Opening Scene Analysis – My Best Friend’s Wedding

Opening Scene Analysis – My Best Friend’s Wedding

Summary:

The beginning of the opening starts with the institutional logo appearing (“Tristar”). Due to the animation the logo has it becomes clear to the audience that this movie is mainstream due to the fact the animation is impressive therefore the company put a decent amount of money into it. The remainder of the opening is 4 women singing “Wishin’ and Hopin”. This connotes the genre of the film and gives an idea that the film will contain some generic conventions of that particular genre.

Genre:

After the logo it becomes immediately clear that the genre of the movie is romance. This is established by the fact that the background is completely pink (normally related to love or femininity) and the wedding dress that the main character is wearing. The lyrics of the song may also give hints at the genre. “So if you’re looking to find love you can share” is one of the lines of the song that connotes the genre of romance. The playful nature of the song and how the actresses behave may also connote a sub-genre which would be comedy in this case.

Character:
There are four characters featured in the opening of the film. These four characters include three bridesmaids and one bride. This connotes the idea that the main character may get married.

Narrative/Setting:

The narrative and settings are not connoted in the opening. The opening in this regard is very unconventional since it doesn’t really hint at any aspects in the storyline unlike most movies. It only gives the audience an idea of genre and maybe some generic conventions featured in the movie.

Themes:

Themes in the opening can be established by characters and connoted by the pink background featured throughout the opening. The main theme is “Love” or “Romance”. This is further connoted by costume design used in the opening.

Sound:

Sound in the opening consists mainly of the song “Wishin’ and Hopin”. Lyrics like “So if you’re thinkin’ of how great true love is” makes it clear that the movie is related to romance.

Titles:

The titles used in the opening are unintegrated but are in a style of font that may be put on a wedding invite therefore connoting the movies storyline and giving audience a clear sense of genre and themes.

How this will help me

This opening can teach me how to create an opening that doesn’t have to hint at the genre or setting. It also teaches me how unconventional openings can work sometimes.