talented actress could have done so much more with the character had she been given the chance.
Twilight Legacy
Even though Twilight is still regarded as one of the most popular fantasy franchises, more than a decade after the final film was released, it's no secret that the tale of ordinary teenage girl Bella falling for centuries-old vampire Edward has as many detractors as it does supporters. There is one thing everybody agrees on about it, though: the writers really dropped the ball when it comes to supporting characters.
And Anna Kendrick's Jessica suffered the most, she was turned into a glorified extra, with the writers denying the talented young actress the chance to really show audiences what she could do.
The Role that Wasn’t
Anna has since proven herself as a most capable actor, and rewatching Twilight today after seeing her other movies feels like a huge disappointment: Jessica was a role Anna was seemingly born to play, and she could have done so much more with it.
She could have added many more layers to the chemistry between Bella and Jessica, fleshing out the bond depicted in the books. Unfortunately, once Bella starts dating Edward, Jessica practically disappears from the films, only being featured in a handful of scenes after that.
Missed Opportunity
Despite Anna's portrayal of Jessica being one of the highlights of the first Twilight movie, as she seemed like the perfect ordinary girl compared to Bella, she was quickly pushed to the sidelines, which is something I will never forgive the original Twilight films for.
But even with so little help from the writers, Kendrick managed to excel as Jessica and make the character truly relatable. While Edward and Bella’s over-the-top relationship often felt cringe-worthy, Jessica’s scenes felt real and compelling.
Jessica didn't have many interesting moments in the movies, but Kendrick's genuine care for her character made me and thousands of other fans fall in love with her.
With the upcoming Twilight television series having much more screen time to develop secondary characters, it is my earnest hope that Jessica will finally get the recognition she deserves as Bella's best friend. It's a real shame, though, that Anna Kendrick can't reprise the role all these years later.
More than a decade after the saga's conclusion, I'm still somewhat saddened by what happened to Kendrick's character in Twilight. The only consolation is that the writers' mishandling of Jessica had little impact on Anna's subsequent career, and her star today shines brighter than ever.