| Young Adult Literature and Multimedia--Resources |
Cult/Teenage Movies
Young Adults, Why They Love Them and Their Use in the Classroom
by Amy Beattie
UW-Stout: Young Adult Literature
According to Young Adult Literature and Multimedia: A Quick Guide (2008) “Cult movies often don’t do well in the theaters, but explode in video sales. There is usually a group of people that group together and watch a movie together, dress up like the characters, and incorporate quotes form the movie into their daily vocabulary” (Harlan, Loerscher, McElmeel p. 30.) As a teacher of teenagers, I have been around young people long enough to pick up on their slang terms, fashion trends, and the movies that infiltrate their living rooms, brains, and spoken word. Recently I have noticed my teenage students talking about movies more often than ever before. My students even go so far as to act out scenes and repeat seemingly important lines from their favorite films. Teenagers enjoy these cult or teenage flicks based on the fact that they identify with the teenage characters, their humor, and the undertones of freedom to do as they please without getting caught by authority figures.
All adults were teenagers at some time. I myself like to think I recall my teenage years with some clarity. I too enjoy watching cult films such as Dazed and Confused, American Pie, and one of my favorites, Napoleon Dynamite. What is it about the characters and plots in the above mentioned films that teens relate to? According to the authors of “High School Confidential”, Doug Liman describes ‘Go’ as:
...a celebration of being a teenager and the freedom that gives you to do pretty much anything and get away with it. While you're a teenager, you have a get-out-of-jail-free card. And that's a great thing. The only thing you can do wrong is to not do anything.’ And certainly, for most teenagers, the wrong thing to do will be to not go to these movies. R stands for Restricted, but for them it is code for Rebellion (Chambers, Chang, Davis.)Even for adults there is a sense of identifying with the teenage protagonist and hoping for their escape from the authorities or fighting for their right to party. All of us can identify with being young and wishing for that freedom. Furthermore, everyone can identify the yearning we have to be accepted even with our faults and awkwardness.
This particular movie was chosen because the library recognized its popular following, and many of the lines and phrases have made their way into the vernacular of younger generations. Furthermore, it was determined that the character of Napoleon Dynamite is ‘every man’ and each generation could relate to at least one element of the movie (Bolan, 2006, p. 33.)
Identifying with the lead characters, laughing with them and being inspired is why teens, and adults alike, love cult and teenage films. As a teacher of adolescents, I see and understand my students’ attraction to these types of movies and also understand the value of film in my classroom. In the small, rural setting in which I teach I will go to just about any means to motivate reluctant readers. Movies are sometimes the key to motivate this type of student. According to the article "A Handful of Learning,"
In many classrooms, movies are a special occasion--a tool that creative teachers intersperse with regular lessons to supplement the everyday curriculum and make learning fun. But at the nine school districts served by the Monroe 2-Orleans Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in Spencerport, NY, movies are becoming part of the routine” (Villano, 2007.)Furthermore, according to author Kirschenbaum (2006),
Neuroscientists are now confirming in the laboratory what the Egyptian, Buddhist, Mayan, Chinese, and medieval European illuminators knew all along: Colorful visuals are a powerful stimulus to learning. Neuroscientists have found that when we read in black and white, many regions of our brains — such as those that process color, form, motion, orientation, and position — are effectively shut down, put in sleep mode (Zeki, 1999).
"The most effective learning strategies motivate readers by activating their emotions (LeDoux, 2003)". Adding color and design to our literature is a way of activating these emotions in different areas of the brain.
Researchers agree with the creative teachers that movies can and do motivate students to read. Educators are also realizing the importance of visuals and film for students to connect with what they read.
I often use clips of movies for students to gain a better understanding of a piece of literature or even a concept. Typically, when a class finishes reading a novel I show the film version of the book. For example, after students finish reading Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and The Great Gatsby, I show the modern film version. The students love discussing the film and book and the differences between them. My Advanced Placement English class enjoys clips from the movie National Treasure, which demonstrate the concept of connecting clues. My A.P. students often need to connect clues in a classic poem or prose to get a better understanding of the piece. I also show a clip of Mr. Bean reluctantly jumping off the high dive to demonstrate what college-life might seem like for my seniors the following year. The title of a bulletin board in my room reads “At the Movies” and I fill that board with posters from the novels we read. I want my students to approach a novel like a movie and to be able to visualize a book like a film playing in their minds.
The bottom line is that movies do motivate students to read and can help students to connect with reading. Most students enjoy films and a movie experience. Why not bring that into the classroom?
References
Bolan, Kimberly. (2006). "Bridging the gap proactive approaches for adults working with teens." Young Adult Library Services, Retrieved February 11, 2008, from EBSCO Host Academic Search Elite Research Database.
Chambers, V. Chang, Y. & Davis, A. (1999). "High school confidential." Newsweek 133(9). Retrieved February 11, 2008 from EBSCO Host Academic Search Elite Research Database.
Fitzgerald, F.S. (1999). The great gatsby. New York: Scribner.
Golding, W. (1999). Lord of the flies. New York: Penguin.
Harlan, M., Loertscher, D., & McElmeel, S. (2008). Young adult literature multimedia: A quick guide. Salt Lake City: Hi Willow Research & Publishing.
Hurston, Z.N. (2006). Their eyes were watching god. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classic.
Kirschenbaum, Valerie, R. (2006). "The old way of reading and the new." Educational Leadership, 63 (8). Retrieved February 11, 2008 from EBSCO Host Academic Search Elite Research Database.
Lee, H. (1988). To kill a mockingbird. New York: Grand Central Publishing.
.
These lesson plans, guides, and other resource materials for young adult literature topics were created by participants in a professional development course in young adult Literature. Each resource is copyrighted by the individual educator who developed the material. The present course being taught is titled: Teaching Young Adult Literature in the Classroom from the University of Wisconsin-Stout (Sharron L. McElmeel, instructor)