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45-441: Sixth Happiness is a 1997 British drama film directed by Indian director Waris Hussein . It is based on the 1991 autobiography of Firdaus Kanga , entitled Trying to Grow . Kanga plays a fictionalized version of himself in the film, which involves themes about Britain , India , race and sex . Sixth Happiness also features performances from Souad Faress , Nina Wadia , Indira Varma , and Meera Syal . Sixth Happiness

90-541: A Cousin in the Bronx ) obviously loves these characters and fully shares that love with the audience. James Welland's rich-hued photography makes the most of both interiors and gorgeous Bombay settings." Lawrence Van Gelder of The New York Times wrote, "Presented without sentiment, Brit is no angel. He can be manipulative and selfish as well as perceptive and funny. And as Mr. Kanga and Mr. Hussein know, these qualities make him human and very much worth knowing." Time Out

135-462: A better understanding of the film. According to the taxonomy, combining the type with the genre does not create a separate genre. For instance, the "Horror Drama" is simply a dramatic horror film (as opposed to a comedic horror film). "Horror Drama" is not a genre separate from the horror genre or the drama type. Crime dramas explore themes of truth, justice, and freedom, and contain the fundamental dichotomy of "criminal vs. lawman". Crime films make

180-423: A broader range of moods . To these ends, a primary element in a drama is the occurrence of conflict —emotional, social, or otherwise—and its resolution in the course of the storyline. All forms of cinema or television that involve fictional stories are forms of drama in the broader sense if their storytelling is achieved by means of actors who represent ( mimesis ) characters . In this broader sense, drama

225-534: A critical review in which he said the film's mix of drama and comedy does not cohere. He wrote, "Though story sports plenty of complications, script and direction downplay melodramatic potential and pathos in favor of a quirky, humorously anecdotal approach. Unfortunately, [the filmmakers] seldom carry it off." Drama (film and television) In film and television , drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction ) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind

270-580: A live performance, it has also been used to describe the more high-brow and serious end of the dramatic output of radio . The Screenwriters Taxonomy contends that film genres are fundamentally based upon a film's atmosphere, character and story, and therefore the labels "drama" and "comedy" are too broad to be considered a genre. Instead, the taxonomy contends that film dramas are a "Type" of film; listing at least ten different sub-types of film and television drama. Docudramas are dramatized adaptations of real-life events. While not always completely accurate,

315-685: A more central component of the story, along with serious content.  Examples include Three Colours: White (1994), The Truman Show (1998), The Man Without a Past (2002), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), and Silver Linings Playbook (2012). Coined by film professor Ken Dancyger , these stories exaggerate characters and situations to the point of becoming fable, legend or fairy tale.  Examples: Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) and Maleficent (2014). Light dramas are light-hearted stories that are, nevertheless, serious in nature.  Examples: The Help (2011) and The Terminal (2004). Psychological dramas are dramas that focus on

360-633: A person's life and raises their level of importance. The "small things in life" feel as important to the protagonist (and the audience) as the climactic battle in an action film, or the final shootout in a western.  Often, the protagonists deal with multiple, overlapping issues in the course of the film – just as we do in life.  Films of this type/genre combination include: The Wrestler (2008), Fruitvale Station (2013), and Locke (2013). Romantic dramas are films with central themes that reinforce our beliefs about love (e.g.: themes such as "love at first sight", "love conquers all", or "there

405-488: A political drama, especially in its critically acclaimed second season and fifth season . Races for political office, including state's attorney , governor , and even a Presidential run, move in and out of the show's narrative and the story of its main character, Alicia Florrick. However, Alicia's primary profession as a litigator for the most part takes precedence in the narrative, and so the show more often focuses on her cases and related office politics, making it primarily

450-468: A ritualistic and social significance that enhanced the relevance of the political issues being examined. Shakespeare is an author of political theatre according to some academic scholars, who observe that his history plays examine the machinations of personal drives and passions determining political activity and that many of the tragedies such as King Lear and Macbeth dramatize political leadership and complexity subterfuges of human beings driven by

495-464: A specific approach to drama but, rather, consider drama as a lack of comedic techniques.  Examples: Ghost World (2001) and Wuthering Heights (2011). According to the Screenwriters' Taxonomy, all film descriptions should contain their type (comedy or drama) combined with one (or more) of the eleven super-genres. This combination does not create a separate genre, but rather, provides

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540-445: A theatre 'of, by, and for the people'. In this guise, political theatre has developed within the civil societies under oppressive governments as a means of actual underground communication and the spreading of critical thought. Following the war there was an influx of political theatre, as people needed to discuss the losses of the war. Often political theatre has been used to promote specific political theories or ideals, for example in

