Plot
You're Ugly Too has a plot but the story focuses more on the characters than it does on what is happening to them. In the movie of You're Ugly Too, I would add more of a story of Zoe's childhood and her past that makes her who she is in the short story. The earlier information would show why she is the way she is with men because it would show flashbacks to her dating life in highschool and college and it would show how she has grown up to be so quirky. There would also be flashbacks to her job like it says in the text. The students who she teaches do not understand her and if there was more emphasis on her classroom setting, it would affect the overall meaning of how Zoe is lonely and not always confident and she tries to hide that with her humor. Adding more detail from her past overall would give a better sense of who Zoe is and why she is the eccentric woman presented in the story.
Point of View
The point of view of You're Ugly Too is 3rd person limited to Zoe which is very effective for the story because it focuses on her quirks and eccentricities. In the movie, I would add many thought voice-overs so that it would delve more into the complexity of Zoe's mind. Any other general point of view would completely change the story. Actually, adding a dual point of view would also be effective when it comes to Earl and her relationship. If it went from Zoe's thought process to Earl's thought process, it would show how they are similar they are and how they are both looking for someone to fulfill their lives. Having the thought processes as voice overs would add to the theme of loneliness because her thoughts would emulate how she felt throughout her life. Zoe's point of view is the most important thought because it adds depth to the fact that while she is somewhat self conscious, for the most part she is not afraid to be herself and that is just how she is.
Characterization
The characterization in this story is based mostly around Zoe, her sister, and Earl. Adding more minor characters like ex-boyfriends and students would emphasize Zoe's eccentricities and how she is different in other people's eyes. Zoe is the most complex character portrayed so she does not need much added to her characterization. I would like for there to be more added to Evan's character and her background and why she is not quite like Zoe. Zoe is definitely different, and it would also be good to have their parents cast in the movie. Having the parents in the movie would show who was more paid attention to in the family (Zoe or Evan), and if their parents were the cause of Zoe's eccentricities. Earl would also require a bit more detail and personality as a character. The most important part for all of the characters in the movie would be the Halloween party because of the significance of the costumes.
Setting
The first main setting is in Illinois where Zoe teaches history at a small midwest college. The second setting is in New York when Zoe visits her sister Evan who is going to get married. I think there should be another setting at the very beginning showing her home life and how it was to grow up in Maryland. That would shape her thoughts on the midwest and how they are very ignorant of ethnic variety and cultural changes. The next main setting would be the one where she is visiting her sister. This should have a large emphasis because it shows how she interacts with Earl and with her sister in this new environment since "Illinois makes her sarcastic." The setting in Illinois with her teaching career could be in much smaller segments because it could be the flashbacks. While Illinois is important, it is better to have as a smaller setting because it would not show her growing as a character but more staying stagnant in the similarly stagnant Midwest atmosphere.
Theme
The theme of this story revolves around loneliness and finding someone to love you for who you are despite all of your eccentricities. Zoe is the epitome of eccentric and it could be said that it is difficult to love her because of her differences. It would be important to focus on the fact that while she does random little things, like pinning "Zoe's tree" on the tree outside her first house, she is still a self-conscious woman in many ways as are other women in society. This story could turn into a coming-of-age film in which a not-quite-forty-year old woman realizes who she is and why she is the way she is. Also another theme could go along with finding love and holding on to love because Zoe has had such a problem with finding love in her years and actually holding on to it since she lost her original love from high school. All of these aspects could be tied together to make a really entertaining movie, and it would definitely remind me of Juno or an Indie film of sorts!
You're Ugly Too has a plot but the story focuses more on the characters than it does on what is happening to them. In the movie of You're Ugly Too, I would add more of a story of Zoe's childhood and her past that makes her who she is in the short story. The earlier information would show why she is the way she is with men because it would show flashbacks to her dating life in highschool and college and it would show how she has grown up to be so quirky. There would also be flashbacks to her job like it says in the text. The students who she teaches do not understand her and if there was more emphasis on her classroom setting, it would affect the overall meaning of how Zoe is lonely and not always confident and she tries to hide that with her humor. Adding more detail from her past overall would give a better sense of who Zoe is and why she is the eccentric woman presented in the story.
Point of View
The point of view of You're Ugly Too is 3rd person limited to Zoe which is very effective for the story because it focuses on her quirks and eccentricities. In the movie, I would add many thought voice-overs so that it would delve more into the complexity of Zoe's mind. Any other general point of view would completely change the story. Actually, adding a dual point of view would also be effective when it comes to Earl and her relationship. If it went from Zoe's thought process to Earl's thought process, it would show how they are similar they are and how they are both looking for someone to fulfill their lives. Having the thought processes as voice overs would add to the theme of loneliness because her thoughts would emulate how she felt throughout her life. Zoe's point of view is the most important thought because it adds depth to the fact that while she is somewhat self conscious, for the most part she is not afraid to be herself and that is just how she is.
Characterization
The characterization in this story is based mostly around Zoe, her sister, and Earl. Adding more minor characters like ex-boyfriends and students would emphasize Zoe's eccentricities and how she is different in other people's eyes. Zoe is the most complex character portrayed so she does not need much added to her characterization. I would like for there to be more added to Evan's character and her background and why she is not quite like Zoe. Zoe is definitely different, and it would also be good to have their parents cast in the movie. Having the parents in the movie would show who was more paid attention to in the family (Zoe or Evan), and if their parents were the cause of Zoe's eccentricities. Earl would also require a bit more detail and personality as a character. The most important part for all of the characters in the movie would be the Halloween party because of the significance of the costumes.
Setting
The first main setting is in Illinois where Zoe teaches history at a small midwest college. The second setting is in New York when Zoe visits her sister Evan who is going to get married. I think there should be another setting at the very beginning showing her home life and how it was to grow up in Maryland. That would shape her thoughts on the midwest and how they are very ignorant of ethnic variety and cultural changes. The next main setting would be the one where she is visiting her sister. This should have a large emphasis because it shows how she interacts with Earl and with her sister in this new environment since "Illinois makes her sarcastic." The setting in Illinois with her teaching career could be in much smaller segments because it could be the flashbacks. While Illinois is important, it is better to have as a smaller setting because it would not show her growing as a character but more staying stagnant in the similarly stagnant Midwest atmosphere.
Theme
The theme of this story revolves around loneliness and finding someone to love you for who you are despite all of your eccentricities. Zoe is the epitome of eccentric and it could be said that it is difficult to love her because of her differences. It would be important to focus on the fact that while she does random little things, like pinning "Zoe's tree" on the tree outside her first house, she is still a self-conscious woman in many ways as are other women in society. This story could turn into a coming-of-age film in which a not-quite-forty-year old woman realizes who she is and why she is the way she is. Also another theme could go along with finding love and holding on to love because Zoe has had such a problem with finding love in her years and actually holding on to it since she lost her original love from high school. All of these aspects could be tied together to make a really entertaining movie, and it would definitely remind me of Juno or an Indie film of sorts!
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