Three-Act Structure in Mean Girls

The three-act structure includes the introduction, the complication, and the resolution. The introduction usually takes up the first 30 minutes of the film while the complication develops in 30-60 minutes. The resolution takes place in the last 30 minutes of the movie. The plot line basically involves a series of riskier and riskier decisions or mini-climaxes that lead up to the final climax and resolution.

Mean Girls is a comedy about high school social cliques and how they affect girls. The introduction sets up Cady Heron as a new high school student who had just moved from Africa to Evanston, IL. Having been home-schooled for 16 years, she was unfamiliar with the social customs of high school life. Cady meets Janis Ian and Damien, who teach her the social ropes and become her friends. One day, the school's popular trio Regina, Gretchen, and Karen (the Plastics) invite Cady to sit at lunch with them every day. The movie hits its first plot point when Janis and Damien convince Cady to spy on Regina and pretend to be her friend around 12 minutes in. As Cady continues this friendship, the movie transitions into the complication around minute 28:17 when Cady realizes how "evil" Regina is and plans to take down Regina with the help of her two friends.

The complication is the middle portion of the movie, which lasts anywhere from 30-60 minutes. During this time, Cady's hate for Regina gradually builds up, and she starts to lose her identity to the one that Regina invented for her. The second mini-climax occurs when Cady finally destroys Regina's reputation and alienates her from Gretchen and Karen approximately 54 minutes into the film. Cady becomes the new "queen bee," and things finally get out of hand at her party when her love interest Aaron as well as Janice and Damien confront her about the person she had become: Regina George.

The resolution comes in and the plot thickens as Regina shows her Burn book to the principal and accuses Cady, Gretchen, and Karen for writing it. Regina also exposes the book to the rest of the high school, and the girls begin to physically assault one another after reading the rumors and gossip written in there. Thereafter, the movie climaxes when Cady owns up to writing the Burn book at minute 69, and problems begin to be resolved. Cady makes up for her mistakes by competing with the math athletes, and she makes a speech at the Spring Fling Dance to apologize for her actions. The movie concludes with the main cast finding their niche in high school while playfully introducing the new junior "plastics."

Picture Source: http://www.impawards.com/2004/posters/mean_girls.jpg

Mini-Resolutions in Community

An important characteristic of an episodic sitcom is its use of mini-resolutions to conflicts that arise in each episode. There are generally several mini conflicts that exist either between characters, within a character, or between a character and a social force. These conflicts are important because they set up the plot line for that episode as they are eventually resolved by the episode's conclusion. They serve as a lesson for both the characters as well as the audience.

A show that has this characteristic is Community, which is a show that revolves around the lives of seven students in a spanish study group at a community college. Each episode begins with a few issues to start off the story. Take the latest episode as an example. Shirley asks Abed to make a christian film to promote her church. Out of pride, Abed makes a movie in which he parodies Jesus, insulting Christianity. Shirley is outraged, and they are at odds until the end of the episode, when Shirley decides to be Abed's scapegoat and Abed finally makes the movie Shirley had requested. All the while, Pierce, a man in his 50's, starts hanging out with a group of irresponsible, elderly students in spite of the study group's protests. Finally, when Pierce and his new gang end up in a "car accident," Pierce realizes that those people aren't his true friends, and the study group welcomes him back. These minor conflicts and resolutions are crucial in driving the plot for each episode.

Picture Source: http://l.yimg.com/l/tv/us/img/site/05/73/0000070573_20100827105403.jpg

Gladiator

Gladiator is a film in which the protagonist General Maximus Decimus Meridius is betrayed by the Roman Emperor's son Commodus, who murders his own father to take the throne. Commodus murders Maximus' wife and son and reduced him to slavery to prevent him from defying Commodus' authority. Maximus gains recognition with the crowd as a gladiator to avenge the murders of his family and the true Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

This clip takes place after Maximus successfully defeats his opponents of chariots and archers and is introduced to Commodus.

It is an intense scene that employs many close-ups to reveal what each character--predominantly Maximus, Commodus, Lucilla, and Spencer--are feeling. When Maximus first takes off his helmet, the revelation of his identity alerts Commodus and Lucilla. The close-ups show the intimidation, fear, anger, and jealousy in Commodus' eyes, helping the viewer understand how Commodus is conflicted between executing Maximus on the spot and showing mercy to gain the crowd's approval. One can see that Lucilla is worried for Maximus, and she longs for him to live. This further develops the emotional connection between them that leads Lucilla to help Maximus escape later on.

The medium shots of Maximus always show him standing in front of many other gladiators, showing that he is their leader and that they support him in his quest for vengeance. The gladiators admire him, and their willingness to have his back is evident later on as they sacrifice their lives to help Maximus escape as well. On the other hand, the medium shots of Commodus portray him a few Roman soldiers behind him in the beginning of the clip. Later, the soldiers move so that none of them are in the shot, ironically hinting at a false loyalty. This foreshadows Commodus' eventual downfall.

The long shots in this clip isolate Maximus and the gladiators, showing them to be the elite and crowd favorite. Towards the end of the arena scene, it shows the crowd cheering while they walk away in triumph. This emphasizes the power of the crowd and how Maximus is able to use his popularity to earn a fight to the death with Commodus.

The Star System

Once Hollywood became the focal point of film industry, major studios discovered that it was necessary to develop new ways of attracting audiences. They soon realized that certain actors and actresses were able to command the attention of viewers regardless of what the film was about. This led to the coining of the star system, which was and still is a film studio's use of stars' popularity to promote its movies.

This type of promotional technique led to the association of actors and actresses with certain genres of film that they often starred in. The studios had tremendous control over what types of film were being produced since the audience mainly paid to see the stars rather than analyze the plot. Hence, the studios could produce more B movies and make a significant profit from them as long as a big name celebrity was in the film.

An example of the star system in effect is the acting career of Judy Garland. As a vocally talented actress, Garland was often casted in musical films. Viewers who enjoyed musical numbers would flock to see her films such as The Wizard of Oz, Summerstock, and The Harvey Girls. The clip below is from The Wizard of Oz, where Judy Garland sings the number "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhzbzwPNgXA

"All in the Family" vs. "Modern Family"

"All in the Family" and "Modern Family" are both situational comedies that deal with conflicts involving family relationships and societal issues in its time. In both shows, a dominant, patriarchal character is present in the form of Archie for "All in the Family" and Jay for "Modern Family." Jay and Archie are middle-aged family men who hold traditional American values. Their introduction and resistance to liberal values such as homosexuality provide comic relief. "Modern Family" also imitates a "mockumentary," interviewing family members during the show to provide insight to their thoughts.

Whereas "All in the Family" revolves mainly around Archie and his family, "Modern Family" revolves around three families to reflect different generational problems in America today. "Modern Family" reflects diversity in both culture, age, and sexuality, casting a vietnamese baby with homosexual parents, a Columbian wife and son, and teens of different ages. On the other hand, "All in the Family" maintains an all-white, heterosexual cast to reflect the everyday family during its time.

The issues that arise in one family are different from the issues that arise between three. "All in the Family" mainly deals with issues that arise due to Archie's prejudice or obstinate values. Since Archie's daughter is married, it does not place much emphasis on how to be a positive role model to one's children. On the contrary, "Modern Family" includes four teenagers, so it deals with all sorts of issues such as growing up and parenthood. It is also more culturally diverse, so the show often focuses on the clash between Latin American and Caucasian culture.

Both shows effectively communicate their message in ways that the audience in their time can relate to.