585-412: Is a mode distinct from novels, short stories , and narrative poetry or songs . In the modern era, before the birth of cinema or television, "drama" within theatre was a type of play that was neither a comedy nor a tragedy . It is this narrower sense that the film and television industries, along with film studies , adopted. " Radio drama " has been used in both senses—originally transmitted in

630-526: Is a final fight to the death; the idea of the protagonists facing death is a central expectation in a war drama film. In a war film even though the enemy may out-number, or out-power, the hero, we assume that the enemy can be defeated if only the hero can figure out how.   Examples include: Apocalypse Now (1979), Come and See (1985), Braveheart (1995), Life Is Beautiful (1997), Black Book (2006), The Hurt Locker (2008), 1944 (2015), Wildeye (2015), and 1917 (2019). Films in

675-625: Is about Brit, a boy born with brittle bones who never grows taller than four feet, and his sexual awakening as family life crumbles around him. The story begins in the early 1960s in the Parsee community of Mumbai. Parsees, descendants of the Persian empire , settled in western India after escaping an Islamic invasion in Persia in the seventh century. Under the Raj , Parsees had a close relationship with

720-551: Is exacerbated with the visit of Cyrus, a handsome young lodger who comes to stay with the Kotwal family. David Noh of Film Journal International gave a positive review, writing "What could easily have been a maudlin exercise a la TV-Movie Disease-of-the-Week is lightened throughout by a highly observant comic take on this eccentric, quick-witted family and their even more colorful neighbors." He added, "Veteran director Hussein ( The Possession of Joel Delaney , Quackser Fortune Has

765-421: Is someone out there for everyone"); the story typically revolves around characters falling into (and out of, and back into) love. Annie Hall (1977), The Notebook (2004), Carol (2015), Her (2013) , and La La Land (2016) are examples of romance dramas. The science fiction drama film is often the story of a protagonist (and their allies) facing something "unknown" that has the potential to change

810-422: Is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-genre, macro-genre, or micro-genre, such as soap opera , police crime drama , political drama , legal drama , historical drama , domestic drama , teen drama , and comedy-drama (dramedy). These terms tend to indicate a particular setting or subject matter, or they combine a drama's otherwise serious tone with elements that encourage

855-669: The United Kingdom , is an example of a specific kind of political theatre called documentary theatre . John McGrath , founder of the Scottish popular theatre company 7:84 , argued that "the theatre can never 'cause' a social change. It can articulate pressure towards one, help people celebrate their strengths and maybe build their self-confidence… Above all, it can be the way people find their voice, their solidarity and their collective determination." The television series The West Wing created by Aaron Sorkin which focuses on

900-763: The western super-genre often take place in the American Southwest or Mexico, with a large number of scenes occurring outdoors so we can soak in scenic landscapes. Visceral expectations for the audience include fistfights, gunplay, and chase scenes. There is also the expectation of spectacular panoramic images of the countryside including sunsets, wide open landscapes, and endless deserts and sky.   Examples of western dramas include: True Grit (1969) and its 2010 remake , Mad Max (1979), Unforgiven (1992), No Country for Old Men (2007), Django Unchained (2012), Hell or High Water (2016), and Logan (2017). Some film categories that use

945-574: The 1960s, during the Vietnam War , is a primary example of politically oriented Brechtian performance art in the United States. Their original productions of Kenneth Brown 's The Brig (c. 1964), also filmed, and of Jack Gelber 's controversial play The Connection and its 1961 film rely upon and illustrate the dramaturgy of Brechtian alienation effect ( Verfremdungseffekt ) that most political theatre uses to some extent, forcing

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990-493: The Apes (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Blade Runner (1982) and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Children of Men (2006), Interstellar (2014), and Arrival (2016). In the sports super-genre, characters will be playing sports. Thematically, the story is often one of "Our Team" versus "Their Team"; their team will always try to win, and our team will show the world that they deserve recognition or redemption;

1035-546: The British. Brit is named by his mother after his brittle bone condition and in tribute to her love of Britain. Brit's family is non-stereotypical: his parents are ardent Anglophiles with fond memories of the Raj and World War II . While Brit's mother accepts her son unconditionally, his father has a harder time coming to terms with his disability. As Brit matures into adulthood, he becomes aware of his attraction to other men. This

