Turner Classic Movies is showing Teen Movies all night tonight. These each deserve further attention, and will hopefully be given their own post in due time, but for now, the movies are:
Better Off Dead (1985)
Sixteen Candles (1984)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Risky Business (1983)
Fame (1980)
Such a great 80s lineup!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The Paper Chase (1973)
The Paper Chase, a movie that centers on the lives of first-year Harvard Law students, is an entertaining piece about higher education. One of few films that focuses on law students, the movie provides insight into the stresses and pressures of law school, while at the same time painting a stereotypical portrait of law students and professors. The Paper Chase was later made into a TV series, staring John Houseman, and aired from 1978-1986. The trailer can be viewed here.
The Paper Chase provides an excellent reminder that graduate and professional programs are difficult. In my own graduate program, admitting that you were stressed out, overwhelmed, feeling underprepared, and doubting why you were pursuing your advanced degree were seen as signs of weakness. Such realities are often ignored- or worse- hidden from plain sight. The Paper Chase provides a realistic portrait of many of these same issues as faced by graduate students today. Cut-throat competition amongst peers, feeling overwhelmed by the amount of reading and work, comparing yourself to other students, doubting your ability, having breakdowns- all of these issues are portrayed in the movie. On one hand, the film provides a refreshing reminder that what students experience in graduate school today is normal, even if we do not admit or talk openly about it. On the other hand, I have to wonder if this portrayal contributes to stereotypes about law students- that law school is impossibly difficult and those who survive it are smarter than the average bear.
The only professor that appears in the movie is Charles W. Kingsfield, Jr., played by John Houseman. Kingsfield is a highly feared and respected professor, an expert in contract law, and is known for breaking down first-year students. The main character, Hart (played by Timothy Bottoms), throws up after being ripped to shreds in his first class with Kingsfield. His reputation precedes him, and a number of the students would give anything to impress him. He swears by the Socratic method, stating that the students "come here with a skull full of mush, and you leave thinking like a lawyer." Unlike some teachers and professors today, Kingsfield doesn't think twice before telling a student their answer is insufficient, or making an example out of them in class. As with the portrayal of the students, Kingfield's character can be seen as a refreshing take on professors, but also may contribute to the stereotype of how difficult law professors (and by extension, law school) can be.
Other topics that appear within the movie include the balance between family and graduate school, mental health wellness, and social networks via study groups. A number of differences between the early 1970s and now are humorous- law students living in dorms on campus, typewriters, the clothes, and definitely the hair. But also notable is the lack of women in the first-year class. Harvard began admitting women to law school in 1953, and appointed its first female dean, now Supreme Court-nominated Elena Kagan, in 2003. Today, nearly half of Harvard's law students are women.
Finally, the movie portrays higher education at a time when students were not viewed as paying customers to be satisfied by businesses (i.e., colleges). Students in the movie work hard to earn their grades, and they are feel entitled to As. There are no student support services shown in the movie, students respect the professor, and work hard to make an impression on him. The treatment of students as students, versus a tendency to view them as paying customers, is a significant shift, and offers the audience an opportunity to contemplate the condition of higher education today.
The Paper Chase provides an excellent reminder that graduate and professional programs are difficult. In my own graduate program, admitting that you were stressed out, overwhelmed, feeling underprepared, and doubting why you were pursuing your advanced degree were seen as signs of weakness. Such realities are often ignored- or worse- hidden from plain sight. The Paper Chase provides a realistic portrait of many of these same issues as faced by graduate students today. Cut-throat competition amongst peers, feeling overwhelmed by the amount of reading and work, comparing yourself to other students, doubting your ability, having breakdowns- all of these issues are portrayed in the movie. On one hand, the film provides a refreshing reminder that what students experience in graduate school today is normal, even if we do not admit or talk openly about it. On the other hand, I have to wonder if this portrayal contributes to stereotypes about law students- that law school is impossibly difficult and those who survive it are smarter than the average bear.
