5 Films Summary And A Question About Them

2. If I Stay (2014): Assuming that Mia is justified in either staying (living) or letting go (dying), is Adam justified in asking her to stay, or is this selfish? Consider if the grandfather is justified in telling her that it’s okay to let go.

3. Inception (2010): What the story comes down to is a group of criminals invading people’s minds and stealing/leaving information that doesn’t belong to them. In what way could this possibly be acceptable?

4. Intersteller (2014): Do we have the right to colonize space just because earth dies? Why or why not?

5. Into the Woods (2014): What idea do the woods represent?

6. Jurassic Park (Series): Disregarding the profit, why would anyone bring back to life creatures that could very easily kill them and a large portion of the human race? Ignoring money, why would you resurrect dinosaurs? Consider that we have nowhere to put them because of how overpopulated the planet is.

7. Les Miserables (2012): Marius disobeys his father to join the revolutionaries and protect the lower class even though he is an upper class boy. Why do you think he did this? Was it just because he believed it was right, or was there another reason?

8. Life of Pi (2012): At the end of the film, Pi lied to the insurance agents to make them believe him about his tale. If the lie had been the truth, would Pi’s actions have been justified?

9. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975): This is actually a film inside of a film. What purpose does this have to the goal of storytelling? Why did the filmmakers choose this device?

10. Monty Python’s the Meaning of Life (1983): Though generally silly, this film does touch on the sensitive matter of contraception. Disregarding religion, why would contraception be bad? Why would you tell someone that they cannot prevent pregnancies?

11. Noah (2014): Was Noah a good guy or a bad guy? Justify your answer.

12. Pay It Forward (1991): Do you think that the idea of Paying it Forward is realistic? Would it really make the world a better place?

13. Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012): Are Sam and Patrick good or bad influences on Charlie? Consider his mental state in the conclusion of the film versus at the start of the film in your answer.

14. Princess Mononoke (1999): San fights to protect the forest, but she kills and behaves savagely in the process. Is this excusable considering her greater cause, or are such actions impermissible either way?

15. Sense and Sensibility (1995): Colonel Brandon knew what kind of man Willoughby was from the beginning, yet he did nothing as Marianne fell in love with him and was heartbroken. Was this cruel and impermissible, or sensible and permissible? Why do you think he withheld this information?

16. Sweeny Todd (2007): Focus on the fact that the baker was forcing other people to be cannibals. Are those people in any way guilty of cannibalism? Does the deception absolve them of the wrongness of cannibalism?

17. Tales from Eathsea (2006): Do you think that Arren’s actions in the film are enough to repent for killing his father, as he so regrets?

18. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008): Can children be authentic or inauthentic? Or does a person have to be older (a teen or adult) to be authentic or inauthentic?

19. The Finest Hours (2016): Would you fault Bernie if he hadn’t gone out to save that tanker? Would it make him seem like a lesser person or more cowardly?

20. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006): The time travel device was used originally to save a painting from being destroyed, but there were surely bigger things that it could have been used for. Why would Chiaki save a painting but not stop Hitler or the Black Death from occurring? How can his actions be justified?

21. The Little Prince (2015): In the background of this story is the stress of an ambitious mother pushing her daughter to grow up and be a good adult instead of being an imaginative child. In Chinese culture, these are called Dragon Mothers. Consider both that Dragon Mothers are harsh and that they only want their children to succeed. Is there anything wrong with childhood fun? Should we push our children to be more successful, perhaps not to the degree that Dragon Mothers do, but more than we do now?

22. The Phantom of the Opera (2004): Madam Giry spends years protecting the Phantom because he is a genius of the arts. Does his genius in any way excuse his behavior? Should such geniuses be given legal leniency?

23. The Pursuit of Happiness (2006): What would you do if you were in Chris’ shoes?

24. The Three Musketeers (2011): D’Artagnan chooses one woman’s life over all of France. This is charming and gallant of him, but it puts millions of lives at risk. Was it wrong of him to do this?

25. The Time Machine (2002): Alexander dedicates his life and brilliance to saving the love of his life by building a time machine. Is this foolishness? Should he have used his intelligence for a more noble and universally applicable goal like ending world hunger or other altruistic goals? Or does he have the right to do as he pleases?

26. The Vow (2012): Is Paige the same person before and after her accident, or are the Paige from before and the Paige from after to be regarded as different people completely?

27. The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009): Clare spends her life waiting on Henry in one way or another, and Henry advises her at the end of the film to stop waiting on him. However, is he allowed to ask this of her? Is it her right to wait on him, or does he have some say in her waiting because it is he whom she waits on?

28. Tuck Everlasting (2002): The Tucks accidentally came across the spring and it turned them into immortals who couldn’t die. If someone had found out about them, do you think they would have been demonized or revered for their abilities?

29. V for Vendetta (2005): Though he seeks freedom and goodness, V is a terrorist. Are his actions justified?

30. WALL-E (2008): Though lighthearted, this is a political film about waste management. What duties do you think humans have to waste management, recycling, and green energy?

31. War Games (1983): Can hacking ever be justified?

32. Whisper of the Heart (1995): It is common for artists to put their art before their education. Do you think there is anything wrong with this, or should they finish their education before focusing on their art?

33. Zootopia (2016): Is acting in favor of the masses at the expense of the minorities ever justifiable?