Introduction
Moonrise Kingdom is a critically acclaimed 2012 Wes Anderson film set in 1965. This film tells the story of two young adults, Suzy Bishop and Sam, who develop a romantic relationship after briefly meeting at a church performance. Because of their immediate connection and obvious similarities, they continue to keep in touch by means of letter writing. Through their long-distance communication, they forge a plan to run away together to a isolated beach on the island they both live on. Suzy wants to escape her troubled and protective family, while Sam wishes to leave a Khaki Scout troop full of boys who do not seem to like him. After they are found to be missing, they are tracked down by Sam’s Khaki Scout troop, Suzy’s parents and the police. A former teacher of Sam’s suggests that Sam may have gone to a cove that he had previously expressed interest in. This tip leads the protagonists to be found by those looking, making them sad and upset. Because the characters are visibly upset, the Khaki Scout troop has a change of heart and decides to help Suzy and Sam escape again so that they can reunite. While running away, a huge storm hits making the journey more dangerous and unpredictable. The addition of mobile smartphones in this film would change many aspects of the story as mobile phones allow for new communication methods and location knowledge.
In the film, there were some communication devices used in ways that are similar to mobile phones. For example, walkie talkies are used by the police head and Khaki Scout Master Ward in order to communicate with others that are also searching for Suzy and Sam. There are also calls used when talking to Social Services, the recording of the Camp Ivanhoe log on a tape recorder, and the bull horn Mrs. Bishop uses. Mobile phones would have changed the film regardless of the existence of these other devices because mobile phones have unique affordances such as multimediality, accessibility and locatability. Also, the devices used in the film such as walkie talkies were not as widely used as mobile phones are today. Mobile phones have become so widespread and incorporated into our culture that many things could have changed in the film with the addition of these devices. Today, most children in the United States have used a Smartphone before their first birthday (Kabali, 2015). Because so many children have their own mobile smartphone or at least have access to them, it is very likely that teenagers like Suzy and Sam would have had their own devices during their adventures. Even though other communicative device like walkie talkies existed, young children and teens did not likely have easy access to them.
One way in which mobile phones would significantly alter the text is that multiple quick and media rich ways to communicate constantly including video-chat, texting with emojis and Snapchat would allow for a quicker development of a romantic relationship and an easier and more precise running-away plan. Parental supervision of phone use could have made Suzy’s parents warier of her relationship with Sam than they already were. Once Suzy and Sam had actually run away and met up, their mobile phones would have allowed them to easily move around using mobile maps and tourism apps. With a larger amount of location information available, they could have also altered their path or felt differently about locations. As well, location services on the phones could have made them easier to locate. The addition of mobile phones to the film would have brought up heated arguments that we see today about privacy and sharing information and data. Because so much can be learned about someone from these devices and from the internet, there are a lot of dangers and precautions to be taken.
Relationship Maintenance and Bonding
One way in which the film’s plot would have changed from the addition of mobile phones is by altering the way in which Suzy and Sam’s relationship was maintained. Because Suzy and Sam lived too far apart to see each other often, they had to resort to different ways other than face-to-face communication in order to keep up their relationship. The strategies that both romantic couples and friends use in order to maintain intimacy significantly influence the nature of the relationship. In the film, Suzy and Sam exchange letters detailing their day-to-day struggles in order to stay close. However, if Suzy and Sam had had mobile phones, they would have had access to other ways to communicate that are perhaps more media rich than letter writing. For example, the two would have likely communicated through social networking sites. Couples in long distance romantic relationships are more likely to use relationship maintenance behaviors through social networking sites compared to those in close proximity (Billedo, 2015). This means that Suzy and Sam likely used their mobile phones to talk to each other on apps like Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. These behaviors likely would have helped them make sure their relationship was in tact and could have helped them become closer as well as come up with concrete travel plans.
The most common maintenance strategies used in internet-based relationships are openness and positivity and those who used these strategies were more likely to perceive that their relationship with their partner involved a high degree of quality communication (Wright, 2004). Because Suzy and Sam’s relationship would have been based on the internet or social media apps while they were apart, they would have likely wanted to disclose lots of personal information, while still trying to keep the other liking them. This common behavior of presenting oneself in a positive light leads to idealization in long distance relationships, which can be problematic.
