Introduction

For our A-level coursework, we have been asked to create a two minute, opening extract for a film with a genre of our choice. After discussion, we have decided to base our extract around the genre of teen-romance. To develop our knowledge of this area, we have researched several other films of this genre to see what are the typical codes and conventions, particularly in the opening scenes.

Textual Analysis

Five openings - first two minutes

A Walk To Remember, 2002

The first thing we are introduced to on the screen is the recognisable Warner Brothers Pictures introduction sequence with the signature music played alongside which then leads on to a black screen when moving animation is used to created the company, Pandora’s title. Over the Pandora title, we begin to hear noises of cars and voices which we immediately think are teenagers riding around in cars as we already know the genre’s focus is the lives of teenagers and what they get up too. As this begins to fade out, we hear a big “woo” sound of a male. The speech and sound here combined connotes fun and the action of whatever is being hid from the audience, however by hearing them but not seeing them, they have created an enigma as we do not know what there are doing therefore the only knowledge we have is what we can hear. After we hear the “woo” sound, the screen fades to black and this is when the non diegetic music kicks in which almost starts the film off. The music has a distinctive beat to it which sets a rhythm to the title sequence as a whole. We can still only see a black screen with white writing over the top which states the two production companies again and also the main characters and the title of the film itself. We would usually expect in a teen romance to see bright colours such as reds, whites and pinks used to connote the romance and youth essence of the film however by using black and white, it connotes a contrast between two possibly groups or personalities of characters shown further on in the film- black representing trouble makers and white representing the good characters.

The screen then flashes into a still shot of cars headlights flashing off. This is a useful mid shot as we heard the noises of the car earlier on so the audience would be familiar of the cars at this point. The title sequence in whole took up nearly one minute of the two minute opening scene. The music continues throughout the scene and we see a side ways tracking shot used to follow three cars and the characters which get out of them. While this is happening non diegetic music is being used and diegetic speech from various characters, also various actors names are still being shown over the scene in white writing yet it still stands out as the atmosphere and lighting used in the scene is very low key and at night. This is different to what we would expect a typical teen romance to start like as a common stock setting is a high school or persons home however this setting is an unrecognisable and mysterious outdoor place. We see males and females get out of the cars therefore reinforcing the idea of romance and youth relationships. As tracking is used to follow another car pull up, we see a boy and girl leaning up the side of the car kissing which suggests rebellious attitudes in youth and this is a frequent representation of youth in films. A young male then gets out of this car and the camera zooms in on him and focuses on him more than the other characters which suggest he is the main male character in the film. Tracking is used again to follow how he interacts with the other characters; they all seem to acknowledge his presence a lot therefore suggesting he is the popular boy. This aspect of their being the popular boy in teen romance is a very common concept and is usually the male to be the second character of the main romance. We see the male characters mimicking the two girls and looking down on them which is a stereotypical aspect of males throughout the media of being the higher power, so here we see it is still present in teenage years. The two minutes of the opening scene finishes with a male character pushing a female character. This shows the negative aspect of youth feeling they can do what they want and shows again their rebellious ways. Many attributes of teen life has been shown in the first two minutes however it doesn’t give much away in the terms of setting or main theme throughout the film as all we have seen is a rebellious gang of teenagers and their current mode of transport.

The insight this extract has given to me of teen romance films is that it is likely that the opening scenes of this genre tend to use an enigma to create various situations in the audience’s mind of what is going to happen. Teen – romance is a fairly simple genre as it is clear what the film will be about, however by doing this, they have highlighted that it may not be so simple and shows a different side of teenagers to what we usually see. 

