The notion that the works of Shakespeare are still relevant to modern audiences is put to the test in Andy Fickman’s 2006 film, She’s the Man. Amanda Bynes plays the lead role of Viola in this present-day adaptation of the seventeenth-century Shakespearean play Twelfth Night. Similar to most adaptations of previous works, the film retains certain elements from the original narrative while introducing elements to present the story in a new way. Most of the characters from Twelfth Night are represented in She’s the Man. Additionally, the focus on humor and commentary on gender stereotypes remain constant between the two works. Despite retaining these core aspects, She’s the Man takes questionable measures in an attempt to appeal to younger audiences and loses a lot of its meaning along the way. While it is a good idea in theory, the fumbled execution of She’s the Man causes it to horribly miss the mark as an adaption to Twelfth Night. …show more content…
The interesting perspective on gender roles in society make Twelfth Night a play ahead of its time. Gender equality is more prevalent than ever in today’s society, making the concept of manipulating gender roles perfectly suitable for a current production. Since the directors were targeting a teenage demographic for She’s the Man, it makes sense to bring the story into the context of high school. This allows the film to focus on two aspects of life that are very important to high schoolers: sports and relationship drama. By showcasing the competitive nature of youth sports as well as the turmoil known as teenage relationships, the film is easily relatable. Also, the use of modern slang as opposed to Early Modern English make the story easier to digest for the young audience. If the movie got one thing right, it was sticking to the target