The only professor that appears in the movie is Charles W. Kingsfield, Jr., played by John Houseman. Kingsfield is a highly feared and respected professor, an expert in contract law, and is known for breaking down first-year students. The main character, Hart (played by Timothy Bottoms), throws up after being ripped to shreds in his first class with Kingsfield. His reputation precedes him, and a number of the students would give anything to impress him. He swears by the Socratic method, stating that the students "come here with a skull full of mush, and you leave thinking like a lawyer." Unlike some teachers and professors today, Kingsfield doesn't think twice before telling a student their answer is insufficient, or making an example out of them in class. As with the portrayal of the students, Kingfield's character can be seen as a refreshing take on professors, but also may contribute to the stereotype of how difficult law professors (and by extension, law school) can be.
Other topics that appear within the movie include the balance between family and graduate school, mental health wellness, and social networks via study groups. A number of differences between the early 1970s and now are humorous- law students living in dorms on campus, typewriters, the clothes, and definitely the hair. But also notable is the lack of women in the first-year class. Harvard began admitting women to law school in 1953, and appointed its first female dean, now Supreme Court-nominated Elena Kagan, in 2003. Today, nearly half of Harvard's law students are women.
Finally, the movie portrays higher education at a time when students were not viewed as paying customers to be satisfied by businesses (i.e., colleges). Students in the movie work hard to earn their grades, and they are feel entitled to As. There are no student support services shown in the movie, students respect the professor, and work hard to make an impression on him. The treatment of students as students, versus a tendency to view them as paying customers, is a significant shift, and offers the audience an opportunity to contemplate the condition of higher education today.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Acceptance (2009)
Acceptance is a movie based on Susan Coll's novel of the same name. The movie, which closely follows the book, focuses on three high school students who are applying for college.
Set in a wealthy suburb of Washington, D.C., the quest for being accepted to college is seen through the eyes of three students- the pressure of AP courses and exams, living up to others' expectations, finding the "right fit," and being comfortable with who they are. The book also incorporates other factors that are known to impact college-going: parents' expectations and aspirations, advice from counselors and teachers, performance on AP exams, admissions policies, campus visits, peer influences, and so on.
While Acceptance depicts many aspects of the college-going process, it focuses on the lives of privileged families who reside in an upper-class neighborhood. However, despite their background, upbringing, and what is expected of them, the students struggle to find the right college for them. Their parents, not the students, are the ones who debate which Ivy League is the best college, and are convinced that without an Ivy League education, their children will amount to nothing. In Taylor Rockefeller's case, her mother won't even hear of her daughter thinking of going to the lesser-known Yates College, where Taylor truly believes she will be happiest. For Maya Kaluantharana, her father tells her she has a learning disability because her GPA is 'only a 3.75.'
Although the experiences of the students and their families are not the norm for most high school students in the United States, the movie does incorporate small but important criticisms of college and the college admissions process. For instance, a meeting of the admissions officers at Yates College is used to question the legitimacy of the U.S. News and World Report college rankings. Although the admissions officers acknowledge the rankings are a farce, the instant they find out they are (erroneously) ranked, they are thrilled. Not only do they embrace their ranking, they are excited about the prospect of having an increased applicant pool, from which to reject more students, thereby increasing the college's (perceived) selectivity.
As researchers, the movie also gives us a friendly reality check in terms of the reasons students select their colleges. We can run regression models day and night, but sometimes it is things that don't appear in datasets that explain why a student attended one college over another. And in the end, we find that Acceptance, isn't just about getting accepted to college, but also about being accepted for who you truly are- with your peers and your family.
For an easy and entertaining read, or for a light movie, check it out. As a bonus, Joan Cusak plays the eccentric Mrs. Nina Rockefeller, and gives a humorous performance, as usual. To see her take on the movie: see this short video.
Set in a wealthy suburb of Washington, D.C., the quest for being accepted to college is seen through the eyes of three students- the pressure of AP courses and exams, living up to others' expectations, finding the "right fit," and being comfortable with who they are. The book also incorporates other factors that are known to impact college-going: parents' expectations and aspirations, advice from counselors and teachers, performance on AP exams, admissions policies, campus visits, peer influences, and so on.
