The product we created- 'Elizabeth's Diary' is a film about a mentally unstable teenager who believes she murders people with the aid of her secret diary. Two different social groups are represented in 'Elizabeth's Diary', these are teenagers and people with mental health issues. We have represented teenagers in our product using imagery in the mise-en-scene such as the teddy bears, dolls and the stilettos. The paraphernalia scattered around the room represents the torchered mind of a teenage girl's angst ridden mind.
'Precious'
Precious is a 2009 American drama film about an obese illiterate 16 year old- Clarise, growing up in Harlem in 1987. She has been impregnated twice by her father and suffers from long term physical and mental abuse from her mother. Through Clarise, teenagers are represented as lonely victims who take out their problems on themselves, in her case comfort eating. This can be compared to Elizabeth in 'Elizabeth's Diary'. she is shown through her 'den' as a lonely teenager who does not have any friends and is bullied by her peers. This could be the reason for her mental state and her fear that she has murdered people through her diary- the way she can only get her feelings across. This compares to Precious; Clarise is given a journal by her new English teacher to write her feelings down about her family in. At the beginning of the film she is shown as an aggressive friendless teen and through this journal and help from others she becomes a more confident teenager.
'Girl, interrupted.'
'Girl, interrupted.' is a 2000 American drama film featuring Angelina Jolie, about a teenager's 18th month stay at a mental institution. It explores themes of drugs, suicide, self-harm and teenage life. This relates to the themes of 'Elizabeth's Diary' as Elizabeth's commits suicide because of her mental state. Susanna the main character from Girl, interrupted is admitted to the mental institution because she attempts suicide. Both media products represent how mentally unstable people cope with their disorder through relationships, self-harm and aggression.
'Skins'
The social groups of teenagers and mentally unstable people are represented in other media products such as television programmes and the news. 'Skins' a British television series about a group of teenage friends in Bristol. It communicates themes of drugs, alcohol, lust, bullying, dysfunctional families, personal disorders and sexuality in a modern society. Cassie Ainsworth, a character in the first and second series of 'Skins' is admitted to a mental institution because of many disorders; the main one being anorexia due to a suicide attempt near the beginning of the series. Later on in the series, she overdoses because she is stood up by Sid, who she wants to start a relationship with. Here teenagers are represented in a way like 'Elizabeth's Diary'.
Teenagers are represented as corrupt who would rather focus on drugs and parties than studies and family. This relates to our product because Elizabeth is bullied by teenage popular girls who are into the drinking and partying scene, whereas Elizabeth who is seen as 'uncool' to them would rather stay at home and write in her diary. People with mental problems are represented in different ways in both media products. Cassie does not get the help and support she needs from her peers, family and hospital which results in her getting more unstable. In 'Elizabeth's Diary' people are unaware of her problems because her family and school peers do not pay any attention to her as she keeps herself to herself. With help from her family and professional help from a hospital she may not have committed suicide.
Bridgend suicides
Stories in the news also represented people in a certain way. In 2008 over 20 teenagers in small town in Wales committed suicide during the course of just over a year. This story represented teenagers and people with mental health problems in a certain way. People are still not sure whether the people who killed themselves were linked or whether it was a coincidence. This represents teenagers as being depressed, with a hard life and little to live for. This relates to our product because it shows that suicide and unstable teenagers are not fictional in film and television but this does happen in the normal world.
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