Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is wandering aimlessly through life. Unemployed, he's the bassist in the band Sex Bob-Bomb, and is dating sweet, sheltered schoolgirl Knives Chau (Ellen Wong). But his simple life is shattered when he meets roller-blading delivery girl Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) - first in his dreams, and then in the real world.

He's instantly fascinated and, losing interest in Knives, becomes obsessed with Ramona. However, once they've awkwardly begun to date, Scott discovers that in order to continue the relationship he must fight and defeat her seven evil exes. These exes - including arrogant movie star Lucas Lee (Chris Evans), intimidating super-vegan Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh), and possessive record producer Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman) - are not going to go down easily. Not only this, but Scott still hasn't broken off his relationship with Knives, and Sex Bob-Bomb are competing in a battle of the bands. Will Scott get his act together in time to defeat the evil exes, rock out, and get the girl he wants?

One thing about Scott Pilgrim that quickly becomes clear is how ignorant he is of the way that his actions, past and present, affect people. In particular, the way he has ended relationships in the past has caused considerable pain and ongoing resentment, something which Ramona is also guilty of. This is clearly portrayed as negative and damaging. Scott obviously needs to become more aware of how his behaviour and words can affect those around him, and adjust himself accordingly so that he stops causing so much pain. It's something that we too should be aware of in our own lives. Unlike Scott at the end of the film, we won't get the chance to 'replay' crucial moments and make things better the second time around. We need to start noticing how our words and actions impact others, as we often affect people far more powerfully than we realise.

It's also vital, the film claims, to deal with the past instead of just trying to ignore it. After suffering a bad break-up, Scott has become unambitious, and is now deliberately living a risk-free life. He is unlikely to get hurt, but he has also lost any sense of fulfillment. Trying to ignore the past like Scott, or run away from it like Ramona, brings only heartache for them and also for the people they've hurt. There needs to be resolution, no matter how hard this might be to achieve. It is important to apologise to those we've wronged, and to resolve any remaining issues rather than letting them fester. Dealing with past pain isn't a fun process, as the film shows, but it needs to be done in order for everybody involved to be free.

Relationships can often be painful, the film reminds us, especially when they break down. 'No break-up is painless. Somebody always gets hurt,' Ramona astutely observes. But the film also shows how powerful and pleasurable love can be, how good it can make us feel, and how positively it can change our outlook on life. This is certainly true for Scott. 'When I'm with you, things sort of seem a little brighter,' he tells Ramona. The film shows two wildly different sides of relationships - both how wonderful and how damaging they can be. It demonstrates how relationships can be ruined by possessiveness and jealousy, and how we can be broken by a partner's controlling behaviour.. But for all the pain we can - and undoubtedly will - suffer because of love, the film also clearly shows that real love is worth holding onto and worth fighting for.

Scott learns the importance of being proactive and actually fighting for something. 'If you want something bad, you have to fight for it,' Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin), Scott's cool gay roommate, tells him. It isn't until Scott meets Ramona that he finds something special enough to fight for, even though the battle makes his life a lot more difficult. The really important things in life, the film tells us, like love and self-respect, have to be fought for. But it's better than settling for an unsatisfying and unfulfilling life, as Scott and Ramona did before they met.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World innovatively shows how young people's lives can be changed by love, and how difficult the adolescent journey of self-discovery can be. Most importantly, the film tells us that we shouldn't be afraid of living our lives fully, even though there is always the risk that we could get badly hurt. It reminds us that life is complicated, that it isn't always pretty or easy, and that people can be terribly cruel. But is also shows that we should keep on fighting for the things that matter, even when the odds seem hopeless and the fight is deeply painful, because what we're fighting for can be absolutely worth it in the end.



This article was first published on Damaris' Culturewatch website (www.culturewatch.org) - used with permission.
© Copyright Emily Russell (2011)