1. Relationships that develop and outcomes
1.1. Michael and SJ
1.1.1. throughout the film, SJ was loving towards Michael and he really cherished having an older brother who he could play with. SJ acted as a coach for Michael at the beginning, giving him feedback, making him run drills and constantly supporting him. Michael and SJ were so close that when it came time for Michael to select a college to go and play for, part of the negotiations was what was in it for SJ.
1.2. Collins and Michael
1.2.1. at the start of the film, Collins was apprehensive about Michael living with them. during the film, Collins slowly becomes more comfortable with the idea and starts to like him. she stays home instead of going to her boyfriends house because she wanted to "hang around" at home for a while, and studies with him in the library despite what her friends say.
1.3. Leigh Anne and Michael
1.3.1. Leigh Anne was initially the one who suggested Michael come and live with them when she saw him trying to sleep in the schools gym. She instantly had a deep connection to him. when Leigh Anne is out with her friends at lunch and they start talking about Michael and one of her friends asks if she is doing this because of some sort of white guilt, and Leigh Anne replies with a smart comment about being able to find somewhere else to buy an over priced salad. this shows that Leigh Anne is willing to lose her fake friends in order to help Michael out.
1.3.1.1. without Leigh Anne, Michael would probably still be homeless
1.4. Miss Sue and Michael
1.4.1. Miss Sue played a massive role in Michaels football career, without her, he wouldn't have gotten the grades he required to get into a college team and that would've been the end of his career. Miss Sue tries to persuade Michael to go to Omis by telling him that there are body parts stored underneath the football field. this shows a dark side of Miss Sue that everyone was previously unaware of. Despite this, Michael agrees to have her stay with him when he goes to live at college.
1.4.1.1. Ms Sue is one of the main factors which eventually leads to Michaels college acceptance
1.5. The Tuohy Family
1.5.1. In adopting Michael, the Tuohy family seemed to get a lot closer with each other. i think this is because they all bond with Michael and he brings them together as a family.
1.5.1.1. the Tuohy family might've been that close already
2. Production techniques
2.1. Music
2.1.1. in the scene where Leigh Anne makes Sean stop the car because she sees Michael walking to the school gym alone in the dark, there is very sincere music just as Leigh Anne looks back at Sean in the car. this happens because it is the right thing to do and it feels good to help someone out
2.1.2. the morning after the above scene, when Leigh Anne finds the sheets folded in the centre of the couch, similar music plays except the way which Leigh Anne paces around adds a tone of concern to the music
2.1.3. in the scene where Leigh Anne takes Michael to his mothers house to pick up his clothes from his mothers house, Michael goes to knock on his mothers door and sees a notice for eviction. gentle music plays which makes you feel sympathetic and when he sits down with his back against the wall, he looks as though he's about to cry. maybe he thinks his mother has passed away or maybe he is just sad because he doesn't know where home is now
2.1.4. just after Michael is given his first room to himself by Leigh Anne, he is about to go and knock on the door of the room Leigh Anne is in and it cuts to Michael talking to his teacher explaining to her what osmosis is, then he is talking to his history teacher explaining who was in the battle of water wood. for these tests he gets a C+ (biology) and a C- (History). as this is going on, some music starts to play, it begins soft, then slowly becomes louder and happier. after this, Sean tells him that his grades have improved enough for him to be able to try out for spring football
2.2. Camera angles
2.2.1. in the scene where the teachers are sitting in the staff room and one of the teachers reads a piece of writing which michael threw in the bin in one of her classes, the teacher who is reading is the only one who feels sympathetic towards michael for not understanding anything that goes on a school, this is evident by the softness in her voice. when the camera switches back to the other teachers, they all have a blank expression on their faces indicating that they're not interested in what michael's doing and they've already got their minds made up about him, especially the male teacher, he goes so far as to give a hand gesture which pretty much is saying, who cares.
2.2.2. in a scene soon after the aforementioned bubble, Michael is sitting in a coin laundry, puts his washing into a machine and sits down. soon after he is seated, he pulls out a biology book. the way this is filmed is through a window looking in on michael from the side. the camera begins to pan in and then the scene cuts away. i think this shows that michael has a genuine desire to become academic as well as being a football "jock".
