How was student agency depicted in the film you watched? You might describe and react to student agency in the film or compare characters in the film and whether/what kinds of agenda they possess. Feel free to also suggest topics for discussion when we meet to discuss.
Remember the Titans
ReplyDeleteThere was a very obvious show of student agency in this film. Of course, the coach had to be the one to tell them that they had to come together as a unit to play football. But, in the end, it was Gerry and Julius who led the way to true union between the white and black students. Gerry took the initiative to reprimand Ray when he wasn't blocking for Rev. And Blue took the initiative to bring everyone together in the gym and give a very heartfelt speech about coming together against the racial tensions of the school. Overall, the movie was very inspiring and I feel like it's a movie that everyone needs to see, especially now what with the BLM Movement being at it's peak, all races should be sat down to watch this movie. The main scene that I remember from this movie was Coach Boon's speech "Lesson from the Dead". Nowadays, we should take a lesson from the dead and come together regardless of race, gender, or sexuality.
Rachel Ruble: I watched clueless and I really enjoyed the movie. In the movie it seemed like students had a lot of control over the teachers, so I feel students had a lot of agency. For example, Cher was easily able to negotiate with all of her teachers and change her grades. Sometimes it felt like the student’s agency overpowered the teacher’s like during class when they would refuse to participate. There were lots of stereotypes in the movie, like Cher and her friends were the rich, popular girls, where Travis was more of the late to class, stoner. I think all the characters had slightly different agendas and some even changed throughout the movie. Cher started off very selfish and only doing things when they benefited her, where in contrast with the end of the movie she was captain of the relief team. I also think Travis’ agenda, or at least what other people thought his agenda was, changed throughout the movie. At first we see that he has lots of tardies and seems to not care about school, but at the end we see him at the skating competition and also trying to better himself and everyone realizes how dedicated he is. Overall, I think the students had a lot of agency in this movie and were able to almost do whatever they wanted while still being in school. One more thing, I think it’s weird that no one cared Cher got with her ex-stepbrother.
ReplyDeleteIn the movie Moxie the students had agency through the feminist group the main character creates called "Moxie". The students would ignore the sexist situations going on in the school, since they were so used to these events, but the main character finally realizes how oblivious they were to it. Moxie unified the girls through their experiences caused by the patriarchy and helped raise awareness on what was happening in the school. I noticed that the principal would protect one of the football players. Schools often prioritize their athletes and ignore situations involving athletes, because the school can't ruin its reputation. In the end Moxie helped give the girls a voice, since they were always silenced.
ReplyDeleteJake Bosak - I watched Ferris Bueller's Day off. It was a really funny movie, and it played on a few common tropes associated teachers; super boing unenthusiastic monotoned teacher, overbearing controlling principle, innocent loving administrator/principle assistant. The main character Ferris is the rebel student who the principle has a insatiable need to "make an example out of " "put a dent in his career" and essentially try to control the schools 'popular kid' as the principle doesn't want Ferris to be the role model that kids are looking up to. But Ferris miraculously skates around rules and accountability for all his behavior and he strikes envy in people around him (his sister, the principle) because of his autonomy within his own world, and inversely he charms his parents into making them see him as an angel to the point they are oblivious to his devious behaviors. The agency Ferris has throughout the movie is on a level of a billionaire who can effortlessly navigate and insert themselves in even the most exclusive environments, Ferris seems to manifest any idea he has at an obviously unrealistic rate (especially as a high schooler). The idea is that the principle is trying to control Ferris, a child, to stay in school and submit to the prison-like design of public schools run by the warden/principle to become 'successful'. Highlighting the idea is the principle literally breaking into Ferris's house to...drag him back to school? the principle far exceeds his job position because his obsession with keeping order with his students (even wanting to hold back Ferris for missing 8 days...). But Ferris being the lucky mischievous stereotype, he has no problem living life exactly how he wants to and makes life enjoyable (his mission of the day is literally just to make 'fun'). Ferris and the principle are somewhat foil characters which comes across to me to display the extremes of having control (displaying utilitarian individualism like the principle) and non extreme of not taking things too seriously and doing what you want to do (expressive individualism like ferris). and Ferris's friends really wouldt have any agency in the movie if they weren't associated to him to reap the benefits of his behaviors, which to me displays leader/follower characteristics which was another interesting dynamic.
