Grown Ups 2: Acting and Acting Styles

According to the Goodykoontz and Jacobs’ book Film: From watching to seeing (2011), there are five types of actors:

1) Impersonator- “…copies the manner, dialect, and behavior of a character, instead of creating the character”.

2) Interpreters- “…refers to actors who take material and put their own stamp on it. Often this involves actors interpreting well-known roles”.

3) Personality Actors- “…playing themselves (at least that is the perception). Films with strong personality actors can make it difficult to differentiate between the actor and the character”.

4) Wild Card- “…an actor who is difficult to classify as one certain type, often because he or she can play a wide variety of characters equally well without becoming typecast.”

5) Character- “…fit invisibly into a wide variety of disparate characters, adapting to the needs of each script and director they work with…they often are not immediately recognized by the public and may take years to achieve “star” status, even though they are constantly in demand”.

The film that I chose to focus on is Grown Ups 2 (2013) starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade, Salma Hayek and Maya Rudolph. It was directed by Dennis Dugan and written by Fred Wolf, Adam Sandler and Tim Herlihy.

The three actors from this movie that I chose to discuss are:

Adam Sandler- I would categorize him as a personality actor. Sandler has made many films in which there is little to no differentiation between his on screen character and his true self. He started his career as a comedian playing the comedy circuit and as a regular on Saturday Night Live.

In this film, he plays Lenny Feder, a high powered Hollywood talent agent that returns to live in his Connecticut hometown because his children have become spoiled in LA. He hangs out with his childhood friends Eric (James), Kurt (Rock) and Marcus (Spade). Their family life, childhood antics and a huge 80s party is the basis of this film.

Salma Hayek- I would categorize her as a wild card actor. Hayek has made many films but the characters that she has played in the past vary in nature. She has starred in telenovelas, in films and on television. Her characters include artist Frida Kahlo, a school nurse in Here Comes the Boom, a drug cartel leader in Savages, a book store owner in Desperado and a secretly married showgirl in Wild Wild West. 

Hayek's plays Roxanne Feder, a fashion designer and Sandler's wife in Grown Ups 2. Roxanne has to be the “grown up” in the marriage and keep Lenny on track when he gets caught up in the antics that his friends dream up.

Georgia Engel- I would categorize her as a character actor. Engel has been acting for many, many years. She is considered a “star” but not a famous one. She can be better recognized for her distinct “cute” voice. She has had many roles throughout the years on the Mary Tyler Moore Show, the Betty White Show, Coach, Passions, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Office and Two and a Half Men. She has done voice over work as Love-A Lot Bear in the Care Bears Movie. 

In Grown Ups 2, she plays James’ mother Mrs. Lamonsoff. James hides from his wife that he spends time everyday eating breakfast and watching soap operas with mother instead of working. Although Engel has been working in the business for 45 years, she is unfortunately not a household name.

Sandler’s most successful films: The Waterboy, Grown Ups, The Wedding Singer, Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore were produced thorough his production company Happy Madison. His films stay close to his comedic roots, his “everyday guy" persona and his characters are quite similar in nature. Sandler is known to dislike wearing suits and dressing up, preferring to wear warm up suits and jeans to his appearances. Once again, he is comfortable being himself and making films that his fans have come to expect .They enjoy his films and expect to laugh at his amusing behavior.

Sandler has strayed from comedy to do more serious roles in Punch Drunk Love, Reign Over Me and Spanglish. But Sandler continues to use his SNL castmates and make films that are fun and comedic. Due to the large body of Sandler’s work being mostly lovable oafs that make us laugh, in my opinion, he will always be placed in the personality actor category.

References

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Grown Ups 2 (2013) Retrieved from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2191701/?ref_=nv_sr_1

YoureAJagOff (21, June 2014) Re: Grown ups 2 tire ride hd. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=309aCQJ_xPM

YoureAJagOff (23, June 2014) Re: Grown ups 2 school bus ride hd. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNW4gkPi8bg

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire- Categories and Functions of Sound

Dialogue

            Dialogue is the verbal words that are spoken during a film and serves as an important function within a film’s storyline. Dialogue gives the audience the ability to identify the character’s location and determines the “why?”, “how?”, “what’s next?” which provides the enactment of plot turning events and character revelations. Dialogue provides guidance to the viewer of the developing plot and thematic messages.

Sound Effects

            As sound editor Marvin M. Kerner says in The Art of the Sound Effects Editor, "the function of sound effects is three-fold":

• To simulate reality.
• To add or create something off scene that is not really there.
• To help the director create a mood.  (Winokur and Holsinger, n.d)

Music

            According to the article Emotion and Film Scores, author Hilary Schaefer (n.d) states “Music is used in various ways in movies: as part of the story as in musicals, as background music within the story (for example, when a character turns on the radio), and as background music to which only the audience is privy. It is used in this way to complement cartoons, comedies, action-adventures, science-fiction, and drama”.