2.2.3. in the scene prior to the above, Michael is told that his father has passed away. the main focus is taken off the principal and placed on Michael. i think Michael is thinking about how he wants to make something of himself and not be a deadbeat like his father was and this is why him reading the biology book in the laundromat becomes relevant.
2.3. Lighting
2.3.1. In the scene when Leigh finds Michael sitting on the stairs of the laundry shop after his violent meltdown, as they discuss and reveal emotions and feelings, the lighting becomes brighter and as if it was the start of a brand new day
3. When Leigh Anne first suggested that Michael moves in, Michael was shocked and a bit scared i think. he had gone his whole life living in a ghetto environment and constantly dealing with gangs in day to day life, to living with a rich, white family in an upper class area. Michael displays his timid nature when the Tuohys ask him to sleep on the couch and in the morning find the sheets folded and Michael walking down the drive way.
4. Key events/moments
4.1. Tuohy's finding Michael walking alone in the rain
4.1.1. Offers Michael to stay at the Tuohy's house for a night
4.1.1.1. Michael slowly becomes part of the Tuohy family
4.2. Michael's Past
4.2.1. Separated from his drug-addicted mother at the age of 7
4.2.1.1. New node
4.3. Meeting SJ at school
4.3.1. Developing a brother-like relationship
4.4. Joins the school football team
4.5. Not understanding rules and plays etc
4.5.1. Leigh underlines to the coach that Michael scored a 98 in a careers aptitude test for protective instincts
4.5.1.1. Michael then understands the game and his natural ability shines
4.6. Acquiring Miss Sue to tutor Michael
4.6.1. Improved grades
4.6.1.1. Acceptation into university of Mississippi
4.7. Investigation of 'boosters'-suspecting that Leigh and Miss Sue are boosters for Uni of Mississippi
4.7.1. Michael is confronted by an investigator for the suspection of Leigh and Miss Sue being boosters
4.7.1.1. Michael confronts Leigh about the situation and then runs away to his mother's apartment where he is then taunted by his fellow homie about his sister, Collin. Michael reacts violently and practically destroys the apartment.
4.7.1.1.1. Leigh finds Michael sitting on the steps of a shop and proceeds to explain the situation to him. Michael then states that he wants to go to Mississippi Uni because his family went there
4.8. Collins exchanging tables to go and sit with Michael
4.8.1. New node
5. How characters develop and change: decisions, motivation, influences
5.1. Sean Tuohy changes and accepts Michael as a family member
5.1.1. as the story progresses, Sean Tuohy goes from not understanding michael and his wife's desire to help him, to becoming understanding of Michaels situation. A good example of this is when Sean and Leigh Anne are in the bathroom discussing michaels past and Leigh Anne tells him not to call him "Big Mike" but instead to call him Michael. I think this is a turning point for Sean because he starts to value Michael as a part of his family rather than a stranger.
5.2. Collins starts being more comfortable around Michael
5.2.1. At the start of the film, you could tell that Collins was a bit weirded out by Michael staying with them but when Leigh Anne asked her what she thought of him staying with them and she made excuses as to why they shouldn't get rid of him: "we can't just throw him out on the street". this shows that Collins actually liked having Michael around. another example of Collins valuing Michaels company is when she's in the library studying with her friends and then Michael sits at a table behind her by himself. Collins then moves to the table which Michael is sitting on and even he is surprised by this. This shows that she cares for him and wants to make him feel a part of the Touhy family.
5.3. Michael becoming more comfortable with living with the Tuohys
5.4. Michael getting influenced by the lawyer who questions him about Leigh Anne wanting him to go to Omis
5.4.1. when Michael goes into the lawyers office, he initially doesn't want to go in because he didn't want to have to answer invasive questions and he is shy around new people. as he is questioned, the woman manages to make him question why Leigh Anne wants him to go to Omis, but after Michael has talked to Leigh Anne, she re assures him that she wants him to go wherever he feels at home and happy.
5.5. Leigh Anne understanding more about Michael's past life and experiences
5.5.1. Leigh visiting Michael's mother Denise
5.5.2. Leigh asking Michael in the car what's one thing that she doesn't know about him. He say's that he doesn't like being called 'Big Mike', This is the first time that Michael opens up to Leigh and there is an instant connection between them.