Film Analysis (Taken)

Ordinary World: Bryan's life as a Retired Government Agent

Call to Adventure: When his daughter, Kim is taken

Refusal of the Call: He has no choice to refuse the call to get his only daughter back

Meeting with the Mentor: He talks with his firend who is involved in interpratating information and has alot of knowledge about where his daughter could be

Crossing the Threshold: Leaving to go to Paris, France to find Kim

Tests, Allies, Enemies: Those who took his daughter (Marko), The Policeman/ Organizer of the Prostitution ( Jean-Claude), St. Clair, and anyone who got in his way of finding Kim

Approach: Bryan found alot of people who knew/knows about where his daughter could be, although alot of them were no help, they did bring him closer to his reward, which was finding his daughter

Ordeal: He finds his daughter, but she is being auctioned off to other men, so his forces one man in particular to buy her for $500,000. He thinks he is on his way to reuniting again, but he captured by his enemies and is told to be killed

Reward: Finding his Daughter

The Road Back: He goes to meet the man they have sold his daughter to

Resurrection: He gets away by killing all five men who were about to kill him

Return with the Elixiar: They are back home, and Bryan takes Kim to meet a friend he met earlier in the movie.


ARCHTYPES
Hero: Bryan

Mentor: Friend, Man who interprets french to english, previous knowledge

Threshold Guardian: Jean-Claude, Marko, Peter, anyone who got in his way, Ex-wife

Herald: Jean-Claude, alot of dangerous people who didn't care to kill, luckily Bryan wasn't either

Shapeshifter: Kim's friend in paris, Peter

Shadow: Anyone involved in the Prostitution Scam in Paris

Trickster: Kim;s firend, Peter, Marko, Peter

Journey

Twenty-seven year old Quinn McAdams thought her life was going perfect. She has a wonderful fiance, a rewarding job as a teacher and has big plans of exploring the world. Unfortunately, she receives a phone call from her mother informing her that, her father has passed away suddenly due to a heart attack. Quinn leaves her big city life and travels 546 miles to her small town Auburn, Alabama to comfort her grieving mother and to see her father for the last time. Sadly, Quinn gets in a terrible car accident which leaves her forgetting everything before the accident. She embarks on a journey of finding who she is and what she was before. Will the memory of her father and her life before ever come back to her or is it lost forever?

Hero: Quinn McAdams
Ordinary World: Her life before the car accident
Call to Adventure: Father's death
Special World: Life after the car accident

Hero

Name: Quinn McAdams

Age: 27

Race/religion/gender: European/Catholic/ Female

Parents: John and Sally McAdams

Style of dress: Classy, sophisticated, with a twist of whatever she feels

Hometown: Auburn, Alabama

Marital status/family: Single

Most embarrassing moment: The door of her monster van falling off it's hinges, outside her school, in front of her crush, in 8th grade.

Greatest fear: Failure

Strongest desire: To move away from he sleepy old town

Job: Recently unemployed

Where she wants to be in 5 years: Hopes to be wealthy and married and away from Northern Alabama

Guiltiest pleasure: White Chocolate and playing oldies music from any generation other than her own.

Identifying marks: Large Brown eyes, Laughs funny,talks out loud when solving any sort of problem, one leg shorter than the other, and only has one dimple

Mannerisms/gestures: Talks with hands a lot, studders slightly, limps when walking, when nervous she bites the inside of her cheeks, and never makes eye contact.

What she was like in school: Known, but shy. Beautiful and Smart. Always had an interesting story to tell. Always failed on tests, no matter how hard she studied.

Favorite sayings: "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. A wise man does not need advice and a fool won't take it."

Favorite quotes from songs: "And when you dream, dream big, As big as the ocean blue 'Cause when you dream it might come true, When you dream, dream big"

Favorite movie quotes: "Our actions are what set things in motion, and we have to live with that."

Most valuable possession: A locket her mother gave her at 4. It is lucky.

How she feels about love: Someday it will catch up with her, maybe when she stops running away from it.

Philosophy on life: Mistakes are the stepping stones to mastery

Adaptation

There Goes My Life

Kenny Chesney

"Dad, I told you not to cry. I'll visit often. I promise."

The tears began falling from his eyes and fell to the dusty road. The dusty road where he kissed her scraped knees when she fell off her bike. The dusty road where she ran to catch the bus that first day of kindergarten. The dusty road that took her home after her first date and the same dusty road that was about to take his baby girl away, away from him.

