Establishing Shots

Me and You and Everyone we Know begins with the sound of what we believe to be waves lapping at the shore. Then, the screen fades from black onto a static image of a couple sitting on the beach at sunset. Our main character, Christina, creates dialogue for the couple and voices both of their parts. The conversation that the couple is having is them making a vow to live their lives to the fullest without any fear. This vow is the couple's promising a connection to each other. This scene, I believe, sets up one of the themes of the film. The theme stresses the importance of the real life interactions and connections that we make in real life.

The first scene ends but Christina's narration continues as the camera focuses on a bird sitting on a branch. It then cuts to Richard, who is staring at the bird. Richard then looks at his ex wife, whom he recently divorced from, as she is separating their belongings. She hands him a framed picture of a bird and tells him that it belongs to him. She then requests that he not make a scene. He says that they should have some kind of ceremony it represent that they once were a family. He then goes to his kids' room. The kids, Peter and Robby, are on the computer creating a tiger out of symbols and spaces. Richard asks if he looks like a guy who would be considered "ok". The younger child, Robby, Richard if he's mad at them. Peter responds that Richard looks fine. Richard goes outside and lights his hand on fire with lighter fluid. This scene contrasts the previous as it is about a family falling apart. The bird outside could be a symbol of real life and the static picture is a symbol of life through someone else. I believe that this represents another theme of the movie. This theme is that we cannot live our lives through the experiences of others and we must go out into the world and experience things for ourselves.