1. Key Events/Moments that develop the narrative
1.1. When Leigh Anne invites Michael to stay over at her house.
1.1.1. As Leigh Anne starts to spend more time with Michael, she starts to feel a connection towards him. She keeps inviting Michael to stay over until she invites him to move in with them.
1.1.1.1. Production Techniques
1.2. When Michael is offered numerous college scholarships to a range of colleges.
1.2.1. As Michael becomes better at football, people begin to notice and after S.J. puts a video of him and his strength on the internet, people notice him even more. Colleges all call him and request scholarship meetings and problems arise in choosing which college to go to.
1.2.1.1. Production Techniques
1.3. An event that helps develop the narrative is the very first meeting between S.J and Micheal.
1.3.1. Not only is this the starting of a strong friendship it is also the beginning of a new start for Micheal. Without this initial encounter Micheal may never have been given the opportunity to move in with S.J and his family. Thus closing many doors for Micheal, he most likely would never have played football or gone to school. This event is a building block for almost every other good thing that happens for Micheal after it.
1.3.1.1. Production Techniques
1.3.2. New node
1.4. When Michael and Leigh Anne are walking towards the clothing shop "Big & Tall", because Leigh Anne is unnerved by the area that they are in Michael comforts her by saying "Don't worry I've got your back".
1.4.1. This develops the narrative by building up trust between Micheal and Leigh Anne. Once again this is just a building block to allow many other events to take place.
1.4.1.1. Production Techniques such as low lighting, city noises, steam coming from the vents in the footpath and the general cleanliness of the street help create a mood that allowed the event to take place.
2. Relationships that develop between characters.
2.1. Micheal's first class at school with his teacher Mrs Boswell. Micheal stills in-front of his test and doesn't answer a single question. Its obvious that Mrs Boswell is intrigued, this is the beginning of Mrs Boswell's attempts to help Micheal through school.
2.1.1. This moment develops through out the film, Mrs Boswell sees potential for Micheal. She shows this by standing up for him in-front of the other school teachers and convincing them to join his side and help him by teaching his verbally. This as well as Micheal's tutor make it possible for Micheal to graduate and achieve and scholarship.
2.1.1.1. There were very minimal production techniques used, but the lack of talking by Micheal and Mrs Boswell's perseverance helped warp the way the audience viewed the relationship.
2.2. When Michael and Leigh Anne are walking towards the clothing shop "Big & Tall", because Leigh Anne is unnerved by the area that they are in Michael comforts her by saying "Don't worry I've got your back".
2.2.1. This scene shows the development of a strong relationship and trust. It seems that Leigh Anne starts to feel safe and comfortable around Micheal.
2.2.1.1. Production techniques were used to help build a theme and create a mood. The setting was made out to be low-class, run down or even what might be considered dodgy. Things such as the steam and darker than usual lighting help create this effect. Also sound effects such as city noises (beeping horns and other car sounds) and yelling added to mood of the scene.
2.3. The relationship between Collins and Micheal began very negative. Collins was bullied about having Micheal living at her house and she let it effect her, but once she begins to develop a friendship with him things seem to change and she disregards her friends thought on the situation.
2.3.1. The outcome of this eventually is a sister-brother relationship. An example of this is Collins leaving her friends at the library and sitting at a table with Micheal who was all alone.
2.3.1.1. Production techniques such as camera angles and the complete silence during this particular scene help show the effect she is having on Micheal, Micheal seems happy and that he feels slightly more accepted.
2.4. The relationship developed between Micheal and Coach Cotton was purely sport orientated and disjointed in a way. Although the Coach defiantly sees Micheal's potential he doesn't understand him or his background. This is shown in Micheal's first few football training sessions.
2.4.1. As the Coach saw a huge potential in Micheal the relationship that was developed was very beneficial for both Micheal's education and Micheal's sporting carrier. This also had a good effect on the Coach's carrier. It could be argued that Coach Cotton was only using Micheal to benefit himself.
2.4.1.1. Production techniques such as camera angles (during Micheal and Coach Cotton's first meeting when Micheal is playing basket ball), lighting (during Micheal's first football game) and sound effects (throughout the whole time) creating an intense and a seemingly important hype around all the sports Micheal and Coach Cotton are involved in together.
2.5. Trust builds a big relationship between Micheal and his family. Trust is key theme that is displayed through out the film. The director has cleverly embedded this theme through the way that Michael Interacts with the Tuoheys. Michael had to trust a lot of people to be where he is today, it was an amazing transformation of an individual that started with a grain of a trust.
3. How characters develop and change: their decisions, what influences them and motivates
3.1. Michael develops a lot through out the entire film, a huge example of this is when he stands up for both himself and his new found family during an encounter with the people that live at his old home. Micheal rises tall and keeps his chin high even when threatened. He makes a final decision to leave his old home in the past, and to not go back.
3.1.1. Micheal is motivated to change because he began to see that not everything is set in stone. That he can change his life. That he loves his new found family and doesn't want to loose any of them. The main influences on this development was Leigh Anne because she cares about Micheal so much.
3.1.1.1. Production Techniques
3.2. Leigh Anne Tuohy has many instances throughout the movie where she has an opportunity to be a better person and develop as a character, and she took all of them. At the start of the movie when Michael is walking out in the rain and she tells her husband Sean to turn the car around so she can talk to Michael, and she eventually provides him, his own bed, room, home and clothes.
3.2.1. Leigh Anne does this because deep down, even though she will get scrutinized for it, it is the right thing to do. She realises that she is changing Michael's life, but he is also changes hers. Michael becomes a big part of her life and his actions and presence change her for the best.
3.2.1.1. Production Techniques
3.3. Collins Tuohy doesn't have much of a big impact on anyone else in the movie, and she doesn't have many changes, but she matures a bit when her mother asks her if she is okay with Michael being with the family, and she says yes, even though people think otherwise at school. Also when Michael goes to the library to study at school by himself and she leaves her friends to sit and study with him.
3.4. Coach Cotton changes and develops a lot throughout the film. At the beginning of the film Coach Cotton acts out of self-improvement not goodwill, he doesn't make an effort to understand Micheal or his situation. By the end of the film this changes the Coach looks out for Micheal and sees him as a son, standing up for him when others treat him unfairly.
3.4.1. I think that Coach Cotton changed his view on Micheal because he began to understand him more. A huge influence in this is Leigh Anne she clearly understands the who Micheal's is and how to help him reach his potential.
3.4.1.1. Very few production techniques were used, although the use of sound effects as well as a voice over created the mood suitable for this situation.