2008 Woodie Awards
How Movies Can Teach Us About Life
Michael Pettinari '09
Issue date: 10/2/08 Section: Commentary
Movies have a special quality about them. There are elements in a good movie that make you feel that you are a part of that story. An emotional connection with his audience is any artist's main goal. This is why I am a film minor. It also happens that I suck at math, science, business, theology, philosophy, and any other minor that is available here at Providence College. But movies provide us with not only entertainment, but also life lessons. It is possible to sit down and watch a movie and learn more about life than you will in any formal lesson.
I'm sure you're saying to yourself, "Whoa, Mike, let's relax here a little bit. Certainly a college degree is worth more than a geekish knowledge of the Lord of the Rings trilogy." Nay, I say to you. Sure, college provides you with a solid background of all of life's skills: From how to conduct yourself at business meetings and job interviews all the way to how to conduct yourself in a small bar with fellow party goers. But what we learn in movies is something completely different from a college education. We learn practical things from movies; things that can be useful in everyday life.
I mean, what would you do if your house was getting foreclosed upon by the evil bank because your dad, a humble curator of the local history museum, couldn't make ends meet? Would you go to the police? No, because that would make too much sense. So what would you do? That's right. You'd befriend a severely deformed, but severely loveable man and go on a search for buried treasure in the caves and caverns under your city. All while trying to outrun a family of criminals led by their dad. Or was it their mom? And when you find that old pirate ship, you can take all the diamonds and rubies you can fit inside your chubby friend's pockets.
And what would happen if you were losing a sporting event, say hockey? Sure, in high school they teach you to be a good sport and shake your opponent's hand. But no, that wouldn't happen in real life. In real life, you would skate in the formation of a flock of birds and launch that puck into the back of the net. Glove side though, don't be fancy and go stick side.
I'm sure you're saying to yourself, "Whoa, Mike, let's relax here a little bit. Certainly a college degree is worth more than a geekish knowledge of the Lord of the Rings trilogy." Nay, I say to you. Sure, college provides you with a solid background of all of life's skills: From how to conduct yourself at business meetings and job interviews all the way to how to conduct yourself in a small bar with fellow party goers. But what we learn in movies is something completely different from a college education. We learn practical things from movies; things that can be useful in everyday life.
I mean, what would you do if your house was getting foreclosed upon by the evil bank because your dad, a humble curator of the local history museum, couldn't make ends meet? Would you go to the police? No, because that would make too much sense. So what would you do? That's right. You'd befriend a severely deformed, but severely loveable man and go on a search for buried treasure in the caves and caverns under your city. All while trying to outrun a family of criminals led by their dad. Or was it their mom? And when you find that old pirate ship, you can take all the diamonds and rubies you can fit inside your chubby friend's pockets.
And what would happen if you were losing a sporting event, say hockey? Sure, in high school they teach you to be a good sport and shake your opponent's hand. But no, that wouldn't happen in real life. In real life, you would skate in the formation of a flock of birds and launch that puck into the back of the net. Glove side though, don't be fancy and go stick side.
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