There are a lot of great teen movies and television shows today, but all of them have to credit the 80's and John Hughes for their beginnings.  This easily could have just been a John Hughes list, but I wanted to mix it up a little. For those of us growing up in the 80's, these are the movies that defined us, with iconic characters and some unforgettable moments that will always be part of film lore.  Some hard choices had to be made (Pretty in Pink or 16 Candles?).  With so many choices, and a variety of ways to divide them, I ended up making two lists. 

In this course students will…
-determine theme;
-analyze plot and its various phases;
-examine how literary elements affect plot progression, assist in character development, and convey meaning, including: motif, symbol, foreshadowing, echoing, flashback, opposition, metaphor, irony, foil, choice of language; and
-understand the monomyth (Hero’s Journey) and character archetypes

A lot of teachers use movies in a traditional classroom as a way to fill time or take a much needed rest. Students always want movie days because they view them as “free days.” And if we are honest, spending time in the classroom watching movies does feel like a waste of time. But I feel the same way about spending time in the classroom reading books. Reading books and watching movies should be done at home, but discussing and analyzing books and films should be done in the classroom. As an English teacher I obviously love books, but movies can be just as powerful, and let’s face it, a lot faster.

Analyzing literature in the classroom is about developing higher thinking skills, and movies can do that as well. We are a storytelling culture. And there are many ways that we tell stories. Movies just happen to be one of the ways that we do it. And good movies share many of the same qualities as good books do, and therefore, can be analyzed in the same manner.  

In this course, students will watch the designated movie prior to class, complete the film analysis worksheet, and be prepared to discuss the film.  Discussion will include literary elements, character analysis, conversations about, and what the students liked or didn’t like about the film. As a multi-day course, meeting times will be a collaborative and analytic discussion while at the same time serving as a movie club. It is the role of the teacher to facilitate that discussion. 

MOVIES IN THIS COURSE
Week 1 (11/14-11/20):  Intro/Preview/Review
-The first meeting of the course will serve as an introduction to the topical category and the movies that we will be watching. We will also discuss the film analysis worksheet, character archetypes, and hero’s journey to introduce or review the concepts as necessary. Students will also be asked anticipation and prior knowledge questions. Finally, we will address key literary devices that students should be able to see and identify in the upcoming films.

MOVIES:
Week 2: "The Breakfast Club"
Week 3: "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"
Week 4: "Footloose"
Week 5: "16 Candles"
Week 6: "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"

ABOUT the courses in the “MR. J.’s FILM FAVES” collection:

"Mr. J.’s Film Faves” is a collection of over 30 short courses that apply literary analysis to 20th century movies. Each course is centered on a specific topic, genre, actor, or director and focuses on five of my favorite films within that category. In an effort to expose youth to older movies that they might not otherwise see, all movies must have been released before the year 2000.

There are two types of courses, each focusing on five films. Courses may be taken independently or together.

Multi-day courses last 6 weeks, meet once a week, and use a discussion based, club-style format. At the conclusion of the course, a new section will begin featuring a new topic. There are typically 2-4 topical categories available at any given time. All multi-day courses will have a corresponding flex-course that can be taken as an optional supplemental course.   

Flex-courses are six weeks long, use a message board discussion format, and include additional assignments and enrichment. In addition to the weekly exercises and assignments, the flex-course will conclude with culminating project of the student’s choice (either an artistic project or essay). While multi-day courses always have a corresponding flex-course, flex-courses are often stand alone with new categories/courses starting every week.  (Courses will not be listed in order)

HOW MOVIES ARE SELECTED
1.All movies must be from the 20th Century. Movies released in 2000 or after will not be on the list but may receive an honorable mention.  Part of the purpose is to expose students to films they might not otherwise watch and are probably unfamiliar with.
2.Animated and long time favorite family films are generally excluded. I do love a lot of these films, but students are usually familiar with most of these.
3.Films on the list must represent “my favorites.” This does not mean that I am saying that the are the best in a given category, just that they are the movies that I like the most. In rare cases, a movie makes the list because of its social impact combined with its respectability as a film; however, it is still a movie that I admire.
4.Narrowing it down to five can be hard, and sometimes two movies are overly similar in some manner, meaning that often one will be chosen and the other will be moved to the honorable mention list.
5.Some films could easily be placed on multiple lists.  A conscious effort was made to not place any single movie on more than two lists with the exception of special collections (e.g: categories designated to a particular actor or director, or “The 5”).
6.An honorable mention list will be given to students enrolling in the course. Movies on the honorable mention list will include other favorites that didn’t make the cut based on the above selection criteria, including movies that appear on multiple lists, films of the 21st century, and popular films that just aren’t my favorites but are worth watching.


OTHER COURSES IN THIS COLLECTION
1.Literary Analysis Through Film
2.“The 5”
3.Christmas
4.Dramas
5.80’s Comedies
6.90’s Comedies
7.Iconic 80’s Teen Angst 
8.Other Teen Movies
9.Dramatic Comedies
10.Romantic Comedies
11.Adapted From Books
12.Coming of Age
13.Underdogs
14.Scary Movies
15.Mob Movies
16.Plot twists
17.Teacher Movies
18.Mentor Movies
19.College Movies
20.Law/Courtroom
21.Based on True Stories
22.Best Black and White
23.Action Movies
24.Cop Movies
25.Crime/Mystery
26.Best Heroes
27.Best Villains
28.Indie Style
29.Baseball Movies
30.Hitchcock
31.Robin Williams
32.Denzel Washington
33.Al Pacino
34.Tom Hanks