CST333 – Hollywood and Beyond: Genres Across Cultures
Professor: Brent Horner
FILM FESTIVAL CATALOGUE
“Weddings With A Laugh”
Brought to you by: To Infinity & Beyond
Work of: KHAN ASMA, KHAN SULTANA NAZISH, UNZA JABEEN
Link to Prezi presentation: http://prezi.com/5mjxqfkev6d3/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share
Brochure Design: 
Festival Promo Trailer:
Brand logo design: To infinity and Beyond
WEDDINGS WITH A LAUGH
Have you ever wondered why these classic comedy are the highest grossing movies of the year? They consist of all elements that keeps a person on the edge throughout the movie, such as romance, often love triangle with full of tragic situations like vibrant weddings.
Let’s shed light on the evergreen genre that gives us the hysterical laughs and leaves us with unforgettable memories for decades.
Comedy Genre is one of the original genres, with some drama. During the time of 1930-1985 silent films were very significant and it relied more on visual humor. Burlesque and Slapstick were first to get popular in comedy films. During the silent period, Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton were famous comedic actors. In 1920, animated cartoon comedy started to come in trend such as Mickey Mouse. In the late 1920s, with the help of Max Brothers, Stan Laurel, W.C. fields and Oliver Hardy films incorporated sounds for verbal humor. Which helped in complementing visual humor.
Harold lloyd Charlie Chaplin Buster Keaton
Further in the 1990s-2010s, there was a large progress in re-emergence of romantic comedy films. Sleepless in Seattle, Clueless, and Harry Met Sally are some of the greatest romantic comedy films.
Comedy genre acts as a sub-genre for other genres such as musical comedy, romantic comedy, dramedy, etc. Mandatory elements of comedy are usually Mistaken Identity, Coincidence, Exaggeration, Violence, Irony, Surprise and Double Entendre.
In a romantic comedy, we commonly see two charismatic and young lovers, who seemingly are meant for each other yet they are kept apart from each other because of some obstacle (e.g. old lover, difference in class, family interference) until they overcome all the barriers, then they are finally united. There is always a typical happy ending in a romantic comedy film which is in a fairy stylic way.
Needless to say, these classic movies are the all-time favourite ones on our lists and we’d certainly re-watch them. To envision future comedy movies; certainly our expectations are quite heightened after watching the best we have in the industry.
Comedies are capable of so much more if they are presented in the right manner, it should be the thriving genre of all times. Comedy today is much different than it once was. “It asserts that humour is ostensibly about mocking the weak and exerting superiority.” (O’Hara, 2016) Comedies today have taken the approach of deriving humour from characters or plot-driven situations. “Typically, comedy films from the 21st century are R-rated films that contain generous portions of profanity, sex, and debauchery.” (Hoffman, 2014) The evolving content in comedy films alarms the society of what really is humourous for us in today’s era. I wonder what’s next in store for this pivotal genre of entertainment? Well, I guess only time will tell us.
These are the films that you definitely should not afford to miss out for the following features it offers:
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai movie brings us back to the days when friendship is everything to start a romantic relationship and you had to climb the hierarchical ladder step by step to reach a point of mutual bonding. The dialogue “Mujhse Fraaandship Karogi”, translates as “Will you be my friend?’ became the pick up line guys have held onto since that age, obviously with the touch of its own cultural accent. It reflects the times when young guys weren’t proficient in English yet being flirtatious.
What’s interesting to notice in the movie even after numerous viewings is the concept of tomboys and them mingling into a love triangle. In this film, the heroine was first portrayed as a tomboyish character with short bob haircut who appeared visually unattractive to the hero but as the story evolves, the heroine falls in love with the hero; she changes her dressing sense, wears makeup and flaunts her long luscious hair, the cliche appearance of an attractive women in Bollywood films. The portrayal of women in the context of love represents the need of women to meld themselves to be seen attractive to the male gaze whereas the males are mostly the standard heroes.
Surprisingly, this one breaks the conventional ways of parenting in an Indian society. The parents in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, were fabulous. They supported their kids no matter at “age 8, 18 or 28”. “It did teach us that no matter what age you are, you can always run up to your parents with teary eyes and expect to be taken care of.” (Times, 2017)
It is hard to miss this budget indie film that has won the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award and is the second most profitable film of all time. A big title it holds for a long 16 years since the movie made 61 times of it’s 6 million budget. Nia Vardalos, the brain behind the Greek themed movie and also the face of it, had surprisingly brought in a couple of her family members on the shoot to produce this cost-effective film, which was originally a one-woman play. Now you may have watched the movie and went hysterical the first time. Perhaps, another round of popcorn to this movie will serve you well by allowing you to notice the many small Greek cultural elements that are displayed in the movie, yet went unnoticed by many.
Here are only some of them, Ian Gomez, husband of Vardalos, cast’s as the groom’s best friend, Mike. Vardalos’ family plays the bride side in the wedding scene. The film based on the life of a Greek community in Winnipeg, Canada does not fail to depict the stereotypes faced “when Andrea Martin’s character learns that John Corbett’s character is a vegetarian, she gets a bewildered look and replies, “That’s okay. I make lamb.” The Greek God of love is a shy background detail that is noticed when Toula (Nia Vardalos) walks towards her house in her nightgown.