While Acceptance depicts many aspects of the college-going process, it focuses on the lives of privileged families who reside in an upper-class neighborhood. However, despite their background, upbringing, and what is expected of them, the students struggle to find the right college for them. Their parents, not the students, are the ones who debate which Ivy League is the best college, and are convinced that without an Ivy League education, their children will amount to nothing. In Taylor Rockefeller's case, her mother won't even hear of her daughter thinking of going to the lesser-known Yates College, where Taylor truly believes she will be happiest. For Maya Kaluantharana, her father tells her she has a learning disability because her GPA is 'only a 3.75.'
Although the experiences of the students and their families are not the norm for most high school students in the United States, the movie does incorporate small but important criticisms of college and the college admissions process. For instance, a meeting of the admissions officers at Yates College is used to question the legitimacy of the U.S. News and World Report college rankings. Although the admissions officers acknowledge the rankings are a farce, the instant they find out they are (erroneously) ranked, they are thrilled. Not only do they embrace their ranking, they are excited about the prospect of having an increased applicant pool, from which to reject more students, thereby increasing the college's (perceived) selectivity.
As researchers, the movie also gives us a friendly reality check in terms of the reasons students select their colleges. We can run regression models day and night, but sometimes it is things that don't appear in datasets that explain why a student attended one college over another. And in the end, we find that Acceptance, isn't just about getting accepted to college, but also about being accepted for who you truly are- with your peers and your family.
For an easy and entertaining read, or for a light movie, check it out. As a bonus, Joan Cusak plays the eccentric Mrs. Nina Rockefeller, and gives a humorous performance, as usual. To see her take on the movie: see this short video.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Glee - Theatricality
Theatricality featured music and costumes inspired by Lady Gaga--all entertaining and fun to watch--but the sub-plot dealt with the subject of bullying. The source of the bullying came from two school jocks, who threaten both Kurt and Finn. Playing into stereotypes of school bullying, the two football players threaten to beat Kurt up because, as they explain to him, "We're not Gaga for Gaga...You dress all freaky, and then you rub it in everybody's faces." When Kurt defends himself (and by extension the other Glee Club members), they tell him that the next time he "expresses" himself, they will beat him up. The jocks aren't just targeting Kurt, but also threaten Finn. Although Finn is their teammate, they disapprove of his participation in Glee Club. At one point, Finn verbally attacks Kurt, giving in to the pressure of his peers. Finn redeems himself when he stands up for Kurt, just before the jocks attack him in the school bathroom.
While the bullying aspects of the show definitely took a back seat to the Gaga "theatricality" of the rest of the episode, it does raise an important issue in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released a report in 2009 on school crime, which includes statistics on school bullying. Nearly 1/3 of junior high and high school students reported being bullied at some point during 2007, including 23 percent who reported that the bullying occurred on school grounds. Of those who reported being bullied, 7 percent reported being bullied almost daily. Although the bullying portrayed in Glee occurred between males, a higher percentage of females reported being bullied. The report disaggregates the information by gender and race/ethnicity, but not by sexuality, which appeared to be a critical catalyst in the Glee storyline.
In addition, cyber-bullying is a new phenomenon that is occurring with the rise of online activity and the number of social networks available to students. Four percent of students reported being bullied online, and some schools have even begun to set policies to reduce cyber-bullying. It will be interesting to see if the writers of Glee incorporate cyber-bullying into a future episode.
While the bullying aspects of the show definitely took a back seat to the Gaga "theatricality" of the rest of the episode, it does raise an important issue in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released a report in 2009 on school crime, which includes statistics on school bullying. Nearly 1/3 of junior high and high school students reported being bullied at some point during 2007, including 23 percent who reported that the bullying occurred on school grounds. Of those who reported being bullied, 7 percent reported being bullied almost daily. Although the bullying portrayed in Glee occurred between males, a higher percentage of females reported being bullied. The report disaggregates the information by gender and race/ethnicity, but not by sexuality, which appeared to be a critical catalyst in the Glee storyline.