A Cinderella Story, 2004

A Cinderella Story is very much a typical teen-romance film. The film begins with the Warner Brothers Pictures introduction which lasts for approximately twelve seconds which then gradually fades out into a black screen. Soft, elegant and girl music begins to play in a non diegetic form alongside this black screen when text is introduced in italic style writing. Both these elements but mainly the sound added give a possible indication that this film will highlight a lot on femininity within teenage girls. This screen then quickly changes through a straight cut to a very fast moving tracking movement over a mountainous scene with titles including the main actors and actresses continuing to be shown over the top. The mountains immediately create an enigma as this is a very strange setting to be introduced firstly too as it is not a usual stock setting for this genre, so the audience would question where the film will go from here and if it will stick to its particular conventions. The quickly paced tracking, which could connote the hectic lives of teenagers, then slows down into a long shot of a picturesque scene of a ‘fairytale’ castle. This links back to the name of the film its self being ‘A Cinderella Story’ as Cinderella is a famous story of a girl who lives in a castle so the audience would somewhat relate the shot being given to the film as a whole. As the camera zooms in towards the castle, the title in the same italic font is shown across the screen. A voice over then begins of what sounds like a teenage girl describing a fairytale story from when she says “Once upon a time…” but unexpectedly, as the camera zooms around the castle, it then zooms out to show that it wasn’t really a real life castle but a castle in a snow-globe and we see a man holding it with a little girl beside him. Once the shot changes to the normal setting of a little girl and her father (we know this from the voice over) the tone of voice of the narrator’s changes to a much more informal and chatty voice, which is very similar of that to an everyday teenagers. Teenager’s girls are often represented as chatty characters so the use of a voice over is good at reinforcing this stereotype of youth being outspoken. The two shot of the young girl and father looking over the state of Los Angeles suggests that they have a close relationship and the rest of the film may be somewhat based around this relationship, however what we do notice is that the voice over character speaks of this period in the past so the audience would assume the little girl is her as a child.

Non diegetic upbeat music begins as we see a tracking shot of a car with the young girl and her father inside. The voice over here continues to talk in a positive way about the relationship however again we notice what she says is in the past tense for example "she was her dad's best friend". For the audience, this would create another possible enigma as they would be interested as to know what has happened to him now as different possibility's could be the answer. So far in the opening scene, we as an audience are not shown how this film relates to a teenage romance which indicates that the film develops further throughout. This appears to be a common feature across many teen romance films I have looked at. Titles are continually being shown over the scene to address actors and actresses. The stereotype of girls is next challenged by a long shot of the young girl and her dad playing baseball together on a pitch. Girls, in America particularly, are stereotyped to be mainly prioritised by peers, their appearance and social concepts so to see a girl playing baseball with her father is something different to what we would expect to see. The camera then straight cuts to a diner which we know is her Dad's diner from the voice over, therefore suggesting it is a popular setting throughout the film and a potential stock setting for the film. The opening two minutes ends with the little girl attending her own birthday party in the diner with a group of people around her talking to her about what she is going to wish for when she blows out her candles. Seeing a this film has already been influenced by a fairy tale, the 'wish' she makes here could possibly be explained in the rest of the narrative.

All in all, the opening sequence of A Cinderella Story mainly focuses on introducing characters, setting and the activities they participate in. It is interesting how it focuses on past and present, by showing the past however using a present voice over to explain. By doing this, the audience would feel they know the characters much more, especially the female character being the little girl in the opening sequence. 