A film presenting traditional greek culture and strong family values that all members are required to follow. Nia Vardalos struggles with following her own Greek cultural rules and values. Despite knowing that her ethnic background only allows her to marry a Greek yet she falls for an American. The crisis occurs with the concept of interracial marriage and the clash of cultures harming the family bond. The protagonist faces the dilemma of being individualistic or collectivistic.
The Wedding Banquet provides a great deal of the daily life drama on a screen. Your father had a heart attack and now you have to fulfill his wishes in case he is going through his final days. A true reflection of reality, the only son in the movie, Wai Tung feels obliged to fulfill his father’s desires despite his own aspirations of marrying the man he loves. The marriage eventually does take place with a woman, not a man but even before the wedding vows are complete, there is an uproar at the ceremony. In reality, the matter of a wedding is an extremely important issue, such as the ring exchange ceremony as well as the couple’s kiss. They are the essential moments of weddings but the movie makes these rituals as if it’s silly. Less of a wedding and more of a roller coaster ride, as John Mayer preaches ‘Someday, everything will make perfect sense. So for now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears, be strong and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.”
The movie depicts parents holding high expectations on their children and wishing to see their grandchildren as soon as possible, which puts a great amount of pressure on young married couples. Have you been in those shoes before when your parents expect of you is to bring cute little children to them? The film perfectly showcases the social stigma of homosexuality viewed in traditional Chinese culture and the pressure to save the family name in public as well as preserving it for a lifetime. There is no doubt that enjoying this movie in an outdoor wedding setting shall make you feel a little relieved about the struggles in your own life.
All in all, these movies will bring you all the essentials to keep you hooked until the end, with a mix of comedy, drama and romance. Young couples are bound to share an unsaid moment about their fantasies for their future weddings. While, married couples can relish the ceremonies again in a dramatic way. The emotional memories revived are phrased as ‘flashbulb memory’ by Brown and Kulik (1977) that denote memories for events that elicited an emotional response at the time of their occurrence,’ which is exactly what these festival events will bring them.
The movies selection have a high cultural significance to satisfy the diverse community of moviegoers in Hong Kong. After their consumption, they can bring it back to their own countries and pay it forward. In example, My Big Fat Greek Wedding ‘uses comedy to pay tribute to a culture in tasteful, charming, and — most importantly — truthful ways.’ (LaGrave K., 2013)
The use of the language in the movies, such as the funny dialogue below and the reference to elements bring forward food for thought.
Gus: Give me a word — any word — and I’ll show you how the root of that word is Greek.
Ok? How about arachnophobia?
Arachna, that come from the Greek word for spider, and phobia is a phobia it means fear…so, fear of spider? There you go.
A realisation washes over that a huge amount of words in English, a language commonly shared by the world, are derived from Greek.
The selection further brings forward “… the results of 5,000 years of sexual repression,” through the comedy genre. As in The Wedding Banquet, ‘the gay-based story line is more a hook for a broader portrait of traditional Chinese attitudes to sex and posterity.’ The movie can reach the Chinese diaspora society that is spread out all over the US, Canada and Australia, as well as the other nations through its comedic entrances, bringing exposure to the topics of taboo.
KKHH’s (Romantic Comedy) leading star Shahrukh khan is called the King of Bollywood. He is Bollywood’s biggest romantic hero the film that gave him fame was “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ, 1995)”. Moreover, he has a global appeal, his film “My Name is Khan” was screened at the Berlin International Film festival in 2012, and when the tickets were auctioned on eBay it got sold out in a few seconds for 1000 Euro each. He’s one of the richest actors in the world. It’s no surprise that he earns more than some of the Hollywood stars like Johnny Depp and Tom Cruise. Want a selfie with the king khan? He has a life-size wax figure of him in Madame Tussauds in London and in Hong Kong.
References:
- Hoffman, M. (2014, April 4) The Comedy Genre: Film’s First Cinematic Movement. Cinemablography. Retrieved 28 March, 2018 from: http://www.cinemablography.org/blog/the-comedy-genre-films-first-cinematic-movement
- Kuch Kuch Hota Hai: Lessons it taught us. (2017, October 16). Retrieved March 27, 2018, from https://m.timesofindia.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/photo-features/kuch-kuch-hota-hai-lessons-it-taught-us/photostory/44837585.cms
- LaGrave K. (2013, June 25) 5 scenes from ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ that I experienced in Greece. Retrieved 28 March, 2018 from https://matadornetwork.com/abroad/5-scenes-from-my-big-fat-greek-wedding-that-i-experienced-in-greece/
- Mayer J. (n.d.) Quote Master. Retrieved 29 March, 2018 from https://www.quotemaster.org/q5055e732d5ccfc69bc39afd6d57d3e41
- O’Hara M. (2016, August 30) How Comedy Makes Us Better People. BBC. Retrieved 29 March, 2018 from: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160829-how-laughter-makes-us-better-people
- Strataki R. (2015, November 13) 20 things you didn’t know about “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”! (List). Useless Daily. Retrieved 27 March 2018 from https://www.uselessdaily.com/movies/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-my-big-fat-greek-wedding-list/#ixzz5B4NaIWUM
K H A N ' S ANTHEM 