Julie James (I Know What You Did Last Summer)
Julie James | |
---|---|
I Know What You Did Last Summer character | |
First appearance | |
Last appearance | |
Created by | Lois Duncan |
Portrayed by | Jennifer Love Hewitt |
In-universe information | |
Full name | Julia Miranda James |
Gender | Female |
Occupation |
|
Significant other | Ray Bronson |
Origin | Southport, North Carolina |
Status | Alive |
Julie James is a fictional character in the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise. The character was created by American writer Lois Duncan and appears in her 1973 suspense novel I Know What You Did Last Summer. In the story, Julie is a young woman whose friend group is involved in a hit-and-run accident. Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt portrayed Julie in the Kevin Williamson-scripted feature film I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), in which she is the final girl. She returns in the sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998).
In 2018, Bianca Giselle portrayed the character in the musical parody I Know What You Did Last Summer: The Unauthorized Musical that premiered at the El Cid in Los Angeles. Over the years, the character has received generally weak reception because of her role in the film, with many arguing that other characters in the story were more compelling and should have survived over Julie.
Appearances
Literature
Julie originates from
Film
Julie makes her cinematic debut in the
Julie returns in the film's
In popular culture
The character was spoofed in the 2000 parody film Scary Movie. The character Cindy Campbell, played by Anna Faris, was based on Julie and Sidney Prescott. Jennifer Love Hewitt appeared in a cameo in the Boy Meets World episode And Then There Was Shawn in which she parodied a scene where Julie shouts in the 1997 film.[1][2]
In 2018, Bianca Giselle was cast in the musical parody I Know What You Did Last Summer: The Unauthorized Musical that premiered at the El Cid in Los Angeles.[3][4]
Reception
Julie is generally considered a weak final girl character due to her incompetence, passive behaviour, and lack of redeeming qualities compared to other characters in the franchise, most notably Helen Shivers, Ray Bronson, and Karla Wilson. Writing for Bloody Disgusting in 2017, Trace Thurman wrote that “Julie James is a terrible Final Girl”, arguing that the character Helen Shivers should have filled the role, saying “Helen is a much deeper and [more] likable character. Julie is boring and useless”.[5] In 2021, WhatCulture listed Julie as one of 5 horror movie characters who should have died, arguing that she is “one of horror's weakest final girls” and that “Helen Shivers is far more likeable and entertaining than the film's actual protagonist”.[6] Jack Pooley of WhatCulture also believed Julie is difficult to root for, as “she's just not particularly likeable or interesting”.[7] In 2021, Amanda Bruce of Screen Rant criticised Julie's lack of initiative, writing that “Julie doesn't actually get to do much fighting. More often than not, it's her high school boyfriend who fights her battles after she's done her best to confront the bad guy”.[8] Jacki Billings of PewPew Tactical criticised Julie in the first movie, calling her a “damsel in distress”, but praised her development in its sequel, writing “In the second film, Julie comes a little more into her own”.[9] Daric L. Cottingham of reckon argued that in the sequel, Karla Wilson was a more interesting character, writing “While Julie is the main character, it’s Karla who shines throughout the movie”.[10]
Kate Hudson of Pajiba wrote “Julie is an OK final girl, it’s just that Helen would have been better”.[11] Shaun Stacy of SlashFilm praised Julie's characterisation, writing “Julie is highly resourceful; she's a survivor even if she doesn't always want to be, and that's more realistic than anything else we had seen in a horror film in a long time”.[12] Hewitt's role in the film led to her being considered a scream queen. Josh Sorokach of Decider praised the actress's scream, writing “Sidney Prescott may be tougher, but the true queen of scream is Jennifer Love Hewitt”.[13]
Desirae Gooding-Nieves of CBR criticised Julie's character in comparison to Helen's, writing, “By granting Julie the unearned and predictable status of final girl, I Know What You Did Last Summer fails to cement itself as anything unique or surprising”.[14] Victoria Rose Caister of Game Rant said, “She puts herself in unnecessary danger in a way that comes across far more idiotic than heroic”.[15]
References
- ^ Alter, Ethan (4 October 2023). "How Jennifer Love Hewitt ended up in the 'Scream'-inspired episode of 'Boy Meets World'". Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ Ringle, Daniel (31 October 2023). "Boy Meets World Still Has the Best Halloween Special". CBR. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- ^ Highfill, Samantha (12 September 2018). "I Know What You Did Last Summer: The Unauthorized Musical finds its cast". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 14 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ "I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER: THE UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL Makes Its Way Back To Los Angeles". Broadway World. 12 April 2019. Archived from the original on 14 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ Thurman, Trace (10 July 2017). "Is Julie James the Worst Final Girl in Horror History?". Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ Rennie, Madison (2 December 2020). "5 Horror Movie Characters Who Should Have Died (And 5 We Wish Hadn't)". WhatCulture. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ Pooley, Jack (10 June 2021). "10 Horror Movies That Chose The Wrong Survivor". WhatCulture. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ Bruce, Amanda (24 February 2021). "Horror Movie Final Girls Ranked From Least To Most Likely To Survive The Hunger Games". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ Billings, Jacki (30 October 2023). "7 Best Final Girls of Horror [& Weapons of Choice]". Pew Pew Tactical. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ "These 'Final Girl' horror films will get you in the spooky spirit". Reckon. 13 October 2023. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ Hudson, Kate (31 October 2019). "Sarah Michelle Gellar was Done Dirty. 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' Had the Wrong Final Girl". Archived from the original on 14 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ Stacy, Shaun (17 September 2021). "The 15 Best Final Girls In Horror Movies Ranked". SlashFilm. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ Sorokach, Josh (21 October 2016). "Final Girl Friday: Jennifer Love Hewitt's Julie James Is The True Queen Of Scream". Decider. Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ Gooding-Neives, Desirae (21 April 2022). "I Know What You Did Last Summer Ended with the Wrong Final Girl". CBR. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ Rose Caister, Victoria (26 June 2022). "5 Worst Horror Movie Heroes". Game Rant. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2024.