To the Graduating Class of 2020…
It is that time of year again, graduation season is upon us, but we cannot help but notice the changes and somberness that the pandemic has had upon the usual pomp and circumstance associated with this major life milestone. Whether graduating from high school, college, or sort of advanced and/or professional degree, we cannot imagine what this year’s graduates are going through, and how they are coping with the next steps in their lives while being socially distanced from their friends, family, and academic institutions. Graduations are such a strange combination of celebration, of recognizing accomplishments, and the start of a new chapter in your life, but also about letting go of the past, saying good-bye, and moving onward. This period of change can be hard, but in some ways, you can never honestly say good-bye. You take with you the memories, knowledge, and experiences (or lack thereof) that you built during your time there, and use them as a solid foundation for the rest of your life.
In looking back at our own time in school, whether college or grad school, we cannot help but think about all of the films that we did not see in school, but which have greatly influenced our perspectives on all things cinema and modern media. If you are a graduating film student, and uncertain what to do right now, we suggest that you just keep watching movies. Use these uncertain times to discover something new, to discover a ‘new’ film that inspires you, and to discover that next great flick that may just change your perspective on life. One of the reasons we love film so much is the power that it has to convey human emotion, to capture dramatic moments, and to confront us with everything from our greatest fears to our wildest dreams. Collected below are our suggestions of those films that are overlooked in film school, but really shouldn’t be… Consider this your invitation to join our unofficial ‘film school.’ Be sure to check back often, as we plan to periodically add to this list. Congrats Class of 2020, and welcome to the club!
Design for Living (1933, dir. Ernest Lubitsch)
This pre-Code comedy film has it all. Design for Living is a witty adaptation of a Noël Coward play, but director Ernest Lubitsch brings his own flair for comedy and a touch of classic Hollywood glamour to a rather risqué subject matter: a ménage-à-trois. The concepts and innuendo in this film are decidedly ahead of its time, and it is delightful to watch a young Gary Cooper in a comedy role (as opposed to the seriousness of his Western hero persona) opposite Fredric March and Miriam Hopkins. For me, this film is a must-see for any comedy (particularly screwball comedy) fan.
Hold That Ghost (1941, dir. Arthur Lubin)
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are one of the greatest comedy duos, but their films are often overlooked or dismissed as being formulaic, and have been relegated to B-movie status. Hold That Ghost stands out among all of their films for its delightful gags (the moving candlestick scene always makes me laugh) that seamlessly blends the duo's vaudevillian comedy style with a coherent plot. Perhaps it is the combination of the black-and-white photography, the musical numbers by The Andrews Sisters, and the genre-blending of horror/gangster/comedy that draws me back time after time, but ultimately Hold That Ghost is a comedic masterpiece.
Train to Busan (2016, dir. Yeon Sang-ho)
I have never been so drawn in and captivated by a zombie action flick in my life. There is something so mesmerizing and surprisingly poignant about Train to Busan. It is a fast-paced horror film that is full of unexpectedly human moments. I won’t spoil the plot for you, but if you haven’t seen the film yet, just be prepared for one emotional moment after another. The ending is haunting and will become an iconic scene in horror cinema.
-Sarah
The Secret Garden (1993, dir. Agnieszka Holland)
There seems to be a stigma against movies created for younger audiences when it comes to film studies. Film courses seem to overlook them when it comes to acknowledging the most noteworthy films in the industry's history. I would make room in my syllabus for films like The Secret Garden. The movie is a masterclass in atmosphere and pacing, bringing a level of cinematic sophistication that is rare for most films, let alone an adaptation of a children's book.
Frances Ha (2012, dir. Noah Baumbach)
I would hope that, following this past Oscar season, with the growing awareness of both Baumbach and co-writer/star Greta Gerwig (both Baumbach's Marriage Story and Gerwig's Little Women being 2019 Best Picture nominees), they will begin to achieve that coveted "auteur" status. Moreover, films like Frances Ha should start to make appearances on syllabi. Not only is this a shrewd, funny film for an aspiring screenwriter to study, but it's also the perfect movie for performance studies. As the lead character, Frances, Gerwig creates one of the most unique and nuanced performances that has ever graced that screen.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016, dir. Taika Waititi)
Hunt for the Wilderpeople was released a month before we graduated from B.U., so there was never an opportunity to see this film as part of a class. However, based on the many film classes I took throughout undergraduate and graduate school, a vast majority of instructors are hesitant to include anything made in the current millennium on a course syllabus. Hence, most of my picks are on the more recent side of history.
I think that Taika Waititi has, in some way, absorbed the spirit of Charlie Chaplin. Like Chaplin, Waititi's films contain a masterful blend of hilarious comedy and genuine pathos. Waititi's sense of humor, while more verbal than visual, has a similar sense of innocence to that of Chaplin's little tramp films, with his movies both mocking and treasuring that innocence simultaneously. I would probably suggest back-to-back screenings of Chaplin's The Kid (1921) with Hunt for the Wilderpeople, as an illustration of Chaplin’s influence on today’s comedy, and how the films speak to each other across time. An alternate Chaplin/Waititi double feature could be 1940's The Great Dictator and 2019's Jojo Rabbit. Oh, boy. I'm just designing a class now, aren't I?
-Bailey
What do you think of our film selections? How many of these films have you seen? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and be sure to watch Saving Grace (2000) our May film club pick of the month! Happy Viewing!
Copyright © 2020 Sarah Crane & Bailey Lizotte
