Intertextuality

Intertextuality is to select the previous text to create new text or humorous. In order to understand it, the audience need to familiar with original text. For example, in the film, The Siam Renaissance (2003) which is based on popular novel, Thawipob. It is the romance and fantasy style directed by Surapong Pinitka. The film based on popular novel Thawipop by Tomayanti . Florence Vanida plays the role of Thai Consulate who is brought back to Siam during King Rama IV. In that period, Siam or Thailand was turbulent as Britain and France tries to colonize Siam so she has to help her country to survive with her ability.

intertextuality which suggests another dimension to the film. In this film, the written text could be change to visual text which the characters will be shown to audiences. Although this film based on novel, the artifact is different from the original text. The original text focuses on a romantic story between Maneejan and young official administration Tep along with solving the colonized problem, but the film focuses on the way to solve the problem rather than a love story. Therefore, this film uses the novel as its reference to reveal the plot structure and characters rather than copy.

Narrative Setting

Settings

Never Been Kissed shows two settings which the audience obtains teenage setting and romantic setting. In the teenage setting, it considers about there are three groups in high school popular culture, they are the pretty girls, prince charming and the brains. Adolescents from the movie are struggling on their life to be famous and popular. By looking at outside of people’s characters, everyone has high self-esteem and confidence. On the other hand, inside of people’s personality, everyone has low self-esteem and dissatisfaction. For example, for pretty girls, they always bring mirrors and want to give perfect poses and wonderful facial expression in every moment; the prince charming performs perfect in every way that male adolescents’ want to be like him, and female adolescents’ want to be with him. There is no doubt that he has confidence in front of people. These are evidences perfectly explains imaginary audience that Elkind (1967) argued was characterized adolescents always think others are watching and evaluating them. As the result, the pretty girls have high self-esteem on their good-looking and outfit. The girls consider they are important toward other people, as well as their attitudes.
In romantic setting, the romantic comedy movie always gives the audience a romantic fantasy, therefore; the myth of romantic comedy ends traditionally with a kiss. By looking at the ending scene, Josie stands on the field, asks for five minutes on the clock, and waits in silence. Then Sam finally shows up to kiss her with crowd cheering. Furthermore, Hollywood’s traditional stories of courtship and marriage have focused on the women’s resistance to romantic attachments, so the kiss often represents a valuable moment of change for her to find all fulfillment in men.

Fantasy Theme

The leading female character, Josie, who has the second chance to experience high school, what she wants to be and how she is going to do for not being regret since she has been through high school once? Josie chooses apparent hypocrisy from Elkind (1967) argument of egocentrism adolescence. Apparent hypocrisy (Elkind, 1967) occurs when teenagers appears to say one thing and do another. For example, Josie wants to cross over from unpopular to coolest because of her undercover reporting project to find out nowadays what high school popular culture is and what youths think about. However, in the reality people, especially teens, what to be apparent hypocrisy because it is easy to be around a target group that they want to be familiar with.
The leading character, Josie, also is satisfied most of people’s fantasy that if there the second chance, I will make it better. According to Bormann (Foss, 2004), fantasy theme is a method used by groups to intensify the group dynamic based on a communication that allows information sharing regarding issues relating to the group. Therefore, when a group comes together, attention must be paid to the group's social climate. As the theory suggests, this leads to a more productive group that not only achieves cohesion socially, but also productivity is heightened. This cohesion is gained by the group willingness to discuss outside issues and situations to give the group a sense of comfort and certainty about the other group members. There are two facts of fantasy theme analysis appeared in Never Been Kissed (1999). First, fantasy theme effects egocentrism adolescence from Hollywood movie. Second, fantasy theme gives another chance to people to have a better result when they meet the same circumstance again.

Hollywood Movies

Hollywood movies is part of American culture, also often represents American fantasy vision which people dream about but hard to make it real, no matter fiction movies, such as Back to The Future (1985), Star Wars (1977) , Harry Potter (2005), or action movie, such as, Independence Day (1996), Terminator (1984). Furthermore, teen’s movies probe into current adolescent society or youth problems, such as, Girl Interrupted (1999), American Pie (1999). There is fantasy everywhere in Hollywood movies. Moreover, Hollywood gives a huge impact of American society. Comedy is the most popular type of movie in Hollywood, especially teen comedies. These movies are very successful because they incorporate adolescent fashion, well-liked actors and actresses, and discuss current campus issues.
Movie is one of the direct impacts to teen’s popular culture because movie cultivates idol adoration. Young people like to chase on the popular culture from imitating Hollywood actors or actresses, the way to speak, the attitude to express emotions. Therefore, more and more Hollywood movie producers, directors often aim on current phenomena on campus and being interested in making film on adolescent topics. Never Been Kissed (1999) also focuses on teen’s popular culture, explores what teens need and give its audiences a fantasy regarding to a 2nd chance to experience high school again. Moreover, Never Been Kissed (1999) is a movie that tells both sides of the story the teens and adults. Their review collides in a way that gives them both important, yet also pokes fun of them both. Although the movie tells a story, also reflects current society, although in a more ironic and dramatic way.

