The document summarizes the opening sequence of the film "My Sister's Keeper". It describes the setting as a beach with a family playing. The characters shown are members of a happy family - two daughters, the parents, and a son. However, something seems wrong as the older daughter appears sick. The narrative draws the viewer in by showing ideal family scenes while the daughter's voiceover hints something is not quite right, revealing the planned pregnancy was not an accident. Icons in the sequence reinforce the juxtaposition between the idealized family images and darker story being told.

1. My sisters keeper
Media homework:
Analysing an opening sequence (Genre)
Josie Eke.

2. Setting
The setting starts off at the beach, with the sun shining and
kids playing in the sand. The camera is handheld, almost like
a family montage with no sound. The first thing we see is a
kite flying in bright blue sky which is iconic as whilst we see
this we also hear the voice of a young girl explaining that her
mother told her she was like a ‘piece of blue sky’. The setting
of the video made by the family changes a few times back
and forth from the beach and their garden at home.

3. Characters
The characters we see are part of a family. The youngest daughter (the girl
in the voiceover) the older sister, who we presume at this point is sick from
the way her sister is talking about her. We also see a couple on their
wedding day (mum and dad) and another little boy which must be her
brother. From the characters we see, this is a happy family but something
is wrong.

4. Narrative
The opening sequence of ‘My sisters keeper’ instantly makes me as a viewer question what
could happen next. The setting starts off at the beach, with the sun shining and kids playing
in the sand. The camera is handheld, almost like a family montage with no sound. The first
thing we see is a kite flying in bright blue sky which is iconic as whilst we see this we also
hear the voice of a young girl explaining that her mother told her she was like a ‘piece of
blue sky’. The girl goes on to explain how accidents happen and babies are the product of
‘drunken evenings and lack of birth control’ meanwhile we see the idea of a perfect family.
Everything the girl is explaining through the voiceover is being shown to us through the
video as it clicks that there is something not quite right about this girl being a planned baby.

5. Icons
The clever resemblance of what we see and the story the girl in the voiceover is telling
continues throughout the first two minutes of the film, as we hear the girl talking about
pregnancy, family and herself. An example of where this happens is when the girl is talking
about how most babies are ‘accidents’ but she is not.