THEMATIC FILM STUDY

Analysis of The Winnings of The Minority On The Movie:

"Sydney White"

By Joe Nussbaum

Submitted by :

Isna Navia Dini (A2B008051)

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF HUMANITIES

DIPONEGORO UNIVERSITY SYDNEY WHITE

Sydney White (Amanda Bynes) is the daughter of a plumber, and has grown up among construction workers ever since her mother died when she was nine. Sydney earns a scholarship for college and hopes to follow the legacy of her mother and enter the Kappa Phi Nu sorority. Shortly after arriving at Southern Atlantic University, Sydney clashes with the sorority president Rachel Witchburn (Sara Paxton), after Rachel sees Sydney talking to her ex-boyfriend (although according to Rachel and those who speak on her behalf, he is her on-off boyfriend) Tyler Prince. Rachel tries to deny Sydney's bid for membership in the sorority, but cannot because Sydney's mother was a member. Despite Rachel's hazing, Sydney successfully meets all of the requirements during her time as a Kappa pledge.

Rachel schemes to keep Sydney out of the sorority and uses her presidential authority to declare Sydney unfit to be a Kappa. Humiliated, Sydney immediately leaves the Kappa house. With no place to go, Sydney is taken in by seven outcast students who live in "The Vortex" (which is called The Vortex because "it sucks in losers"), a house on Greek Row for people who don't belong. In the house, she befriends all the guys ("the dorks"), especially Lenny, (Jack Carpenter) who falls for Dinky Hodgekiss (Crystal Hunt), one of Sydney's popular friends.

The Vortex, however, is badly in need of repairs, and the Greeks will not pay for it. Rachel tries to get it condemned so she can build a Greek Centre in its place. An angry Sydney convinces one of her housemates, Terrance, to run for Student Body President on the "Freedom to the 7th Power" ticket in order to take back what the Greeks have had for so long. But he is disqualified because he graduated 6 years before but did not leave the Vortex and the "Dorks" are kicked out of the Vortex by the Health Department. Sydney then runs for president herself. She reaches out to all the campus clubs and organizations in a broad based campaign reminiscent of the successful campaign waged by John F. Kennedy in the 1960 U.S. Presidential election.

Meanwhile, Sydney's Hot or Not ranking on the school's website gradually rises to overtake Rachel's #1 position, which infuriates her. It is part of Rachel's daily routine to consult her computer ("mirror mirror on the wall") to see "who is the fairest of them all." Enraged, Rachel visits a hacker who remotely infects Sydney's computer (a "poisoned Apple"), which erases an important paper due the next day. Sydney studies all night at the library, and fails to awake in time for the presidential debate. Tyler (who has by now fallen for Sydney) finds her, tells her she must wake up, and kisses her, which, "breaks the spell". Together, they rush to the debate (which is moderated by Sydney's Political Science professor) and Sydney gives a triumphant speech. Many members of various "dorky" groups on campus arrive to show their support. An angry Rachel is stripped of her presidency by her sorority sisters and is then drummed out of the sorority altogether, "killing" her.

In the end, Sydney's dad and his colleagues repair the Vortex and Sydney White gets her prince.

CHAPTER I

Background

Sydney White has come to Southern Atlantic University to pledge her late mother's once-dignified sorority. But first she must survive the pledging process created by the Evil Campus Witch, namely, the sorority president Rachel Witchburn. The Evil Campus Witch fools Snow White a second time and banishes her to the Vortex, a broken down house on Greek Row. Sydney White eventually finds her place amongst outcasts, namely, seven "dorks. Eventually she and the dorks campaign to take over the student government controlled by the Evil Queen. Yes there is a mirror mirror on the wall parody, and the famous poisoned apple returns in a unique way, like we had on Snow White story.

The movie does take some hard turns away from the direction of the source material, and at some point owes more to John F. Kennedy's political strategy than it does to the legend of Snow White. This is where the film falters. While Sydney White is a harmless and occasionally funny parody for teens, it falls flat.

For this movie review, I prefer to center on the correlation of this movie to John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s election controversy on 1960. Kennedy is the first Catholic president for United States of America. What the controversy was with John F Kennedy being a Catholic?

There was an initial worry by some people that having Kennedy in the White House would give the Pope and the Catholic Church carte blanche in directing Kennedy's decision making in governing the nation. However, then-Presidential candidate Kennedy repeatedly made his opinion on the subject very clear in various national interviews throughout the 1960 Presidential campaign. His interview on the subject on Face the Nation on October 30, 1960, was perhaps the most publicly promulgated. During a press conference on Sep 12, 1960 in Houston, TX, then-candidate Kennedy made the following statement: "I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant, nor Jewish--where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source--where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials--and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all." The fears of U.S. voters with regard to Kennedy's faith, while understandable, were unfounded in any case, as they were based on obsolete and antiquated notions of the Catholic Church's relationships with nations that proclaimed themselves to be "Catholic" by virtue of their constitutions. The Church had lost power with the secular political consolidation of the last of the Vatican city states which became the nation of Italy by end of the 19th century. By 1960, the Church had long been out of the business of politically governing any nation but Vatican City in Rome. By the beginning of the 20th century, the Church changed how it sought to influence people and nations no longer using political methods, but chiefly through appeal to reason and intellect.

