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Saturday, August 23, 2008

Movie addicts, I need your help

A friend of mine is a professor teaching a class, through films, that helps freshmen transition from high school to college. He takes elements that might become problems for students and uses films to discuss the challenges. For example, one problem is living up to your parents expectations rather than finding your own path. He shows Dead Poets Society to foster discussion.

He's asked my help in finding a film to carefully show the problems and solutions with drug use. It can be a movie that takes place in high school or college, but he's looking for something that's not too violent or sexual, but would foster discussion. There are only two I could think of off the top of my head: Loser and Charlie Bartlett. Any help or advice would be most welcome! Thanks.

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8 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 23, 2008 at 1:32 PM

    Requie fo....never mind. :)

    The first film that comes to mind is Traffic, but that's a pretty isolated story-line within the film.

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  2. JessAugust 23, 2008 at 1:35 PM

    Yeah, Requiem might not get the point across quite the way he hopes.
    =)

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  3. RachelAugust 23, 2008 at 1:59 PM

    Basketball Diaries. It's been awhile since I've watched it, and I know they allude to sex, but I'm not sure how much they actually show. But it's definitely an R movie.

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  4. AnonymousAugust 23, 2008 at 2:23 PM

    Oddly enough I was going to suggest both Requiem for a Dream and Basketball Diaries, but then I realized that Requiem probably wouldn't fit the mold.

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  5. CatAugust 24, 2008 at 12:34 AM

    Requiem is brilliant but harrowing and dark. Does Half Nelson show sex and violence? Maybe also too grim (I haven't seen it). Thirteen?? That apparently does have sex stuff in it...(How have I missed all these drug movies? Maybe because I find the topic so stressful and disturbing myself!)

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  6. JessAugust 24, 2008 at 12:10 PM

    Excellent - I haven't seen Basketball Diaries, but the description looks about right. I'll suggest these to the prof and see what he thinks.

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  7. AnonymousAugust 24, 2008 at 2:38 PM

    The obvious choice for drug use would be Trainspotting or Fresh but they may be a little more than what he wants.

    The Program features a sub plot of a player using steroids and the lengths he goes to to hide it and the effects it has on him.

    There is also The Rules of Attraction which may be a might much but definitely shows some of the hazards with partying and drugs and alcohol in college.

    Another option would also to pull out the old VHS and record the a few episodes of the show Intervention which is what is name implies. Shows people going through their interventions.

    If I think of any others I will stop back by and let you know.

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  8. FletchAugust 25, 2008 at 9:43 AM

    I too was going to suggest Trainspotting. Sure, it's rated R and features some sex, but those scenes are pretty short, and these are college freshman, right? They're all of age...

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