50 First Dates - Movie Review Example

50 First s Submitted by: XXXXXXXX Number: XXXXXXX of XXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX of Submission: XX – XX – 2009 Number of words: 1638 Words Section I: Film Summary The main characters of the film are played by Adam Sandler who plays Henry Roth, and Drew Barrymore who plays Lucy Whitmore. The story is of a Henry Roth who lives in Hawaii and is a very flamboyant personality with a long line of women with no strings attached. During this course he meets Lucy (Drew Barrymore), and both of them seem to hit – it – off from the very beginning. They seem to enjoy one another’s company and lead to a serious relationship. However to Henry’s surprise, when he approaches Lucy the very next day, she seems not to recognize him and this leaves him stunned and unaware of what is happening. It is then that he realizes that Lucy has a condition of short terms memory loss and that she is unable to remember the previous day and each individual day. Henry is in love with her and will not give up easy he is ready to win her over every single day for fifty days and makes her fall in love with him. Since she cant remember him every single morning, the story is a romantic comedy of Henry’s efforts to get Lucy to remember him every single day with the single hope that she would fall back in love with him again. Section II: Chapter Terms Chosen Terms: Acquaintances, Close friends or intimates, Good relationships, and maintaining a relationship. 1. Maintaining a Relationship: Example: There are a few scenes which reveal this point in the movies. First is the scene in the movie where Henry (Adam Sandler), makes the video for Lucy (Drew Barrymore). The video includes all the details of the various events that she missed during the year. Also he delivers the video with a bunch of lilies which he is aware that she loves. Second is the scene where Henry arranges a get together for Lucy and her friends. In this scene there is a clear mention of the fact that Henry tries everyday to make Lucy fall in love with him. This was also mentioned in the scene where Lucy’s friend was shocked on how Henry would do this on a daily basis just to maintain the relationship and love that he has for Lucy. Analysis: The communication mode used here by Henry in the video is one which is positive. A video is one of the most appropriate modes of communication. As seen in the movie as well, the previous day the fact of the short term memory loss is conveyed by her family to her, however the mode of communication is one which leaves her needing to more proof. The mode of communication adopted by Henry is very positive and he gives out the same information to her in a lighter and less stressful manner. It is however essential to understand that this can also be a little negative for of communication. This is mainly because Lucy is a very happy person and every time her accident is told to her, she tends to become sad and also feels miserable for ruining and disturbing the people around her, i.e. her father and brother and also Henry. In these terms the communication, irrespective of the mode, proves to have a negative impact on Lucy. 2. Good Relationships Example: The best example for ‘good relationships’ is the relationships shared by Lucy, Doug her brother (Sean Astin) and Marlin her father (Blake Clark). The scene shows how Lucy does exactly the same things every single day. The scene highlights how her brother and father every single day religious set up the house to be just like how it was on the day before the accident. They paint the garage wall white every night for her to wake up the next day morning and paint on again, even wash her clothes every night so that it is ready for her to wear the next day. They take care of every single detail including the amount of body wash in the bathroom and her brother is seen filing up bath soap with a dropper to ensure it is the same level every single day. Also they sit down every night and watch the movie (The Sixth Sense) every single day and still pretend like it is the first time they are watching the movie. Analysis: The scene portrays the strong relationship between the father, son and daughter. The scene shows how the family communicates the good relationship without even needing to talk about it and how their actions prove the love that they have for Lucy. This is a very positive approach to communication, as both the father as well as brother on a daily basis communicates at levels which Lucy is able to comprehend and is able to believe. This is a very positive aspect of communication and even though it involves the father and brother needing to stage up the home every single day, it keep Lucy happy and not be aware of the accident at any given point in time. 3. Acquaintances: Example: There are many scenes pertaining to ‘acquaintances’ in the entire movie, as the main theme is Lucy’s shot term memory loss and how Henry tries to win her heart every day. Every morning, Henry tries to strike a conversation with her with the hope of making her fall in love with him that day. However, the most important scene portraying ‘acquaintances’ is the first day Henry speaks to Lucy without knowing about her short term memory loss. This is because Henry is genuinely trying to communicate with Lucy and get acquainted. Lucy has the habit of building forts and structures with her breakfast waffles. She has some difficulties finishing the waffle structure. Henry goes over and helps her fix the structure with a toothpick. Then they start a conversation about fishing trips and how her dad used to go on fishing trips and they get acquainted. Analysis: The scene portrays the importance of communicating in a manner that is appealing and interesting to a person before you get acquainted. However, care has to be taken so that the person at the other end should not feel that their privacy is being intruded. This is made clear in another scene when Henry, after knowing about the memory loss of Lucy, tries to go and strike a communication with her in the same manner, but a little more straightforward. This made Lucy feel that her privacy is being intruded. It is evident that maintaining a proper personal space for him and others, and also communicating in ways which are of interest to the other person plays important roles in getting acquainted. This had a positive impact on the relationship and they parted as good friends at the end of the scene. The importance of communication in getting acquainted with a person is well portrayed in this scene. 4. Close Friends or Inmates: Example: Henry has a number of close friends and inmates around him, the most noted being Ula (Rob Schneider), Alexa, the penguin Willie and the walrus Jocko. There are a number of scenes where he communicates with them and have significant effects on the outcomes of the movie. The scene with Ula in the boat, where Henry tells Ula about Lucy and her problems with short term memory loss, is a typical example. When Henry feels that it is wrong to continue in a relationship with her, without any commitment, Ula makes him realize that he has not connected to any girl in his whole life and he will get a chance to really know about the girl. This will also enable him to giver Lucy a wondrous day every day, the same as what her father and brother do. Analysis: The scene indicates how the close inmates and friends might know some very basic things which we forget to notice. The communication with Ula makes Henry realize that there was sense in what Ula was proposing. Moreover, it will give him a chance to provide a wondrous day to Lucy, whom he likes a lot. The importance of communicating with close inmates or friends is emphasized in this scene, as it has helped Henry realize about himself. This communication has brought in a positive change in Henry and he sets out on his campaign to make Lucy fall in love with him every day. Section III: Film Review The movie is based on the use of communication to help a person with a severe brain damage and to love a person in spite of the fact that she forgets every single thing that happens the day before. There is an excellent use of communication to depict the story of Lucy and what her family and boyfriend go through every single day. The communication used is quite realistic and the plot and characters have been developed around the concepts that have been discussed above. The communication in the movie can be classified as both positive as well as negative. Positive because it highlights that communication is not only in what we say, but also the actions done communicate a lot. Negative for this film as there are a number of issues caused by the communication. Lucy has been depicted to be a happy person, who becomes very sad whenever the accident details are communicated to her. This makes the communication the negative aspect of the film. Communication as has been understood is an integral part of the movie and all the messages of this film are got only via communication. The film teaches that communication is not only in what is said but is also in actions of people around us as well. Thus communication is the most essential aspect of the film and in some terms is the base of the entire film. Read More