The film that I chose to focus on for the topic of sound is Hunger Games: Catching Fire. This movie was released in 2013 and stars Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Liam Hemsworth, Lenny Kravitz and Josh Hutcherson.

The different categories of sound are used in this movie to move the plot along its course (dialogue), to add intensity to dramatic or sad moments (music) and to add depth to occurrences that take place on screen (sound effects). This movie, in my opinion, uses all of the categories to make the movie the blockbuster that it has become.

The use of sound informs the film overall by using dialogue from the actors to make the story come to life. If the actors did not speak, the audience would have a difficult time figuring out what the story is about. The storyline is somewhat complex and the dialogue is in place to help the audience understand the plot.

After Katniss (Lawrence) and Peeta (Hutcherson) won the most recent Hunger Games, they assumed that they would be left to live their lives in peace. But when President Snow (Sutherland) realizes that there is an uprising by the people that is taking place and that the people see Katniss as a hero, he looks for a way to eliminate her. He starts a new Hunger Game in the hope that she will be killed or his government would use this as an opportunity to sneak in and eliminate her. I believe the only way for the movie to explain this storyline is through dialogue.

The movie only played upbeat tunes at a party at the end of the visiting district tour that Katniss and Peeta attended given by the President. The rest of the movie music was melancholy or dramatic depending on the scene. The film’s music helped me to feel the emotions of the characters, their pain, despair and dread. For example, when Katniss learns that she must fight for her life again, she runs into the woods and is completely overcome with sadness. The music in that scene made the scene very hard to watch without becoming emotional myself.

According to AMC Filmsite (n.d), this film would fall under the genre of Science Fiction. An example of sci-fi sound in this film that infers this genre is:

1. -The sound of the spacecraft hovering when it comes to the arena to pick up the deceased tributes. (Reis, 2014)
2. -The sound of the hologram warriors that Katniss fought while training for the Game. (Doktor Trax, n.d)
3. -The sound of the jabberjays attacking Katniss and Finnick.  

Diegetic sound in the movie was used when the tributes are in the arena and the music plays which would cause the characters to look up and see the faces of the dead tributes. Non-diegetic sound would be the background music that played when Katniss, Peeta and Finnick were attacked by the monkeys (All Movie Videos, 2014). The sound effects of the monkeys growling, the axe and arrows swishing through the air and the sound of Katniss under water added to the intensity of the scene. If these sound effects had not been added the scene would have played out the same way, but the sound made the scene more action packed.

According to Goodykontz and Jacobs (2011), the extras in crowd scenes remain quiet in order to record the main actors and the walla or crowd sounds are added in later. I believe this was done during Katniss and Peeta’s tour of the neighboring districts. Crowd scenes without the sound of the people yelling would not have been the same.

Films have come a long way since the silent era. The addition of music, sound effects and dialogue to the actual footage along with theatre sound systems makes the film experience much more enjoyable and adds to the realism of the movie.

References

All Movie Videos (15, May 2014). "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Jabberjays Attack."YouTube. Retrievied from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJPqVBzzxmQ

All Movie Videos (3, May 2014). "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Monkeys Scene."YouTube. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qgQRux9ZaM

Dirks, Tim. "Main Film Genres." Main Film Genres. American Movie Classics, 2014. Web. 19 Aug. 2014. Retrieved from: http://www.filmsite.org/genres.html

Doktor Trax (n.d). "Katniss Everdeen at Training Room - The Hunger Games: Catching Fire(HD)." YouTube. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK5LxiFqDVE

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. 

Reis, Carlos (17, February 2014). "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Death Order." YouTube. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s61KpK-O-I8

Schaefer, Hilary. "Film Music." Emotion and the Film Scores. Perspectives in Psychology, n.d. Web. 21 Aug. 2014. Retrieved from: http://www.e-filmmusic.de/article1.htm

Winokur, Mark, and Bruce Holsinger. "Sound Effects and Their Functions."Infoplease. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Movies, Flicks and Films, 2000-2014. Web. 21 Aug. 2014. Retrieved from: http://www.infoplease.com/cig/movies-flicks-film/sound-effects-functions.html#ixzz3AzxeiHJQ

Sin City: Lighting in the Film Noir Genre

Film: Sin City

Released: April 2005

Genre: Film Noir (Crime Thriller)

Director: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez, Quintin Tarantino

Writer: Frank Miller

Major Actors: Josh Harnet, Mickey Rourke, Jamie King, Elijah Wood, Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, Jessica Alba, Benicio Del Toro

Sin City is based on a series of neo-noir comics by Frank Miller. Low key lighting was used throughout the entire film which is typical of the film noir genre. According to The Beat, a blog by Premiumbeat.com (n.d) “Using low-key lighting as well as emphasizing shadows and harsh lighting, the film noir look captured the dark side of American life: urban crime, mobsters and thieves”.