ReplyDeleteThe Moxie movie tried but didn’t succeed. Moxie followed an uninspired teen, Vivian, and her actions against sexism at her school. The way Vivian came to realize her passion and developed a sense of agency was cheapened by the fact she was trying to follow in the footsteps of her mother. If it wasn’t for her mother or her college essay would Vivian had come to the realization of sexism in her school and acted against it? Since her agency wasn’t developed organically her motives can be questioned. The scene that confused me most in the movie was when Vivian and her friend were making up scenarios in the store. When one of them would hold up an article of clothing they’d make up a backstory or characteristics of the person who would be wearing it. The things they were saying were sort of sexist in themselves. Ironically, they were trying to fight something while also playing into it. Some aspects of this movie were very unnecessary and retroactive to the main point. The romance didn’t add anything to the plot, but only slight character development for Vivian. The rape towards the end of the movie felt disjointed but expected. It should be talked about more in teen movies, but the writers and directors failed to make it feel like an actual part of the movie. It seemed like it was something they decided to throw in there at the last minute. Overall, I get the message to the audience was to not settle for any discriminatory actions, but the writer chose the worst character out of the bunch to relay that message. In the movie, other perspectives could have made this movie more interesting or relatable. Such as Vivian’s best friend or the new girl who could have brought fresh insight to the high school. The message behind the movie is clear, but the characters and portrayal of teenage agency could have used a little fleshing out.
ReplyDeleteI watched Clueless and it is such an iconic film, I thouroughly enjoyed watching it. The film is primarily about a young girl named Cher and her High School experience. She and her best friend Dion are very rich and a lot of the film goes into the two, again primarily Cher, "fixing" and "helping" people. For instance the two devised a plan to get their two teachers together so that they could get better grades on their report cards. The film depicted teachers as people who could be easily bribed and manipulated, therefore like Rachel said, giving the students' agency. Cher's ultimate goal was to help people and she ended up doing just that, she helped and pushed the people around her to do the right thing I believe, not always in a straight forward way. Even though it was supposed to come off "ditzy" Cher's speech during debate showed that she cared for world matters/people and she was really passionate about helping others, we then in turn see her demonstrate student agency by joining the relief team. She achieved her goal of ACTUALLY being able to help with real world problems not for her own good but for the good of other people.
ReplyDeleteI chose to watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). I would be lying if I said I haven't seen this movie several times. I absolutely love it, so I jumped at the opportunity to watch it for a class assignment. However, I never watched the movie so closely which made me notice a lot of things that never jumped out to me before. Needless to say, this movie is known for its dynamic setting and fun plot; wondering if Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane are going to get away with playing hooky. I think one of the thing that makes this movie such a hit is Ferris' cool, laid-back character. His charm, whit, and quick-thinking make him such a likeable character. In the end, Ferris has an amazing day with his girlfriend and best friend, his parents don't suspect a thing, and he gets away with playing hooky. Everything works out in his favor, but the same cannot be said for the other characters. Cameron ruins his father's ferrari, Jeanie goes to jail, and Rooney (the protagonist or not) gets knocked out and sent home on a school bus. So, nearly everyone around Ferris faces a consequence except him. I think that is something everyone loves about this movie, but I think it is worth pointing out. I also thought Rooney and Ferris have many parallels. Rooney is an old and bitter teacher wanting to bust students while Ferris is a popular high schooler who is known for his shenanigans. They could not be less alike, which makes their interactions that much better. Lastly, in this movie the teacher (Rooney) is depicted as the bad guy even when the students were doing something they were not supposed to. I found it interesting that the teacher in this movie was depicted negatively when the teacher in the movie I watched last week (Freedom Writer's) was depicted in such a positive light. I love this movie and even more loved being able to watch it closer!
