Catagories and Functions of Sound for the Movie Sleepless in Seattle
Peggy Hughes
October 9, 2014
Film: Sleepless in Seattle
Release Date: June 25, 1993
Directed by: Nora Ephron
Genre: Romantic Comedy/Drama Film
Starring: Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4Ll-xXjjXc (Click to view Link)
The term Mise en scene also refers to the role of
actors in a film, their physical appearance and positioning as well as
movements within a frame. Audiences get their initial feeling about a character
and what might happen by where they are, how they are dressed, what they look
like, and how they speak in character. Colors also draw an audience’s attention
and help set an overall mood. (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014).
Did you know that in general research has shown that
emotional judgments suggests that individuals are more attuned to those film
characters perceived to be similar to oneself than as different? (Roberts &
Levenson, 2006). This particular study examined
responses of 168 United States born college student between the ages of 18 and
30 years old and of all different types and races. They were made to watch 12
film clips and evaluated through emotional response, autonomic and somatic
nervous system physiology and facial behavior were monitored continuously
during the films viewing. Reports and self-reports of subjective emotional
experience were collected after each film.
The three actors I have chosen to classify are:
Tom Hanks: Tom
plays Sam and he has the typical Star classification personality due to a
persona that he carries from all his other movies he plays in. He is well known
and popular with the movie going public. (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). He
has starred in popular movies such as, A League of Their Own, Bachelor Party,
Cast Away, Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, The Green Mile, The Polar
Express, Toy Story, Turner & Hooch, and You’ve Got Mail. In the film
Sleepless in Seattle he shows his Star classification once again due to his
persona from other movies he has played in such as in Cast Away his performance
was epic yet comical at times which was typical of him. Turner & Hooch was
hilarious. He always carried this dry since of humor in his movies which he is
known for. He has always been known in his movies not to worry about what other
people think of him in character. Such as Forest Gump who was a little on the
non-bright side but managed to gain the respect of everyone around him and also
had this dry sense of humor that everyone loved.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TWYDogv4WQ (Click to view Link)
Meg Ryan: Meg plays Annie and was a tough one for me
to classify. After really watching her in movie clips and thinking about movies
she has played in I have come up with a personality actor because in all her
films I have seen she has played a distinctive personality who does manage to
click with audiences and plays that similar character over and over.
(Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). She has starred in movies such as When Harry
Met Sally, You’ve got Mail, Courage Under Fire, Prelude to a Kiss, Top Gun, and
City of Angels. Meg Ryan has always had this good girl personality in all her
films I have such as in You’ve Got Mail she acted innocently with excitement
over her new found instant messaging friend on the internet. In Prelude to a
Kiss her innocence shows through the entire movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiljWkIf160 (Click to view Link)
Rosie O’Donnell plays Becky in the film who is Annie’s
best friend. She was an easy choice to classify as a character actor. She is
for sure able to fit invisibly into a wide variety of disparate characters and
able to adapt to the needs of each script and director they work with.
(Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). She has played in films such as Tarzan, The
Flintstone in Viva Rock Vegas and all the others, Another Stakeout, Stand by
Your Man, and America. I have seen Rosie play all sorts of role such as funny,
serious, and like in this move Sleepless in Seattle a best friend role and do
it greatly. She has never played a bad role in my opinion in any movie she was
in although some of her movies didn’t get that great of reviews such as the
Flintstones. I grew up in the era so I thought it was great and she played
Betty perfectly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMnEbfzllso (Click to view Link)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62fxBnIUxt0 (Click to view Link)
Based on other films I have seen Tom Hanks in he would
for sure be placed in the typical Star classification personality. This
actually says a lot about him as an actor. For me when I hear the name Tom
Hanks I automatically know it’s going to be a great movie and I will go see it
because of the persona he has carried now and in the past with all of his
movies. He still has a lot of flexibility in his acting but yet keeps his dry
sense of humor. The way he compares life to a box of chocolates in Forrest
Gump, and has a shrimp boat business for his friend that dies and learns how to
do it. Also in Sleepless in Seattle how he jokes ab out not having sex for so
long and he was going away for the weekend just to get some under his breath
even though his son Jonah heard everything he said. This category of actor does
have some flexibility in it still needs to keep the same persona. A perfect
example of another actor I just thought about is the Rock who always plays this
muscular, sexy, bad boy in most of his movies played the tooth fairy in kid’s
movie and it was awful. It brought me to tears and totally turned me off of his
character of what the norm usually is. I think with Tom Hanks would be the same
if they wanted him to do something completely different in a new movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJh59vZ8ccc (Click to view Link)
References
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C.P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd
ed). San Diego,
JCA:
Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Films that inspire me (2011, Apr 16). Forrest Gump –“Life is like a box of
chocolates” [Video
file].
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJh59vZ8ccc
Movieclips. [MOVIECLIPS Classic Trailers]. (2014, Feb
11). The Flintstones (1994) Official
Trailer
[Video
file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMnEbfzllso
Robert, N.A., & Levenson, R. W. (2006).
Subjective, behavior, and physiological reactivity to
ethnically matched and
ethnically mismatched film clips. Emotion,
6(4), 635-646. Doi:10.1037/1528-3542.6.4.635
Ryy79. (2010, Jan 5). Cast Away –Trailer – (2000). [Video file]. Retrieved from
SaneelGB. (2012, Dec 25). Prelude to a Kiss Theatrical Trailer (1992). [Video file].
Retrieved
TouchstoneOnDemand’s Channel. (2012, March 13). Another Stakeout. [Video file].
Retrieved
TrailersPlayground HD. (2013, Oct 7). Sleepless In Seattle – Official Trailer [HD]
[Video file].
Retrieved
from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4Ll-xXjjXc
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