 The Princess Diaries, 2001

The opening sequence for The Princess Diaries begins with the Walt Disney Pictures intro piece. The screen then fades to a black screen, then fades in to a light blue background with titles appearing on the screen stating the name of the film and other features. Slow piano music is played in a non diegetic form while this happens. The slow music connotes the elegance of a Princess and the blue background ties in with the innocence too which would suggest to the audience the film is based around femininity. A tilt is used from the shot of a blue background two tilt down.This is when the audience realise the blue was in fact the sky, and the tilt movement then sits at the top of the San Fransisco bridge. This informs audience of the regional identity as the bridge is a landmark. The camera stays at a high angle shot looking over the bridge and skyline. This then fades into another scene of a long road (long shot is used) revealing two motorbikes with sirens and a limo behind it with flags on. Which then again fades into a point of view shot from the side of the limo looking at the two motorbikes in front. This shot clearly reveals some importance to the limo and creates an enigma as we question, who is inside the limo? What relevance do they have to the film? Or even, is this the Princess we hear about in the title? The idea of girls wanting to be like Princesses in their youth is a common concept as a lot of girls are portrayed in films as wealthy and always getting what they want. These questions may be explained later on. Another key thing about this camera shot, is that while the camera follows the car, a flag which is attached to the limo waves in front of the camera. It is not clear what flag it is but it could represent a foreign country. A fade is used again to another screen using a crane shot over a what looks like a San Fransisco residential area and we see the limo and motorbikes on the road going off into the distance which creates an enigma as they were relevant at the very start yet now the focus has gone from them. We see here that the opening sequence so far is very much about identifying the characters whereabouts and the stock settings which is a common convention of all the opening sequences to teen romance films I have looked at.

The camera moves around to face a building in a more close up view to the others and we hear a woman shouting "Time for school!". Here we know that the teenager the film focuses on is still in presumably high school and in the window the camera faces on to, we see a sign with the name 'Mia' on it. The audience will presume the teenager is a girl called Mia. So we are introduced to two of the characters in a discreet way in the first two minutes. A straight cut is used into a bedroom of a girl in a uniform, with glasses and big 'frizzy' hair opening the blinds on a window with the sign behind it stating her name behind it. As this shot is shown, a different non diegetic sound is played which is more suited to teenagers with a pop/rock sound to it which is identifiable for teenagers, the films target audience. The change from soft and elegant music to this pop, rock music suggests that many teenagers dream of fairytale lifestyles where they are like Princesses yet this contrast states that really, the girl we see is only a teenager in a normal, day to day life. The appearance of the girl is very different to what we may expect to see in a teen romance. It is common too see a pretty, 'hot' blond in a teen romance as the first character we're introduced to but here we see a very different, 'geeky' looking character however we still presume her to be the main character throughout this film. We hear a woman shout again saying "Your going to be late for school". Teenagers often have to be encouraged to get up and to attend school so teenagers would relate to this character for this concept. The messy room we see behind her  with clutter everywhere could possibly connote a teenage girls mind, with all the confusion and problems of growing up. We then see the girl talking to the cat - this is quite an odd concept as people don't usually talk to cats they are just there as a pet so the audience may consider that she doesn't have many friends or she is quite lonely. We are then shown a low angle shot of her coming down two sets of stairs. The idea that her bedroom is so high up suggests her being separate from whoever else lives in the house and in favour of her own space. Many teenage girls feel the need to have independence in the family home and they tend to stay away from family members to avoid teenage troubles. Titles are still continuously being shown over this identifying actors/actresses. The shot then moves on to her placing the cat down and holding on to a pole. A low angle shot and a tilt camera movement is used to watch the girl slide down the pole. It is not a normal feature to have a pole in a home setting therefore this connotes that her life may be very different to many, or it reflects on her unique personality and need to stand out. The sequence finishes with a high angle shot of what we suspect to be the mother climbing down a ladder onto the bottom floor with Mia next to her. 

What we have learnt from this opening sequence is that progressive development of setting appears to be crucial in identifying the lifestyles of the characters and the characters themselves. It also helps represent class and regional identity for the characters. Also, the character goes against the classical convention of the popular girl which is a good idea for a future concept as it mixes up the stereotypical version of teen romance.