ReplyDeleteI watched Moxie and I feel like it depicted agency in a variety of ways. Vivian, like most of her peers, were oblivious to a lot of the issues going on at the school. When Lucy came on the scene she took it upon her self to start calling these issues to attention. She chose to go to their principal but that was unsuccessful. Lucy was the only one trying to make people aware of how Wilson's behavior was problematic. Vivian started to catch on to what Lucy was feeling but didn't know exactly how to go about it until talking to her mom. I think her mom definitely inspired her but ultimately the way she went about it was her own decision. I think going through her mom's old stuff influenced the rebellious nature of creating the Moxie flyers. She chose to try to get people to show support and in response student chose to follow her. With the exception of her best friend, who was more reluctant. Claudia wasn't down for the cause as much because she feared her mother so she lacked agency at first, but eventually she let go of that and chose to support anyways. I was surprised with Claudia's behavior towards he end because I didn't think she'd ever decide to think for herself. In conclusion, I feel as though there were a handful instances of the students showing agency. The girls banded together to protest and fight against the inequality they were facing. They decided to ignore possibility of disciplinary action to support their cause. They knew what they wanted and they went after it, I enjoyed their passion.
ReplyDeleteI finally got around to watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off and I really appreciate the radical nature of Beuller's own definition of student agency he wholeheartedly believes in. He does not believe in the education system teaching him anything worthwhile, so he spends most of his time doing what he can do to pass high school with the least amount of effort. Whilst he enjoys his carefree day, he goes on to affect a number of people ranging from the principal going as far as breaking into Beuller's house to enforce his academic punishment. Beuller's friend, Cameron also admires how much confidence and spontaneity he has as he struggles on his future. The portrayal of Beuller's rebellious teen nature against his sister is eventually openly discussed between her and a drug dealer at the police station. Agendas change for many characters throughout the movie, but not as much as for Cameron. The pinnacle of his character development being his reaction to the Ferrari getting completely destroyed.
ReplyDeleteI watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The movie was quite entertaining. I enjoyed the camera work and the consistent breaking of the fourth wall. In this movie, the student has agency over his principal and apparently the entire city of Chicago. Ferris pretends to be sick in order to avoid going to school, deploys schemes with his friend Cameron in order to bust his girlfriend out of school, and in doing so, he makes the principal chase him around the city in hopes to bust him and hold him back for another year. This movie was about the duality between Ferris and his friend Cameron. Ferris is everything you want to be, Cameron is not. Ferris is untouchable and Cameron is a neglected, anxious, depressed, sick teenager. Ferris makes it his goal to teach Cameron how to live and take in all the glory and fun. Ferris is portrayed as omniscient as he seems to manifest his ideas into reality with no sort of repercussions and breaks the fourth wall constantly. It's interesting to see how movies such as Ferris Bueller's day off compare to movies like Freedom Writers or Coach Carter. Clearly the premise, plot, and agency are very different from the movies I just listed but nonetheless one can't help but to notice the difference between how the film industry only portrays white kids in this sort of fun, fantasy-like nature. Meanwhile, people of color always have to be struggling through something. - Phong Ngo
ReplyDeleteDiamon Patterson: Moxie surprisingly touched on important issues. In the beginning of the movie, I had preconceived ideas that this will be another film to tear down the typical cliques that are already formed. Moxie is based in a suburban high school, and the students are the ones in charge. The character Lucy was the agency of action Vivian needed to actually stand up for a purpose. In addition, I noticed that this movie mentioned going to college, where as in Lean on Me there was not even a thought about college. Moxie does display the jock who is a jerk, but the girl who would be considered popular was not the center of the movie. I liked this switch up because the movie didn't really make any one person the most popular person, but centered the film around the issue of feminism. Furthermore, Moxie doesn't discuss education. It is more centered around outside events and trying to fix the hierarchy that the girls have at school. The one thing that I loved about this movie is the way how Claudia, Lucy, and the girl at the end spoke up about their race/ethnic issues they face. Most Hollywood school movies would have kept these issues oblivious. I wonder would Vivian and her friends would be considered individualists against their democracy/hierarchy (school). I say this because they challenged the normal way of how things are done to make a change. However, I feel like Vivian did this as a way to gain Lucy as a friend, and to also to have something to write about for her college admissions essay.
