Help Needed To Pick Films For Psychology Class!

Cafe Society
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As a final project option for my class in Developmental Psychology, I want them to choose two films and write a report on each film, using information from the textbook and comparing that with the story in the film. For instance, On Golden Pond would be a good choice for both Middle and Late Adulthood as it covers many issues with elderly parents, adult children, aging, illness and death. Lots of material for a student to use in a report.

What I need are a few good films in each category. By “good” I mean films that are thought provoking and of good quality. The films don’t necessarily have to be heavy dramas, but they should at least be somewhat true representations of real-life, age appropriate situations. For instance, Mean Girls would be appropriate for Adolescence.

If you could give me one or two suggestions in each of the following categories, I would appreciate it – but feel free to just throw in just one title suggestion if you can’t think of a film in every one of the categories. Thanks in advance!

  1. Infancy and toddlers (0-2 years)

  2. Early childhood (2-5 years)

  3. Middle and late childhood (6-12 years)

  4. Adolescence (13-19 years)

  5. Early adulthood (20-40 years)

  6. Middle adulthood (40-65 years)

  7. Late adulthood (age 65 and up)

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  1. Infancy and toddlers (0-2 years) Raising Arizona
  2. Adolescence (13-19 years) The Great Santini - Stand by Me - Holes
  3. Middle adulthood (40-65 years) Field of Dreams - The Great Santini.

A psychologist friend of mine loaned me a book called ‘Take 2 Films and come back and see me in the morning’ by 2 psychologists - might be worth a look.

MiM

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Infancy & toddler- the first “Look Who’s Talking”

Pre-ad or Adolescence- Bridge to Terabithia, Pre-Ad: Simon Birch

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The Straight Story

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Adolescence or Middle Adulthood - Ordinary People.
Adolescence - Beautiful Thing, Edge of Seventeen, The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (which all deal with gay youth).

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Middle Adulthood - American Beauty

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Are foreign films allowed? If so, then

  1. Ponette. The story of how a four year old deals with the death of her mother.
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A Rumour Of Angels youth/adolescents/late adulthood

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Breakfast Club for the teens stage
St. Elmo’s Fire for earlly adulthood
(they really do go together).

Same Time Next Year covers multiple adult stages of the same adulterous couple - GREAT flick.

Parenthood has several stages covered (small kids, young adults, and adults).

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Baby Geniuses, One and Two

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Yep. Proof that David Lynch can direct an outstanding normal movie if he wants to, he just doesn’t want to.

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  1. Middle and late childhood (6-12 years)

My Life As A Dog

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For Early Adulthood I nominate Singles

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  1. Middle and late childhood (6-12 years)

Hope and Glory

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Middle and late childhood (6-12 years) Little Man Tate, My Girl

Adolescence (13-19 years) Donnie Darko, Stand by Me

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Here’s one I haven’t seen, but the trailer made me think it’d be good for your “Late Adulthood” section: Away From Her. One that I have seen and would recommend is About Schmidt.

Adolescence: Pump Up The Volume. Seriously, lotsa issues for discussion.

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I love the film Playing by Heart, which examines relationships and issues in 2+ generations of a family (I say 2+ because the parents are in their sixties, two daughters are in their 40s and the youngest daughter is in her 20s). It looks at relationships, marital fidelity, drinking and drugs, aging, death, and a bunch of other entertaining stuff. Plus, the cast is stellar- Sean Connery, Gena Rowlands, Dennis Quaid, Madeline Stowe, Gillian Anderson, Jon Stewart, Angelina Jolie, Ryan Phillipe, Ellen Burstyn, Jay Mohr and Anthony Edwards in the leads.