Tag Archives: dialects in film

Subtitled For American Consumption

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Ben

I’ve recently discussed the work of filmmaker Ken Loach with longtime commenter Ed. Loach is one of the few filmmakers I recall who commits to featuring local accents in all his films. He often casts non-actors in his movies, resulting in … Continue reading →

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Posted in Miscellaneous Accents and Dialects | Tagged , , | 24 Comments

“Fargo” Redux: Dialect Work in TV’s Renaissance

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Ben

When Fargo was released in 1996, “Minnesota speech” was largely unknown to the majority of the American populace. With a handful of exceptions, the dialect had little representation in popular culture. The film’s appeal lies not only in the quality of … Continue reading →

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Posted in American English | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Henry Higgins, Language Snob

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Ben

The classic musical My Fair Lady is on TV right now, and I am puzzling over Henry Higgins (I have shared my thoughts about the character before). If he obsesses over dialects so much, why does he hate non-standard English? Lerner and Loewe … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged , | 3 Comments

“Oy,” “Bollocks” and Other Trick Words

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Ben

In an episode of HBO’s The Newsroom, Emily Mortimer’s character addresses coworkers with a frustrated “oy!” Mortimer does not play a Brooklyn grandmother; “oy” [or “oi“] is a British term roughly similar to American English “hey!”* I would assume the show’s American writer, … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged | 12 Comments

Stray Thoughts on Theatrical Accent Traditions

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Ben

Slate ran a recent piece on the history of women playing Peter Pan onstage. This got me thinking about other theatrical or filmic traditions with regards to fictional characters. In particular, should we question why certain characters are played in … Continue reading →

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Posted in Miscellaneous Accents and Dialects | Tagged | 19 Comments

The Van Dyke Controversy

Posted on December 20, 2013 by Ben

Disney’s 1964 Mary Poppins adaptation has been in the news lately, in light of both film’s 50th anniversary and Saving Mr. Banks, a new film about the contentious relationship between Walt Disney and Anglo-Australian “Poppins” creator P. L. Travers. Of … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged , , | 26 Comments

The Death of Drama School Accent Enforcement

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Ben

Although I enjoy the series Downton Abbey, I know little about the personal lives of its cast members. So the other day, after watching a program on PBS, I was startled by a promo interview with the actress who plays … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Jane Austen’s English

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Ben

A reader recently wrote me with a question about the language in Jane Austen’s novels: I see you’ve talked a little about accent in Shakespeare’s time, but do we know how English people sounded during the Regency era? I think … Continue reading →

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Posted in British English | Tagged , | 11 Comments

Lincoln’s “Anachronisms”

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Ben

[UPDATE: Benjamin Schmidt has an excellent in-depth response in the comments which is well worth reading. He also has an FAQ on his website that answers a number of questions about his process.] I am obviously fascinated by historical dialects … Continue reading →

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Posted in American English | Tagged , | 7 Comments

“You is Smart:” Dialect Gripes About “The Help”

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Ben

The other day, a Twitter pal mentioned a certain discomfort while reading Kathryn Stockett’s The Help. Apropos of this blog, it seems there are a number of complaints about the author’s (arguably) shaky command of African American Vernacular English, a … Continue reading →

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Posted in American English | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments