PItch Perfect

Pitch Perfect 
Written by Kay Cannon and
Directed by Jason Moore

Brownstone Productions (2012)

Rating/Level: PG-13 for sexual content, language, and drug references
Genre:  Movie

Annotation/Teaser:   A diverse group of girls who have nothing in common but their ability to sing join a group to try to sing their way to the top of the college acappella competition. 

Plot Summary:  Beca, a newbie at her college, cannot seem to find the right clique and feels she doesn't fit in anywhere.  That is, until she is singing in the shower and she is coerced into joining acappella group called the Barden Bellas.    She finds herself alongside the mean, the weird, the sweet and the pretty.  Beca introduces mash-ups to the group and things will never be the same.  Even though the group is against the idea of changing from their traditional songs, Beca convinces the group that the only way they have a chance is to change to a new set list that will blow the judges away and leave the competition behind.  

About the Author:  Kay Cannon
Kay Cannon is a producer and writer, known for Pitch Perfect (2012), 30 Rock (2006) and Pitch Perfecgt 2. She has been married to Eben Russell since January 1, 2012. They have one child. She was previously married to Jason Sudeikis.


About the Director:  Jason Moore 

Jason Moore was born on October 22, 1970 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA. He is a director and actor, known for Pitch Perfect (2012), Cups:Pitch Perfect's When I'm Gone (2013), and Shrek the Musical (2013). 

Critical Evaluation:  Pitch Perfect is based on a non-fiction novel by Mickey Rapkin  called Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate ACappella Glory.  Being a big fan of the television series, Glee,  I feel the movie itself is marginal but the music is brilliant. It is a mixture of popular music from today, such as Titanium and Since You Been Gone and, my favorite era, the 80's, with songs such as Mickey and Like a Virgin.  This music will appeal to adults and young adults, alike, because of its diversity.    
The movie is a comedy but its silliness is a bit of a turn off for me.  One thing that saves this movie from being a total flop for me is Anna Kendrick whose character in the movie is Beca.  She is a brilliant actress and played the part fantastically.  Although I am not a big fan, teens of all ages have loved this movie and I would recommend it for the entertainment factor for teenagers. 

Curriculum Ties:  Music

Booktalk Ideas: 

Make your own mash-up. 

If your parent told you to pick one activity to get involved in, what activity would you choose?  Why?

Controversial Issues in this Movie:  Sex, Language, Drug Use, Homosexuality

Defense:

*I will keep the library's selection policy on hand and memorized with a good understanding  of the standards and policies to show that the selection meets the standards. 

*I will keep good and bad reviews (both electronic and print) and make sure they are from reliable and respected sources such as School of Library Journal, Booklist, and YALSA. I will have copies of these reviews to give away. 

*I will confirm the library's position to provide intellectual freedom as stated in the Library Bill of Rights and keep a copy of this.

*I will keep a written rationale to justify the reasons this material is included in the collection, such as educational significance and curriculum ties.

 *I will be respectful and calm and practice "active listening".

*I will make sure I read the material and are very familiar with it.

*I will keep a reconsideration form on file in the event that my other strategies don't work. 

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Why I Chose This Movie:  I chose this movie because it is a very popular movie with teens and young adults because of its crude humor and fun, popular music. I also saw many teens using social media such as Instagram and Facebook promoting and talking about this movie.