Film Analysis Part 2

 

 The opening scene of the film Wonder uses aspects of film, including mise en scene, cinematography, editing, and sound, to evoke meaning and introduce themes that will reoccur throughout the movie. The very first clip is very creatively filmed, featuring a starry backdrop and a floating astronaut. However, it is soon revealed that this is just the main character, Auggie, jumping on the bed with an astronaut helmet on. This scene alone develops a lighthearted, youthful tone that will be present throughout. In terms of cinematography, the shot begins with a close-up, dream-like shot. However, as the shot widens, it brings us back to the real world. The voiceover also begins as the camera dollies out. Auggie begins to describe how he is “not a normal kid” even though his hobbies are ordinary. This draws us in, making the viewer wonder what sets Auggie apart. As Auggie explains his everyday life, there are scenes showing him bonding with his family, playing, and doing other childhood activities. The mise en scene throughout this montage creates a very joyful, innocent atmosphere. There is soft lighting, colorful costuming, and toy-like props that develop this tone. However, there is a sudden shift in the flashbacks, now presenting a more serious tone. He recounts his birth, claiming that the “punchline” of this moment was a complication with health. In this flashback, the moment that Auggie is born is edited in slow motion, emphasizing the facial expressions of both the doctors and his parents. We can see baby Auggie being rushed out of the hospital room by a doctor. This tells the viewer that something went seriously wrong with this birth. The next shot is a dolly out on an enormous cork board, with all Auggie’s hospital bracelets hung up. As we see this, we hear Auggie in the voiceover explaining that he’s had 27 surgeries, helping him to breathe, see, hear, and even “look a little better.” The next scene switches out of voiceover and now presents dialogue between Auggie’s Mom and Dad. They argue about sending Auggie to school versus continuing to homeschool him. However, the secretive nature of the conversation is made clear by the scene’s framing. Auggies parents are in their room, speaking with the door cracked. The next shot shows us we were viewing the conflict through Auggie’s POV, because it shows his reaction to hearing what they are saying. However, we cannot see his full expression, because he still has an astronaut helmet on. Finally, the audio switches back to Auggie in a voiceover, as he stops listening to his parent’s argument, and returns to his room. He explains that his life is truly not ordinary, and we finally see why when he removes the astronaut helmet. The shot reveals a close-up on Auggie’s face, which does not look like most little boys’ faces.  

This opening shot, though has a completely different plot, shares many qualities with my group and I’s opening sequence. For one, our scene features voiceover, as does the opening scene from Wonder. This is a very effective way of setting up the main character’s internal dialogue and creating a solid exposition. Another specific feature that my project and this scene from Wonder both have is a clip of parents arguing through a cracked door. As this is a household occurrence, it is commonly found in coming-of-age films. It is interesting how, through being films of this genre, the two scenes share specific similar features.