March 3, 2009 (class #7)

Class outline:

	Announcements, questions, and quandaries: Film review essay due next week. each group will have 20-25 minutes in which to informally summarize and discuss their analyses. Please read the assignment description in the syllabus VERY carefully. Please use section headers. Please fill out the assignment cover sheets completely and accurately -- ask questions if you have questions about any part of the checklist.
	Whole group analysis and discussion of "There's Something about Mary"
	Quick write: Does it matter how people are portrayed in the media? Why or why not?
	Interactive presentation: The role of disability in "There's Something about Mary" in constructing the romantic ideal  (PowerPoint available on e-reserves)
	Minute paper

Handout:
Analysis grid for There's Something about Mary

Overheads:

• PowerPoint is posted to e-reserves.

.
Note: All of the readings, required and recommended, can be found on electronic reserves at Zimmerman library. Please contact the instructor for the course password.

* To view PDF documents, such as the readings on reserve, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click here to download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader

.

Extra Resources:
Website Links:

• The Internet Movie Database (http://us.imdb.com/) provides information and reviews of movies. Most of the reviews are from the general public, so it is enlightening to read their takes. For example, one viewer of "The Other Sister" wrote:

"I gave it a 3 out of 10. The music in the background was great. But I thought the movie was slow & boring. I also thought it was stupid because who wants to watch 2 mentally challenged individuals graduate from a mainstream school, date, especially having sex etc. I thought that was the dumbest part of the movie where the 2 mentally challanged individuals were going to have sex together. That is just plain nasty. I don't mind watching 2 people with a normal I.Q. having sex though on TV or on a movie. Plus, I thought the storyline was very unrealistic even though it's a movie."
• Another review of "Mary" from CNN, that includes statements by Cameron Diaz:  http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9807/13/something.about.mary/index.html
• Here is an CNN interview with the Farrelly borthers and their statements about the treatment of disability in their film: http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9807/27/farrelly.bros/
• See this review of portrayals of individuals with disabilities in movies (including 'There's something about Mary"): http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~norden/globe.html
• Read this review of Shallow Hal, a recent film by the Farrelly brothers, who also produced "Mary": http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1101160,00.html
• Here's a review of another Farrelly brothers film -- "Me, Myself, and Irene": http://www.stigmaof.com/commentary.htm

Readings from the recommended readings:
See list of readings on e-reserves in the folder labels "film resources."
 

Home Courses Handouts Vision Vita e-mail me

 

Return to top

Julia Scherba de Valenzuela, Ph.D.

Last updated: February 16, 2009