Uptown Girls Study Guide

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Uptown Girls Breakdown Notes Context Uptown Girls takes place in the early 2000s and it follows Molly Gunn, a carefree young woman who relies on the money left by her deceased parents. She was left homeless and broke once her father’s accountant embezzled the money. Her friend helps her find a job and she becomes a nanny for a serious eight-year-old named Lorraine "Ray" Schleine. Ray’s mother is negligent and her father is in a coma, resulting in Ray’s subdued emotions. At this point in the story, Ray runs away from home after her father dies and Molly has a good idea of where to find her. The lack of dialogue focuses on the characters’ body language and facial expressions. Additionally, this scene highlights a changing point in Ray and Molly’s …show more content…

She places her full attention on the action, not sparing Molly a glance. Shot 10: Molly frowns at the camera as she spins the cup. Her facial expression shows that she is desperately trying to get Ray’s attention, boring holes into her downturned head. Shot 11 Ray continued to focus on spinning the teacup with a pained expression on her face. The music overpowers the background music as Ray moves her head up, making eye contact with the camera. The close-up of Ray’s movement and the use of overpowering music signifies a pivotal moment in the scene. Shot 12 The blurry spinning background and the tight composition on Molly’s face place focus on Molly’s exasperated expression as she stares into the camera. Shot 13 The wide shot of both characters establishes that they are still frantically spinning the cup. Shot 14 The scene cuts to Ray throwing up after the ride, with Molly quietly supporting her by placing a hand on her back. The abrupt change in tone is emphasized by the cut-off of the music and the static …show more content…

Molly puts her foot down by stopping Ray, giving her an authoritative role in this scenario, contrasting with her childish character. Ray, on the other hand, slaps Molly with her free hand. Ray’s emotional outburst and frayed appearance continue to contrast with her uptight/neat character. Shot 17: Ray looms over Molly, retracting Molly’s authoritative role in the previous shot. This power shift quickly returns when Molly stands up and returns a slap. The camera moving upwards, following Molly, further emphasizes her power in the shot. Shot 18 + 20 After a moment of shock that Molly would slap her, Ray pummels into Molly’s stomach. This shot reveals the peak of Ray’s emotional outburst, with her panting as she puts all her strength into her punches. Ray continues to punch Molly in shot 20. Shot 19 + 21 Molly remains still, looking down at Ray with a pained expression as she slightly recoils from the impact. Molly rarely breaks eye contact with Ray throughout the scene, showing how adamant she is to connect with Ray. Molly continues to look down at Ray in pain in shot

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