Encino Man (1992)

Stargirl is a 2020 jukebox musical romance film released on Disney+ based on Jerry Spinelli's novel of the same name. The live adaptation explores self-expression among teenagers and how this theme plays a central role in the movie. Viewers also see how the title character changes the protagonist's personality over the course of the film.

Viewers can easily see that there is strong diversity in Stargirl. For one, Julia Hart, the female director, is praised for her nostalgic tone and direction of the film. Julia Hart directed and wrote the screenplay that explores first love; this film is solely directed by a woman, which brings strong diversity and representation of women behind the camera. Self-expression plays a strong role in diversity and representation because it ties with non-conformity, especially in the media. Julia Hart's work has contributed to the positive feedback from critics; she also directed and wrote a sequel to this film titled Hollywood Stargirl.

In addition, Karan Brar, who plays Kevin, is of Asian descent, bringing strong Asian representation that ties with self-expression. Karan Brar previously appeared in Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) as Chirag Gupta and on Disney Channel. His character, Kevin, is a supporting character to Leo, the main protagonist of the film.

There is an underlying focus on toxic masculinity and actively combating this throughout the films of Brendan Fraser, which often utilize the kindhearted himbo trope, creating a new ideal focused on mutual respect and understanding.

Films such as George of the Jungle, Blast From the Past, Encino Man, and many more throughout Brendan Fraser's career feature sweet ‘Fish Out of Water’ characters, and in some cases, these characters are shown in direct contrast to male characters focused more on maintaining and showcasing their masculinity to the extent of not being able express any traits that have been deemed too feminine.

What sets apart the himbo ideal brought to the forefront with Brendan Fraser’s 90s roles from how the ideal fantasy man had been represented in film is that this himbo ideal focuses on a fantasy of equally emotional and physical attraction rather than a male aspirational power fantasy. The overly masculine hero commonly viewed as the ideal romantic man is more often aimed towards other men, showcasing the importance of masculine features, and creating distance from emotional traits often seen as too feminine.

Brendan Fraser also embodies some traits of the classic screwball comedy hero, and the importance of the female characters in these films also reflect similar screwball tropes.