Step Up, 2006

The 'Step Up' opening sequence begins with the animated introduction by Constantin Film which identifies the production company. A fade to black is used to introduce another production company being Summit Entertainment. Another fade to black is used then a fade in when we begin to hear sounds such as clanging around and muttering voices, and with this we begin to see a long shot of girls in ballet outfits walking into what appears to look like an indoor ballet gym or possible a school which would be a typical setting for teen romance. The titles appear over this as the girls begin to stretch as if they're going to prepare themselves to dance. For a first introduction to the film, the scene of ballet dancers can be quite confusing as it is hard to see how this links in with the genre of teen romance however progressively through the opening sequence we can see how this can be successful. This then quickly fades out to a different and much darker setting, which helps intensify the contrast between the two settings. The first one with the ballet dancers is very well lit with high key lighting however in this setting, it is hard to pin point the appearance of each character shown. We can see in the second setting that the characters are not in a formal setting and from the way they are acting eg. dancing in and greeting one another. This suggests that this film involves two different crowds or societies, and the clashing or joining of these two groups. The second time we see the 'informal' setting, the title for Step Up forms across the screen and this is where the non diegetic sound track begins. It is a very up beat/hip hop soundtrack which resembles the dancing seen in the informal setting but doesn't fit well with the ballet dancing which could again suggest a clash in cultures.

As soon as the music starts, the opening sequence switches in between the two settings and shows the ballet dancers dancing in routine and also the urban dancers dancing. The dancing is very much in time with the music which helps with the rhythm and pace of the sequence. The idea if dancing being put forward as the main purpose highlights the fact that in teenage years, many teens have a hobby or a favourite activity they could possibly want to pursue for a career option, so to show two very different groups of people, taking part in the same activity could possibly make the audience believe that this is the reason these two groups are linked.

There are lots of mid shots used on the dancers feet in both scenes which highlight the different movements of the characters. I think varying the camera shots is useful in opening scenes as it gives the audience different perspectives of characters they are being shown, and of setting. In the previous three openings I have looked at, it seems that setting is highlighted much more than this one however the contrast between the two create many enigmas such as is the apparent difference in setting relevant to the romance? Is the narrative of the story about a girl and a boy from different social groups or different areas? These are just two of the questions which could be asked after seeing this title sequence. The same scenes switch back and forth for the full two minutes with titles being shown over them. The main thing in this title sequence is that it doesn't pay any attention to introduction to characters, or a central setting and only a very limited hint as to what the plot may be, but just simply shows two clearly different groups of people dancing in different settings.

New York Minute, 2004

The opening sequence for New York Minute is very different to what we would expect. The typical Warner Brother Pictures introduction is used, visually, as it always in however the recognisable music which accompanies it has been altered so it is the same tune, however guitars are used to make it sound much more 'rock' like. This automatically, before we have seen any of the titles, suggests that the film may have a rock music element to it however the audience are very limited in terms of knowledge. Once this has finishes, the Warner Brothers screen is wiped out behind a huge clock hand while quickly paced, non diegetic music is played over the top of clock bells in a diegetic form. The camera is used on a crane to zoom out at the watch then go round the opposite side and through the surface of the watch revealing the inside clockwork. This creates a very big enigma as we wonder, what has the intricate detail of a clock got to do with a teen romance. This film also contains the elements of drama similarly with other films however it is the same case being that it creates many possibility's as to what this is being used for. Titles are played over the top such as production companies, actors and actresses and so forth. The camera continues to continue through the clock work in different directions until it slows down and we see a girl running past saying "I'm late, I'm late". We realise that surely this can't be reality as the setting is so unreal so we start to suggest that this could possibly be a dream. The reference to her being late is a typical concept of teenagers, as they are stereotypically lazy and very often find it difficult to meet times and deadlines. She then enters through two double doors, and as she enters, the camera straight cuts into a very white hall or a room and creates a mid shot of her face. The actress is a very 'pretty' blond girl which would could connote the typical character of a teen romance film and possibly the main character as she is the first person we are introduced too. The camera switches to show the white hall which appears to be on the underside of the clock face as on the floor you can see the clock surface and hands appear, there are also doors on either side and the camera then returns back to a mid shot using tracking to follow her running down this hallway. The enigma is still the main focus as this is very thought provoking in the fact the setting is very unclear, and also, is it a vivid dream being explained for a purpose. 

