April 13, 2016

Sometimes, there are characters in genre pictures that are so darned righteous and awesome, you can’t stop thinking about them or their amazing feats long after the movie is over. This column is dedicated to those cinematic bad-asses that keep us coming back for more.

Now, look – if I could, I’d pretty much dedicate every week’s #RESPECT column to Roy Scheider’s performance as Chief Brody in both JAWS and JAWS 2, but that’d be unfair to all the other cinematic heroes out there. However, since JAWS 2 is fresh in my brain after having revisited it on a double bill with DAMIEN: OMEN II and there was the recent announcement from Universal Studios that we will finally be getting Blu-Ray releases of all 3 JAWS sequels, let me just point out the most underrated and oft overlooked character of the entire film. Let’s give it up to Marge, played by Martha Swatek in JAWS 2.

Marge is one of the gang. She’s there with Michael (Chief Brody’s son) and his best friend, Andy, pretty much from the beginning of the movie. But she isn’t really attached to anyone, so you might not remember her on initial viewing. When Sean Brody, Michael’s little brother, essentially blackmails him into taking him with his friends to The Light House out in the ocean, he reluctantly agrees, but immediately regrets it as he considers his brother a total nuisance. Marge steps up, giving Sean a heartfelt bear hug from behind and volunteers to let him ride with her.

They make it over to The Light House and decide to go a little further out to “cable junction,” a tiny little island where they can party in peace, but they obviously didn’t count on a freakin’ giant, hungry, and scarred Great White shark to start stalking them relentlessly.

On his initial attack, the shark manages to capsize a couple of the boats, he narrowly misses swallowing an unconscious Michael whole, and does enough damage to absolutely scare the shit out of these kids. They tie what’s left of their boats together and huddle up close, eagerly awaiting a rescue. They think salvation has arrived when a helicopter lands on the ocean with the intent to tow them over to cable junction until a bigger boat can be sent out to get them. But you don’t really think JAWS is going to let that happen, do you? The shark pops out and eats the whole goddamned helicopter. Pilot and all!

In the frantic aftermath of the chopper’s demise, Sean falls into the water. And here’s where Marge really earns all our respect. Without any hesitation, she dives right into the water to save him. And that she does.

She manages to push him up onto an upside down raft, but as she tries to climb, she can’t gain any traction and keeps slipping off.

In arguably the most disturbing death of the entire movie, the shark swims straight up to her and gobbles her up whole in front of the entire crew. As a kid, this particular sequence not only terrified me, but scarred me for life!

But you know what? Marge brought Sean on her boat when no one else would and when that kid was in peril, she risked her life and paid the ultimate price to save him.

For that, Marge… you’ve earned this hashtag.

#RESPECT