1. Consider two parts of the opening scene: crossing the border & arriving in New York. How do the different components of the scene define the theme(s) & overall mood of the film?

The film’s start at the crossing of the Canada/US border and the initial arrival at New York CIty creates a lasting impact on the movie’s theme and mood. For instance, at the border, the nervousness of the family is palpable as they move to a new part of their lives so far from what they know. The viewer is also given a look at the internal conflict of the parents Johnny and Sarah. Johnny’s initial lapse in memory that he has lost his son still plagues him and, when he is reminded of that loss, he expresses a resigned sigh and forlorn look. Sarah’s memory of their loss is also felt and her forced smile to the other border agent is visibly offset after. From this, the movie’s mood grows ever somber with every passing second. Additionally, upon entering New York, the family sets their sights upon the illuminated visage of New York City. There, the family gazes in wonder and amazement at everything they see, from the dazzling lights of Times Square’s billboards and the somewhat disinterested denizens going about their day to day. As the family transitions to where they have to live, they realize the dolor that they have come to inhabit. A damaged, rank, drab building to house the many shunned peoples of NYC that is in dire need of changes. Here, the movie shows the building and family as intertwined. Throughout the film, the family and the building are both broke, broken, and in dire need of some hope. This opening introduction to New York gives the film a theme that loss leaves deep grooves in the soul of a person and people should endeavor to resolve those deepset scars.

Both of the above responses make about the opening scene with relation to the themes of the movie, that of the lasting effects of a terrible loss and the struggle to continue in the face of the resulting sadness, as well as dealing with a loss of hope. One important theme is the continuing impacts of Frankie’s death on the family. Johnny, for example, instinctively answers “three” to the border patrol officer’s question about how many children he has. It is obvious that Frankie’s death was relatively recent, and the family has still not been able to fully recover from the effects of their son’s absence. As the family initially enters the city, they pass under the river through a tunnel to Manhattan – the city is this glowing beacon of hope that is physically and figuratively separated from the rest of the world. Even the daughters consider their move to Manhattan a sort of vacation at first. Quickly though, the entire family’s optimism is tested. Their apartment building is run down, and their apartment bare bones; this forces them to work hard, work together, and also scrounge for every penny. We see numerous examples of the Sullivan family supporting each other as much as they can in the times following their challenging arrival. Firstly, Sarah settles for a job at an ice cream parlor, giving up her wish to be a teacher for a time so that Johnny can audition. At the same time, Johnny spends a great deal of effort finding an air conditioner, lugging it across the street and up into their apartment, in addition to buy a plug adapter just to get a few moments of cool air. And indeed only a few moments of respite are gained, since the air conditioner quickly fizzles out. This scene in particular stood out to me. It might at first seem futile, the family’s whole effort to save bottles, lift such a heavy unit up so many stairs, just to have the dream end abruptly. However, I would argue that this perseverance is a central theme to the movie, and of the American Dream overall. The quest towards a better life is rife with struggles, and it is only through unified efforts, well exhibited by the Sullivan family that there is a chance at achieving ones lofty aspirations.

I completely agree with what Chaz said about the introduction to this movie. The beginning of the movie immediately shows that the family is struggling emotionally due to the death of Frankie, and it is shown by the mistake of Johnny saying they had 3 kids at the time instead of just 2, along with the facial expressions of the entire Sullivan family. Right after the border scene, the director of the movie chose to make a very clear contrast between the façade that New York put up at the time (bright lights, all fun and games, etc.) with the grim reality of what the Sullivan family will have to live through. As Chaz said, they were set up inside of a building filled with what many would consider outcasts. For example, the cashier in the store which Johnny went to to get the plug for their AC mentioned said that the building in which Johnny lived in was the “druggie building” and that he wouldn’t give him a plug for a couple of cents less. Throughout this entire movie, addressing what Chaz pointed out as being the theme, the family goes through many struggles, but do not make it out of said struggles by themselves. They do it with the help of Mateo and other individuals as well. This goes to show that the movie does cover the theme of learning to let go of the past (as the movie ends off on this note), but it also mentions that through struggle and letting go, we all need some form of help from others, and that without said help and companionship, we would have a much harder time letting go of our past and living in the present. And the movie makes this clear later on, evident by the fact that as the Sullivan family makes more friends and relationships with others throughout the movie, their lives ultimately get better and they begin to see live in a more positive manner (especially when it comes to what Mateo showed them about life).

The opening scene begins with the family being interrogated by the border patrol. “What are your purposes of visit into the United States,” the patrol asks both the parents. The tense feeling, nervousness, and anxiety of the unknown can be felt in this scene. They are said to be the visiting on holiday which I thought was a funny way of saying vacation. The patrol is depicted as being human when they ask about the daughters. This opening scene sets the tone and allows the audience to realize the process it takes to go through the border. I really liked it when the little girl was describing how to get into the city. As a New Yorker the tunnel being underwater, the radio getting staticky, the enclosed space, and the narrow lanes gave me many flashbacks of when I would go to the city. That feeling is almost unforgettable and when they arrived in times square it felt as if I was there with them. The flashing lights, crowded streets, and stores on top of stores. Their sheer excitement and happiness really spoke to me and actually gave me goosebumps. The first time I was ever in the city was when I was 8 years old. I have lived in New York my whole life but never really got to go into manhattan until then. It’s an exciting feeling to see the big buildings and see how small you are in comparison. The city that never sleeps is filled with energy and is always moving which made this scene so realistic and attention-grabbing. Arriving in the New York scene sets the foundation for the rest of the movie. The audience knows the purpose of the visit to the United States and now knows the location of where they went. Questions like “what are they doing in New York” or “What’s in store for this family”. The possibilities are endless and they can honestly make a new name for themselves in this new place which is truly beautiful. They get to leave behind the troubles of the past and focus on making a new life in a whole new city. I always found that so amazing because people can do whatever they want when they get to New York. All the immigrants that traveled here on Ellis Island to escape persecution or abuse, all were able to create a new life for themselves. This city is filled with so much diversity and opportunities that the movie calls for the audience to continue watching to see what is going to happen.

word count :429

Chaz, I like how you said that the nervousness of the family was “palpable”. I thought the exact thing when the movie began. All of the characters then began to open up more and more, despite the fact that the glamour of New York soon begins to dissipate and the reality of the family’s situation sets in. I found the most drastic personality change to happen to Christy. From the beginning of the film, it appeared that she was almost mute. She obviously didn’t wan’t to leave home, but I was unsure if she would ever break out of the shell of nervousness and anger she had built for herself. She ended up being the most outgoing member of her family along with Ariel. If Christy had not opened up, she definitely would not have gone trick-or-treating with Ariel which was the catalyst for her, and soon her entire family becoming so close with Mateo