Analysing 3 Whole Films

In order to understand the key generic codes and conventions in comedy films I watched three whole films, also paying attention to character types and narrative structure. This should help me when putting together ideas for my own film. Here is what I found...

Juno (2007)

Key generic codes and conventions used throughout the film:
Non- diegetic light-hearted music throughout, especially when camera tracks Juno or Bleeker as they are the heroes, and this makes the audience instantly warm to them. Connotes the comedy genre.
Costume worn by Juno is odd and ‘geeky’; patterned jumpers and baggy jeans. This makes her a more likeable character, as she seems down-to-earth. Typically, the main characters of comedy films are likeable because they are, in Western terms, ‘different’ in some way.
Non-diegetic voice over of main character, Juno, accompanies parts of the film with often sarcastic and very funny comments. Gives the film a light hearted feel and helps the audience relate to Juno.
Handheld camera is often used and creates verisimilitude.
Diegetic sound used to connote the comedy genre; sharp, witty and funny dialogue fused with made-up words like ‘guesstimation’.
Props include guitars, sweets (e.g. tic-tacs) and bottles of Sunny D. These props are normal, everyday objects and create verisimilitude.
High-key lighting used throughout to make characters more likeable, connote comedy genre and create light-hearted atmosphere; however, darker lighting is used in more emotional scenes e.g. when Juno is crying in hospital, which connotes sub-genre of comedy-drama.


Narrative Structure:
The Todorovian narrative theory can be applied, although different disruptions in the narrative occur.
Equilibrium: Normal life for Juno; she is a teenage girl with a family, a best friend and is seeing a boy.
Disruption: Juno gets pregnant with Bleeker’s baby.
Realisation of problem: Juno looks for adoptive parents for her baby, and finds them.
There is a second disruption to this sort of ‘mid’ equilibrium: The adoptive father decides he is not ready for a baby.
Attempts to solve problem: The couple divorce but Juno still promises the adoptive mother her baby.
Problem solved: The baby is born and soon in the arms of his adoptive mother.
New Equilibrium: Juno settles back into life as normal, this time seemingly wiser and very much in love with her boyfriend Bleeker.



Key scenes to help forge the narrative:
She takes the pregnancy test.
She tells Bleeker she’s pregnant; this is where we first see the connection between the two and the love interest is established
She goes to get an abortion and decides against it
She decides to get her child adopted
She finds a couple
She tells her parents
She meets the couple
Gets further into pregnancy and has an ultrasound scan
Goes round to adoptive parents house to show them the ultrasound picture and finds she has a lot in common with the Dad. They have a long conversation.
The mother comes home and there is obvious tension; the disruption in the narrative is introduced clearly here.
Juno and the adoptive mother see each other in the mall and Vanessa ‘talks’ to the baby. This is where the audience and Juno first realise Vanessa’s devotion to and need of this baby.
Juno finds out Bleaker is seeing another girl and is taking her to prom. She confronts him and is obviously jealous. They argue.
She visits the adoptive father again. After dancing to some of their favourite music, he tells her he’s leaving Vanessa and she yells at him to stay with her.
Vanessa comes home and he admits he’s not ready to have a baby. Juno leaves extremely upset after the couple argue.
The couple decide to divorce.
Juno leaves Vanessa a note saying she still wants her to have the baby
After a talk with her father, Juno decides to pursue a relationship with Bleeker. She tells him she’s in love with him and they have a happy reconciliation.
Juno goes into labour.
She gives birth to a baby boy who is soon in the arms of Vanessa.
She continues with life as normal.


Character types
I identified the following Proppian character types:
The ‘heroin’ would be Juno, as she is the main character whose journey the audience follows.
The ‘princess’ would be Vanessa, as she is in desperate need of a baby and Juno, the hero, gives her this.
The ‘donor’ would be Bleeker as he helped to provide Juno with the baby, which after all is the cause and whole point of the journey she undertakes
The ‘helper’ would be her friend Leah who is there for her from start to finish, helping her find adoptive parents, tell her own parents etc.
The ‘villain’ could be Mark as he is the person who disrupts the equilibrium.


