Let Me Explain

"Have another cookie, Joss, and tell me what your movie is about?"

Sitting in a doily-laden chair in his grandmother's living room, Joss Whedon waved the plate away with a smile. "I really have had enough, Grandma, but thanks. Well, the movie is about a high school cheerleader who finds out she's the Slayer."

She frowned in confusion, "The what?"

He took a deep breath. "The Slayer: she was born to fight vampires and any other forces of evil that might come along."

She was still frowning. "That doesn't make much sense, Joss. Wouldn't it be better if it were a strong man? Maybe a John Wayne type, with not much to say. He was a handsome one, that John Wayne..." she smiled as she trailed off then looked at her grandson expectantly.

"No, Grandma, this will work. Because of her Slayer birthright, the girl - Buffy - has preternatural strength and abilities. And because she's a Californian cheerleader, she talks, a lot. Her banter is a huge part of the story. She's not a total airhead, though, and we see her grow into her destiny as the movie progresses."

His grandmother leaned back, unconvinced. "Hmm. Well, you always have had some unusual ideas. Your grandfather - God rest his soul - used to say that exact thing, 'That Joss, he sure has some unusual ideas.' They must have come from those comic books you were constantly reading as a youngster."

He smiled at her attempted support. "I'll take that as a compliment. Let's make a deal, if you can just suspend your disbelief for a couple hours, I'll take you in a limousine to the premiere. What do you say?"

"You sweet boy. It's a date. Now are you sure you don't want another cookie?"