Did you tell her it was Doris Miller, and that he got the Navy Cross for it?
My husband told her.
All I’m trying to say is that Pearl Harbor sucks, and I miss you.
Well, there’s the scene where Ben Affleck, on his way to England, boards a train.
But that isn’t really historical, it it? Probably more of a geographical failure…
And do you care to elaborate on precisely what your objection is to the historical accuracy? (aside from there being a Hollywood romance in the film) I haven’t seen the film either, but there are people in the thread saying it’s more or less historically accurate, at least to anything you’d be learning on a 5th grade level. So now I’m really curious as to what your objections actually are since you’re being so coy about it.
Edit: just saw your later post about the potato peeler but still, seems like you’re just objecting on the principle that it’s a Hollywood movie more than the fact that there are any gross historical misrepresentations in it.
I would be upset about my kid watching any movie in school (unless it’s the day before any of the breaks when the kids are bouncing off the wall with excitement), much less having it as a teaching tool.
However, at least the teacher didn’t show Inglorious Basterds. The history in that one was just so wrong… and right. 
Wouldn’t most soldiers who shipped to Europe have taken a train to whatever their port of departure was?
That’s what I get out of it, too. It bothers her that her daughter is not being taught that Hollywood movies are bad. It bothers her that the teacher would actually use attention grabbing, interesting stuff to teach, rather than teach in a dry manner with stuff that would mostly go over her students heads.
If you can’t stand a teacher having a joke poster in the room, then I’d say your standards are too high. You want to teach your child to be an elitist, humor-impaired snob, you have the option to home school.
Yeah, but I seem to recall something about how New York City was a port city back in the day.
Actually, during WWII about three million soldiers left for Europe through the Hoboken, NJ terminal just over the river.
There’s a whole list of inaccuracies (many of which, admittedly) are going to be meaningless to the average fifth grader) and the movie is widely regarded as lacking historical context and taking wide latitude with significant WWII events. It was a dramatic, entertaining (I won’t begrudge the entertainment quality due to its popularity) movie and should be regarded as such, no more. As a historical look into tumultuous human event, it’s a cake wreck in a world of serious baked goods.
Truly, there is a wealth of media done on WWII, fictionalized and factual. Much of it has merit as a teaching aid; some of it does not. Given that, I just happen to think this choice is lame and sadly indicative of the lack of quality in education people seem too eager to accept. I’m not so eager. I am, however, at a loss. Other than sharing with her some WWII documentaries and movies I enjoy and continuing the discussions on what she learns, I guess I take away from this. She’s going to be fed some garbage in school and it’s up to us to help her determine what to keep and what to throw out. Hopefully, we can teach her to be more like CalMeacham’s kid.
And your specific examples are… ? Sounds like an appeal to authority to me. Have you taught your daughter what that is yet?
The specific examples are all things a 5th grader wouldn’t even notice. That’s the point. Why should a kid be exposed to garbage such as Pearl Harbor just because it’s “entertaining”? It’s still teaching them lies.
I take it you liked the movie? Sorry I’m dissing your movie. I thought it was pretty good (although I enjoyed Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers much more*) in the theatre, not so great in a fifth grade classroom. For whatever reason, you apparently disagree. Sheesh.
Neither of those, I’d be thrilled about showing to fifth grade students either, nor does either depict the Pearl Harbor event (but I’m not sure if that was specifically the goal). But yeah, Tora! Tora! Tora! would be the obvious choice if it were.
It’s a 5th grade class. Unless that was *all *that they were taught about WWII, I don’t see what the big deal is.
As I said upthread I haven’t even seen it. It’s your attitude that rubbed me the wrong way but since this isn’t the Pit and I don’t care enough to take it there, I’ll leave it at that.
I have no interest in seeing Pearl Harbor. It seemed like a cash-in on the Titanic love at the time, and its cinematic value is probably marginal at best.
But if it’s more-or-less historically accurate, it could serve as a very effective means of allowing younger students to engage with the material, which can only be a positive. Obviously it should be supplemented with a more sober look at the historical record, but ultimately, shouldn’t history as a subject be vital and engaging?
Are you kidding? He portrayed the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime, as the sort of entity that would execute a wounded enemy soldier that hadn’t done anything to deserve such a treatment.
I would totally use that movie to teach my kids about WWII. Of course, it wouldn’t be the only medium I’d be using to teach it.
On the other hand, if the teacher IS using only this move, or at least, doesn’t have a “what this movie got factually incorrect” and a “kids, what do you think about how this movie portrays wartime in general?” sort of discussion afterwards, she or he is a crap teacher.
She opted to show only bits and pieces of it: scenes of FDR (the situation room scene, but not the speech to Congress) and the attack itself. It was muted for obscene language.