Sydney White is a story that attempts to depict the

social scene of a college campus in the most melodramatic

sense. This teen, romance comedy applies a well known story,
Snow White, to a college campus, thus showcasing the
familiar themes of finding true love and friendship. By
combining the well-known fairy tale into the movie, the
numerous allusions create the comedy. The fairy tale
resemblance appeals to the younger generation, primarily
teenagers who are either in school and know about greek life
or in college. This one hour and forty-eight minute long
movie is rated PG-13 and given between six and seven out of
ten stars based upon its quality.
Sydney White is set on a college campus and follows a typical
teen-college movie/fairy tale story line in this mashup of the two. Main character Sydney
White(Amanda Bynes) poses as the girl who does not quite fit into the popular crowd based
upon her personality, but is a match against any girl based upon her looks. She heads to college
and attempts to rush her mothers sorority, Kappa Phi Nu, which she discovers upon attending
the first rush event that the Kappas are the stereotypical rich blondes on campus. The president of
the Kappas, Rachel Witchburn(Sara Paxton), becomes extremely jealous and ultimately
threatened by Whites appearance as well as Tyler Princes(Matt Long) attraction to her. In
typical mean girl fashion, Witchburn throws White out of the sorority where White is then
forced to live at the Vortex with the seven dorks next door. In a cliched series of events, White
and her new friends fight to overcome the social hierarchy in place at the university in order to
bring equality to the underrepresented general masses of the student body.
Director Joe Nussbaum(Sleepover and American Pie) brought to this movie what is to be
expected of him from his previous movies. He often combines teenage comedy and crude
commentary to form movies that exemplify the awkward teenage moments in life. With Sydney
White, he played off of cliques and stereotypes that are often associated with college and present
a common issue in the social dynamics of college. For the main character of this movie, none
would be better than an actress that commonly plays the role of an awkward teenager who
struggles to fit in. Bynes(Shes the Man and What a Girl Wants) is notorious for her comedic
roles and melodramatic performances. She regularly plays the role of a relatable tomboy who
feels unfit in the world she is placed in yet undoubtedly strives in the end to create equality in the
social scene. She is easily relatable for teenagers who have seen The Amanda Show at a young
age and progressed to her more mature teen movies. Paxton(Aquamarine and Sleepover) is
another star of teen movies. She often plays the role of the popular girl with her own little clique,
like in Sleepover. The lesser known Matt Long(Ghost Rider) has been clearly cast for his good
looks. This eye catching young man does not need to be known by the audience in order to
capture their attention.
Sydney White holds numerous similarities to Snow White; however, the story does not go
as far to replicate the old fairy tale in the college setting. These similarities are showcased in
painfully cliched ways. The first obvious congruity between the two is the names of the
characters. Three of the main characters have last names that allude to their assumed character in
the story of Snow White: White, Witchburn, and Prince, are the not so subtle way of showcasing
each characters similar character. Also, the Vortex, which houses the outcasts on campus,
conveniently houses seven dorks, which can be inferred as the seven dwarfs. The mashup
between these two story lines creates a majority of the comedy within Sydney White. It creates a
fairy tale feel while resembling life in college.
The depiction of college education in Sydney White is solely focused on the social aspect
of college, which makes the actual education aspect seem irrelevant. The issues of equality
between the popular crowd versus the dorks is most evident and overpowers any emphasis
on college education. In a few instances, the scenes of the movie are set in a classroom and
students are answering questions the professor is asking from his lecture. Here, both social and
educational aspects are intertwined. Witchburn answers the professors questions first and gives a
response that directly reflects her economic and social standing. White counters that with a more
educated and profound response that proves she is not just beauty but brains as well. From this
scene, I can begin to construct the underlying meaning of this movie is that college requires
thought and hard work, and is not merely about the social scene.
During the movie, Sydney White pairs with the seven dorks, who would stereotypically
be thought of as the genius, antisocial group. This group proves that you require more than
popularity to survive and succeed in a college setting. The dorks are overlooked by the Greeks as
they are seen as an inconvenience in the social setting. The Greeks believe that all that matters is
money, looks, and social status to advance them in college. White gathers with her dorks to prove
that labels should not play a role in college life and that the brains can outlast the beauty. While
hidden behind a storyline that depicts the social aspects of college life, the college education
aspect can still be found and is in my opinion the most inspirational component of this movie.
Sydney White takes an old tale and modernizes it onto a college campus. For any who
seek a twist on a classic that combines romance and comedy and addresses social and
educational issues that are common amongst numerous universities, then this movie is a must
see. Although melodramatic in almost every sense, Sydney White still manages to convey the
point that social status is not the most important factor in life, and that educational success can be
even more advantageous in the long run.

Works Cited
Crew Creative Advertising. Sydney White Movie Poster. 2007. IMP Awards.
http://www.impawards.com/2007/sydney_white.html. Accessed 21 February 2017.
Sydney White. Directed by Joe Nussbaum, performances by Amanda Bynes, Sara Paxton, and
Matt Long, film, 2007