An analysis of generic conventions in the trailers for the movies ‘John Tucker Must Die’ & ‘Mean Girls’

An analysis in terms of generic conventions in the trailers for the movies “John Tucker must die” and “Mean Girls”. Genre is defined as ‘A large category of stories united by their particular settings, characters, themes and narrative conflicts’ (Worland 2007, pg15). This assignment will look at the generic conventions a coming of age/ teen film (what we expect to see), aspects such as typical situations, stock characters, style, icons and setting. In terms of themes in coming of age (teen films) (subjects that are dealt with within the text) they tend to focus around, first love, rebellion, and conflict with parents, teen angst or alienation. In terms of what we would typically see within the genre ‘teen/coming of age’ film it is in the interest of the target audience and making the plot relatable and focus on their interests.

The first trailer to be analysed is “Mean Girls”, a teen movie released in 2004. The style of “Mean Girls” is glossy, the use of high key lighting creates an expensive look and the contrast of high/bright colours makes the film more vivid and eye catching the use of the bright colours encourages a cheerful and young audience.

In the first shot we see ‘Kady Heron’ in class she looks bland and has no character and is introduced as the new ‘student’ which is typical for the plot of a teen (coming of age movie) and the non-diegetic sound tracking playing in the back background gives us insight into the genre as we see both a stock character and a typical situation with a pop soundtrack clearly illustrating the theme of coming of age. Surrounded by stock characters that feature in a teen movie; teachers, students ect, she is placed in a typical setting, a class room where we see a chalk board and desks, this is all iconography that is associated with teen movies. Iconography is described as ‘the things you expect to see and the sounds you expect to hear taken collectively tell you the type of film or genre you are watching’ (AS Film Studies: The Essential Introduction 2006, pg70).

Typical situations

Setting

Style is the way the movie is produced… cinematography … (camera/lighting)

Stock characters are the characters which are common to the genre of the movie.

‘John Tucker Must Die’ and ‘Mean Girls’ share many similar genre codes and conventions. Genre if a French word meaning ‘type’, and film genres have existed since the early days of cinema. Both films contain ingredients found in most if not all American rom-com’s / coming of age films. (INSERT QUOTE ON GENRE) ‘’teen films represent predominantly teen characters in teen-centred narratives targeted’ – [Doherty’s: teen movies: page 22]. All the main characters are teenagers, the difference between the two movies is one focuses on teenage girls in terms of acceptance in high school life, and the other focuses on the struggles of high school life more concentrated on the opposing sex.

In the trailer for ‘John Tucker Must Die’ the opening sequence: in terms of sound we here a well-recognised teen, American band ‘All American rejects- dirty little secrets’, the song straight away tells you that the film you are going to see will focus around ‘secret’s and the conation of the phrase dirty little secret can be used to refer to the idea of john having several girlfriends at once, the mentions of sexual activity and we see in the trailer girls from different ‘cliques’ all after the same guy, showing teenagers share common preferences. In terms of typical situations and stock characters we see cheerleaders, jocks, basketball and a canteen.

The themes that run through both the movies are also similar. In ‘Mean Girls’ the main theme is Overcoming adversity and acceptance, and just like John tucker must die “Mean Girls” forcefully points out the power of cliques, how they keep high school students confined through both external and internal pressures. Like a modern-day caste system, you can only eat at certain tables in the cafeteria reserved for “your kind.” And if you break the clique rules of conformity (such as, for “The Plastics,” wearing the wrong outfit on a certain day of the week), then you run the risk of being rejected by your caste. Cady has been home schooled and raised in the African bush country by her zoologist parents. This offers several opportunities for the movie to make humorous parallels between how jungle life resolves questions of hierarchy and competition for mates, and how the “tooth and claw” world of high school accomplishes the same ends, quite similar to john tucker must die Kate is the ‘new girl’ a possible candidate for a ‘make over’ ready to be influenced and moulded.

Certain themes have been incorporated such as peer pressure, characters not being themselves. In ‘John tucker must die’ the basketball team all aspire to being popular like john, and are pressured into following him, and not being themselves, think it is better to be with him to become like him. ‘Mean girls’ also used this theme, where the main four girls had to listen to ‘Regina George’ and could only wear certain clothes on one day, and always had to ask their friends for advice on what they wore and could never break certain friendship rules, such as not going for friends ex-boyfriends. As this film was more about stereotypes with a character (INSERT QUOTE ON STEREOTYPES) peer-pressure was looked at more closely but in ‘John tucker must die’ the female characters take a stand and are not pressured into doing some things, as their characters are supposed to be strong independent girls, showing they can do what they please. Another theme found in many teen films is the issue of sex, alcohol, drugs. ‘John tucker must die’ also uses this theme, and the issue of sex is also used in this text just as is done in mean girls.

Lastly one of the main themes in teen movies is revenge a theme that started from films like ‘the breakfast club’ and ‘sixteen candles’ where it may seem love, and romance is the central theme but the lead up to that defining ‘kiss’ or that romantic victory entails a vengeful motive, using a cunning wise, attractive female character as the ‘female fatale’ (INSERT QUOTE ON THE FEMALE FATALE) to manipulate a male with intention to fulfil her own desires or agendas, usually for money, status but in this case to humiliate. The American institution for ‘John Tucker Must Die’ is 20th Century Fox, a well-established institution. This institution has made teen films such as ‘Never been kissed’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘French Kiss’, all successful hits, with the same common themes represented in there, in some way or form. ‘John Tucker Must Die’ does use certain stereotypes, such as the sex-obsessed girl, the drug addict, the cheerleader and the popular rich peer. However this is done for the audience to have some sort of expectation of the film, as stereotypes are generic conventions of the teen film genre.