The camera then shows a midshot of a male figure popping his head around the door saying "Are you reading for your speech Miss Ryan?". Here we gather information about the female character as we now know her surname and we also realise that she is worried about giving a speech but what this speech is for is still unknown. Teenagers tend to face many problems of various sorts which cause stress and feelings of being worried, so the target audience of this film would relate to the stress we see her in. The same thing (people popping their head out of various different doors and asking her questions about her speech) happens a total of three times, and this leads on to the screen splitting into two, forming a mirrored reflection of the same image (her rushing around trying to open many doors). The camera then zooms into one door quickly and a bright light flashes to reveal a midshot of the girl from behind on a stage facing a crowd of people. Long shots are used to show the audience by zooming in from a distance to show their reactions when she appears, which is laughter. This supplys the audience with the information that she is clearly doing or wearing something which creates humility and this realates to many girls who, in their teenage years, feel that they have something embarresing about them and feel like people are judging them for it. The camera switches back and forth showing her face in shock replying to the mass of people laughing with "what?" and again, showing sections of the audience laughing. She then steps out behind a stand in which she appears to be naked. This is when we realise, this is most likely to be a dream as this wouldn't happen in real life. 

This section of the sequence finishes with the camera on a crane zooming out from her hiding her body parts with her arms screaming, to reveal a large building which continusly moves away from revealing a large city land scape. We still hear her scream however the camera turns and shows New York Central Park which is when we see the title for the film appear across the screen. The camera continues to 'fly' very quickly in and out of New York showing different areas at a large scale from a big height, the pace of this could connote to the pace of a teenagers lifestyle as most teenagers lead hectic lives with a lot happening. It continues to do this until it reaches a road and the camera enters a window of a house and finishes with a extreme close up of the same girl we saw at the beginnings eye opening with an alarm playing. This confirms that what we saw was a dream yet the audience would link her and the speech we heard about together. Her room is very girly, with pink walls and bed linen which connotes she is a feminie character who takes pride in her appearance. The sequence ends with her walking down a staircase preparing breakfast. 


In conclusion, this opening sequence is very dramatic compared to the others I have analysed which contains a lot more technical detail. I believe this causes a lot more confusion with the audience however it does enable them to become much more familiar with the characters personality and lifestyle and less focus on setting.

Analysis of three films

After analysing the opening scenes to five teen-romance films, we have been asked to to a similar analysis based on three whole films to give us a more in depth understanding of what this genre includes and the conventions it holds.

The Last Song, 2010

Plot Summary

 In this film, it starts of with us being introduced to a female character who appears to be fairly distant from her family. Her mother takes her younger brother and the female character, being Ronnie, to their fathers who lives in a house on the beach. Her parents are divorced therefore Ronnie and her brother, Jonah, are going to their fathers for the summer period. For some reason unknown, Ronnie, although sharing a particularly keen  liking towards music, dislikes her father and ignores him as much as possible.  Her father spends a lot of his time producing a centre piece for the church, being a stained glass window in which Jonah learns to help him with. She begins to explore her new temporary setting and the people within it by visiting local hang out areas, however the 'new girl' is looked down upon by the stereotypical cliques within teenagers which results in her meeting the wrong crowd of people and participating in social events which she doesn't feel are right.

 Ignoring this, she results in meeting the stereotypical handsome, volleyball player who is the popular male with teenage girls within this society. After several ups and downs of meetings and arguments, she realises she has fell for him, and so forth they gradually progress their relationship into what they call 'love'. With their relationship blossoming, the sad news is presented to Ronnie and Jonah when they find out their father has a terrible illness which will unfortunately lead to death. Ronnie decides to fight the idea off and stays with her father while he gets ill to look after him and to give him back the time she was so nasty to him. While this is happening, Jonah continues working on the church piece as a present to his father with Will's help (Ronnie's boyfriend). Will comes clean to Ronnie that before she arrived, he was responsible for a church fire in which her father was a victim in which she breaks up with him for. As her father falls more ill, we see her focus more on music, the element of her life in which her father loved the most and wanted her to pursue a career on. When their father passes away, the song her father wrote for Ronnie, she played at the funeral and the church is renovated for the occasion with the stained glass window, completed by Jonah used as a dedication. Will arrives to the funeral unexpectedly and apologises for his actions. In this sense, the films end with a happy ending as the couple are re-united however the loss of the father lives on behind this happiness.

