Bringing Down The House Analysis

Thomas Duffy

12/10/16

Director Comparative Analysis

The director I chose to compare was Adam Shankman. Not only is he a film director, but he is also a producer, dancer, author, actor and choreographer. His background alone, lends to his directing style in that he has history as a dancer, actor and choreographer. This is seen in his work by the exact placement of the characters and the exact movements and of course the dancing. In doing some research, his movie Bringing Down the House was a box office hit bringing in $31 million on its opening in theatres. As a Producer, his top grossing movie was The Pacifier.

I chose four of his movies for comparison purposes. The movies I chose were: Wedding Planner, Step up 2, A Walk to Remember and Cheaper by the Dozen 2. Based on watching just these movies I would have to say the director enjoys a romantic movie/family comedy in which the ending is exactly how the viewer would like it to end. The conclusion of these films is exactly what the viewer hopes for during the entire narrative, whether it’s true love or a happily ever after or a family coming together. He takes the viewer on a journey and delivers exactly what you want at the end which leaves the viewer with a sincere sense of contentment.

The mise-en-scene in these movies was very similar but appropriate for each

The Wedding Planner, Step Up 2 and A Walk to Remember were all love stories and were structured as such. The lighting, the setup, the mood, and everything that goes with it told us that they were love stories. There was a man and a woman in each movie that right from the beginning the viewer wants to see them together. Cheaper by the Dozen 2 had a different subject and therefore a different story structure but nonetheless still held true to the Director’s style. For comparison, Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and The Pacifier had similar structure and