'Petualangan Sherina' Taught Me How to Be a Tough, Independent Woman

For a generation of Indonesian kids, Petualangan Sherina (Sherina's Adventure) was everything. Not only was the film one of Riri Riza's most well-received movies, it was also one of the first Indonesian musicals with children in the leading roles.

When it first came out, I begged my parents to take me to the cinema to see it two more times after the first time we watched it. I was a pretty dramatic 5-year-old, and the movie made me feel all kinds of things. It made me want to watch trains pass by while singing and dancing with my friends after school, although the closest train station was an hour-long walk away. It also made me strive to look as good as Sherina did in a Pramuka uniform.

Now that I'm grown, I think that the movie redefined what it means to be a girl.

If you either grew up outside of Indonesia or if you were too young to watch the movie when it released in 2000, here's a quick recap: Sherina M. Darmawan is an elementary school girl who lives with her mom and dad. The movie starts with Sherina's family relocating from Jakarta to Bandung, much to Sherina's dismay.

Only a few minutes in and you can already see that Sherina's parents treat her like an adult, which is why Mathias Muchus and Ucy Nurul are some of my favorite on-screen parents ever. They don't try to be "cool," but you can see that they are by watching the family's dynamics. I remember how much I longed for that kind of relationship with my own parents, the kind where they sit you down to talk about big decisions instead of dismissing how you feel because you're just a kid.

Sherina shows up at her new school for the first time and we meet a boy named Saddam. He's a pint-sized asshole, the kind of kid who's mean for no reason, and nobody ever calls him out on his shitty behavior. Saddam is trailed by his snot-nosed followers Dudung and Icang who treat him like he's the Goddamn overlord of Lembang Elementary School or something. So, of course, the first thing that Saddam does is make fun of Sherina's middle name.

But Sherina stands up for herself and the two become sworn enemies. The rivalry quickly divides the school yard, and then the two sides break out into what has to be the best Indonesian fight song ever written: "Jagoan" ("Champions").

Before we continue with the plot, can we recognize real quick just how sexist Saddam's part is? The kid actually sings, "Yang namanya jagoan biasanya nggak pake rok!" or "champions don't wear skirts". What the hell? I mean first of all, wearing a skirt is pretty bad ass. Has Saddam ever tried to wear one on public transportation? I didn't think so.

And second of all, Sherina is a jagoan whether he likes it or not. No one is going to tell Sherina what to do. Hell, even her dad lets her cover herself with band-aids, injuries or not. This girl is a born champion. So what is Saddam? We quickly learn that he's nothing but a spoiled little brat. You see, his dad owns the big tea plantation on the edge of town. It's the farm that Sherina's dad manages, and the reason they moved to Bandung in the first place.

Sherina learns all of this and she just totally decimates Saddam in the song "Anak Mami," where she outs him for what he is: a privileged little rich kid. The song goes, "Siapa sangka di sekolah, jago berkelahi / Siapa sangka di sekolah, dia galak sekali / Tapi di rumah harus dijaga mami." (Translated: "At school, he picks fights / At school, he's so grumpy / But at home, he's a momma's boy.)

This song is such a stark contrast to the way society expects young girls to act—to stay quiet and shy, even when mistreated. And Saddam himself, who comes across like a little bully, is a quiet momma's boy at home, which shows the pressures put on boys to act tough.

Soon enough Sherina and Saddam are forced to spend the weekend together, wandering around Saddam's parent's plantation, a.k.a. his backyard. But somehow they wander too far and end up getting kidnapped by these shady thugs sent by an old man named Kertarajasa who wants to take over Saddam's father's business. Now this is totally Saddam's fault, because if you can't show a guest around your home without jeopardizing their lives, then what can you do?

Well Karma does her magic and Saddam is the first to be abducted. At this point, Sherina should have just run away and started a new stress-free life that would allow her skin to be blemish-free for another 50 years. Instead, she goes on a mission to save Saddam, basically proving to the world that she is a being of pure energy.

Women are often forced to deal with men who treat us like garbage, but still need us to clean up their mess. So, of course, Sherina is stuck in the same situation. Saddam was a total asshole, but now she needs to save him, all while subsisting off nothing but M&Ms she carried around in a Tupperware container for days. But even then, she makes the whole ordeal look glamorous. These scenes set of a trend of kids bringing M&Ms to school for lunch for six months out of 2000. Anyway, M&Ms aside, guess who is stuck taking care of some petulant little tough guy because he left his asthma inhaler at home so he could protect his macho image? That's right, Sherina.

She successfully gets Saddam to the Bosscha Observatory, which is close to the plantation. Danger adverted, they decide to sit back and enjoy looking at the stars, but even after his asthma attack, Saddam still has enough energy to mansplain to Sherina the difference between a planet and a star. Clearly, it's his life's mission to never let Sherina prosper. When dawn comes, apparently so does Stockholm Syndrome, because Sherina decides to kiss Saddam on the forehead. It was painful to watch, but it's proof that Sherina is a mortal. Ladies, take note: Forehead kisses are only for people who treat you right.

Sherina eventually returns home with Saddam, just in time to put an end of Kertarajasa's bullshit. You see the whole time this was going on, Kertarajasa's wife Sus Natasya—who is still a personal fashion icon—was lurking around, pretending to be a friend of the family. But then she's exposed, the kids are greeted with massive hugs, and no one really gives Sherina enough credit for saving the day.

Then Sherina and Saddam are back at school. The feud is over, the feudal system that ruled Lembang Elementary School is gone forever. Does it really take being kidnapped, the police, and a vast amount of money to make someone a better person? Unfortunately, yes. But it also takes a courageous girl with a big heart and a bag full of M&Ms, which not all of us are lucky enough to have.

Sherina was the first female character in a film I felt like I could relate to. Before Sherina, I only had Lex, from Jurassic Park, and Kiara, from The Lion King, and she isn't even human. Sherina is smart and brave. She can sing and play the piano, but she can also kick ass. Her character shows that there are more to young girls than the stereotypical docile feminine shit. It made me feel like there was a place out there for young girls who acted differently.

But I also learned that even if you're bright and kind, there will still be a Saddam in your life just waiting to put you down for being a girl. There's not much you can do about it except speak up when you see injustice, listen to yourself, and refuse to take any shit.

Seventeen years ago, I fell in love with Petualangan Sherina. And in all that time that's passed, all I learned was that its message still remains true: skirt or no skirt, sometimes you just gotta kick some ass.