Film 3: Wedding Crashers

Wedding Crashers is a 2005 film boasting a cast that includes Vince

Vaughan, Owen Wilson, Isla Fisher, Will Ferrell and Christopher
Walken. John (Vaughan) and Jeremy (Wilson) love to crash weddings in
order to have sex with plenty of females. Yet when they attend the
wedding of the daughter of government official William Cleary (Walken)
they manage to finally fall in love and settle down, with plenty of
amusing incidents along the way, varying from being shot in the leg,
brutally tackled or even homosexually enticed. A true gem of a comedy.

Camera Angles and Shots:

Wedding Crashers opens with a two shot, showing John and Jeremy in an
office. Immediately this establishes that they are going to be two key
significant characters throughout the movie. Use of the two shot also hints at companionship and also
establishes an immediate connection between the pair. The shot then cuts to a medium shot of a
female, again this serves to introduce another character within the room. She is initially presented as
being isolated, yet it inevitably turns out she too has somebody with her, hinting that the person she is
with is having very little input into the debate, and is doing his job poorly. Succeeding this is another
two shot, this time of two different male figures, further introducing new characters, verifying they
are in some sort of meeting and also emphasising the female’s isolation. Medium shots are further
employed, with individual shots of both John and Jeremy. This is symbolic of the fact that they both
have things to say, different things that may influence the outcome of the meeting. A long shot is used
not only to reveal all six people present, but could symbolise the fact that they are a long way away
from finding a solution to their problem. Medium shots continue to be used of the man and woman
sparring, showing the argumentative nature of them both.

Mise’ en Scene:

Mise’ en Scene is used effectively in this scene.

Both John and Jeremy are dressed wearing a shirt
and tie, suggestive that their job is formal. Yet use
of the red tie worn by John demonstrates he is a
bright, rather wild character, and the job is just a
cover up for the his true love is the art of ‘wedding
crashing.’ This could also reflect the formality of
weddings. They are not wearing a suit, however,
which hints that they may be more laid back and
calm than the other men in the room, who are
wearing jackets to accompany their shirt and tie,
again suggestive they are more serious about the
outcome, and their own jobs. Jeremy wears a blue
and white stripy shirt, showing that he is a calm and laid back character. The female is too dressed in
a suit, which could imply that in order for her to be successful; she needs to be more masculine, for all
other figures are male. Its colour is white, which is representative of her femininity, innocence and
vulnerability. John and Jeremy’s body language is also conventional of a comedy character: they act
wildly, start singing and are rather eccentric, which is greeted with surprise by the other formal
characters. The office is rather bland, with very few pictures on the wall, suggestive that the job is
extremely serious and not an entertaining one. A bright green plant in the corner could show that they
have made a small effort to brighten it up a little bit, reflecting the brightness and vibrancy within
themselves when not in the office. Yet it is situated in the corner of the room, hinting that the men too
have to hide their real selves on a day to day basis.

Edits:

Edits in this opening two minute are basic. It snaps into the movie, representing the snapping words
being spoken between the participants of the meeting. Edits and transitions are extremely quick,
adding pace and speed in the office. Yet as they edge closer to a solution, the editing slows down. In
doing this it symbolises the new calmness of the conversation, and things are beginning to settle
down.

Sound:

Diegetic sound is initially heard prior to any characters actually being seen or introduced. The tones
are loud and argumentative, establishing that we are about to be thrust into the middle of a debate.
Long, boring music lacking rhythm (non diegetic sound) can then be heard, implying that the meeting
has been long and further reflecting just how exasperated John and Jeremy feel. No music is then
heard as John gives an ultimatum, ‘we can drag this out for another year or solve it now.’ In doing this
it shows how he is authoritative and eager to find a solution that benefits all parties, with the fact no
backing sound can be heard placing emphasis on his words, making them out to be of huge
importance. When the pair begin to sing, ‘jump up and shout now,’ it again reinforces the idea they
are laid back and wild at heart. Slang is used by the female when she declares her ex-husbands new
lover to be ‘white trash.’ In doing
this it allows the audience to
understand just how much she
loathes the new lady in her ex
husbands life. Further evidence of
the frustration is shown when
Jeremy blasphemously states, ‘oh
lord.’ Sound of a fan can be heard,
and hooting of a horn, establishing
that the place is situated within a
busy city and that it is modern.

Representation:

In this film, various characters are

represented. Lawyers are represented as capable when it comes to doing their job, yet wild, manic and
amusing when allowed to let their hair down. Girls are represented as beautiful throughout, and
extremely vain (the mother of one girl asks Jeremy to feel her new implants.) They are also
represented as controlling, such as when Gloria (Isla Fisher) ties John up and has sex with him against
his will. Priests and figures of religion are represented as people who go against their own morals,
such as when the priest informs the family of John and Gloria’s sexual exploits despite specifically
asking him not to. Sports players and the physically superior are represented as arrogant, manipulative
and controlling.

Ideology:
The ideas the director is attempting to relay to the audience include that crashing weddings are wrong.
You should only attend a wedding if you are invited to it. Also, the ideology could perhaps be that
true love and friendship conquers all, such as when John and Jeremy end the film by driving off with
the women they love. The director chose such huge mansions and celebrations are a symbol of the
wealth of the characters that feature in the film. Also, he himself believes weddings to be vibrant,
colourful, exciting days of celebration, as shown by the various weddings in the film. In contrast, he
could believe that funerals are sombre, morose affairs, due to how in the film it is pouring with rain
when Jeremy decides to crash a funeral. The director could believe that lawyers have the cunning and
charm to pull off just about anything. The main theme of the film is love, and how sometimes it can
be forbidden and unintentional.

Target Audience:

The target audience of wedding crashers could be just about anybody. Teenagers would absolutely
love it, with the boys perhaps appreciating the more sexual and violent jokes, with girls instead being
more amused at the desperate lengths Gloria goes to to woo John. We are all able to somewhat relate
to some of the situations, such as falling in love with somebody whom is off limits. This film can also
appeal to all adults: it is a film about love, and any adult in love can again relate to it.