Although this is a comedy-drama, there is also stock-character types found in teen comedies because the teenage Juno will appeals to and relates to a teenage target audience. The setting of the high-school and a teenage target audience means the following stereotypical social groups and character types are found in Juno; ‘geeks’ e.g. Juno, ‘jocks’ and ‘popular girls’ e.g. Leah.







Just Married (2003)

Key generic codes and conventions used throughout the film:
Sound: Non-diegetic light hearted upbeat music (Basement Jaxx song used at beginning of film- contemporary band appeals to younger target audience) used throughout. Connotes romantic comedy genre and gives romantic anchorage to scenes filming a connection between Sarah and Tom
Settings used are often extremely exaggerated which makes them comical; either very extravagant or very small, dirty hotel rooms.
Settings also connote character types: small, messy flat for lazy, useless male and huge mansion for rich, respectable female and her overprotective wealthy family
Bright colours and high-key lighting throughout to create light-hearted atmosphere and connote comedy genre
Fast –paced editing used, with quick straight cuts to show both romantic and emotional connection between Tom and Sarah and to reflect disasters and disruptions throughout film
Peter connoted as ‘villain’ through darker lighting and medium close-ups of him that frame his constant jealous, angry and possessive facial expressions
Character types revealed through costume: Peter Prentice wears tidy shirts tucked into his trousers and looks groomed and respectable whereas Tom constantly wears baseball caps and sports shirts. Therefore Prentice is Tom’s opposite, revealing him to be the villain. Also the colours Tom wears are brighter, like red, whereas Prentice constantly wears dark colours like brown, black and grey.


Narrative Structure:
The film follows the stereotypical narrative of a romantic comedy; boy meets girl; problems occur due to arguments, family disapprovals and exes; they realise they are made for each other; an inevitable ‘grand gesture’ found in most or all rom-com films is made; and the couple ‘live happily ever after’. The Todorovian narrative theory can be applied:-
Equilibrium: Tom and Sarah have a happy relationship despite her family’s disapproval of him
Disruption: They get married and immediately disasters happen on Honeymoon, including villains Peter and the woman Tom meets in the bar attempting to break up marriage
Realisation of problem: The couple argue
Attempts to solve problem: The couple realise after every disaster that love is all they need and spend their time happily together despite disastrous situations
Problem solved: Tom makes his grand gesture to win Sarah back
New Equilibrium: The couple are happily together again, this time with respect from her family too because of his grand gesture.

Key scenes to help forge the narrative:
In order to set a comical scene and foreground the disastrous events in the rest of the film, it opens with the couple coming home after their honeymoon childishly playing tricks on each other.
Flash back to their first meeting, establishes romantic connection
He accidentally causes her dog’s death by throwing his ball out the window: this is a significant cause for an argument later on in the narrative
After months of dating, they decide to get married
He meets her family who obviously hate him. Stereotypical character types of over-protective father, bitchy sister and considerate, nurturing mother are introduced. Scene is vital for narrative as the villain Peter Prentice, Sarah’s ex, is introduced.
They get married. Beforehand we find out she’s never told Tom she slept with Peter; another significant argument is caused from this later
Their honeymoon starts with both characters getting nosebleeds and infuriating an aeroplane stewardess- foregrounds their disastrous honeymoon
A series of disasters happen meaning the couple has to keep changing hotels and travelling all around Europe and causes arguments in the marriage
A lot of make-ups and break-ups occur
Peter ‘coincidentally’ bumps into Sarah in Venice
The couple argue about the secrets they have kept from each other and then storm away in opposite directions
Sarah ends up going for a drink with Peter and Tom ends up meeting an American woman in a bar
Both of them end up accidentally kissing these characters; and both of them find out about the other’s cheating
A fight breaks out and Tom and Sarah end up in jail in Italy
Peter bails them out
The couple go back home threatening each other that they will leave as soon as they get back.
Back to present tense. Tom realises he loves Sarah and cannot live without her.
After Tom’s ‘grand gesture’, the couple have a happy reconciliation.

