Todorov's Theory in Due Date

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf2AfVESbx0

Todorov's theory was that at the beginning of a narrative something would happen to disrupt the state of equilibrium of the main character. The story would then show the struggle of the main character to get back to normal. This is true in the case of Due Date because the main character, Peter, is about to return home where his wife is about to have their child which would normally be simple. However, he meets Ethan who gets him kicked off the plane and they ultimately have to journey together to get to LA which Ethan doesn't make easy for Peter. In the end they reach LA in time for Peter to be there for the delivery of his child, Peter and Ethan become friends and in the last scene Ethan is shown having achieved his dream of becoming an actor and Peter is with his family.  

Narrative Theorists.

The narrative is constructed through camera work, lighting and mise-en-scene. It organises time and space in a very compressed form. Narrative plot refers to everything visibly/audibly present.


Vladimir Propp - narrative theorist.
He based his theory on categories of character functions:

• Hero
• Villain
• Donor (person who helps/gives info to the hero)
• Dispatcher (person who sets hero on his way)
• False hero
• Helper
• Princess
• Father

Claude Levi-Strauss - philosopher
Believed in binary opposites
e.g. night+day hero+villain love+hate

Roland Barthes - French literary theorist
Believed that narratives contain codes which suggest things to the audience for them to understand more about the plot/characters.
e.g. action, enigma, symbolic, cultural, semic

Todorov
At the beginning of the narrative there is an equilibrium to set the story off then something happens to disrupt the balance which usually by the end of the story the state of equilibrium has been restored.