The Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption is the quintessential prison film because it goes beyond just a tale of detainment and escape; it deals with beauty, finding the joy in hopeless situations, finding one's life, what it means to truly live, and redemption.  What does it mean to be redeemed?  Often, you might thing of the theological understanding of redemption: that of absolving one's sins (often through sacrifice).  Or maybe you think more simply of redemption being the atonement for a mistake.

"Does this happen in stories and films?"  Absolutely it does - and not just in Shawshank.  Wisegeek's article (I suggest that you read it) does a nice job discussing how redemption shows up in some popular films (one of which we viewed in class).

"Why should I care about redemption?  We watched this movie because it is based on Stephen King's novella 'Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.'" That is true, but we are also going to be examining the redemption that occurs in the film.  Your task is to discuss The Shawshank Redemption as a redemption tale.  Does it live up to it's name?  In doing this it will be important to determine which man is redeemed and his flaw.  It will also be important to determine the times that he has the chance for redemption and then discuss the time that he is finally redeemed.

Since this is the final blog of the class (and will be treated as such) you need to write at least five hundred words.  Do not forget to use good writing conventions and to proofread.  I suggest that you keep notes during the film and organize them to help you with prewriting prior to beginning the blog. 

Music Sets Moods and Tone

Often when when people think of film scores and soundtracks, they think of the work of John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Danny Elfman.  However, popular music can also drive the tone of a film.  In both Empire Records and 10 Things I Hate About You music plays an integral part in setting both the tone and mood of the film.  This phenomenon is not limited to these films, however.  Your task is to use these two films - as well as any other that we have viewed - and discuss how popular music and the score used throughout the films helped to set the mood and tone of the pieces.  

Remember that you need to use at least three hundred words and good writing conventions to support your thoughts.  Again, while the focus is on the popular music in these films, feel free to utilize other films too.

The Arts in Schools (as shown through film)

As school budgets shrink and levies fail, schools must make decisions about how to spend their money (I've told you all time and again that economics is the most important class you'll take), and often, the decision is made to cut the fine arts budget.  VH1, educators, film-makers, musicians, and the like disagree with this decision making.  There are many studies detailing the importance of music and the arts in schools: VH1 Save the Music details the importance of music, Grace Hwang Lynch discusses the importance of the arts in child development, and Education Week cites multiple studies showing the effects of the arts on students.


Without the arts, the films that we have watched would not be possible; there would be no actors, directors, cinematographers, composers.  Some of these films focus directly on disappearing arts education - it is clearly evident at the beginning of School of Rock with the VH1 Save the Music advertisement.  Think back to Here Comes the Boom; what drove Scott Voss to become an MMA fighter?  Why is Mr. Holland's Opus interesting?  Could Fame happen somewhere besides a school for the performing arts?

You need to use at least three hundred words and good writing conventions to discuss the importance of the arts in schools and how these films illustrate this.

Jonathan Larson's Rent

For Rent, Jonathon Larson was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and three Tony awards posthumously; he died the day it premiered off Broadway.  After viewing the film adaptation, it is easy to see why.  In the show Larson tackles many issues: multiculturalism, homophobia, and addiction.  It is also a show, while not necessarily well known by high school students, there are songs that students are familiar with - most specifically "Seasons of Love" which asks "How do you measure a year in the life?"

For this blog, you need to discuss how Larson addressed cultural issues with Rent and also the significance of the title.  Because remember, 'rent' is more than what you pay a landlord.  Make sure that you use specific examples to support yourself.  You also need to use good writing conventions and at least three hundred words. It may be helpful to think about how the show made you feel at different points.

Singin' in the Rain in Chicago

We've started in on musicals and the first two both have commonalities revolving around show business and the need for fame.  Your task is to discuss the themes of both Chicago and Singin' in the Rain; pay special attention to the need for attention from the media, the need for control, and how show business is portrayed in each. 

As always, this needs to be at least three hundred words and demonstrate good writing conventions.

John Green's Novels Turned Films

All young adult literature is dystopian! At least this seemed to be the case prior to John Green's work taking center stage.  Green's popularity has skyrocketed and he is ever-present in many classrooms thanks in part to his work with Crash Course and Vlog Brothers both on Youtube.  This is not the only medium that Green enters the classroom, however.  His work is is revered by students and teachers alike for its realism (many students tell me that the characters are like them and deal with stuff that they deal with) and its authenticity.

It will come as no surprise to many of you that upon getting a boxed set of Green's work I was MIA from society for a week while I poured over each novel.  But it's not just me doing this; readers from classrooms to Hollywood are diving into these works and finding something in them that speaks to them.  Presently, two of Green's novels (The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns) have been adapted into films with Looking for Alaska in the works (it has continually been pushed back thanks to disputes between the director and studio, you can find out more here).

Why does Green's work resonate with us?  Your task is to discuss the themes present both The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns.  What do they say about the human experience?  What can we learn about ourselves?  About others?  Why does it matter?  What makes them interesting?

As always, please use good writing conventions and at least three hundred words.

9/11 and the Lost Generation

You've all probably heard me say (multiple times, I would assume) that Reign Over Me is my favorite film with Adam Sandler even though he is not the protagonist.  And much like Reign Over Me attempts to address the effects of 9/11, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close attempts to do the same.  This leads me to think of the Lost Generation - writers during the 1920s and 30s such as Ernest Hemingway, attempting to explain, understand, and cope with World War I.  Much of the work from this era did not focus on those that were directly involved with the causation of the Great War, but instead focused on those effected.

How does each of the films attempt to cope with and make sense of 9/11?  Which of the films resonates more strongly with you?  Why do you suppose that this is?