Names in Film Titles
Many of the best films of all time have been named after the movie's title character. This is simply because it is the name of the film's lead character and the story/plot is about their journey in the film. This would be true for films such as 'Jack', 'The Young Victoria' and 'Edward Scissorhands'.
Another reason for having names in the titles of films is to allow them to make an immediate connection with the audience. People will already have their own relationships with certain names. People associate certain feelings with different names and some names evoke images of a specific type of person. This already tells you something about the film and characters. While some titles are more literal and give away the film's genre and main character in the title for example 'Saving Private Ryan'.
There are many film titles featuring just one word from a character's full name, making it a much more personal affair with that character for the viewers. They make them incredibly easy to remember because of their personal nature. Films like 'Hitch', 'Tarzan', 'Hannibal' and 'Amelie' are all immediately recognisable.
Some franchises make their profits by selling the same character over and over again, for instance, the 'Harry Potter' franchise. Each title is simply "Harry Potter and the...". Disney has an extremely long list of films named after the lead character. As their films are primarily aimed at children, it makes it easier for the child to connect the character with the story and what it is about. Stories like 'Cinderella', 'Shrek', 'Aladdin' and 'Bambi' can all be remembered by a child with ease. They all have an image to go with the name, so a child can point the character out on a poster or DVD case and associate the image with the name.
Films which have recently come out on DVD with just a name as the title include 'Charlie St. Cloud'. This will soon be followed up with the film, 'Paul'. This is a film about an alien called Paul who has escaped an American military camp. This is again a deliberate name choice from the film company to choose a relatively common name and give it to an extraordinary character. The producers of the movie will certainly be hoping that many of Paul's namesakes will pick up the Paul DVD.
Another reason for having names in the titles of films is to allow them to make an immediate connection with the audience. People will already have their own relationships with certain names. People associate certain feelings with different names and some names evoke images of a specific type of person. This already tells you something about the film and characters. While some titles are more literal and give away the film's genre and main character in the title for example 'Saving Private Ryan'.
There are many film titles featuring just one word from a character's full name, making it a much more personal affair with that character for the viewers. They make them incredibly easy to remember because of their personal nature. Films like 'Hitch', 'Tarzan', 'Hannibal' and 'Amelie' are all immediately recognisable.
Some franchises make their profits by selling the same character over and over again, for instance, the 'Harry Potter' franchise. Each title is simply "Harry Potter and the...". Disney has an extremely long list of films named after the lead character. As their films are primarily aimed at children, it makes it easier for the child to connect the character with the story and what it is about. Stories like 'Cinderella', 'Shrek', 'Aladdin' and 'Bambi' can all be remembered by a child with ease. They all have an image to go with the name, so a child can point the character out on a poster or DVD case and associate the image with the name.
Films which have recently come out on DVD with just a name as the title include 'Charlie St. Cloud'. This will soon be followed up with the film, 'Paul'. This is a film about an alien called Paul who has escaped an American military camp. This is again a deliberate name choice from the film company to choose a relatively common name and give it to an extraordinary character. The producers of the movie will certainly be hoping that many of Paul's namesakes will pick up the Paul DVD.
Source...