ReplyDeleteThe Breakfast Club is a film that everyone has heard of. And after watching the film, you'll realize that you've seen the movie a multitude of times whether you like it or not. With my personal disappointment aside, I will say that despite this movie being the head honcho of all cliché, tropey, coming of age movies, there were tokens of student agency in the film. Most notably at the end of the movie when the students leave a letter for Mr. Vernon. They state that while it is understandable as to why they were expected to receive and show up for Saturday detention, it wouldn't make sense for them to write the requested essay detailing who they are in life; because no matter what they write, they know that he already has his own perception of them. Going along with that, in the very beginning of the movie a quote by David Bowie is shown: "...and these children that you spit on, as they try to change their worlds are immune to your consultations. They're quite aware of what they're going through..."
ReplyDeleteAs stated before, this movie is well known to many as possibly one of the best films ever created. Perhaps that is why I found it to be pretty underwhelming. Or maybe it's because I simply cannot relate to any of the characters. I don't known... I'm not gonna say I hated the movie but I disliked it so much that I don't have much to say in my blog post (which is rather rare for a rambler like me lmao). It's quite possible that there are some key things I missed in the movie so hopefully with a group discussion I might be able to get better insight.
The movie I watched was Ferris Bueller's Day off, and I'll admit it's one of my all time favorite movies, so when I saw it was on the list it got me excited to see it again. The way student agency is described in this movie though the characters actions, Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane, is pure freedom. They understand that they need to go to school, that hey are expected to go to college, but they still desire freedom. In pursuit of that desire, Ferris has used up nine sick days so he can have time to do what he wants, and to pursue what he wants. one of the things that he wants, is to help his friend Cameron, whose home life is a veritable hell. one of the largest examples of student agency, is that they could sign themselves out of school if they had a vehicle, as Ferris's sister Jeanie did, and was shown by the payphones that the students could use between their classes or on their breaks. The entire movie is a grandiose challenge between student agency and dictator-like principle, and it was phenomenally done.
ReplyDeleteBreakfast Club: I really love the Breakfast Club, to the point where honestly I was able to say most of the lines with the characters. However, rewatching it in this context I’m not sure it’s one I would recommend to modern highschool classes. I found that the message wasn’t strong enough to overlook the other problematic slurs and dialogue. The most prevalent theme in this movie is antagonism. The teacher antagonizes the students; the students antagonize each other because they are antagonized by their teachers and parents. Vernon’s most iconic quote from the movie is, “Spend a little more time trying to make something of yourself, and a little less time trying to impress people.” I think this is generally the idea that the movie is trying to put forward. The students are hurting because of some aspect of their home life so they become hyper focused on their appearance and how they are perceived by their peers. It’s something they have control over and earns them respect where they think they can get it, even when it means tearing down others. They use their agency, not to stand up for themselves but to change their image to fit what people expect of them hoping that that will spare them the worst of it. The overarching message is that they are all doing the same thing for similar reasons; they just chose different social paths, so how different can they really be? However, after the famous scene of the students sitting on the floor and sharing their stories, Brain (the brain) poses the question, “What happens to us on Monday?” Meaning, will we continue to be friends because now we know about each other, or will we go back to the social norm because that’s easier. Claire (the princess) says honestly that it will go right back to the way it was. Which makes the ending of the film where they walk out in pairs, happy and friendly, so much sadder because we’ve already been told it cannot last. We may have seen in our own schools exactly why. At the end of the day this movie hints at something modern students already know. We all know our bullies are hurting too, and maybe that’s why they’re cruel to us. But that doesn’t make it hurt less, so does it matter?