1080-407: The audience jump through a series of mental "hoops"; it is not uncommon for the crime drama to use verbal gymnastics to keep the audience and the protagonist on their toes.   Examples of crime dramas include: The Godfather (1972), Chinatown (1974), Goodfellas (1990), The Usual Suspects (1995), The Big Short (2015), and Udta Punjab (2016). According to Eric R. Williams ,

1125-747: The audience to take a "critical perspective" on events being dramatized or projected on screen(s) and building on aspects of the Theatre of Cruelty , which developed from the theory and practice of French early surrealist and proto- absurdist Antonin Artaud . In American regional theatre, a politically oriented social orientation occurs in Street theatre , such as that produced by the San Francisco Mime Troupe and ROiL. The Detroit Repertory Theatre has been among those regional theaters at

1170-810: The behavior of human beings as social and political animals. A new form of political theatre emerged in the twentieth century with feminist authors like Elfriede Jelinek or Caryl Churchill , who often make use of the non-realistic techniques detailed above. . During the 1960s and 1970s, new theatres emerged addressing women's issues. These theatres went beyond producing feminist plays, but also sought to give women opportunities and work experience in all areas of theatrical production which had heretofore been dominated by men. In addition to playwright, producers, and actors, there were opportunities for women electricians, set designers, musical director, stage managers, etc. The Living Theatre , created by Judith Malina and her husband Julian Beck in 1947, which had its heyday in

1215-533: The characters' inner life and psychological problems. Examples: Requiem for a Dream (2000), Oldboy (2003), Babel (2006), Whiplash (2014), and Anomalisa (2015) Satire can involve humor, but the result is typically sharp social commentary that is anything but funny. Satire often uses irony or exaggeration to expose faults in society or individuals that influence social ideology.  Examples: Thank You for Smoking (2005) and Idiocracy (2006). Straight drama applies to those that do not attempt

1260-473: The course of the film. Thematically, horror films often serve as morality tales, with the killer serving up violent penance for the victims' past sins.  Metaphorically, these become battles of Good vs. Evil or Purity vs. Sin.  Psycho (1960), Halloween (1978), The Shining (1980), The Conjuring (2013), It (2017), mother! (2017), and Hereditary (2018) are examples of horror drama films. Day-in-the-life films takes small events in

1305-481: The family as a whole reacts to a central challenge. There are four micro-genres for the family drama: Family Bond , Family Feud , Family Loss , and Family Rift . A sub-type of drama films that uses plots that appeal to the heightened emotions of the audience. Melodramatic plots often deal with "crises of human emotion, failed romance or friendship, strained familial situations, tragedy, illness, neuroses, or emotional and physical hardship". Film critics sometimes use

1350-892: The fictional Democratic administration of President Josiah Bartlet is widely considered one of the best TV shows of all time, having won three Golden Globe Awards and 26 Primetime Emmy Awards , including the award for Outstanding Drama Series , which it won four consecutive times from 2000 to 2003. Yes, Minister and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister were British political satire sitcoms . Other television series that have been classified as political dramas include Borgen , Boss , Jack & Bobby , The Bold Ones: The Senator , Commander in Chief , House of Cards ( British and American versions), Madam Secretary , Designated Survivor , Spin , Ingobernable , Scandal , Billions , The Looming Tower , and The Mechanism . The Good Wife can also be considered

1395-515: The forefront of political comedy, staging plays like Jacob M. Appel 's Arborophilia , in which a lifelong Democrat prefers that her daughter fall in love with a poplar tree instead of a Republican activist. In 2014, Chicago's Annoyance Theater produced Good Morning Gitmo : a one-act play by Mishu Hilmy and Eric Simon which lampoons the US Detention Center at Guantanamo Bay . David Hare 's play Straight Line Crazy focuses on

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1440-416: The future of humanity; this unknown may be represented by a villain with incomprehensible powers, a creature we do not understand, or a scientific scenario that threatens to change the world; the science fiction story forces the audience to consider the nature of human beings, the confines of time or space or the concepts of human existence in general. Examples include: Metropolis (1927), Planet of

1485-717: The general facts are more-or-less true. The difference between a docudrama and a documentary is that in a documentary it uses real people to describe history or current events; in a docudrama it uses professionally trained actors to play the roles in the current event, that is "dramatized" a bit. Examples: Black Mass (2015) and Zodiac (2007). Unlike docudramas, docu-fictional films combine documentary and fiction, where actual footage or real events are intermingled with recreated scenes. Examples: Interior. Leather Bar (2013) and Your Name Here (2015). Many otherwise serious productions have humorous scenes and characters intended to provide comic relief . A comedy drama has humor as