CHAPTER II

Movie Analysis

Here I give several evidences to show how this movie added John F Kennedy’s political strategy to Sydney’s campaign.

1. Once in the first Political Science class scene, Professor Carlton explains that United States has the ultimate model of government. By the people, for the people and of the people. But the founding fathers were afraid of what the direct democracy could do to the country. American trained to think that the more power the better. For this statement, Rachel Witchburn give an explanation that elite will forever be elite. They are not educated to think about this issue. But our main character, Sydney, has a difference point of view. She said :

“I guess I think that’s underestimating the masses, a bit. Not to mention, an overestimating the elites. Apartheid was an oligarchy and no one wants that again.”

This statement shows that Sydney is clearly refuses the opinion that the elite will always win. The minority cannot be underestimated and United States could be more democratic. It’s similar to Kennedy’s opinion that with a good personality and the good ability to gain masses’ the minority can defeated the elite. Even a Catholic like him can get more voters and going to White House for sure.

2. Sydney asks the seven dorks to sign up on the Student Council election so that their home stay, Vortex, could be repaired. Unfortunately the seven dorks give a negative reaction. They said that non-Greek is never win since 1992. The Greek is always win. To raise their spirit, Sydney gives them an attractive similar description from the comic’s story they love. She said :

“Did The Avengers give up when The Black Knight spread New York with that foam and everybody stuck to the ground? No! With the help of Criminal Glue Specialist they freed everyone! I’m your Criminal Glue Specialist!”

Sydney stated that if the minorities fight together, they would be the champion. Even if they never been considered by everyone before. Just like Kennedy, people said he will never be the President. No Catholic had ever been elected president of the United States. But in fact, Kennedy defeated Richard M Nixon with his minority power.

3. On the second scene of Political Science class, Professor Carlton asks his students to think about the mechanism of modern campaign. People should think outside the box. Professor said that when Kennedy elected to be the first Catholic president of US, the minorities won the election for him. In the other hand, Kennedy is an outsider and a Catholic. Due to that lesson, Sydney gets any idea to make friends as much as possible with everybody in SAU. She and her seven dorks approach the people from many club in SAU. They take part on every club’s activity so that they are very welcome there. And the most important thing that makes Sydney gets many attention is from her campaign. Here is the content of her campaign :

“Hi I’m Sydney White, and I’m running for Student Council president from The Freedom to the Seventh Power Party. You may be wondering why should be even care, why bothered voting. The Greeks won every year and it’s just one more they run the school. The fact is that 80% of student past in Southern Atlantic is not Greek. 80%! To that all students I say, it’s time for you to be heard. And we are here to listen.”

4. On the Election Day, Rachel underestimates Sydney in front of people and says Sydney with her dork friends will never make it because they have no voters. But after she says so, the new friends of Sydney who come from many club of SAU appeared and make everybody get a shock therapy, especially Rachel. The people come to elect Sydney as the president of Student Council. In the end, Sydney wins the election and otherwise, Rachel gets banished by her sorority sisters that have been faking their kindness to her for many years. In fact, everybody hates Rachel Witchburn because of her bad attitude. Sydney said :

“For years you’ve been pressed by The Greeks are leads. Who take everything for themselves and leave nothing for the rest of us. It’s time for the rest of us school to take back this school. I bet most of you have no idea how great the campus accapela group is. And why would you? The social and cultural and social landscape is entirely run by The Greeks. And now those guys are forced to practicing in the dink basement, that’s hard and terrible for their vocal cord! I have met so many great and interesting people here that I wouldn’t ever meet if I didn’t step up of my own little world. Before, all I want it was to fit in. But I’ve learn that we are all searching to fit in. And we all feel like outsiders. We are do things and feel things that are bizarre and unconventional and, dorky. We’re all dorks! My name is Sydney White. My Dad’s a plumber. I collect comic books and I’m secretly terrified on baloney animal. I’m a dork!”

After that speech, everybody shows up their dorky things and give a big applause for Sydney. Everybody proud of Sydney who have brave enough to speak up for them and makes everything’s clear. Now Sydney White proves that even the non-elite people can get much more supports from the other minority. The Vortex is repaired and campus life being more balance and beautiful. People care each other. Everybody’s fine. No more dictators. And in 1960 the same moment happened to John Fitzgerald Kennedy. From zero to hero.

CHAPTER III

Conclusion

Due to JFK’s political issue, the movie Sydney White shows it on the political strategy used by the main character to get more voters from the minority. On this movie, Sydney as the main character has a brave personality and full of confidence to speak up her mind. Based on her opinion, the elite are not always winning. And the minority should not be underestimated since in fact, the minority in US can brought John F Kennedy to be the first Catholic President. It means, if the minority unite together and be brave to show their strength, they, for sure, can defeated the elite easily. Not only the elite can rule the world, the minority did.