Wednesday 20 November 2013

2 minute opening scene to 'Stepbrothers'


The beginning of the film starts with a black screen and written in white writing is the quote 'Family is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream' this funny quote said by mistake already hints towards the idea that 'Stepbrothers' is a comedy and it is mocking the idea of family values. The quote always hints towards the film being about family and possibly how family life is not as perfect as it seems and this is reinforced by the misspelt quote. All the titles are written in varying sizes just like a child's writing also implying it could be about children and obviously stepbrothers from the title. The scene then opens up at around 19 seconds on Hollywood actor Will Ferrel as he puts cheese on nachos. He is dressed in pyjamas like a child which is comical in itself although his face is not at first revealed showing how the producers want the audience to be in shock when they realise he is infact a grown man and not a child. He is also placing cheese on a nachos, but being dressed in pyjamas it is obviously breakfast and this is also unusual and possible humorous to some audiences as its not something you would eat for breakfast, but it also highlights how is unhealthy and possibly quite lazy. It then moves on to another man taking underwear from a laundry basket and sniffing it reinforcing the humorous laziness that these two main characters obviously possess.
Will Ferrell then appears again carrying lots of food showing his childish greediness and unawareness of health and he is watching television as a woman walks past she says good bye to Will Ferrell as she leaves for work and he says good bye to his mother while he watches television he then makes a sexual implication as he puts his hands down his trousers as she leaves. This shows possibly boredom and his laziness implies he doesn't have anywhere to go for the day and that he possibly doesn't have a job. The well dressed woman who appears to be Will Ferrell's mother is obviously of quite a high profession which is very juxtaposing to Will Ferrell and it is evidence that she obviously supports the family. It then goes on to the other man who is playing guitar hero which is well recognized game normally played by young people or children in their spare time, and his father, also well dressed comes to speak to him. He tells his son how he has left him money to order pizza and John Reilly argues back childishly and selfishly asking for more money for 'wings' this is entertaining to the audience as he becomes angered by childish matters which is unusual, it also implies that he, like Will Ferrrell, is unemployed in the film making the idea of his childishness seem even more realistic.
The opening sequence then moves on to The father making a presentation in a very rich and sophisticated looking hall where he is distracted by Will Ferrell's mother as he says 'put your face between those breasts' mid-way through his presentation which also connects to the idea of how real life and foreshadows the unprofessionalism of the characters throughout the movie. It is also engaging and entertaining for the audience. It then quickly switches to a sexual scene where the mother and father are meeting for the first time and getting intimate in a hotel room where they suddenly both admit to having a 40 and 39 year old son still living at home. This brings the whole opening scene to together as the audience is shocked by the sudden realization of how old the two sons really are. This attracts the  audience to watch the rest of the film as they want to find out why these two middle aged men are still living at home like children. The music is quite young and cheerful although the mise-en-scene is quite profesional all apart from the two sons who appear very childish in their pyjamas and in the way they act with the food they eat and playing games which makes them even more obvious as the two main characters.

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