If Suzy and Sam had had access to mobile phones, they would have had access to media rich technologies like video-chat and Snapchat, allowing for a greater level of bonding between the two characters. Mobile phones give people the opportunity for lots of types of communication so that people apart can keep up with each other, making letter-writing nearly obsolete for communication between adolescents. Different forms of communication technology have diverse effects on established relationships, especially in comparison to in-person communication. While in-person communication allows for the most bonding, things like video-chat and talking on the phone offer more of a bonding experience than text messaging (Sherman, 2013). Apps like Snapchat would likely allow for more bonding than letter-writing or standard texting because of the visual component. Snapchat allows users to views more nonverbal behaviors such as facial expression that could add more meaning to text. It is likely that if Suzy and Sam had gotten closer through their communication, they would have been more quick and aggressive in their decisions and may have had a less awkward reunion.
The addition of emojis would have also had an impact on the conversation between the two characters, and could have increased levels of bonding and relational maintenance. In some of the letters sent between Sam and Suzy, there was art included in order to express thoughts and feelings that did not quite fit into words. Emojis are a way for people to express their feelings to another without being included in a face-to-face interaction. Emojis are also a form of self-expression and the emojis that people use can reflect a person’s personal aesthetic (Sugiyama, 2015). The addition of emojis could have increased Sam and Suzy’s bonding because it would have given them a better idea of what the other was thinking and feeling as well as giving them an in to their personal style and personality.
It is also important to imagine the effect that bonding from mobile phones would have had on the reunion of Suzy and Sam. Long distance relationships are perhaps more stable that geographically close ones because of the idea of idealization. Idealization is the idea that couples who do not see each other often tend to think of their partner in a very positive light. This may lead to issues when the couple comes back together, because it is harder to be on best behavior when talking face to face for a continued period of time rather than through texting (Stafford, 2007). When Suzy and Sam reunite in the film, they are slightly awkward together and even have a short fight in one of their first interactions. However, they get along very well in the majority of the film regardless whether they are geographically close or not.
Trip Coordination and Planning
The increased relational maintenance and bonding of Suzy and Sam because of more instant and more media rich communication practices would have helped them to also coordinate their escape plan more efficiently. When writing letters, it took the two characters quite a while to decide when and where to meet to run away. They also talked less in depth about where they were going and about their long term plans because of the communication method they were using.
Image retrieved from: http://mandarinella.it/tag/amore/
The image above shows actual letters that Suzy and Sam sent to each other in the film. As you can see from the photo, the messages are very straightforward and short; however, they must have taken at least a few days to be sent and received by the other person. If they had had mobile phones, the plan would have been much easier to make because texts move so much faster than letters in the mail. People generally choose texting over calling when they want to send a short message and do not want to get involved in a long conversation (Baron, 2009). They could have also called each other to discuss logistics and have the same information covered in a few minutes that was covered through letter-writing in weeks. Texting would have also allowed the characters to be more flexible in their meeting time as the time and place could have theoretically changed the day of the proposed meet up. With the letter-writing method of communication, this meet up time and place was set in stone for a good amount of time and could not be changed at a moment’s notice. If something had happened to one of the characters that had prevented them from meeting the other, this would have caused serious issues without the existence of instant messaging.
The addition of the mobile smartphones would not only have altered the story by allowing for better coordination and communication about plans, but would have also helped as a tourism tool. Mobile phones are a great tool for travelers because the wide array of capabilities and apps that relate to exploring areas unknown to the user. For example, users can download many apps that can identify their location to tell them where the nearest park, attraction or even toilet is. In conjunction with being able to spontaneously communicate plans from instant messaging, smartphone tourism apps allow people to be more opportunistic in their travels (Dickinson, 2014). In the film, Sam plans the trip mostly by information he has learned from others and from a physical paper map. With additional technologies on his phone that could tell him tourism information, he could have better planned a more exiting and fulfilling trip.
Opportunities for Other Friends and Alternate Connections
It is also possible that with mobile phones, Sam and Suzy would be able to connect with others like themselves. One of the reasons that Suzy and Sam’s relationship started and remains intact is because they both felt lonely and like outcasts in their own community. Those who are found to be more lonely and social anxious are also more likely to report communicating personal and intimate information online (Bonetti, Campell & Gilmore, 2010). Because Suzy and Sam are not the best at social interactions, they would be more likely to go online to share personal information like the personal information they shared in their letters to each other. This could mean that they could have found other friends easily that were more like them, perhaps eating rid of the need for their relationship. The mobile phone affordance of accessibility also can make these internet-based relationships particularly strong as users are constantly able to respond even if they are not at home looking at a computer.
