MovieChat Forums > Jennifer Falls (2014) Discussion > One More Observation on the 'Addressing ...

One More Observation on the 'Addressing the Camera' Strategy...

posted 10 years ago by RJBose
16 replies | jump to latest

In the Family Therapist episode, when the Jennifer and her mother characters are stuck in the elevator, Jennifer (once again) reacts to something her mother is saying by staring directly into the camera with a look of exasperation.

My question: at whom is she supposed to be looking? She and her mother are alone in the elevator. Has the notion that this is some type of performance existing in its own space been completely abandoned, with the audience now an active participant in the sad proceedings?

In "Modern Family", from which this device has been shamelessly copied, the idea was that a Dutch TV show was documenting a "typical American family", which thus required the occasional interviews; the characters are sometimes seen looking to the (otherwise hidden) implied documentary crews and giving reactions.

To whom was Jennifer reacting? Her reflection in the elevator?

[–] hide86 10 years ago

I cant tell if you're joking, but in the event that you are not- they are just breaking the fourth wall (ala Three's Company etc). Same with Modern Family-there is no documentary crew (there was in the pilot, but they abandoned it after the show was picked up)

[–] RJBose 10 years ago

"they are just breaking the fourth wall"

We already know that; the question is, why is such a contrived device so desperately needed? (answer: very poor writing and storylines).

Occasionally breaking the "fourth wall" might have some uses, and comedic effect (as in some episodes of Magnum, PI); my point is that the device is being overemployed, to the further detriment of the show (if such a thing is even still possible).

[–] mslady89 10 years ago

Exactly. You either break the fourth wall every once in a while for comedic or dramatic effect or you do it all the damn time for a reason. What is the reason for this? In the first episode, she is telling the audience her story but why. She's fully aware an audience is there and observing her, why? Is it a video diary? Documentary of a fall to the very bottom? Something for a time capsule? What the hell is the point. And then its not even entertaining. It really is just lazy writing

Modern family might have "abandoned" that stance but at least they had a reason

[–] monstermayhem32 10 years ago

Am rather furious about this as well.

[–] RJBose 10 years ago

I concur completely, mslady89.

[–] Yorick_Brown 10 years ago

We already know that; the question is, why is such a contrived device so desperately needed? (answer: very poor writing and storylines).

It's just funny a la "Malcolm in the Middle."

And I don't get how this show has so many whiny critics who have been watching it for so long to continue complaining about the show.

Passenger side, lighting the sky
Always the first star that I find
You're my satellite...

[–] RJBose 10 years ago

The show has been on for a total of five weeks. That there is a surfeit of criticism would suggest to most reasoning people that there are legitimate topics inciting such observations. The more simple-minded, however, would simply dismiss such intuitive deductive logic with a pejorative adjective and return to entertaining themselves by watching "Malcolm in the Middle" reruns to see how the stories might change.

[–] lmtopeka 10 years ago

I hate the whole addressing the camera thing in every show it's used in. It's just incredibly lazy in my opinion, it's an easy way to put the punch line on a joke that they can't figure out how to incorporate into an actual scene, and treats the audience like they are morons. The use of addressing the camera is such a rip off of the way Modern Family does it also. In Malcolm in the middle whenever Malcolm broke the fourth wall it was in the scene, it wasn't a quick cut to him sitting in a chair and addressing an imaginary audience, so it was a lot less lazy and more a part of the character.

[–] Yorick_Brown 10 years ago

The show has been on for a total of five weeks. That there is a surfeit of criticism would suggest to most reasoning people that there are legitimate topics inciting such observations.

It's been on much longer than that. Why are you still watching it at this point if you dislike it so much?

The more simple-minded, however, would simply dismiss such intuitive deductive logic with a pejorative adjective and return to entertaining themselves by watching "Malcolm in the Middle" reruns to see how the stories might change.

It's not like this format will change anytime soon. Go with the flow.

Passenger side, lighting the sky
Always the first star that I find
You're my satellite...

[–] BlueeRain 10 years ago

It's been on much longer than that.

True, it's was 8 weeks at the time of your post. The pilot was June 4th. But 3 weeks doesn't make it "much" longer.

[–] id4465 10 years ago

Might as well add a wa-wa or a rim shot while you're at it.

I would have to say that Modern Family and Jennifer Falls are guilty of stealing this idea of confessional storytelling from The Office or from reality tv, but since the scenes are filmed separate from the confessional couch and don't take place in front of a fictional film crew, they should drop the practice of looking into the camera to emphasize punchlines or end scenes.

On Jennifer Falls she is the one telling the story, so maybe her little glances have a purpose. On Modern Family they are just annoying and pointless, either have all your characters break character or none of them, not just Phil or Claire.

[–] mslady89 10 years ago

You have it a bit backwards. On jennifer falls everyone stupidly addresses the camera, not just jennifer. On modern family, EVERYONE addresses the camera, not just phil and claire. What ep did you watch where only they spoke to an audience? Im sure even lily had a confessional camera time

[–] id4465 10 years ago

Jennifer Falls may be dealing with an identity crisis, and it can't decide if it wants to be an autobiographical screwball comedy like Scrubs, or a comedy where the characters take themselves seriously and the joke is on them, like Modern Family

Now if Jennifer Falls is trying to copy Modern Family as a documentary that's not a documentary, both shows are getting it wrong. The confessional couch is a good way to set up the stories and gives us an inside look into the character's feelings about a particular situation. It is, however, supposed to be a break from everything else that is going on, because there is no film crew standing over their shoulders every hour of the day. This is why when Claire takes a shot at Phil and he looks dead into the camera, or Claire is seething and Phil tries to shush her while hugging her and she stares angrily at the camera, I find it annoying. Since I don't notice any other character addressing a non-existent camera, I have to believe this isn't supposed to be happening.

I thought Jennifer was narrating her story with the couch and the looks into the camera at inopportune moments, but if everybody sits down at the couch there goes that idea. I haven't seen the other characters break in the middle of a scene though, so I'll have to keep looking for that.

[–] Yorick_Brown 10 years ago

Since I don't notice any other character addressing a non-existent camera, I have to believe this isn't supposed to be happening.

I believe that's what they are doing on "Jennifer Falls."

there is no documentary crew; the show is just designed so that the main characters' thoughts are addressing the audience and not looking at anyone in the actual scene.

Passenger side, lighting the sky
Always the first star that I find
You're my satellite...

[–] BlueeRain 10 years ago

In "Modern Family", from which this device has been shamelessly copied

I agree with you but Modern Family copied it as well. They have been doing this for years in sitcoms.

[–] BrainGirl78 10 years ago

Shows have been breaking the fourth wall wwwwwaaaaayyyyyyyy before Modern Family started using it in their show. Modern Family has all of the actors (Joe hasn't done it yet, but not did Lily as a baby, but on one episode, even Stella, Jay's dog was seen breaking the fourth wall) uses it to build the vehicle of a "mockumentary." Malcolm In The Middle, had only Malcolm briefly address the camera. But these are just two RECENT examples of using this form. It has been done since the beginning of TV, and even on radio series, before television.
I don't care for it so much on Jennifer Falls though. It seems contrived. The show seemed to fall back on it more and more as the season went on. I didn't even notice it on the first few episodes, but by the last few shows I was begging for the writers to stop adding in so many of these fourth wall breaks. There is a way to do it so that it seems purpose driven, the use on this show (although I like the show) isn't done with the proper finesse.