SYDNEY WHITE
US, 2007, 108 minutes, Colour.
Amanda Bynes, Sarah Paxton, Matt Long, Jack Carpenter, Jeremy Howard.
Directed by Joe Nussbaum.
Modern variation on the fairytale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs!
The Snow White involved is Sydney White (say it quickly and it is a bit like Snow White). She is played by Amanda Bynes who had some popular roles in the first years of the 21st-century but then had personal problems and lost the momentum of her career.
She has quite a bright personality. She goes to college, going to the college that her mother belonged but finds that she is not accepted. Off she goes and finds seven outcasts, all rather odd or nerdish in their way, and finds acceptance from them. This then is a base from which she goes to challenge everyone at the college, fellow students as well the authorities. She has all kinds of plans, campaigns, standing for election.
Once again, a young central character has to stand out against a lot of mean girls.
Director Joe Nussbaum made this film, Sleepover and Prom but did most of his work in television.
1. College comedy, overtones of Mean Girls? And the parallel with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?
2. Colleges, campus, fraternities and sororities, the Vortex? Home, garages? The Middle America feel? The musical score?
3. The focus on Sydney, her narrative, her dead mother, wanting to follow in her footsteps at college, her work with her father, brought up by the workers, the technical skills? Going to college? Her father’s farewell, his trust in her?
4. Sydney, wanting to join the sorority? Meeting Dinky and their sharing the room? Sydney and her lack of clothes? The encounter with Tyler, friendly? Rachel seeing it, the beginnings of resentment? The Pledges, the meeting, Rachel’s speech, the other members, everybody glamorous and blonde except Sydney and the girl with the weight? The excitement of her becoming part of the sorority?
5. The pledges, the tests, everybody sleeping on the floor, having to get a date in 15 minutes, Sydney and her encounter with Lenny, his being agreeable, having to get rid of him, his being in the toilet and hit? The various other tests and hazing?
6. The preparation for the ceremony, Rachel giving Sydney the black dress, everybody given their brooch, nothing for Sydney, her being rejected, Sydney tearing off the black dress and leaving?
7. Her friendship with Lenny, the explanation of the Vortex? Meeting the seven – with all the idiosyncrasies, limitations, awkwardnesses, the parallel with the Seven Dwarfs (and so many eligible for Dopey)? Her going to the Vortex, encounter with Lenny, their taking her in?
8. Rachel, her plan for the Vortex, the money, collaboration with Tyler? Her fickleness with Tyler, on and off? The other girls fawning on Rachel? Her continually being president, her campaigns, looking at the computer for her popularity? Sydney on the list – and Rachel being vengeful? Especially when Tyler went out with Sydney, the date?
9. The character of the dorks, their eccentricities, shyness and awkwardness, the African sleeping all the time, the genius with his experiments and statistics? The man with the Punisher blog?
10. Sydney and the decision to stand for election, Terry being nominated for president, their all agreeing, the details of the campaign, tents, dancing, Sydney campaigning with the Jewish group, the LBGTI group, the military…?
11. Going out with Tyler, the feeding of the elderly people, his continuing to do it, Rachel compromising Sydney, involving Tyler in the blame? The discovery that Terry had been studying for years?
12. The classes, politics, everybody present, Sydney and her sensible answers, the lecturer and his support, working at the home for the elderly?
13. Rachel and her hacking into Sydney’s computer? Her working all night – and the parallel with the poisoned apple/Apple? Sydney sleeping, Tyler coming to wake her up with a kiss?
14. The debate, Sydney arriving, Rachel wanting not to break any twigs, Sydney and her explaining she was a dork, the seven standing up as dorks, the members of the other groups, the girls from Rachel’s group, Dinky in love with a dork? Lenny?
15. All the groups arriving, the bands, the dancing…? Sydney as president? And the girls combining and ousting Rachel and her scream?
16. And happy ever after?
