An Experiment Using Film

This Friday night we're showing the film Remember the Titans, in the hopes that we've hit upon one more way to open dialogue between parents and kids.

Those familiar with our ministry will know that I am a fan of using dialogue to teach, and anything that promotes dialogue between kids and grown-ups on important topics is a great tool. I believe movies - and increasingly, television shows - provide fertile ground for such conversations, because they place parent and child side-by-side in the role of observers and critics. A kid can more easily see behavior and attitudes objectively as an outsider, and recognizing and naming qualities - admirable and undesirable - in others is a great step toward mature self-examination. Secondly, it asks kids to recognize the invisible undercurrent of values that drive people's behavior. We are more likely to see and recognize false value systems in a context removed from our own. Related to that, watching a film as a family and then talking about it provides practice in being a discerning media consumer. Finally, identifying with characters in movies is an exercise in perspective-taking, which is an ingredient in empathy.

The downside to movie and television portrayals is their unreality. But that, too, can be turned to a strength when viewing is paired with discussion. Questions like Is that character someone to admire? or Would you have made the same decision? or What in this movie wouldn't have happened in real life? are essential for helping kids develop their critical filters.

The film we've chosen for the first night is Remember the Titans. Based on a true story, Titans takes us back to 1971, where T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA, has recently been integrated. When a black teacher is hired to replace the white head football coach, the stage is set for prejudice and hard feelings on and off the field, among the team members and its fans alike. This 2000 film stars Denzel Washington, and Washington's coaching technique will be one of the topics up for discussion: is it right for him (or any coach) to scream at players or degrade them, as long as the team is successful? Is this leadership? How do we square this with Matthew 20, where Jesus says whoever wants to be great among you must be a servant?

Another theme worth exploring in this movie (there are many) is the issue of resolving conflict in a group of people. The players initially resent each other because of race, and it takes leadership by key players to begin to tear those walls down. How is Romans 12:14-16 instructive here?

You get the idea. The "gameplan" is to meet at 7, give the parents a brief rundown on the purpose of the night (although if you're reading this, you're getting it) while the kids get some recreation, start the movie, break at "halftime" for discussion questions, and play the rest of the movie, with some "car talk" questions sent with you for the way home. All should be wrapped up by 9:30.

As to content: According to Internet Movie Database (imbd.com) , the movie contains "at least" 2 instances of "damn", 1 of "hell", 1 utterance of "crap", 1 incomplete "S.O.B." and 2 uses of "swear to God" as expressions. So, if you've planned to bring younger siblings or if these words are a deal breaker, please be forewarned.

In all, this movie is very inspiring and stays true to the actual events as they happened. It can be a great launching point for talking with kids about the Civil Rights Movement and the desegregation of schools, too. And, movies bring families together.

The Internet Movie Database entry is here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210945/
with the imdb parent guide here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210945/parentalguide

The movie got a thumbs-up from Focus on the Family's "Plugged In Online" site: http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/movies/a0000481.cfm

And incidentally, if you're interested in using other movies at home, Focus on the Family has put out a few books with plotlines and suggested topics for discussion: check those out here.