 

Stock Settings 

In many teen romance films we would tend to see high schools or house party's being the stock settings throughout, however this film varies on settings and are not the average stock settings we would usually expect in this genre;

Ronnie and Jonah

Throughout this film, one of the main focus points is on the beach in which her father lives on. This is a place where we are introduced to a lot of the characters, and is especially important as it is where Ronnie and Will meet each other. It appears to be the setting where social interaction is most likely between Ronnie and the other characters surrounding her. Beaches are often renown for being a peaceful setting with tranquil views which could be used to connote a side to Ronnie's character which is hard to see through the drama she is surrounded by. It appears to be an escape in many ways for the characters to roam when they are troubled by problems which is common in teens.

Ronnie and Father inside home

 When looking at the concept of their family life, her fathers home is a stock setting used throughout the whole film. It is where Ronnie and her father try to create a strong relationship and is where their talents shine through. Most teenagers still live at home so this is the obvious connotation of this however, for it to be their place of comfort and where their talents are noticed more is used successfully in this film as it highlights the steady relationship.




Cafes, Will's home, cars, weddings, churches and shops are just some of the other settings shown in the film however they are not necessarily settings we would associate with teen romance dramas as typical settings would usually be shopping centres and social events.

Characters

Ronnie and Will

Ronnie Miller - the main character throughout the film. She is the character in which the drama within the film revolves around her and her daily lifestyle. She has a unique style and is not what we would expect to see in a teen romance however this challenges stereotypical nature of this genre. 
Will Blakelee - is the second item of the main relationship throughout the film. He is the stereotypical popular boy who is into sports and is seen as good looking.

Steve and Jonah

Steve Miller - This is Ronnie's father who shares a very distant relationship with her (common in teens keep distance from their parents). After the divorce, they didn't speak for 3 years. The presence of Steve in this film is vital as the film appears to be solely on the progression of relationships. 
 Jonah Miller - This is Ronnie's younger brother who she appears to engage with only when the should. He appears to be the character who helps keep their family together as he is always encouraging them to attend places together.

Themes 

> Love

> Loss

> Heartbreak

> Conflict

What A Girl Wants, 2003

Plot Summary

 Since she could remember, Daphne aged 17, always longed one day meet her father. A downtown New York girl leaves her mother, Libby, to go to England for a search to find her father. Interestingly enough, he has no idea she exists. Libby and Henry, her father, married in Morocco however the upper class family didn't approve of his choices so the relationship washed out until she left, despite the close relationship they had, she never returned. When Daphne arrives in England, she almost immediately meets Ian, the young humble musician who is keen to help her. However her focus is still on meeting her father, so she goes to extreme lengths by breaking into his estate who he mistakes her for being the press seeing as he is in the midst of campaigning for the election. After being caught, and after she explains herself as to who she is, the shock that Henry has a daughter begins to kick in. Glynnis and Clarissa, his fiance and step-daughter are threatened by Daphne's shock appearance at first sightings and take it into their hands to see she is not around for long. Regarding this, the leading lady, Jocelyn Dashwood, of the estate soon takes a liking towards her and lets her stay in their home giving Daphne more time to bond with her father. 
 As Henry attempts to form Daphne from wild, New York teenager to upper class, sophisticated lady, it means she is attending events way out of her comfort zone. Clarissa and Glynnis continue to make life very hard for her to try and get her to go back home. While this is going on, Daphne and Ian remain close friends however their relationship blossoms half way through the film. He isn't keen on the 'new' Daphne and prefers the old one however her priorities are on pleasing her newly found father which causes Ian and Daphne to fall out. 