Although Suzy and Sam are not necessarily shy or quiet, they are labelled as “unusual” by society and those around them. For example, Sam has a hard time making friends in his Khaki Scout troop because the other boys label him as weird, making him lonely and unpopular. Suzy feels like it is hard for her to interact with others in a normal way as well, and often resorts to acts of violence to let out her emotions.
In this image, Suzy is showing Sam a pamphlet that she found her parents held a copy of. This scene shows that not only are Suzy’s parents concerned about her well-being, but Suzy herself is also concerned that maybe there is something wrong with her.
Image from: https://quotesgram.com/kara-hayward-quotes/
Those who have problems interacting with others like the two main characters in the film often feel more comfortable sharing their information online (Laghi, 2013). Many of Suzy and Sam’s letters to each other were about the problems they were having in their lives. They kept close through these letters because they needed to express their feelings, but they would have many more opportunities to share their personal information with smartphones. Communicating online is helpful for socially anxious people because it fulfills their need for interaction and identity development (Bonetti, Campell & Gilmore, 2010). It is possible that with the easy access to the internet and online groups made possible by smartphones, Suzy and Sam may have spent a lot of time on the internet because of their personalities. This goes against the previous argument that Smartphones would have made them closer because it shows they may have found alternate ways besides talking to each other to fulfill their interaction needs.
Although mobile phones would have definitely changed the way Suzy and Sam kept in touch, it is hard to say whether they would have needed each other as much due to alternate opportunities of the internet. However, they would have likely become closer if they continued to communicate because of new mobile technologies like video-chat and Snapchat. These technologies that are used on mobile devices not only change the degree and type of relational maintenance, but they may have also affected the level of bonding between the two protagonists.
Mobile Phone Locatability
Apart from the way in which mobile phones would have changed Suzy and Sam’s relationship, the film’s plot could have changed significantly from mobile phone’s locatability affordance. This affordance would have possibly made Suzy and Sam easier to locate, but could have also altered their journey and feelings towards their journey. They would have been easier to locate because of ways that mobile location is tracked through purposeful mobile phone tracking and thorough interactions with social media and others. The locatability affordance would have also given Sam and Suzy the opportunity to use mobile maps and other new apps to avoid getting lost, perhaps allowing them to find their desired location faster. Other location based apps can offer new meaning to the story as well.
The act of location sharing and tagging on social media is becoming increasingly popular, as upwards of 30% of social media users say they tag their location on posts (Zickuhr, 2013). If Suzy and Sam were using social media to update others about their journey, they could have let out accidental or purposeful location information. Another way in which phones track people is actually not through the individual themselves, but through those they interact with. Sometimes, even with privacy settings, social media users can share location information to online communities of both friends and strangers and can it be analyzed by those who know how to look for it (Salilek, 2012). Even if Sam and Suzy were not individually able to be tracked, the information they posted about each other or that others sent out about them could make them more trackable. However, because Suzy and Sam were trying to avoid being found, they likely would have taken precautions about interacting on social media.
Mobile phones also change the way in which people feel about locations because the mobile devices can allow them to connect with physical things in new ways. With an increased amount of location information shared, people feel more knowledgable about and more attached to certain landmarks and physical locations (Ozukul, 2013). By taking pictures of the location and sharing it with others while he was there, his attachment and feeling towards this “special location” could have also been altered. For example, if Sam had taken a picture of Suzy on the cove they fled to together, he would have had this picture to look at for years to come. Looking at this picture in the future could allow him to remember the moment more clearly and perhaps see it in a different light. This shows just one way in which mobile phones interact with location knowledge.
Sam finds the special location he is hiking to through only a paper map. If he had had a mobile phone fit with images and an interactive map, he could have possibly found this location more easily and quickly. While paper maps do allow a good amount of detail and can be used to effectively navigate, mobile maps have the unique affordance of showing current location and can also show the user what direction they are facing. This could have helped Sam and Suzy find the cove they were running to more easily, meaning they could have spent more time there.