ReplyDeleteI watched Ferris Buller's Day Off. Ferris Buller out of all characters had the most agency almost to a cartoonish extent. He would use it to lie and fool people with an undertone of lightheartedness and care. The whole movie is based on him skipping school, the premise being "life moves fast, if you don't stop to look around, you might miss it. Instead of making school his goal with graduation coming up, he chooses to live his best life. His friend was the complete opposite mostly because of his own thinking which was more rational but also caused him to feel trapped much of the time. Ferris's sister on the other hand would go to school but was more focused on her brother who she knew was lying his way through school. Her agency being less than Ferris's which she realizes at the end of the movie and doesn't use it against her brother after being able to catch him.
ReplyDeleteI watched Ferris Bueller’s Day Off for the very first time for this assignment. I have always heard that people absolutely love this movie and I am glad I was finally able to watch it. The student agency was depicted exactly like a comedy from 1986 would be. Laid back students, an uptight principle and a student body who genuinely cares for one of the most popular students in school. One of the core beliefs that most students have about Ferris is something that he proves over and over again, he can get away with almost anything. Part of the reason this movie has such popularity even after 30 some years is Ferris’ quick thinking and adaptability. Although everyone in his life reaps the consequences for his actions. His sister is in trouble, his best friend totals his father’s car, and the entire student and teacher body spends time worrying about him even though he was completely fine. It was extremely funny seeing that they sent Ferrisa nurse dancer, wrote on the area's water container, and sent him flowers.
ReplyDeleteWill Finnegan:
ReplyDeleteBreakfast Club was a great and classic example of a film that shows student agency and rebellion. Bender, the most rebellious student, used his personality to talk back to the principal, causing the four other kids to join in. The principal eventually gave up. They smoked weed, danced, joked around, argued, and eventually had some really deep conversations about their personalities. I was really intrigued by the conversation they had about whether or not they’d be friends the following monday. The discussion led to them finding out a lot about each other and they actually did end up being friends.
Will Finnegan:
ReplyDeleteBreakfast Club was a great and classic example of a film that shows student agency and rebellion. Bender, the most rebellious student, used his personality to talk back to the principal, causing the four other kids to join in. The principal eventually gave up. They smoked weed, danced, joked around, argued, and eventually had some really deep conversations about their personalities. I was really intrigued by the conversation they had about whether or not they’d be friends the following monday. The discussion led to them finding out a lot about each other and they actually did end up being friends.
In the beginning breakfast club the students agency was directed towards
ReplyDeletestaying out of trouble (with the exception of bender) However, as the plot progresses the students begin to show agency towards the understanding of each other and of themselves. This movie does a good job highlighting the importance of the social aspect of school. While i think some of the clichés and controversial takes do take away from the message of the movie, I still found it very entertaining.
Luke headley
DeleteMary Davis: The Breakfast Club is a beloved and iconic movie by all, but how accurate is it really? You see the five different stereotypical students all gathered around at the school for Saturday detention, all there for different reasons. The Breakfast Club is a great heart warming movie but there are some plot holes and unexplained scenes. Don’t get me wrong, The Breakfast Club is a wonderful movie, but how accurate is it really? Five high school students sitting in the library for 8 hours basically unsupervised and they roam around the school aimlessly. In the beginning of the film, John Bender criticizes everyone's lives, then when the teacher comes in everyone stands up for him.
ReplyDeleteI watched Clueless and I loved it, its a very iconic film. I think the students had a big agency in this movie because the students had a lot of power over the teachers and students were able to manipulate the teachers easily. A big example of this was when Cher set up two teachers so that they could be happier and cause the students to get higher grades. Theres also a lot of different stereotypes with the students and having a lot of cliques and students being put into groups based on popularity. Cher, the main character, was a rich, popular girl, kind of shallow and known to be selfish even though she didn't believe she was. I saw a lot of character development in her throughout the movie.
