Xmas Homework
Name of Film: I Love You, Beth Cooper
Sub-genre: High school teen movie
Credits: Film Studio (20th Century Fox)
Film production company (1492 Pictures)
'Fox Atomic presents...'
Film Title
Category of title sequence: The title sequence is blank, as there is only a black background behind the text, as the text shows the film title.
Producers: Michael Barnathan, Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe.
Production: Mainstream.
Storylines/plots introduced in opening: The film starts off with the main character, Denis, giving a speech at his school's graduation. The speech is rather unexpected, as it shows him opening up and exposing raw feelings towards people around the high school. It foreshadows the conflict which can be expected in the rest of the film, as people were offended by what was said.
Main characters: The main characters show Denis Cooverman (Paul Rust) as a 'nerdy' type of character, timid and afraid of taking risks/going for what he wants. He's spoken to by his best friend, Rich Munsch (Jack Carpenter), who tells Denis to go after the girl he wants as 'she'll never see' him again. The plot, of course, takes a turn on that saying, as the girl Denis was chasing, Beth Cooper (Hayden Panettiere), spends the majority of the film with the best friends, and her two best friends. They engage in wacky events, consisting of terrible driving, bloody fights and coming home with a new set of clothes. We see Beth go from taking Denis as a joke, to eventually thanking him for having such a huge crush on him.
Social groups: The stereotypes of teenagers in this film, I would say, was fulfilled and completely expressed. The wackiness, recklessness that many would associate with teenagers was showcased repeatedly in this film, which I felt only encouraged the stereotype.
Interaction with adults: I felt the interaction with adults was very interesting. The teenagers were able to talk to adults as if they were teenagers also, which gave the film the feel that everyone was childish or had childish behaviour. For example, the parents of Denis told him they would be gone for the night, allowing him to throw a party. The father secretly tells him and the best friends where his stash of condoms are, and later in the film, you find out that the parents were actually in the woods, taking part in sex themselves. Scenes like these add up to prove that there wasn't really a responsible, adult-like figure in the film, which I found interesting.
Camera: Most of the shots, I noticed, were close ups, over the shoulder shots and group shots. The shots did vary, however, as there were establishing shots used, for example, to establish the location of where the graduation speeches were held. However, the main shots used were those that allowed dialogue to surface.
Editing: The pace of the edits varied throughout the film, as you'd expect. During the hectic, upbeat scenes, the pace would be very high, switching from one person's reaction to another, making for an intense scene. An example would be whenever Beth's (ex)boyfriend would intend on fighting Denis. The edit grew in speed, to show anxiety from Denis. However, the pace slowed down in moments where Denis was spending time with Beth, and without interruptions. Out of all the characters in the film, Denis is given the most screen time, as he is the main character, followed by Beth, Rich, and Beth's two best friends.
Sound: The film uses a pop/rock soundtrack, giving the stereotype of 'rebels' in the film. It links with the idea that teenagers remain rebellious, doing what they want, etc.
Mise-en-scene: The lighting of the film changes, as the film is meant to be set from one day, into the night, then back into the morning. The lighting ranges from bright and positive, to dark and intense, which doesn't mean there is drama as such, but the action involved becomes dramatic (i.e reckless driving). The key locations of the film are Denis' home, the school, and essentially on the road, as that is a location the characters spend a lot of time on. The key props to this film would be the props you'd expect at a party: food, alcohol, someone's home, etc. This also plays into the stereotype of teenagers partying, having fun, and essentially 'being teenagers'.
Name of Film: I Love You, Beth Cooper
Sub-genre: High school teen movie
Credits: Film Studio (20th Century Fox)
Film production company (1492 Pictures)
'Fox Atomic presents...'
Film Title
Category of title sequence: The title sequence is blank, as there is only a black background behind the text, as the text shows the film title.
Producers: Michael Barnathan, Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe.
Production: Mainstream.
Storylines/plots introduced in opening: The film starts off with the main character, Denis, giving a speech at his school's graduation. The speech is rather unexpected, as it shows him opening up and exposing raw feelings towards people around the high school. It foreshadows the conflict which can be expected in the rest of the film, as people were offended by what was said.
Main characters: The main characters show Denis Cooverman (Paul Rust) as a 'nerdy' type of character, timid and afraid of taking risks/going for what he wants. He's spoken to by his best friend, Rich Munsch (Jack Carpenter), who tells Denis to go after the girl he wants as 'she'll never see' him again. The plot, of course, takes a turn on that saying, as the girl Denis was chasing, Beth Cooper (Hayden Panettiere), spends the majority of the film with the best friends, and her two best friends. They engage in wacky events, consisting of terrible driving, bloody fights and coming home with a new set of clothes. We see Beth go from taking Denis as a joke, to eventually thanking him for having such a huge crush on him.
Social groups: The stereotypes of teenagers in this film, I would say, was fulfilled and completely expressed. The wackiness, recklessness that many would associate with teenagers was showcased repeatedly in this film, which I felt only encouraged the stereotype.
Interaction with adults: I felt the interaction with adults was very interesting. The teenagers were able to talk to adults as if they were teenagers also, which gave the film the feel that everyone was childish or had childish behaviour. For example, the parents of Denis told him they would be gone for the night, allowing him to throw a party. The father secretly tells him and the best friends where his stash of condoms are, and later in the film, you find out that the parents were actually in the woods, taking part in sex themselves. Scenes like these add up to prove that there wasn't really a responsible, adult-like figure in the film, which I found interesting.
Camera: Most of the shots, I noticed, were close ups, over the shoulder shots and group shots. The shots did vary, however, as there were establishing shots used, for example, to establish the location of where the graduation speeches were held. However, the main shots used were those that allowed dialogue to surface.
Editing: The pace of the edits varied throughout the film, as you'd expect. During the hectic, upbeat scenes, the pace would be very high, switching from one person's reaction to another, making for an intense scene. An example would be whenever Beth's (ex)boyfriend would intend on fighting Denis. The edit grew in speed, to show anxiety from Denis. However, the pace slowed down in moments where Denis was spending time with Beth, and without interruptions. Out of all the characters in the film, Denis is given the most screen time, as he is the main character, followed by Beth, Rich, and Beth's two best friends.
Sound: The film uses a pop/rock soundtrack, giving the stereotype of 'rebels' in the film. It links with the idea that teenagers remain rebellious, doing what they want, etc.
Mise-en-scene: The lighting of the film changes, as the film is meant to be set from one day, into the night, then back into the morning. The lighting ranges from bright and positive, to dark and intense, which doesn't mean there is drama as such, but the action involved becomes dramatic (i.e reckless driving). The key locations of the film are Denis' home, the school, and essentially on the road, as that is a location the characters spend a lot of time on. The key props to this film would be the props you'd expect at a party: food, alcohol, someone's home, etc. This also plays into the stereotype of teenagers partying, having fun, and essentially 'being teenagers'.
What I thought of the film: I thought the film was quite interesting. Considering I haven't seen a teen film in a long time, I thought it was a good film to settle into the mindset of a teen movie. However, I see that as a good AND bad thing. The film itself didn't push any boundaries of a teen movie, it seemed very mundane and almost empty. It was an okay teen movie for those that don't like teen movies, however, for those that do, it simply wasn't enough. I do feel that the film would be an interesting example of teen films, however, I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't a fan favourite of any sort.
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