Page to Screen: Twelfth Night/ She’s the Man

Some people don’t realize that Amanda Bynes’ hilarious comedy She’s the Man is actually based on one of William Shakespeare’s original plays, Twelfth Night.  You didn’t think a story that good just came out of nowhere did you?

In the movie, Amanda Bynes disguises herself as a boy to play on a soccer team.  She falls in love with her teammate Duke, who is in love with a girl named Olivia, who is in love with Sebastian (Amanda’s boy alter-ego)…

This movie might be a little outdated (it was released in 2004), but deserves a nod because of its creativity.  While most Shakespearean adaptions simply stage a new period piece production of the story, She’s the Man hit the nail on the head by casting young-adult comedic knock-out Amanda Bynes and by overtly referencing the play whenever possible.

She’s the Man is full of Shakespearean references and nods to the play, including fun takes on character names.  Channing Tatum plays Duke Orsino, while the original character was actually the Duke of Orsino.  The names Viola (Bynes), Olivia and Sebastian are the same in both versions, and the tarantula named Malvolio in She’s the Man is a nod to Olivia’s steward who is in love with her in Twelfth Night.  Also, the school they attend in the movie is Illyria, the name of the country the play takes place in.  There are many other allusions hidden throughout the movie, and if you’re familiar with Shakespeare it’s fun to try and find them all.

Of course, the basic relationship between the characters comes straight from the play.  Just add a little modern comedy, soccer, Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum and, BOOM, you’ve got a hit.  She might be a little wayward now, but Bynes’ comedic timing made her a classic among now 20-somethings.  We still remember the brilliance of All That and The Amanda Show, right?

The movie gives The Twelfth Night a hilarious mid 2000s make-over that compliments the original story while setting itself apart.  And they used one of the most famous quotes in a great moment during the final soccer game:

In conclusion, it might not be the greatest work of cinematography ever but it is ridiculously funny and entertaining.  One of my favorites!