Oliver Tate is a 15-year-old teenager obsessed with losing his virginity and keeping his parents together. He is unsure of his identity and strives to stand out from others his age. Oliver is presented through his stiff body language and large black coat, which acts as a barrier against the outside world. His relationship with his parents is strained. Oliver breaks stereotypes of teenage boys while also conforming to some, like his obsession with sex. He is the hero of the narrative, seeking love and acceptance.

1. CHARACTER
CONVENTIONS

2. Oliver Tate is a 15 year old teenager whose
life is consumed with two things, losing his
virginity and keeping his parents together.
He is a very confused boy who isn’t sure
about what he wants his life to look like, he
is obsessed with being remembered after
he is gone, and strives to be an unusual
teenager, not mainstream like all the others
who surround him. He is a very self centred
character who you’re never sure if he feels
true emotion. The film is based off a book,
which in turn I have read, oliver is not really
meant to be a character that you like as a
person but more like a projection of how we
all really feel when we’re a teenager. Richard
Ayoade managed to emphasis this and
brings the character oliver to life. Oliver
Tate’s character is presented mainly through
his body language and his costume, this is
because oliver is presented as being so
aware of himself, it is almost as if he is
planning his movements precisely, to cause
as much effect as possible, that is why he is
so easy to interpret because he is an open

3. Our character Sam is very alike
to Oliver’s and we have decided
to use Oliver's costume as
inspiration for Sam's costume.
This is mainly because firstly we
like so much how the costume
looks on Oliver and how it
almost effects his body
language making him more
stiff, somehow emphasising
how uncomfortable he is in his
own skin, his coat is a
protection, he wears it when he
is most vulnerable. For example
oliver is presented as wearing
his school uniform for the
majority of the film, however
when imagining Oliver's
character you would picture
him primarily wearing his large
black coat reminiscent of a
fisherman's uniform. Which
links Oliver to the sea which is a
main location for Oliver in the
Oliver is constantly
wearing this coat much
alike to his co-star/ love
interest who is seen to
be constantly wearing a
similar large red coat,
however unlike oliver
Jordana wears her coat
open for the majority of
the film, this technique
of mise en scene to
emote the characters
personality and inner
conscience. Also the
specific colour choice for
Jordana’s coat
emphasises the
difference between the
two, she is fire, again
linking to her
pyromaniac tendencies.
We have taken this idea
of a large coat and
placed it in our character

4. Oliver is also presented heavily
through his age and class, these
effect how he speaks and appears to
different people. His explorative
nature is presented throughout the
film, he is always trying something
new, something to change his life.
According to the young and
Rubicon's cross cultural consumer
characterisation oliver is classed as
an explorer. In a way this is how we
want to present Sam. Ever moving
about, never staying still. Oliver is a
teenager close to reaching
adulthood but still at a stage of
immaturity, he is obsessed with sex
and emotion and the experience of
living properly and not being a
typical/ cliché teen, of course he is
unsuccessful but it does change how
oliver presents himself, he wants to
be admired and wants to stand out
he dabbles in unique experiences
and speaks as if he is being watched
Sam alike Oliver will use
his coat as a form of
protection, a barrier
against the outside
world. Oliver has a very
closed off relationship
from his parents, he
cares for them but their
relationship is strained,
awkward and
impersonal, scenes
filmed with oliver and
his parents is even
filmed to be
uncomfortable for
example the placement
of the character, their
body language and the
lack of music and/or
masses of dialog, this is
also something we have
taken for Sam’s
character, as we feel it is
important to represent
Although oliver shows signs
of conforming to the
stereotypical statements
about teenage boys like
Perkins theory of stereotypes,
that they do not need to be
false or offensive, he is an
unusual character and breaks
many stereotypes. However
the characters around him are
somewhat typical in there
stereotypes. For example
Oliver's friend Chips fits
perfectly into the
stereotypical expectation of a
15 year old boy, he is ruse,
sex obsessed, arrogant and
unclean. In a way by using
such a stereotypical view of
Chips emphasises how un-
stereotypical oliver truly is.
His class effects his
personality, he is more
accepting of the world and

5. Oliver and Jordana are a very interesting choice for a
relationship, this is because they are both such binary
opposites. Levi Strauss claimed that in media we need
binary opposite in order for the audience to
understand the narrative better. This is because it
relies heavily on our own ideological values and
beliefs, understanding what is good and what is bad.
Oliver and Jordana are such polar opposites because
essentially Jordana is a horrid person who takes
delight in tormenting and bullying others, she does
not see the wrongness of the situation she puts
herself in, however oliver can see this and feels the
empathy that Jordana seems to lack.
When applying Propps narrative theory to the characters,
you find that oliver is the hero or the narrative,
throughout the film he is constantly looking for love, for
acceptance, and to be remembered. He is in love with the
princess archetype, aka Jordana who would be seen as his
reward for his achievements. The other characters in the
film, such as Oliver's dad who can be seen as many
character types, the false hero, or the best friend. Another
character is Oliver's mother who could be seen as the
donor/dispatcher. Finally the villain is Graham the man
who Oliver's mother has an affair with.