Summarize the plot and theme
The movie, “27 Dresses”, is a story about a lady named Jane Nichols (Katherine Heigl), who has always been the perfect bridesmaid. She was always of great help to brides everywhere, making sure that all the details for the couple’s wedding, were well taken care of. All was well, until her younger sister, Tess (Malin Akerman), announced that she was getting married with George (Edward Burns), the man Jane was madly in love with. Together with this, a columnist named Kevin Doyle (James Marsden) becomes interested with Jane’s story of being the perpetual bridesmaid.
He knew that this particular story would be his ticket to success. The story thickens as Jane becomes unaware that Kevin, the cynical guy that he hates, is actually his favorite writer Malcolm Doyle. As the two were forming a love of their own, everything crashed when Malcolm’s article about Jane was published in the front section of the newspaper. In addition to this, Jane was badly hurt when her sister destroyed their mother’s wedding dress, which she longed for since she was a child. She warned her sister to start telling the truth, or she will put matters into her own hands.
Jane then made a video presentation of her sister and George, which contained horrible truths about her sister. The wedding was off, and Jane was left miserable. Since she was in love with George, she responded quickly to all of his whims. They kissed, after George told Jane that he was in love with the latter. Jane did not feel anything, and realized that she was in love with Kevin. She searched for Kevin, and actually proposed her love in front of the many guests that were present. They kissed, and after a year later, Jane wore her twenty eighth dress.
This time, she was not worrying about holding someone else’s bouquet, nor did she help anyone to go to the bathroom. This time, she was the bride. All the twenty seven bridesmaid dresses had their own place—they were her bridesmaid’s dresses. 2. Describe noteworthy characteristics or innovations regarding the following components: A. Narrative techniques (Straight chronology? Flashbacks? Simultaneous action? Split screen, etc.? ) The story had simultaneous action, being set in the present times. Although in some of the scenes, flashbacks were seen by the viewers.
This was executed so as to give the viewers a background of how Jane’s fascination for weddings started. B. Cinematography (Camera angles? Dolly shots? Steady cam? Matte photography? ) The cinematography used on this film was suitable for the story. In addition to this, the dolly shots showed the beauty and wonders of New York, even though the city was only used as the setting of the story. The high angle of Kevin (James Marsden) while helping Jane (Katherine Heigl) gave that sense of weakness on Jane’s side. This can be attributed to the fact that Jane was exhausted balancing the two weddings that happened on the same night.
Tess’ (Malin Akerman) low angle shot, during the engagement party, was one of the peaks in the story. It made the viewers see Tess as the intimidated sister, who always strived hard to be ahead of Jane. C. Editing (How were scene transitions made? Were cuts done for particular effect? ) The editing of the story was perfectly made. The transitions were complimentary to the scenes. Take for example the transition made from 1986 to 2006. The movie started with a flashback, and transcended to the present with a fade out. The scene then fades in with Jane, now an adult, facing the mirror, as if reminiscing her younger days.
In addition to this, Jane’s voice over during the whole duration of the movie was pivotal in the effective execution of the film. It made the film more personal that would appeal to the hearts of the viewers. D. Production Design (Sets, locations, lighting, overall look, computer enhancement,) and Performances (acting) Since the story was relatively focused on Jane Nichols and her life as a bridesmaid, much importance was given to the dresses. New York City, which was the setting of the story, was perfect because it supported Jane’s role of being the successful, yet unhappy individual that she was.
Above all these, the performances of the actors were extraordinary. Katherine Heigl was able to give justice to her role of Jane Nichols. It was as if the role was made specifically for her. James Marsden, who portrayed the cynical Kevin Doyle, was very effective in his performance. The supporting cast that also completed the ensemble gave justice to their roles, resulting in a well created movie. E. Sound Design (Sound effects? Music? Dialogue? ) The dialogue used in the film was relatively simple.
Romance has always been part of their language, but the music played in the movie showed the particular moods that the characters had experienced. Take for example the scene wherein Jane had a confrontation with her sister, Tess. The background music gave us an impression that the characters were hurting, and pain was felt everywhere. F. Symbolism (Do characters or props represent more than their face value? ) The most important symbols used in the film were the bridesmaid dresses and Jane’s planner. The dresses symbolized Jane’s dream of someday becoming a beautiful bride, with everything in place, and away from all her insecurities in life.
On the other hand, the planner symbolized Jane’s well organized life, and how much she prioritized the needs of other people before her personal life. 3. Evaluation (Did you like the film as a viewer. Why or why not? ) I personally enjoyed watching the film, “27 Dresses”. The movie gave me insights on how people, no matter how perfect they may seem, still struggle to find their own happiness. The story itself was applicable to many for it showed the harsh realities of life. The movie also taught me that we should learn to love ourselves first, before loving the lives of others. I give this movie nine out of ten dresses.
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