Harry Alfont and Deborah Kaplan’s film Can’t Hardly Wait is a dramatic, attempted comedy about a high school’s last “hoorah” party. It’s plain, forgettable Preston Meyers’ (Ethan Embry) last chance to get the girl who got away, Amanda Beckett (Jennifer Love Hewitt), fun-loving prom queen. He continually fantasizes about the first time he met her—she was eating his favorite Pop Tart, and he let her slip away into cocky football player, Mike Dexter’s paws when he hesitated to give her a tour of the school. The plot unravels at a house party gone horribly wrong; students are drunk, having sex and ready to party. Amanda gains her independence, Preston pursues the girl of his dreams, along with an array of other occurrences that change the students’ lives forever.
In this scene, at 28:13, Preston’s friend Denise (Lauren Ambrose) has been dragged along to this party so Preston can drool over Amanda more and finally get the courage to talk to her. She is extremely uncomfortable in this situation, unfamiliar with the atmosphere at raging high school parties. Preston wanders off in search of Amanda and Denise is left alone, to find a ride home and fend for herself in an environment that could be compared to a riot—disastrous, destructive and unpredictable.
The awkward high angle shot emphasizes her relative insignificance at the party and creates a sense of aesthetic awkwardness in the scene. The wide angle lens makes the distance between her and the rest of the people at the party even greater. The sort of ring around her where people keep their distance signifies the personality gap between herself and the rest of the students at the party. This is not her idea of fun—and it shows, yet everyone else seems to be having a blast. The people on her right and left are enthralled in conversation with other people, completely unaware of Denise’s presence. Her minuteness is also depicted with her smallness in the frame. She looks feeble and meek in this medium shot. She fiddles with her hands and awkwardly fusses with her jacket. Lauren Ambrose’s acting really strengthens this role because she causes the audience to feel her awkwardness and discomfort with the situation.
Her clothing sets her apart as well. While everyone else is clothed in t-shirts and tank tops, Denise is wearing a slightly gothic looking holy shirt and an awkward faux leather jacket which she awkwardly takes off and puts back on, unable to decide which is better. The fact that she is placed right in the middle of the couch, right in the middle of the frame is perfect for this scene because it isolates her more and it emphasizes her in the screen. The ugly couch she is sitting on separates her from the rest of the party, creating a wall between her and any contact with the other partygoers. She is even enclosed by the two pillows facing towards her, as though blockades from even the people on the sides of her. The hideous lamp in the background also disconnects her from the rest of the party and just makes the scene just a little bit more off.
The light on Denise’s face illuminates her, as if everyone’s eyes are on her—including the audience’s—and increases the discomfort emitted. She draws in the viewer’s attention. The rest of the background is mostly all one dull droning color, yet with Denise illuminated by the orange light, it puts the spotlight on her. There is even a man in the top right corner that almost looks as though he’s saying, “What is she doing just sitting there? This is a party!”
Ironically I just noticed, this frame is almost symmetrical, with Denise right in the center, the couch right in the center, people on both sides of her, and a lamp with a model ship on the other side. I would think that this is implying this type of outcast feeling she has, is not completely foreign to her, as though it happens all the time. Also, I think it shows that she does not really desire to change herself in order to fit in—that she is balanced the way she is and I think if she did fit in, it would throw the balance of herself and the movie. That might be taking it a little too far, I’m not sure.
So, without seeing the movie, do you think that from this frame you would be able to pick up the fact that she is uncomfortable with being at this party? Secondly, do you think that the couch represents the divide between her and the party, and how would the story be different if that couch was not there?
I think you can deffinately tell she is uncomfortable at this party. She is isolated from anybody else at the party and you can tell she does not fit it. I think that if she wanted to fit it but didn't, she would make more of an effort to talk to people, etc. but her sitting around doing nothing shows how much she does not want to be at the party.
ReplyDeleteI think the couch makes the scene and tells the story better. If the couch was not there, you could not tell if she wanted to be there but didn't fit it, or if she just didn't want to be there at all and isn't trying to make an effort.
Even though I have seen this movie, the first time I saw it, Denise (to me) obviously did not belong at that party. Her acting, her staging, and the lighting just exaggurates the awkwardness that she was dealing with at the party. Also, I think if the couch were not there and she was maybe standing with the group of people the feeling would be different. She would not be as isolated if the couch was not there. Since the couch takes up the entire width of the screen it definitley creates a barrier from her and the rest of the people at the party.
ReplyDeleteWithout seeing this movie, I can easily say that Denise most definitely does not fit into this party scene. She is sitting all by herself on a couch surrounded by people that seem like they don't want to even get too close to her. She also seems like she is somehow alone in a crowded room of people. From the expression, you can tell that she is feeling awkward in this situation and just wants to leave.
ReplyDeleteI feel like Denise is using the couch as her protection or border line between her and the rest of the party. If the couch was missing in this scene, she would not have something to block her from the other people and the audience may not understand the sgnificance of this scene. The couch somehow makes this frame more effective and meaningful.
Denise seems distant and isolated from the party. she seems like she was peer pressured to go to the party and she is extremely uncomfortable to be there. it seems that she simply does not fit in to her surroundings.
ReplyDeletethe couch acts as a barrier between her and all that is happening behind her. the party seems distant from Denise. this would be a much different shot if the couch was not there because there would be no barrier between her and the party and she would seem to fit in much more normally.
Even without seeing the movie, it is obvious that Densie simply does not belong with the crowd. Not only does her face signify discomfort and sadness, everything from her red hair to her sparkly clothes do not fit with anyone else in the party. In addition, the shot shows Densie at a lower position on the frame, while everyone else is above her, signifying a large rift between her and the others.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Paul about the couch. The couch serves as the barrier between her shy self and the rest of the partiers. However, the couch can also be seen as a comfort and a place to hid because Densie sits in it. If it didn't represent a safe haven, she would have never sit on that sofa.
Without seeing the film, you can most definitely tell that Denise is uncomfortabel being at this party.
ReplyDeleteShe is acompletely isolated in a small area, and shes in a crowded room yet nobody is talking to her or sitting next to her. Agreeing with tanya, she seems as though she is alone in a room full of people. Without even a smile on her face, she seems uncomfortable and uninterested.
Agreeing with Paul and Jin, it is apparent that the couch is a barrier between Denise and the party. And even though there are people on the couch near her, their backs are facing her almost making it seem like shes the only one actially on the couch. It's sort of her getaway or comfort zone where she keeps to herself, and knows she won't be bothered especially because she's too shy to get up and go itroduce herself to someone anyway.