Mentioned previously, the reason Suzy and Sam were found in the movie was because of a tip from an old teacher that knew about where Sam wanted to travel. This data about popular or possible travel locations would have been more prevalent with the addition of mobile technology as data on what types of places people are traveling to can be collected (Montoliu, 2010). This means that the addition of phones could have given the police more information about what places are popular to travel to on the island, allowing them to guess where the two could have run away to. If the location of the two children could be tracked through their mobile phones by parents or police, they could have been found much quicker.
Parental Phone Tracking
Mobile phones may seem like a device that protective parents may not want their children to have as some parents are worried about who the children may be contacting with their phones. However, mobile devices can allow parents to be in contact with their children and even know their location at all times (Malone, 2007). Suzy has very protective parents who spend the movie trying to figure out where she is and what she is up to. If Suzy had had a mobile device in the film, she may have been easier to understand and locate by both her parents and the police.
Although mobile phones are a communication device that can be used to create and keep meaningful relationships, parents normally use mobile phones to make arrangements with their children and rarely use it to socialize with them. Mobile phones allow adolescents to feel like they could have more flexibility in their social life and become more independent a majority of parents said their child having a phone made them nervous that they may be making secretive plans (Devitt, & Roker, 2009). This communication that is available without parental knowledge is essential to the creation of Suzy and Sam’s relationship and to their plan to run away together. If Suzy and Sam had had mobile phones, it may have been much easier to plan their secret trip because of the independence mobile phones give children. However, Suzy has very protective parents who spend the movie trying to figure out where she is and what she is up to. It is fairly common for parents of teenage girls to look at their child’s phone or take it away as punishment. For example, 64% of parents look at the contents of their child’s cell phone and 62% have taken it as a punishment (Lenhart, 2010). Even if Suzy’s parents did not feel like they needed to check Suzy’s phone to an extreme extent, they would have likely checked it at some point.
If Suzy had had a mobile device in the film, she may have been easier to understand and locate by both her parents and the police. Because her parents are so protective, they could have checked her phone to find messages sent to Sam. In addition to direct requests of phone-checking, people also borrow people’s phones for different purposes, issuing additional privacy concerns. Even when people borrow phones simple to contact or call someone, the phone’s owner can still feel uncomfortable that the person will see unwanted information such as private text messages (Karlson, 2009). This idea of phone-borrowing would have also been relevant if Suzy for some reason did not yet have a cell phone and had to borrow from her parents. This invasion of privacy could have stopped the relationship between the protagonists before they even had the chance to run away with each other.
Conclusion
An addition of mobile phones to Moonrise Kingdom may have slightly changed the plot because of increased relationship maintenance and level of bonding between the protagonists, finding people through mobile devices and through information obtained from additional apps. Although there were instances where characters in the film used other communication devices such as walkie-talkies, there are affordances of mobile devices that did not exist in these older technologies.
An increased level of relational maintenance would have strengthened the relationship between the two protagonists, allowing them to possibly avoid tension and come up with more joint decisions for travel and escape. Had they continued to communicate heavily, the level of bonding between the two would have increased due to media-rich technologies like Snapchat. However, it is possible that somewhat socially anxious personalities such as Suzy and Sam could have not needed to rely on each other’s support so heavily because of online communities. A big part of the film’s plot involves the search for the two protagonists. Mobile devices allow people to be found in multiple different ways. For example, because Suzy’s parents are fairly protective, they may have set up a way to track her phone.
Although Moonrise Kingdom is a film set in the 1960s, many of the relational themes shown in the film are still prevalent in society today. For example, many children feel out of place in their communities or homes and are searching for like others who are weird like them. The internet and the broad use of smartphones especially has helped to push people to develop and understand their niche interests.
The addition of Smartphones in this film also brings up bigger ethical issues about parental control over children and privacy. Some parents feel it is their duty to keep their child safe to the extreme that they need to track everything their child is doing. However, there is an argument for children to still hold some of their own privacy as everyone should have the right to have secrets and private relationships. Smartphones have made this issue of privacy and the data sharing debate in moments of crisis a large deal. Finding Suzy and Sam may have been the mission of the Khaki scout troop, the island’s police and the parents, but what information can be breached in order to find the children? And what information cannot be shared regardless of the situation in order to secure the privacy of the protagonists and the ethical guidelines of phone and software companies? These issues of privacy and data sharing have become more and more concerning to the public as technology continues to develop and spread around the world.
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