In addition, cyber-bullying is a new phenomenon that is occurring with the rise of online activity and the number of social networks available to students. Four percent of students reported being bullied online, and some schools have even begun to set policies to reduce cyber-bullying. It will be interesting to see if the writers of Glee incorporate cyber-bullying into a future episode.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Glee - Dream On
This week's episode of Glee centered on William McKinley High School board member Bryan Ryan, played by Neil Patrick Harris, who threatens to cut the glee club in an effort to save the school money. Being a former glee club member who has "come to his senses," Bryan claims that by participating in glee club, students have false hopes and dreams of becoming stars. He not only sees cutting the glee club as a way to save money, but as a way to prevent students from being misled about realizing their dreams.
Will Schuester, the glee club instructor, helps Bryan realize that he still loves to sing, and does not really want to cut the club. Bryan then begins to review other extracurricular programs, including cheerleading.
Bryan argues with Sue Sylvester, the Cheerleader/Cheerios coach that arts and music education benefit students. He provides the example that singing helps students hear different pitches, which helps them learn different languages. Sue argues that since 1/3 of American teenagers are obese and only 2 percent of high schools require daily physical activity, that athletic programs like hers are needed. In addition, sports teaches students how to work together, helps them learn how to solve problems, improves their social skills, and increases attendance and grades. Sue has "done her homework" and she is right, yet many public high schools have cut funding for physical education programs and classes. Bryan is also right, and yet arts education programs are usually the first programs to be cut in a budget crisis.
Sue's statistics are correct, according to a study released by the Center for Disease Control in 2006. Only 2 percent of high schools, 8 percent of middle schools, and 4 percent of elementary schools required daily physical activity. With childhood obesity on the rise in the U.S., and life threatening diseases such as juvenile diabetes increasing in children and teenagers, physical education should be a priority in our schools. At the same time, arts education should not be underfunded or not exist. Somehow, we have to find a way to fund both, and fund both adequately.
Will Schuester, the glee club instructor, helps Bryan realize that he still loves to sing, and does not really want to cut the club. Bryan then begins to review other extracurricular programs, including cheerleading.
Bryan argues with Sue Sylvester, the Cheerleader/Cheerios coach that arts and music education benefit students. He provides the example that singing helps students hear different pitches, which helps them learn different languages. Sue argues that since 1/3 of American teenagers are obese and only 2 percent of high schools require daily physical activity, that athletic programs like hers are needed. In addition, sports teaches students how to work together, helps them learn how to solve problems, improves their social skills, and increases attendance and grades. Sue has "done her homework" and she is right, yet many public high schools have cut funding for physical education programs and classes. Bryan is also right, and yet arts education programs are usually the first programs to be cut in a budget crisis.
Sue's statistics are correct, according to a study released by the Center for Disease Control in 2006. Only 2 percent of high schools, 8 percent of middle schools, and 4 percent of elementary schools required daily physical activity. With childhood obesity on the rise in the U.S., and life threatening diseases such as juvenile diabetes increasing in children and teenagers, physical education should be a priority in our schools. At the same time, arts education should not be underfunded or not exist. Somehow, we have to find a way to fund both, and fund both adequately.
Monday, May 17, 2010
The Visitor
The Visitor (2007) is a movie about a recently widowed economics professor, Dr. Walter Vale (played by Richard Jenkins) who's life is changed when he meets a strange couple.Walter is a college professor who lives and works in Connecticut. He is sent to a conference at New York University to present a paper on global economics.
He keeps an apartment in the city but has not been there in quite awhile. When he arrives, he finds a Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) and Zainab (Danai Gurira) living there. Tarek is from Syria and is a musician, while girlfriend Zainab is from Senegal and sells handmade jewelry as a street vendor. Although Walter does not call the cops to have them arrested, he asks them to leave. Later that same night, he finds them on the street outside with no where to go, and invites them to stay with him just for a few days.
Overtime, Walter and Tarek become friends, and share their love of music with one another. Walter shows interest in Tarek's drums, and he agrees to teach Walter how to play. One afternoon, after Tarek and Walter have been playing drums together in the park, they take the subway home. Tarek offers to pay Walter's fare, and having difficulty with the drums that they are carrying, Tarek is unable to get through the turnstile even after he has swiped his fare card for each of them. Police officers see him, think that him jumped the turnstile, and arrest him.
