This document provides a summary of three movie excerpts analyzing the linguistic behaviors of different actresses in their roles: - Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada displays an American accent with precise pronunciation and uses formal, stylized language and body language to establish her powerful role. - Meryl Streep as Donna in Mamma Mia! uses an informal transatlantic accent and lively, teasing dialogue and mannerisms to portray a fun-loving hotel owner. - Meryl Irons as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady demonstrates a proper British accent alongside complex grammar and rhetoric in her forceful, principled negotiations as Prime Minister.

1. Purda Amalia-Adina
Year I, Course: Phonetics and Phonology
Romanian Language and Literature & English Language and Literature
Professor Adriana Vizental, PhD
Meryl Streep
Three faces

2. Goal of project & subject
Goal of project
To show how an actor
o manipulates his linguistic and
non-linguistic behavior
o so as to build various characters
Subject analyzed: Meryl Streep
 American actress
 particularly known for
▪ her chameleonic approach to her roles
▪ her perfection of accents
 educational background: Yale College

3. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Context of excerpt :
 Andy was supposed to find a jet to get Miranda
from Miami to New York in spite of bad weather
 Miranda missed her children’s recital
Context: Movie & book by Lauren Weisberger
Plot summary:
 Andy (Anne Hathaway), a rather old-fashioned girl, wants to work as a reporter
 Andy gets the job of junior personal assistant to Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep)
 Miranda is the editor-in-chief of Runway fashion magazine
Excerpt summary:
 Miranda tells Andy she is disappointing

4. The Devil Wears Prada
http://vizentaladriana.ro/videos/Video-Main/Video%201%20The%20Devil%20Wears%20Prada.mp4
Text
Miranda: The girls’ recital was absolutely wonderful. They played Rachmaninoff, everyone
loved it, everyone except me, because, sadly, I was not there.
Andy: Miranda, I’m so sorry!
M.: Do you know why I hired you? I always hire
the same girls: stylish, slender, of course
worships the magazine, but so often they turn
out to be… I don’t know, disappointing and,
um… stupid. So you, with that impressive
resume and the big speech about your so-
called work ethic, I, um… I thought you would
be different. I said to myself, go ahead, take a
chance.... Hire the smart, fat girl. [Clears
Throat] I had hope. My God. I live on it.
Anyway, you ended up disappointing me more
than, um… more than any of the other silly
girls.
A.: Um, I really did everything I could think of.
M.: That's all.

5. The Devil Wears Prada
Language
Pronunciation
 American accent (vs. RP)
Vowels: [ɑ:] always - /’a:lweɪz/ (unrounded) < /’‫:כ‬lweɪz/ (rounded)
Consonants: [r]: hired - /hʌɪərd/ (flap, post alveolar) < /hʌɪə:d/
girl - /ɡərl/ < /ɡə:l/
[ð]: there - /deər/ (plosive, alveolar) < /ðeər/ (fricative, dental)
Intonation:
 orotund (loud and clear), not much modulated e.g. /That’s all.
 musical, stops only to emphasize a specific word (usually insult)
Word choice:
stylish, ethic, resume recital
girl, hire, thought, with, said
disappointing, stupid, fat, silly
 of stylishness: stylish, resume, impressive

6. The Devil Wears Prada
Grammar
 Short sentences:
The girls’ recital was absolutely wonderful
 Complex sentences (subordination):
They played Rachmaninoff, everyone loved it, everyone except me, because, sadly, I was not there.
Style
 Intentionally formal, ironic/sarcastic
(due to situational context and activity type: boss scold employee)
Paralanguage:
 tone of voice: hostile, ironic
 facial expression: irritated, upset
 direct eye contact only when she insults Andy
 perfect synchronization between gestures and language
 repetitive sentence throughout the movie: That’s all.
Body language
 wide use of space, moves from one point to another (restlessness, disappointment)
 appearance: sophisticated, stylish

7. The Devil Wears Prada
Social issues
Social background (mentioned only in the novel):
 born in the East End of London
 poor family
Educational status:
 never attended college, but smart
 at twenty-four she replaced her rough accent with a sophisticated one
Social status:
 editor-in-chief at a fashion magazine
 very influential/powerful in fashion industry
 mother of girl twins
Social distance (D):
 between S & H: distal; Miranda does not want to be close to her employees
 she puts a barrier between herself and everybody else

