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Actors: Kristen Stewart, Elizabeth Perkins, D.B. Sweeney, Steve Zahn, Robert John Burke, Michael Angarano, Hallee Hirsh, Eric Lively
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Speak |
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Just before she starts high school, Melinda Sordino (Kristen Stewart) suddenly stops talking … to everyone. Her busy parents, Joyce and Jack (Elizabeth Perkins and D.B. Sweeney), do not understand Melinda's silence nor does Joyce comprehend why her once stylish daughter is now dressing in dark, baggy gear. Repeatedly called “squealer” at school, Melinda‘s former friends are ignoring her and mashed potatoes are cruelly hurled at her in the cafeteria. It seems that most of the freshman class is livid because Melinda phoned the police over the summer, which caused a happening party to come to an abrupt, screeching halt. No one knows the exact reason why Melinda felt the need to involve the police and given her current uncommunicative state, no one will know anytime soon.
New neighbor and potential friend Heather (Allison Siko), a constant chatterbox who does enough talking for the both of them, soon tells Melinda that their so-called friendship cannot continue given Melinda's bleak social status. As Melinda continually butts head with hard-boiled history teacher Mr. Neck (Robert John Burke), she begins to find a possible supporter in intelligent and sympathetic classmate David Petrakis (Michael Angarano). However, when Melinda arrives for her art class and meets gregarious bohemian Mr. Freeman (Steve Zahn), she knows she has found her ultimate ally. Through her impressive artwork, Melinda begins to express herself, going as far as staking out a hidden room in the school to work on her masterpieces.
The entire school year is a struggle for the usually mute Melinda, but her growing relationship with both David and Mr. Freeman causes her to release her bottled-up feelings as the months pass. When Melinda alarmingly learns that her ex-best friend Rachel Bruin (Hallee Hirsch) is dating handsome upper classmen Andy Evans (Eric Lively), Melinda must intervene and tell Rachel the sad reality about her new boyfriend.
--Tara Dugan, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Speak |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about
books by breaking them down into many different literary
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- present (2000-2010)
Inner struggle or disability
Yes
Struggle with
- anger/anguish over rape
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- student
Age:
- a teen
Eccentric:
Yes
- emotionally unstable
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn straight
Body type
- (woman) skinny
Events of movie makes character more...
- tougher
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- blonde
Hair style
- (man) long girliemon hair
Body type
- (man) average build
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- a teen
Profession/status:
- student
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 60%
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (man) very short/crewcut
Body type
- (man) muscular
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Misc setting
- school
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Movie makes you feel...
- encouraged
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
- kissing
- touching of personal anatomy
Any profanity?
- Occasional swearing
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Tara Dugan
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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