Character types
I identified the following Proppian character types:
The ‘hero/heroine’ is both Tom and Sarah as they are the main characters who the audience identify with.
The ‘princess’ is also Tom and Sarah, and their marriage, as this needs to be rescued by both of them.
The ‘helpers’ would be Tom’s best friend and Sarah’s sister, as they are the characters Tom and Sarah turn to in times of trouble.
Also, both characters seek advice from their fathers so they would be their ‘mentors’.
The main ‘villain’ is Peter as he is the character that attempts to ruin the heroes’ relationship. Other villains include the girl Tom meets in the bar and Sarah’s family.

Stock character types of romantic comedy: overprotective, wealthy father; useless, lazy male hero and similar immature best mate; rich, respectful female character and her bitchy friend or sister; caring, considerate and nurturing mother.


American Pie (2001)

Key generic codes and conventions used throughout the film:
Non-diegetic fast-paced, upbeat music that connotes teen comedy genre and gives film a light-hearted feel. Contemporary pop songs used from bands such as blink-182, appeals to teenage target audience.
This music is heard especially during fast paced scenes and scenes of a sexual nature.
Romantic scenes often accompanied by slower non-diegetic music, emphasising the importance of love and sex which are conventional issues in teen comedies
Settings relate to a specifically teenage audience: high school, parties etc; and are conventional to teen comedy films
One particular setting is used to establish equilibrium at start and end of film: in this film, a café. In both of these the importance of friendship is reinforced, as all the characters meet here at the start and at the end of the film. The theme of friendship is hugely conventional to the teen comedy genre, as connoted here.
Props used are iconic to teen comedies and relate to a teenage audience: alcohol, school books etc.

Narrative Structure:
The Todorovian narrative theory can be applied:-
Equilibrium: The teenage boys live a life of parties and trying to ‘get laid’.
Disruption: Sherman supposedly loses his virginity. This causes the boys to make a pact that they will lose their virginity by prom night.
Realisation of problem: The boys make various attempts at doing this. Different disruptions within characters’ relationships occur, e.g. Ken and his girlfriend arguing about sex, Heather realising Oz is ‘using’ her
Attempts to solve problem: The characters make different attempts at solving their own relationship problems as well as still aiming to lose their virginity. However they are beginning to realise this is virtually impossible.
Problem solved: The boys have gained a new sense of maturity and are not too desperate to have sex anymore. However, they do all end up losing their virginity anyway.
New Equilibrium: The boys meet at their favourite café. They have visibly matured but still maintained their friendship.

Key scenes to help forge the narrative:

Introduction to main ‘hero’ where we see Jim in his room at the opening
Introduced to his friendship group, the other ‘heroes’, in a café
At a party, the boys discover Sherman has ‘lost his virginity’. We are introduced to the ‘villain’, or the ‘false villain’, as we later find out he actually did not have sex.
The boys make a pact that they will lose their virginity by prom night.
Ken and his girlfriend have their first argument, signifying the disruption in their relationship
Oz meets Heather; the audience see instant chemistry
Jim is humiliated in front of the school- his disruption
In an act of desperation, he asks ‘geek’ Michelle to the prom
Stifler humiliates Finch in school, leaving his reputation soiled- his disruption
Oz and Heather argue- the disruption in their relationship
Before prom, the boys have talk a about how their prospects have changed since making the pact. This signals them beginning to solve their problems and moving towards a new equilibrium
Stifler’s party- the boys lose their virginity
New equilibrium established as the boys meet in the café in the end scene.


I identified the following Proppian character types:
The ‘hero’ would be Jim as he is the main character, but as we follow the stories of all of his friends they would also be the ‘heroes’.
The ‘princess’ would also be the boys; specifically the loss of their virginity, as that is what they aim to ‘rescue’
The ‘mentor’ would be Jim’s dad who gives him advice and information throughout the film
The ‘helpers’ would be all of Jim’s friends as they help each other out, and Vicky’s friend Jessica is her helper as she offers her frequent advice
The ‘villain’ would be Sherman, as he poses as the threat to the boys having lost his virginity first, and also peer pressure from society

Stock character types of teen comedy: Jim and Sherman are ‘geeks’, Oz is the ‘jock’, Michelle is the ‘nerd’, Vicky is the ‘girl-next-door’, Nadia is the ‘popular’ girl