Jenna Ortega, known for her diverse roles on film and TV, recently found herself at the center of controversy following a scene from her latest movie, Miller’s Girl. Miller’s Girl, where Ortega portrays the character Cairo Sweet, a young and precocious student, delves into a complex narrative centered on a controversial relationship with her teacher Jonathan Miller (played by Martin Freeman).
The film, categorized as a black comedy-drama, explores the intricacies of their connection, evolving from a creative writing assignment into a complicated storyline. However, one particular scene had kept Jenna Ortega’s fans abuzz on social media.
The scene in question, capturing an intense kiss between Ortega and her co-star Gideon Adlon, has ignited discussions and varying reactions across social media platforms, particularly on X (formerly Twitter).
Jenna Ortega did WHAT?? pic.twitter.com/cyX1BIO83M
— SWB 💫 (@ykkswb) February 3, 2024
In the highlighted sequence, Ortega and Adlon exchange smiles, with Ortega inquiring if Adlon is “ready?”. The scene takes a surprising turn as Adlon responds with a mischievous grin, leading to a very passionate kiss. There is also another scene with co-star Martin Freeman later on in the film that some viewers have referred to as “disturbing”.
While such scenes are not uncommon in cinema, the unexpected nature of this interaction left some fans feeling uncomfortable, particularly those who had a preconceived image of Ortega based on her previous roles, such as in the very popular Netflix series Wednesday.
The reactions from Ortega’s fanbase unveiled a spectrum of emotions, with one – either sheltered or, let’s face it, homophobic – fan expressing distress at witnessing Ortega engage in a same-sex kiss. This sentiment was echoed by others who found the scene to be unexpected and, in turn, impactful on their mood, bless their hearts.
Another viewer, bothered by the scene’s prevalence on their social media timeline, even went as far as urging CEO Elon Musk to intervene, reflecting the sadly still-divisive nature of same-sex kisses in entertainment media, as well as just about any acknowledgement that non-hetero romance does actually exist. Shocker.
My timeline is videos of Jenna Ortega kissing another girl. @elonmusk fix this
— SEC Gambler (@Pain6969696969) February 4, 2024
The controversy surrounding such scenes often stems from differing societal attitudes towards LGBTQ+ representation. While some viewers rightfully embrace it as a positive step towards inclusivity, others make a point of airing their outdated hatred on whatever platform they can.
Notably, Jenna Ortega’s influence as a celebrity, coupled with her predominantly young fan demographic, may have contributed to the polarizing reactions. It certainly did not help Miller’s Girl at the box office, which opened at a dismal $321,000 during its first U.S. weekend.
Despite its promising premise, Miller’s Girl has faced significant criticism, landing a low 21% score on Rotten Tomatoes on its first week and currently holding a 33% rating from critics. Even the audience score lags at 44%, marking it as Jenna Ortega’s lowest-rated film to date. Plus, Martin Freeman also experiences one of his lowest RT scores in over a decade.
Jenna Ortega’s career has been marked by highs and lows, with notable successes like 2021’s The Fallout, which earned a 93% critics score and 84% audience approval. And despite her exit from the Scream franchise, Ortega received praise for her role as one of the “final girls” in the film series.
The film, produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and directed by Jade Halley Bartlett, had a lengthy production timeline. Point Grey Pictures acquired the script in December 2016, and Lionsgate Films secured distribution rights in September 2022. Ortega and Freeman joined the project in January 2023, and the film was released on January 26, 2024.
Despite these challenges, Ortega has exciting projects on the horizon, such as the highly-anticipated Beetlejuice 2, where she will collaborate again with director Tim Burton. Her role as Wednesday on Netflix’s series Season 2 is also anticipated to bring fresh acclaim and explore the character’s Latina heritage, with a focus on horror over romance which was one of the weak points from the first season.