Stock Settings

Social Events/Estates

Within this film, showing the importance of social class and wealth seems to be an important feature. Daphne is a normal teenage girl who lives in a downtown apartment in New York, whereas her new life in London is a upper class, aristocrat family. The differences are clear, however by showing the large mansions and displaying various events which take place, it exaggerates the fact that this lifestyle will be much harder for Daphne to fit in with.

Characters

Daphne and Ian

Daphne Reynolds - She is the 'new girl in town' from a different country who doesn't particularly fit in with the standard British way of life. Her bright personality brings fun and trouble to the upper class social life of her fathers.   
Ian Wallace - Is the object of love for Daphne throughout this film. He is the person in London who she meets first and  from this he to help her achieve her goals. As an ambitious musician, he tries to win her heart with songs and passion in a way which appears to be much older than their age.

Henry Dashwood

Henry Dashwood - The father in which she never knew. After finding out he had a daughter, we see his life turn upside down as he tries to figure out what is best for his real family, Daphne, or his family as he knew it to be. As an upper class man in society, Daphne's out-going personality is a lot for him to handle however, the relationship grows between them and surprisingly his old one, between him and Libby (Daphne's mother).

Glynnis and Clarissa

Glynnis Payne - Henry's new wife. With a prim and rude personality, her and the news of Daphne do not go hand in hand however with Daphne refusing to leave, she has to put up with the craziness brought into their family. She goes to extreme lengths to get rid of her. She resembles a typical fairytale view of 'evil stepmother'. 

Clarissa Payne - The evil stepsister who feels as if she is being replaced by Daphne. Her rude, arrogant and jealous ways cause her to be disliked by a few however this doesn't stop her. 

Themes 

> Love
> Loss
> Acceptance
> Friendship
> Jealousy/Envy

Dear John, 2010

Plot Summary

 Army seargent John Tyree returns to his home, on a two week leave from Germany. Returning to his father and friends, he has limited time to relax. However he meets Savannah Curtism, a student at the University of North Carolina, after he saved her bag which happened to fall into the sea. She too is on break from university and is in the midst of building a house for a organisation. After spending everyday with each other, they fall in love practically at first sight and he begins to help her with the house. Johns father becomes a important element of their relationship, as Savannah takes a liking to him although John doesn't talk much with him however after watching him she suggests he may suffer with autism and. When they two weeks break comes to an end, Savannah promises to write to him for the next 12 months until he returned. However when John is asked to stay put in the army due to 9/11 attack, he therefore doesn't see Savannah for years and when he finally returns in the future, she is married with another male. When the realization that Johns father is ill, John sells his fathers coin collection for money to make him better. It ends with a happy ending.

Stock Settings

• The beach is an important setting as this is wear Savannah and John first meet. It seems to highlight the fact that teen romances are usually not family based or home based but in social areas and this is wear we see them as a couple a lot. 
• Other settings include family homes, the building site, army base and many others however none of these show significant importance

Characters

John and Savannah

John Tyree - Being raised by his father, he took a big interest in coins just like his father. After a rough past, he meets Savannah before his leaving date back to the army and happens to fall in love with her. He is the stereotypical handsome, ex bad boy male who turns good when in love.

Savannah Curtis - The pretty girl who falls in love unexpectedly but then, after he leaves the for the army for a long time, she marries another male which blows out the relationship. She is the person to inform John that his father may have an illness and is also a very kind person.

Mr Tyree

Mr Tyree - This is John's father, he is an unexpected main character of a teen romance however his importance is constistant throughout the film. he shares the same interests with his son, and although talking to him, Savannah becomes fond of his father and spends a lot of time talking to him. He is diagonoses with autism and his illness effects the people and his actions within the film

Themes

> Love

> Loss

> Bereavement

> New Love
> Illness