ReplyDeleteThis was my first time watching The Breakfast Club and I really enjoyed it! Some of the scenes/terms they used are obviously not acceptable now, but I tried to keep in mind the time it was made.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of student agency, I think each character expressed it differently. From the beginning, Bender proves to be the rebellious character who isn’t afraid to speak his truth to the administrator. He shows his own version of student agency by exerting power to the teacher and calling out the other students based on what stereotypes he perceives about them. As the movie goes on, I think each character depicts a sense of student agency on their own terms.
To me, the scene when they all sit together and talk could be a representation of them taking action and power over their struggles. They discussed why they were in detention, struggles with their parents, and different topics like social groups and stereotypes they all fell under. This scene also shows a sense of community because even though a big part of the movie is showing all their differences, by the end they have all found a way of relating to each other and a mutual understanding for everyone. It is interesting to think about how if they had not ended up in detention together on this Saturday, there is a good chance none of them would have ever met each other because of their different social groups at school. Although each of them was perceived very differently on the outside, at the end of the day they were all high school kids with similar struggles who had more in common than they initially thought.
Abbe Casey
I watched Clueless for the first time ever. I wasn’t overly fascinated, but I get to a certain extent why it’s considered an iconic movie. We get cool outfits, hardly witty dialogue, young Paul Rudd, and of course, Cher’s “as if!” line.” As for the themes from our class, student agency supersedes just about everything. The students may as well run the school, and the school exists as a way to elevate social status among peers. It’s about them relating to one another, rather than anything else. Grades are just that, grades, but they must always be the best (no matter how inaccurate). Now, if I had to critique through the lens we have of Bulman and our disagreements, class is certainly one of the major ways of looking at it. Removing race altogether is easy because of Cher’s wealth. The misfortunes in this film are in an entirely different world. We see kids of color, but we don’t see this in general. Kids of color don’t get their quirky films with the iconic one liners. We don’t really see films where they are free from tragedy.
ReplyDeleteI have always been suggested to watch Ferris Bueller's day off, and now that I have, I can see why so many people have suggested it. This story follows a popular, laidback high school senior names Ferris who chooses to skip a day of school to hang out around the city with his best friend, Cameron, and girlfriend, Sloane. His day hit a few bumps but ultimately everything ends up working in his favor, like successfully getting into a fancy restaurant and making it home in time before his parents noticed. The way student agency was kind of depicted for me is Ferris's desire to live in the moment. He spends the whole day doing whatever came to his mind with no hesitation, and as a result, with no real consequences for him. His friends and family on the other hand faced a number of consequences for his actions. His sister goes to jail and the principle gets injured and loses his car trying to bust Ferris for skipping, and Cameron completely wrecks his father's car trying to take miles of off it from Ferris carelessly giving it to two men who ended up taking it for a joy ride. Overall, this film was very enjoyable to walk with the some usually stereotype of a young, white teen and his friends getting to have an amazing day without any serious consequences, but compared to the past movies I have watch, it is a bit different. They are different in the sense that in the past movies, the teachers were engaged in their students' lives and helped make them better, but in Ferris Bueller the teachers are perceived as boring and having no role in the students' lives. -Annalise Siridavong
ReplyDeleteIn "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" the student and teacher dynamic was comical but also showed emphasis of how much authority school has on your personal life. Ferris Bueller decided to fake sick and skip school because he felt like he needed a break, which is understandable. He gathered his friends and they all skipped school together. Throughout the movie they are being traced down by the principal whose main mission was to get them back in school. He went to lengths of sneaking around his home to see if he was there. Although it was dramatized, it was evident that learning was more important than his reason of abscense.
ReplyDeleteNyah Burnett
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