Monday, 28 February 2011

Teenage and Young adult research

Trainspotting:
Mark Renton, a young man with few prospects and fewer ambitions, lives in economically depressed Edinburgh. Like most of his friends, Renton is a heroin addict who loves the drug's blissful nothingness; financing his habit also provides excitement and challenges that his life otherwise lacks. Renton's two best friends are also junkies: Sick Boy, a snappy dresser obsessed with James Bond, and Spud, a guileless nerd who suggests Pee Wee Herman's debauched cousin. Renton and his pals also hang out with Begbie, a borderline psychotic who loathes junkies even though he drinks like a fish. After one too many brushes with the law, Renton kicks heroin and moves to London, where he finds a job, a flat, and something close to peace of mind. However, Sick Boy, Begbie, and Spud all arrive at his doorstep on the trail of a big score, leading Renton back into drugs and crime.

This can be useful towards my final piece because it shows young adults with troubles. Even though my Radio play is not about drugs it still has the facts of 'hanging around with the wrong crowd' - which is similar to Billy being friends with Rory and Helena falling in love with Billy, it also has the idea of ambitions, rebellion, living and danger. Narrative shifts also are used in this film, at the start of Trainspotting Renton narrates as certain scenes are shown which is the same as Billy and the shifts in narration in my Radio play.


Cemetery Junction:
It's 1973 in Cemetery Junction, a Reading suburb. Three working class lads, best friends, are coming of age. Freddie wants to rise above his station, taking a job selling life insurance, wearing a suit and tie. Snork works at the railway station and wants a girlfriend some day. Bruce talks of leaving but seems on track to work at a factory, drink and fight, and become like his dad, in front of the telly with beer on hand; and he's trying the patience of the police officer who gets him out of jams. Freddie's job leads the lads toward a few small changes. He runs across a childhood friend, Julie, his boss's daughter who's engaged to the firm's top seller. Can the lads break out?


Cemetery Junction could be similar to my play because it is a coming of age film which shows the issues of growing up in a working class family. This could relate to Helena and how she has to grow up in the camp knowing that she may not have a future which is similar to Bruce, snork and Freddie in this film. Father's expectations are also used in this film- The character of Freddie is very similar to Billy as they both have Father's who expect them to have the same job as they did /do ( Freddie's father wants him to carry on working in a Factory and Billy's Father wants him to be in the army.) Status and class is also discussed in this film- Freddie soon gets somewhere when he finally gets a job with Mr Kendrick however the issue of class and status is clearly seen as Kendrick describes Cemetery Junction as a 'dump'. This relates to the Germans behaviour towards the Jews

Similar Themes :
- Rebeliion
-Relationships
- Ideas of Hope and Freedom
-Class
-Coming of age
-Restricted relationships

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