The benefits of this style being used was to give the film a comic book feel which would appeal to the fans of graphic novels. This lighting technique contributed to the theme because the use of high contrast and low key lighting created a distinct difference between light and darkness in this black and white film. The film used splashes of color: a red dress, red lipstick, green and blue eyes, to create a well-defined visual effect.

An example of how the low key lighting technique suited this genre would be the opening scene called “The Customer is Always Right, Part I”. In this scene, we see The Salesman (Harnett) approaching a woman on the balcony of a penthouse. From the narration, and the interaction between the characters, we assume that this will be a romantic moment. But due to shadowing and harsh lighting, the audience should expect otherwise (death, darkness, betrayal) which is typical of the film noir genre.

If traditional three point lighting or high key lighting were used, this scene would have been much different. The audience, in my opinion, would have been surprised by the outcome but the dramatic effect would have been lessened. The contrast of her red dress and her green eyes would have been less vivid. The entire mood of the scene would have been less dark and more emotionally and definitely visually lighter. 

The film noir genre must be dark, mysterious and full of shadows. These elements are what adds to the intrigue, depth and darkness of these types of films.

References

Burns, Sean. "Sin City." Prezi.com. N.p., 7 May 2014. Web. 14 Aug. 2014.

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. 

RiddleofVisuality. "The Customer Is Always Right." YouTube. YouTube, 23 Mar. 2009. Web. 14 Aug. 2014.

Coming of Age: As Cool As I Am

Title: As Cool As I Am

Writer: Pete Fromm (novel) Virginia Korus Spragg (screenplay)

Director: Max Mayer

Major Actors: Sarah Bolger, Thomas Mann, Claire Danes, James Marsden

Released: 2013

Plot: 16 year old Lucy Diamond (Bolger) a pretty and unpopular tomboy, spends her days hanging out with her best friend Kenny (Mann) and re-creating recipes while watching Mario Batali in her kitchen. She thinks her family life is pretty cool because it’s an unconventional family. Her father Chuck (Marsden) is gone months at a time working as a lumberjack in Canada. Although her parents are married, she has been raised entirely by her mother Lainee (Danes) who had Lucy at age 17. Lucy sees her Dad when he comes home unannounced to visit, usually for a week and then he’s gone again. After a subtle kiss, Lucy and Kenny’ relationship changes from platonic to “friends with benefits”, they decide to abstain and wait. Lainee, who works as a telemarketer (unbeknownst to Chuck), has an affair with a colleague. When Lucy and Kenny officially consummate their relationship, Kenny tells Lucy that he is being sent to live with his Dad but Lucy doesn't believe him. Upset that she cannot reach him the next day, she goes to a party with two of the popular kids at school and is raped by Justin after having too much to drink. After many apologies for his part in the party night’s events, Lucy becomes friends with and eventually begins a sexual relationship with Justin’s sidekick Tim. Chuck finds Lucy and Tim when he arrives home unannounced again, has a fight with Tim and slaps Lucy in anger. Chuck finally realizes after an argument with Lucy is no longer his little girl and his trips home appease no one but himself. Lainee decided that she needs to find herself and leaves (with Lucy’s blessing) to run off with her high school boyfriend Ron to Puerto Vallarta promising to return in 2 weeks. In the kitchen of Ron’s sisters’ restaurant, Lucy finally cries and decides to cook to ease the pain of all that she’s been through. She meets Ron’s Dad (Peter Fonda) with whom she is to stay with until her mother returns. They share the meal and some conversation.

Story: Lucy learns about life, sex and food and discovers that her family may not be as cool as she thought.

The film,in my opinion,was presented chronologically. This aesthetic choice contributed to the general effect on the audience because we needed to see Lucy’s sexual progression. By doing such, the audience was able to see that Lucy was far more mature than most kids her age. I believe that her culinary skills showed us her maturity as well. How many 16 year olds watch cooking shows and create lavish meals? Most teens pop a Hot Pocket or frozen pizza into the microwave and consider that "cooking".

Foreshadowing impacted the storytelling when the director used the opening scene for Lucy to explain how she and Kenny define families as either stable or the real people that we are related to.

If the film had followed a different presentation style, the audience may have learned more about the background of the characters. If Chuck was an orphan he should want to be a hands on father to Lucy, but he wasn’t. Why? I read that in the novel, the author gives us the true reason why he is away from home so much but this was not addressed in the film. The book also addresses Lucy’s “transformation”. In the book, she wore her hair short but after having sex, she let her hair grow out, wore make up and became popular. In my opinion, if the film was presented non-linearly, more of the backstory of the characters could have been addressed.

References

"As Cool as I Am." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 09 Aug. 2014.

          "As Cool as I Am 2013 Ll Kenny & Lucy Kiss Scene." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 09 Aug. 2014.

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. 

"Plot vs. Story | Cinemoose.com." Cinemoosecom RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Aug. 2014.