1530-416: The hallmark of fantasy drama films is "a sense of wonderment, typically played out in a visually intense world inhabited by mythic creatures, magic or superhuman characters. Props and costumes within these films often belie a sense of mythology and folklore – whether ancient, futuristic, or other-worldly. The costumes, as well as the exotic world, reflect the personal, inner struggles that the hero faces in

1575-597: The history of theatre, there is long tradition of performances addressing issues of current events, especially those central to society itself. The political satire performed by the comic poets at the theatres had considerable influence on public opinion in the Athenian democracy . Those earlier Western dramas, arising out of the polis , or democratic city-state of Greek society, were performed in amphitheaters, central arenas used for theatrical performances, religious ceremonies and political gatherings; these dramas had

1620-532: The legal system. Films that focus on dramatic events in history. Focuses on doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and ambulance saving victims and the interactions of their daily lives. Focuses on teenage characters, especially where a secondary school setting plays a role. Political drama Dramatists who have written political dramas include Aaron Sorkin , Robert Penn Warren , Sergei Eisenstein , Bertolt Brecht , Jean-Paul Sartre , Howard Brenton , Caryl Churchill , and Federico García Lorca . In

1665-490: The life of Robert Moses , played by Ralph Fiennes , the controversial urban planner who worked in New York . Kitchen sink realism or kitchen sink drama was a movement that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in theatre, art, novels, film, and television plays, whose protagonists usually could be described as " angry young men " who were disillusioned with modern society. It used a style of social realism to depict

1710-709: The lives of working class Britons, and to explore controversial social and political issues ranging from abortion to homelessness. The film It Always Rains on Sunday (1947) is a precursor of the genre, and John Osborne 's play Look Back in Anger (1956) is an example of an early play in this genre. The Iraq War is the focus of some recent British political drama; for example, Stuff Happens , by David Hare . David Edgar and Mark Ravenhill also satirize contemporary socio-political realities in their recent dramatic works. Banner Theatre in Birmingham , England, in

1755-625: The lust for power. For example, they observe that class struggle in the Roman Republic is central to Coriolanus . Historically in Soviet Russia , the term political theatre was sometimes referred to as agitprop theatre or simply agitprop , after the Soviet term agitprop . In later centuries, political theatre has sometimes taken a different form. Sometimes associated with cabaret and folk theatre, it has offered itself as

1800-534: The story does not always have to involve a team. The story could also be about an individual athlete or the story could focus on an individual playing on a team. Examples of this genre/type include:  The Hustler (1961), Hoosiers (1986), Remember the Titans (2000), and Moneyball (2011). War films typically tells the story of a small group of isolated individuals who – one by one – get killed (literally or metaphorically) by an outside force until there

1845-525: The story." Examples of fantasy dramas include The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003), Pan's Labyrinth (2006), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), and Life of Pi (2012). Horror dramas often involve the central characters isolated from the rest of society. These characters are often teenagers or people in their early twenties (the genre's central audience) and are eventually killed off during

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1890-578: The term "pejoratively to connote an unrealistic, pathos-filled, camp tale of romance or domestic situations with stereotypical characters (often including a central female character) that would directly appeal to feminine audiences". Also called "women's movies", "weepies", tearjerkers, or "chick flicks". If they are targeted to a male audience, then they are called "guy cry" films. Often considered "soap-opera" drama. Focuses on religious characters, mystery play, beliefs, and respect. Character development based on themes involving criminals, law enforcement and

1935-442: The way agitprop theatre has been used to further Marxism and the development of communist sympathies. Russian agitprop theater was noted for its cardboard characters of perfect virtue and complete evil, and its coarse ridicule. Less radical versions of political theatre have become established within the mainstream modern repertory - such as the realist dramas of Arthur Miller ( The Crucible and All My Sons ), which probe

1980-498: The word "comedy" or "drama" are not recognized by the Screenwriters Taxonomy as either a film genre or a film type. For instance, "Melodrama" and "Screwball Comedy" are considered Pathways,  while "romantic comedy" and "family drama" are macro-genres. A macro-genre in the Screenwriters Taxonomy. These films tell a story in which many of the central characters are related. The story revolves around how

2025-539: Was also positive, writing: "This adaptation conveys the book's joie de vivre and most particularly its gloriously non-PC take on the subject. Kanga wrote the screenplay, plays the lead and also does pieces to camera commenting on the action. Astonishingly, he pulls off all three with aplomb, assisted by a strong cast – notably Souad Faress as his mother. Waris Hussein's direction uses some interesting tricks without being tricksy. A witty film: perspicacious and generous in its gaze." In contrast, Dennis Harvey of Variety gave

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