"Come here," he says. He wrapped his arms around her and refused to let go. She too held tight and took in everything about her father. The smell of hard work, the t-shirt she had gotten him last father’s day, the way he laughed, and the smile that said everything without even saying a word.

He knew that saying goodbye would have to come someday, but holding his 7lb. blonde, blue-eyed baby 18 years ago, he never knew it would come this fast. It was only 18 years before that life was perfect. He was the all-star football player with big plans to head to the super bowl one day. He was promised a full-ride to play college football at WSU. His life was full of big dreams and he was expected to accomplish them all.

Life was never the same after he received that phone call that rainy day in October. "Hello," he said. It was silent for a second until she got the courage to answer back. "Hi, um, can we meet somewhere, we need to talk." The worry of the word 'goodbye' made his callused, tough hands tremble.

She met him under her porch, hiding from the rain.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" He dreadfully spoke aloud.

Tears began flowing down her cheeks and in soft spoken words she told him that he was going to be a dad.

They stood in silence for a long minute, until he turned around with no words of comfort or shame, it was just a dream he told himself. He loved her but he also loved the life he had.

Mistake was the only thing he ever thought about for months. Then it all changed when the phone rang nine months later. He raced to the hospital. He held the 7lb. blonde hair, blue-eyed baby for the first time. With one look, he knew she was not a mistake.

Time slipped by unknowingly, and here he stood hugging his baby girl goodbye.

He told her how much he loved her. And she was gone.

He held his wife's hand as they watched her drive down that dusty road.

Blurbs

Just to see you smile (Tim McGraw)
Sam had the perfect life. One that most dream of. He had a good job, a beautiful girl, and lived where he wanted. But all of that would change when his girlfriend, Sara, would take a job in Tennesee. Sam is forced to choose between his life in Oaklahoma or to follow his love. Maybe only seeing her happy is enough to make Sam happy.

Dance with my Father (Luther Vandross)
Garretts father has just died after a long battle with cancer. After reminissing with his mother, his memories become a reality. He is taken back to his favorite memories and Garrett is able to remember how important his father really was and wishes he would not have taken his father for granted.

There goes my Life (Kenny Chesney)
After realizing he is going to be a dad, Wes is scared. He is a highschool football star and has big dreams to accomplish. His life is thought to be gone, but soon finds that his new baby girl can change everything.

The Baby (Shelton Blake)
Katie was 1700 miles away from saying goodbye to her mother. The journey home takes her to all the places that remind her of her mother. Although saying goodbye is hard, Katie must learn to do it even if time is against her.

Cats in the Cradle (Harry Chapin)
Stephan only thought about his work and never saved time for his only son, Billy. Billy grows up fast and turns out to be more like his dad than he wanted to be. Stephan soon realizes that worrying about work was a mistake. He now wants to spend precious time with his son, and all Billy can say is he is too busy with work. Will their relationship ever meet in the middle or will it be too late to mend?

Story Song

Title: There Goes My Life
Artist: Kenny Chesney
Song Lyrics... Click Here

Plot:
The song starts out with a young man finding out he is going to be a dad. His thoughts are explained through the song, the first is him worrying about having to raise a child when he himself is still a child, and having to throw away his dreams because now he is tied down. Then his "mistake" turns out to be his whole world. Then it ends with his whole world leaving for college, and he realizes the "mistake" he thought he had made, turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to him.

Character:
Soon to be dad/the daddy (speaker)
His mistake/ His little girl
His life
The mama

Conflict:
The young man having to give up something he thought was his whole life, but then soon realizes a little girl with blue eyes can change all that. The boy wasn't expecting to be a dad and at the time had no desire to be one, but he had to grow up and start his new life as a dad.

Theme:
1. Realizing his "life" is leaving right before his eyes
2. Mistakes can turn into blessings
3. Learning to grow up

Setting:
The first setting, is a high school because that is where his first "life" is and revolves around. Then it turns into a small home with pictures of his new "life" (his baby girl) all over the refrigerator. Then it goes into his "life" leaving for college in a small car out in the front of their home.

Six Word Memoirs

10. Plan on making a lasting memory
9. Yeah, I meant to do that
8. Ticked my mom off, I'm sorry...
7. Nothing bad will happen to me
6. 18 years gone, not one regret
5. Had something to say, forgot it
4. Ate pink cake, jeans don't fit
3. Said hello; you didn't look back
2. Smiling; the best gift to me
1. I make lemonade out of lemons

Grand Theft Poetry

Where do the words come from?

