Before I Fall Film Analysis

Speculative fiction is the genre of fiction that incorporates a setting other than the real world and can involve the supernatural, futuristic and other imagined elements. Primarily speculative fiction focuses on asking ‘what if’ questions and can include many sub-genres; such as fantasy, science fiction, horror and magical realism. The film If I Stay and the novel Before I Fall fit under the sub-genre of magical realism and explore the ideas of an individual experiencing magical or alternate realities limited to only themselves. The texts also embrace the conventions of alterity, nature of humanity and power. The film If I Stay was realised in 2014 and directed by R.J Cutler. The film adaption of the book by Gayle Forman is based around an

The setting and characters are commonplace in the real world however the protagonist experiences are not. In the film If I Stay Mia is shown experiences an alternate reality when she steps out of her physical body. She is only separated from her body when she is in a comatose. The audience is positioned to question if this is possible in our own world and if it could happen to them. When Mia’s spirit is looking for answers in her grandparents, dying brother, best friend Kim, boyfriend Adam and the flashbacks of the last 2 years the audience is positioned to feel sympathy and sadness because of what Mia is going through. In the novel Before I Fall alterity is first seen when Sam wakes up to the same day for the second time. The audience becomes aware of the alternate universe because in the real-world, time is linear and in the novel time is warped. Before Sam figures out why she is living the same day over again she purposely behaves badly because she knows that the slate will be wiped clean at the end of the day. The audience is positioned

In the film If I Stay, the audience is made to question the impacts of Mia’s decision to wake up, what may have happened if she chose to die, and the impacts this would have on everyone around her. The audience is also encouraged to think about the value of life and how everything can change in the spilt of a second. They are positioned to think about if they have lived the life to the fullest potential and if they are happy with the life they have lived. They are also left to wonder if there is life after death or an in-between of life and death. The novel Before I fall positions the reader to reflect on their priorities and have they lived life how they wanted to. It also positions audiences to think about how time is valued – whether days are spent making the most of time or whether days are spent thinking selfishly and unethically, why does it take serious or disasters situations for people to start living their best life or truly valuing relationships? If I Stay and Before I Fall use nature of humanity is very synced ways when getting the audience/readers to question the decisions made about life and if they are living life how they want to and to the fullest. The use of Nature of humanity was very