Walter learns from Zainab that they are both undocumented immigrants. Tarek is transferred from a police station to a detention center in Queens. Walter, feeling responsible for Tarek's arrest, hires a lawyer to help release Tarek. Tarek's mother travels from Detroit to New York to see if she can help release him from the detention center.
Walter's life as a college professor is portrayed as dull, boring, and very isolating, which seems to be a favorite interpretation of faculty life as portrayed in film. He goes about his life in a depressed manner, attends the conference without enthusiasm, and does not seem to have any joy in his life until he meets Tarek and Zainab. His academic work focuses on the economics of developing countries. When he tells Tarek what the conference that he is attending is about, Tarek says that Walter is studying places like where he and Zainab are from. Those at the conference seem far removed from the experiences of people like Tarek and Zainab, even though what they are researching and presenting on is purportedly related to places such as Syria and Senegal.
During the movie, Walter gives the impression that he is very busy with his work, even though we don't see him doing much in terms of academic work. He tells people that he is busy working on multiple books and they seem impressed. It is not until he meets Tarek's mother that he confesses:
I haven't done any real work in a very long time. I pretend. Pretend that I'm busy; that I'm working. I'm not doing anything.
This made me think about how some academics seem to enjoy bragging to one another about how busy they are, as if it is a competition to see who can be the busiest. And yet, perhaps because he was lacking a personal-professional balance in his life, his professional work was unproductive. Until he begins to play the drums and 'lives a little,' his character doesn't really come alive.
You can watch the preview of The Visitor here.
He keeps an apartment in the city but has not been there in quite awhile. When he arrives, he finds a Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) and Zainab (Danai Gurira) living there. Tarek is from Syria and is a musician, while girlfriend Zainab is from Senegal and sells handmade jewelry as a street vendor. Although Walter does not call the cops to have them arrested, he asks them to leave. Later that same night, he finds them on the street outside with no where to go, and invites them to stay with him just for a few days.
Overtime, Walter and Tarek become friends, and share their love of music with one another. Walter shows interest in Tarek's drums, and he agrees to teach Walter how to play. One afternoon, after Tarek and Walter have been playing drums together in the park, they take the subway home. Tarek offers to pay Walter's fare, and having difficulty with the drums that they are carrying, Tarek is unable to get through the turnstile even after he has swiped his fare card for each of them. Police officers see him, think that him jumped the turnstile, and arrest him.
Walter learns from Zainab that they are both undocumented immigrants. Tarek is transferred from a police station to a detention center in Queens. Walter, feeling responsible for Tarek's arrest, hires a lawyer to help release Tarek. Tarek's mother travels from Detroit to New York to see if she can help release him from the detention center.
Walter's life as a college professor is portrayed as dull, boring, and very isolating, which seems to be a favorite interpretation of faculty life as portrayed in film. He goes about his life in a depressed manner, attends the conference without enthusiasm, and does not seem to have any joy in his life until he meets Tarek and Zainab. His academic work focuses on the economics of developing countries. When he tells Tarek what the conference that he is attending is about, Tarek says that Walter is studying places like where he and Zainab are from. Those at the conference seem far removed from the experiences of people like Tarek and Zainab, even though what they are researching and presenting on is purportedly related to places such as Syria and Senegal.
During the movie, Walter gives the impression that he is very busy with his work, even though we don't see him doing much in terms of academic work. He tells people that he is busy working on multiple books and they seem impressed. It is not until he meets Tarek's mother that he confesses:
I haven't done any real work in a very long time. I pretend. Pretend that I'm busy; that I'm working. I'm not doing anything.
This made me think about how some academics seem to enjoy bragging to one another about how busy they are, as if it is a competition to see who can be the busiest. And yet, perhaps because he was lacking a personal-professional balance in his life, his professional work was unproductive. Until he begins to play the drums and 'lives a little,' his character doesn't really come alive.
You can watch the preview of The Visitor here.
Monday, May 10, 2010
In the Heights
This blog is dedicated to education in film and TV, but the first post is actually about a musical.