Are the words written on my heart?
Are they hidden under my shoe?
Could they be found in a box locked in my head?
Where do they come from, how can they be found?
I imagined the words deep within,
but obviously they are missing
If they were found, I would write the poem that comes
from my heart, I'd use it as my outlet,
and express what I cannot voice
If I had the key I would unlock my heart
and let the words speak for themselves

Second Draft

If I say hello, then I'd have to say goodbye
If I knew I had to say goodbye, I wouldn't say hello
I wouldn't have met you if I didn't say hello
Hold my hand and I won't say goodbye
Kiss me on the cheek and I won't say goodbye
Tell me you love me and I will never ever say goodbye
Promise me you won't leave and I won't
I'm begging you, don't make me say it
Time is against us, it will never return
it is always saying goodbye,
it doesn't care if you are sick, or if I cry
It is forced to leave
I promise I will love you even when you are gone
I'm sad I have to say goodbye but I'm glad I said hello

Very, Very Bad Poetry

As I said before all you need is flour
But then you go and take a shower
Now, you sit on the Eiffel Tower
Eating all your cauliflower
Power, Power, Superpower

I hope you turn into a crow
And I'll never ever say hello
Cause I'll be at a fashion show
Listening to the stereo
You were always no-no-no

They say blondes have more fun
but I think thats dumb, dumb, dumb
Don't you just love Bubble Gum.
Sticky sweet, sticky sweet...umm
Just bang the drum...
Yeah lets just be done!

Train Station 1952

W-Do I know you? You have been staring at me since I came over.
M- I'm sorry, that is so rude of me but i just couldn't stop. You just look like someone I knew a long time ago.
W-Was she pretty?
M-Oh, Very!
W-What was her name?
M-Susan.
W-Where did she go?
M-Heaven.
W-Oh, I'm so sorry.
M- It's okay. It was for the better. She had a brain tumor, and I hated seeing her in pain.
W- It is hard to see that in people. Just curious, how do you know she went to heaven?
M- Well, She was so beautiful here on earth, God had to let her in.
W- That is the sweetest thing. How long has it been since she passed away?
M- 7 years last November.
W-mmm...
M- It looks like my train is here
W- Oh, that is my same train, where are you headed?
M- Burlington
W- That's where I'm going too, I'm visiting my mother there.
M- Do you want to sit with me?
W- I would love to. Thank you.

Four Alarm Fire

Many walk past the painting of the burning building each day. Each would stop, ponder on its meaning, maybe apply it to their own lives, and them would move on to the next painting. Although each passer-by would have their own interpretations of the story behind the fire, each could not deny the reality of the painting. The colors blazed off the canvas, the flames come to life and the fear spoke volumes. No words could describe it.

His heart was broken that day, the man who painted this. He was not a fire fighter. He was an ordinary man with an ordinary life. He was happily married to a beautiful girl. They had just moved in to the tall, red brick building on 73rd street a month before the accident. No one saw the dreams and lives of many to be taken coming. The flames moved quickly to the 7th level. He was working late that night. He was 2 blocks away from his home when the sirens began to scream. His heart began to race when he realized the red fire truck was headed in the same direction as his wife. He can't go in and she's not out. All he could do was watch. The fire blazed with rich colors and fear penetrated him like a thousand bullets.

He didn't know he was a painter until he painted out of anger and sorrow. He wanted everyone who would see the painting, to be engulfed and taken to that awful day. The man in the painting is not actually there but, an illusion of you or me watching the fire come to life off the canvas.

This is Me...

Hello, my name is Jane. Jane Austen. I live in Yorkshire, England. I'm 18 years old and live on my own. I feel I have grown so much from being on my own. I've learned a lot about my self and things I am capable of. See, I love to write. Writing is my passion. So much inspiration has come to me from the experiences I have shared with myself. My writing has never been better. I have been able to reach way down into my soul and really get to know my inner self.

With the distractions of my younger siblings at home, I was unable to focus and the only things that had shown through my writing was frustration and chaos. I didn't like that side of myself, so I had to get away for a bit. Don't get me wrong, I love my family but it was time to find myself.

Love hasn't quite yet found me but through my writing I find love. I find passion and I express it through my words. Words that I can't say out loud, I find easier to say in the words on the paper. I love telling my story and the stories of my imagination.