Call it a movie report or a film review; this is one of many English-language outputs all English teachers give at least once to their students. This output is a substantial part of allowing students to practice their listening, writing, and comprehension skills.
In my opinion, the movie report or film review is an underrated output. I am not prioritizing the entire English teaching community, but many teachers I know ask their students to do this output as a grade filler. In some cases, students do not see the value of this output and opt to copy-paste from the internet a generic review of a film. Some students didn't even bother to watch the film, and vice versa and teachers did not even check the output properly.
This is not a rant, but rather a reflective notion on my end. I truly believe that film is one of the greatest literary interpretations out there. With the right topics and questions, students and teachers will enjoy this output.
So without further ado, here are my top five movie recommendations for a purposeful movie report.
Disclaimer: This post is for entertainment purposes only. The contents of these blogs are based on my personal experience and research. Please do not come for me.
"A Walk to Remember" (2002)
I am a sucker for a Nicholas Sparks movie adaptation. A Walk to Remember is a coming-of-age story about a boy who meets a girl and they fall in love. But like any good story, you know happily ever after is not an easy road to walk down. The book's setting was in the 1950s, but the movie adaptation was changed in the early 2000s to have a modern take. The movie was released in the year 2005, and it was a blockbuster success (I know I was a high school student at that time). What I liked about the movie was not the literary romance, but the overall character growth the two underwent as they started a journey together. The title of the book and the movie is a literal justification of "They walk together, and they remember the old days." The soundtrack gave us the two most iconic songs of all time. I cannot express any further how this movie is befitting for our high school students who are searching for the purpose and definition of love.
Coach Carter, 2005
Another coming-of-age film, this one is about a basketball coach who makes a difference and ensures that his team will have better life opportunities besides playing basketball. The movie was based on the true story of Richmond High School basketball coach "Ken Carter." This coach made headlines all over the state when he deliberately suspended the Richmond High School basketball team due to their poor academic results. I love this movie so much; it gives a wider perspective on the lives of students who are on the varsity, the sacrifices they all make, and the success they all aim for in the future. This movie has a wonderful full OST, and each phase gives us the most inspiring movie quotes about life and growth. As teachers, we all have the same goal: to give our students the best life possible and believe me, we will do so to the best of our abilities. Coach Carter has perfectly mirrored the teacher-student relationship dynamic; it is a good movie for a film review because it allows students to reflect on their future life choices.
The Pursuit of Happiness (2006 film)
What would you do to achieve the "American Dream"? The Pursuit of Happyness is a biopic film about a single African American father and his five-year-old son trying to survive life. This is a heart-warming and reality-driven film that shows what a person will go to for the people they love. The father-son dynamic in this film is well written and captured in the film; it shows how life is not easy for everyone. The concept of survival is prominent in this film; I recommend it because it will allow us, as teachers, to demonstrate to our students that life after education is something they should consider. Life, in reality, is not easy. The film has captured this essence and is a good representation that our students can view if they try to put themselves in the shoes of the characters in the film.
The Blind Side (2009)
"Caring can change a person's life." The Blind Side is a biographical sports drama film, focusing on a football player named Michael and his journey and relationship with his adoptive parents. This film highly focuses on the family dynamic and interaction between Michael and his new family, showing how he strives to be the man he wants to be. The movie gives hope to society, knowing that there are kind families out there ready with open arms to care for another human being, let alone one not blood-related to them. The film also tackles how discrimination is rampant and how people react to it. It is a good film to discuss with students; exposing them to the realities of society and how inequality is harmful is a good idea for their overall growth.
It is very important as an educator to find new ways to incorporate media into students' everyday learning. Allowing students to reexperience movies with the intention of in-depth comprehension and incorporating real-life topics or situations, allows creative thinking and creative criticism.
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