I don't usually write things like this. I prefer to stick with topics that are lighthearted, inspirational or encouraging. But this is a topic that has bothered me for many years, and recently, further thought has made me dislike this character even more. And that character is Sandy from Grease.
To be fair, I've matured in my opinion. Previously I took issue with the entire musical. Now I can forgive most, but not her. Or, more accurately, her character "development".
Let's take a look at Sandy. When we meet her she's a sweet, innocent girl. Much more innocent than those she befriended in her new place, and here is where the trouble starts. Sandy is immediately ridiculed for her seemingly prudish ways, albeit by my favorite character in the story, the only one who shows any type of depth. Rizzo later shows us she's got a soft interior and is much more than just the promiscuous girl she's reputed to be. Her fear of being vulnerable is most likely what caused her to give Sandy such a hard time for liking her ex. Not that that justifies anything, but it's a much better motivation than the character development Sandy goes through. But we'll get to that.
Next up, we have the ballad "Hopelessly Devoted to You" where we learn more about Sandy, like the fact that she's "a fool who's willing to sit around and wait for you." And while not an uncommon response for a girl who's been heartbroken, a better response would have been to go through the five stages of grief, then come out at the end and realize Danny was just an immature boy who was upset that he got caught in a summer fling. But Sandy seemed to have a touch of denial, jumped straight to depression, then jumped back and stayed at bargaining.
Halfway through the movie, Sandy gets upset when Danny tries to make a move on her. So naturally, her next response is to throw all morals out the window and turn into one of the Pink Ladies, right? "You better shape up," Danny, because Sandy is making up for lost time with her new bad girl image. I mean, sure Danny became a jock because he thought it would please her (although apparently it just revealed his hidden talent, since he got a letter), but in the end, Danny really didn't have to do much to get the girl and the life he wanted.
I get that this musical is critically acclaimed. The songs are ridiculously catchy, and if "You're the One That I Want" comes on at a dance party I dance and sing along with little reserve. But I can't call it a happy ending. A sudden flip of that magnitude is bad story telling and I just leave feeling disappointed.
What do you think? Agree with me? Am I way off the mark?