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) met in Denver for its annual conference recently. While in Denver, I had the opportunity to see the Broadway musical In the Heights, which won 4 Tony Awards in 2008. The musical is about a group of people who live on a block in Washington Heights. Aside from the simply outstanding music, singing, and dancing, one of the sub-stories of the musical relates to higher education.
Nina, one of the main characters, is a high-achieving Latina who received a scholarship to attend Stanford. She returns to Washington Heights after her first year away at college. Her parents, friends, and others in the neighborhood had and continue to have high expectations for her- they expected her to go far and accomplish much. Through the songs, we learn that they are excited her return- to hear about her first year at Stanford was and to hear just how successful she was in college.
However, Nina returns to Washington Heights as a college dropout. Her scholarship did not cover all of her costs to attend college, and she took on two jobs to help pay for books and other expenses that she encountered. Her jobs left little time to study, and she dropped out of college four months before returning home for the summer. She has yet to tell her parents, and is anxious about letting them (and others in her community) down.
Her story is woven throughout the rest of the musical, with her parents learning that she dropped out and expressing their disappointment in her after all they sacrificed for her, to her father selling his business to help her return to college, and finally to her realizing that she can and should return to Stanford. Within this story, are the struggles that many families experience when their children go off to college as first-generation students, as well as students of color. Nina experiences push-pull factors that impact her college-related decisions- a scholarship that doesn't cover all expenses, expectations of others, her own disappointment in herself, the sacrifices her parents make...just to name a few.
The song Breathe tells of Nina's story and the struggles she experiences coming home after dropping out of college. Here is a sample of the lyrics:
You can listen to Breathe in its entirety here.
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) met in Denver for its annual conference recently. While in Denver, I had the opportunity to see the Broadway musical In the Heights, which won 4 Tony Awards in 2008. The musical is about a group of people who live on a block in Washington Heights. Aside from the simply outstanding music, singing, and dancing, one of the sub-stories of the musical relates to higher education.
Nina, one of the main characters, is a high-achieving Latina who received a scholarship to attend Stanford. She returns to Washington Heights after her first year away at college. Her parents, friends, and others in the neighborhood had and continue to have high expectations for her- they expected her to go far and accomplish much. Through the songs, we learn that they are excited her return- to hear about her first year at Stanford was and to hear just how successful she was in college.
However, Nina returns to Washington Heights as a college dropout. Her scholarship did not cover all of her costs to attend college, and she took on two jobs to help pay for books and other expenses that she encountered. Her jobs left little time to study, and she dropped out of college four months before returning home for the summer. She has yet to tell her parents, and is anxious about letting them (and others in her community) down.
Her story is woven throughout the rest of the musical, with her parents learning that she dropped out and expressing their disappointment in her after all they sacrificed for her, to her father selling his business to help her return to college, and finally to her realizing that she can and should return to Stanford. Within this story, are the struggles that many families experience when their children go off to college as first-generation students, as well as students of color. Nina experiences push-pull factors that impact her college-related decisions- a scholarship that doesn't cover all expenses, expectations of others, her own disappointment in herself, the sacrifices her parents make...just to name a few.
The song Breathe tells of Nina's story and the struggles she experiences coming home after dropping out of college. Here is a sample of the lyrics:
I got every scholarship,
Saved every dollar,
The first to go to college,
How do I tell them why
I'm coming back home,
With my eyes on the horizon
Just me and the GWB, asking,
Gee Nina, What'll you be?
Straighten the spine.
Smile for the neighbors.
Everything's fine.
Everything's cool.
The standard reply,
"Lots of tests, lots of papers."
Smile, wave goodbye,
And pray to the sky, oh God...
And what will my parents say?
Saved every dollar,
The first to go to college,
How do I tell them why
I'm coming back home,
With my eyes on the horizon
Just me and the GWB, asking,
Gee Nina, What'll you be?
Straighten the spine.
Smile for the neighbors.
Everything's fine.
Everything's cool.
The standard reply,
"Lots of tests, lots of papers."
Smile, wave goodbye,
And pray to the sky, oh God...
And what will my parents say?
You can listen to Breathe in its entirety here.
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