8. Conclusion: Who’s the speaker?
 Sex & age: female, middle-aged
 Geographical background: born British, presently living in the USA
 Social background: lower-middle class
 Educational background: never attended college, but smart
 Social/professional status: editor-in-chief at a fashion magazine
- very influential in the profession
 Personal features:
o inner strength, ambition, rudeness, sarcasm, coldness (but loving mother)
o masters manipulator
The Devil Wears Prada

9. Context
Plot
 a middle aged woman (Donna) had three consecutive
affairs in a summer
 she doesn’t know who her daughter’s father is
 her daughter (Sophie) is going to marry shortly and wants
to find her father
Excerpt context & summary:
 two of Donna’s friends come for Sophie’s wedding and
Donna hosts them in her hotel
 she apologizes for not getting the laundry in and for the
poor condition of the hotel
Mamma Mia! (2008)

10. Mamma Mia!
http://vizentaladriana.ro/videos/Video-Main/Video%202%20Mamma%20Mia.mp4
Text
Donna: I meant to get the laundry down before you came.
Someone: Tanya's going home!
Donna: And you'd think with all this new technology, they would
figure out a machine that would make the beds.
Sophie: And if they did, you'd be going along behind it, making them
again. I know you, Mom.
Donna: But I am good at modern... Tell them about the
Internets. He's gonna put me on the line.
Sophie: Online.
[…]
(inside)
Donna: Okay, now, the thing about the toilet, if it doesn't flush...
right away, just go and come back in a while, and it should... Nothing works around here,
except for me. I've been running this hotel for 15 years, and I have never had a day off.
Someone: Oh, my God! Sorry

11. Mamma Mia!
Language
Pronunciation
Transatlantic accent (vs. RP)
Vowels: [a:] laundry /’la:ndri/ (unrounded) < /’l‫:כ‬ndri/ (rounded)
Consonants: linking/intrusive R (there is no < r > written but it is pronounced)
(the following word comes in the same prosodic unit, not separated by a pause)
e.g.: figure out /’figə r aʊt/
Intonation
• ringing voice (very loud and clear), modulated (suggesting enjoyment)
• at times her pitch level is high (suggesting excitement, delight, slight embarrasement)
e.g: I meant to get the laundry down before you came.

12. Mamma Mia!
Word choice
: laundry, think
 Internets, on the line (= online)
Grammar
: I meant to get the laundry down before you came.
Style
 highly informal, colloquial
e.g. gonna & get the laundry down, figure out, come back
Paralanguage
 tone of voice: teasing, funny (as between friends)
Body language
 tone of voice: tremulous, when she says the toilet doesn’t work properly & stutters (feels ashamed)
 facial expression, gestures, body movement: natural, doesn’t think about what to do next, not exaggerated
 appearance: casual, simple, clean

13. Mamma Mia!
Social issues
Social background
 had affairs with several men
 when she got pregnant parents told her not to get back home
 unknown educational background
Educational background
 probably basic
Social status
 owner of the hotel Villa Donna in Kalokairi (Greece)
 mother of a love child
 her daughter is getting married
Social distance (D)
 close: is talking to her daughter and her best friends

14. Conclusion
 Sex & age: female, middle-aged
 Geographical background: born American, presently living in Greece
 Educational background: probably basic, but able to give good advice
 Social/professional status: owner of a run-down hotel in Greece
 Personal features: ambitious, restless, energetic, funny, lively
Mamma Mia!

15. The Iron Lady (2011)
Context
- film based on the life of Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister
for the UK (1979 - 1990) and Leader of the Conservative
Party (1975 to 1990).
Plot:
 Margaret Thatcher’s struggle with dementia and with
the powerlessness that comes with old age, while
looking back on defining moments in her personal and
professional life
Theme : the price Thatcher had to pay for success
and power
Excerpt context/summary:
 England’s determination to get back the Falkland
Islands from Argentina.
 the US Secretary of State tries to convince her to give
them up, but Thatcher is unyielding.

16. The Iron Lady
http://vizentaladriana.ro/videos/Video-Main/Video%203%20The%20Iron%20Lady.mp4
Text
General Haig and Margaret Thatcher sit facing
each other, flanked by senior ministers.
Gen. Haig: So you are proposing to go to war
over these Islands. They're thousands of
miles away, a handful of citizens, politically
and economically... insignificant, if you'll
excuse me –
M. Thatcher: Just like Hawaii, I imagine.
G.H.: I'm sorry?
M.T.: 1941, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbour.
Did America go cap in hand and ask Tojo for
a peaceful negotiation of terms? Did she turn
her back on her own citizens there because
the islands were thousands of miles from
mainland United States? No, no, no! We will
stand on principle or we shall not stand at all.
G.H.: But Margaret with all due respect when one has been to war....
M.T.: With all due respect sir, I have done battle every single day of my life, and many men have
underestimated me before. This lot seem bound to do the same but they will rue the day.