Thai Festival

What a Perfect Day!!!@ Kapiolani Park, Waikiki. Bright and clear sky, sunshine, and good weather. After enjoy!! doing PAPER, finally I got a time break and enjoy my life. Last Saturday, I woke up early and took a walk from my apartment around 10 minutes in order to be the first group at Kapiolani Park. What happen? This place brought back the memory of Thai tradition and festival because it was held a Thai festival called Songkarn Day or Thai New Year which is a nation holiday. It was a good day for Thais and foreigners who live in Ohau, HI gathered and joined this festival. In the festival, there were several booths to sell Thai food, showed Thai dance and tradition, Thai song, and Thai boxing. People sat around in circle and enjoy eating and chatting after they were working hard for whole year.

Unfortunately, we missed the outstanding part which is throwing of water. In Thailand, these day people go out with containers of water or water gun and throwing water to each other or passerby. Furthermore, this festival is a good opportunity for those who far away from their home to go back to visit and pay respect their parents and elders. People believe that if they cleanse Buddha images by gently pouring water over them, this will bring their good luck and wealth to their life in New Year. Songkarn Day is the day for Thais to bring good things such as clean house and do good thing. Why throwing water? It is believed that water is the symbol of cleaning and washing of bad away from people.


Happy Songkarn Day!!!

Mythic Individualism

Return to his desk, busy with his stuffs, rush into accident location, and

finally refuse to assimilate the society.

All of these setting always happen in one genre which is detective genre and the same as cowboys and Western hero. All of these are ideology that offers in films of order genre. Ideology is a pattern beliefs that group interpret some aspects of the world which it reflects the group’ social, economic, political and culture. Ideology as form of knowledge and power are discourse which give the meaning to both material objects and social practices. Through out the film of order genre, the main character is alone, independent and self-reliance. His ability goes beyond others or even his opponent. Rules do not apply for him. In series, CIS, the main character works really hard to help other or solve murder case, but he cannot have love story or something always happen to someone that he loves. In the film, The Bourne Supremacy (2004) which Bourne has to live alone again after his girlfriend, Marie dies from sniper rifle because the enemy wants to kill Bourne.

Another example is the series, 24, the main character Jack Bauer. In season 1 Jack’s life was normal; he had wife and one daughter. His life was happy until his wife was killed and he has become lonely. Again, in this season 4, he involves with Audrey Raines whom he think that he could stop his busy life. He hopes to live with a peaceful life. However, he is wrong because Audrey Raines get risk by kidnapping. He had done every ways to help her. His characteristic is the same as other heroes like cowboys or detectives. He gets what he wants, one thing he couldn’t have is peaceful life. He ends up his relationship and became lonely. The heroes are always lonely. He is a personal a professional motivations. As his love is in danger so he has motivated to work. Furthermore, although he does not work for CTU, he is the only one knows about bureaucratic red tape. He has no authority but he can do what he wants to do. He does not care anyone; independent person. Rules do not apply for him. He has special skills (expert shot), knowledge, and experiences (thoughtful). Finally, he is always right at the end so society value him.

It is believed that all of this situation or plot always happens in detective and Western Hero films and series. Most main characters always end up their relationships and live alone.

Film Genres

Film genres are the material conditions that provide popular stories to satisfy audiences demand and make profit to the studios. Film genres can be examined into many structural components such as plots, characters, settings, thematic, and so on. In order to understand genres, the audiences need to look to the character types and conflicts which they will generate to identify their roles. Schatz stated that each genre show the expression of filmmakers and give the experience for audiences. The film genres can be divided into two groups: order such as gangster, detective, and Western hero and another group is integration which is romantic comedy and musical. The order group has male dominate while integration is female dominate. Both of them have different in conflict such as order group has conflict that arises from indigenous to the environment, reflect the physical and ideological struggle for its control. In short, the conflict is externalized or violent within contested space. The problem will resolve by individual male or collective which manage the process of reduction: elimination or death such as The Matrix and Star War. Another group is integration which conflict arises from the different between values, attitudes, and actions or the main characters’ emotions. This genre will embrace their love to resolve their conflict such as You’ve Got Mail and Never Been Kiss. In the film, Never Been Kiss (1999), the main character Josie Geller works as copy editor who has to go undercover herself at a local high school for her first story. At the school, she falls in love with Sam Coulson, English teacher, but she has to hide her true identity to write her story. Their conflict is occurred because Sam discovers her identity and cannot forgive her. However, finally, they become a couple because Sam decides to see her at baseball match. They embrace their love each other.