Do Movies Matter?

Writing Assignment
After reading Stephen King’s article “Do Movies Matter?”, it is your turn to write
a paper arguing for ​your​ opinion on whether movies matter or not. You can define the
word ‘matter’ however you would like. Remember, most of you have been working on a
movie poster wall with some of your favorites. Now it is time to explore why you like
these films. Reflect on some of these movies as a way to jumpstart your thinking and
your paper. Also, look to Stephen King’s article to give you some examples of how to
organize it and what to include. Whatever you believe, that is what you should argue
for. Do not worry about if it is what others think or if it is what Mr. Wood thinks.

REQUIREMENTS:
(1) At LEAST two pages (Double Spaced).
(2) At least two reasons why movies do or do not matter.
(3) An explanation of those reasons.
(4) At LEAST one example of a movie that proves your point that movies do or do not
matter.
(5) A discussion of why that movie (or movies) helps to prove your point.

Below is an example. (It continues onto the back of the page.)

Do Movies Matter?
I had waited for ​Kalifornia ​to premiere on network TV for a few years. I liked David
Duchovny because of ​The X-Files​ and Brad Pitt had become very famous between when the
movie came out and when I was actually watching it. I knew that the movie dealt with dark and,
perhaps, sadistic themes. So it was with a mixture of excitement and trepidation that I popped
the VHS tape into my parents’ VCR and turned off the lights to create the perfect atmosphere.
What lay in store for me? Would it blow my 16-year-old mind? Would it disturb me? I was
ready to find out.
 When the movie ended, I turned off the TV and was enveloped by the darkness. My
body sat in stillness while my mind ran wild. I had never considered such possibilities about the
malice that sat dormant inside of humans. Are all of us capable of such terrible things under the
wrong circumstances? Could I, if pushed to my breaking point, do something I would have
never thought myself capable of? I can recall how dark it was in the room and how I couldn’t
shake the introspection that the movie had created. It wasn’t real life, I knew, but it definitely
changed something in the way I saw the world. It wasn’t the first time that a movie had
affected me, but it was the first time that it had felt so profound. It was the beginning of my
interest in movies that explored some of the dark sides of human nature. That willingness to
delve into the psyche of scarier people may seem perverse or even morally precarious but it
help contribute to my sense of empathy; instead of completely dismissing those that disagree
with me or that I don’t initially understand, ​Kalifornia​ helped awaken a desire to build a bridge
between them and me.
I realized that movies have the power to tap into our imaginations in unexplainable
ways. Sometimes, humans are more apt to interact with fictional emotions than with the ones
right in front of them in real life. And while that may not be the best way for our heads and
hearts to work, it does speak to the massive impact that movies with depth can have. Every
day, countless people across the world are having discussions about the way that a movie
changed their thinking or taught them something about others or about themselves that they
had never before considered. That is powerful—no doubt.
I was 12 when I first saw George Roy Hill’s ​The Sting​. From that moment on, I had an
understanding of the enchantment and joy that movies could offer. Even just the delight that a
movie can offer you is proof that they matter. ​The Sting​ engaged me, enchanted me, and
intrigued me. It had gorgeous music, pinpoint production design, casually brilliant acting, and
one of the most devilishly clever scripts I had ever encountered. Now, I’ve seen ​The Sting​ over
fifteen times and I still cannot wipe a smile off of my face for the entire time. It changes my
mood and brightens my day. Wouldn’t anything with that potential for positive change matter a
lot? Undeniably.