17. The Iron Lady
Language
Pronunciation:
- British accent (RP)
Vowels: - lengthens vowels to show self-confidence
[ə:] Pearl Harbour /pə:l ‘hɑ:bə:/ (mid-open, long)
[o:] before /bɪ’fɔ:/ (rounded, long)
Consonants: [d] due /du:/ (American)
[dj] due /dju:/ (British)
[θ] thousand /’θaʊzənds/
[r] sir /sə:^r/ (retroflex continuant frictionless sound)
Intonation: stentorian (very loud and severe), gravely, modulated, emphatic:
e.g.: Just /like ^Hawaii, I V imagine.
Word choice
 simple words: attacked, because & educated words: citizens, mainland, principle
 Germanic (rue, hand, thousands) & Latin (peace, principle)
 elegant idioms:
o to go cap in hand (= to ask someone to give you something in a way that makes you feel ashamed)
o to rue the day (= to ​feel very ​sorry about an ​event)

18. The Iron Lady
Grammar
 correct & complex sentences (subordination):
e.g. With all due respect sir, I have done battle every single day of my life, and many men have
underestimated me before.
 elaborated sentences (heavy modification)
e.g. This lot seem bound to do the same but they will rue the day.
Style
 very formal
 rhetoric questions
e.g. Did she turn her back on her own citizens there because the islands were thousands of
miles from mainland United States?
Paralanguage
 clear speech
 tone of voice: mostly calm, at times raises voice (emotional involvement)
 eye contact with the hearer
 turns her head back to seek approval from the other politicians
Body language
 controls herself, restrained body movements
 facial expression:
o raises eyebrows (signals general emphasis); narrows eyes (suggesting anger)
o shakes head and nods
 appearance: official, neither too sophisticated nor too simple

19. The Iron Lady
Social issues
Social background
 daughter of a grocer
Educational background
 Oxford college
Social status
 Prime Minister of the UK
 leader of the Conservative Party
Social distance (D)
 distal: they represent two great countries
 both are political leaders
 also, flanked by other politicians

20. Conclusion
 Sex & age: female, advanced in years
 Geographic background: British
 Social background: lower-middle class
 Educational background: highly educated (Oxford)
 Social status:
o Prime Minister of the UK, Leader of the Conservative Party
o exceptional responsibilities as representative of her country in high-level
negotiations
 Personal features: intelligence, strength, patriotism, ambition
The Iron Lady

21. COMPARATIVE SURVEY
Miranda
Priestly
The Devil Wears
Prada
Donna
Mamma Mia!
Margaret
Thatcher
The Iron Lady
Age middle-aged middle-aged advanced in years
Geographical &
social
background:
born British (in the East
End of London), poor
family
born American
had a wild episode in her past
(has an illegitimate daughter, but
settled down
British
middle class (daughter of a
grocer)
Education: never attended college, but
smart
not highly educated but with lots
of common sense
educated at Oxford
Social status living in the USA
financially well off
presently living in Greece,
Financially independent
upper-middle class
Leader of political party
Position/Role: editor-in-chief at a fashion
magazine
owner of a run-down hotel Prime Minister of the UK
Personal
characteristics
Special features
inner strength, ambition,
coldness & arrogance;
master manipulator
ambition & energy, love of life,
warmth & friendliness
easy-going
intelligence, strength,
ambition, patriotism
skillful political negotiator

22. Bibliography
• Vizental, Adriana. 2008. Phonetics and Phonology. An introduction. 3rd edition revised. “Aurel Vlaicu” University Press.
• Videos:
• http://vizentaladriana.ro/videos/Video-Main/Video%201%20The%20Devil%20Wears%20Prada.mp4
• http://vizentaladriana.ro/videos/Video-Main/Video%202%20Mamma%20Mia.mp4
• http://vizentaladriana.ro/videos/Video-Main/Video%203%20The%20Iron%20Lady.mp4
• http://changingminds.org/techniques/body/parts_body_language/eyebrows_body_language.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_accent
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/spycatcher/200912/the-body-language-the-eyes
• http://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/words-used-to-describe-someone-s-voice
• Template: fppt.com