Editorial: More than entertainment

Movies can be seen in a variety of ways - as something to do on a Friday night, as a way to relax, or as just a fun time. Do we ever view them as anything more?

The term "movie" has negative connotations that uses of similar terms like motion picture or film help to erase. Inviting a friend to watch a movie is different than inviting a friend to watch a film. The term "film" has prestige attached to it that makes it sound more important than a "simple movie." Movies do not win awards: films can win a Golden Globe or an International Film Festival award. Maybe any motion picture that is released should be categorized as either a film or a movie.

While some "movies" really are action packed, funny, or just dumb, regardless of the purpose, the messages of such movies are generally meant simply to entertain. This is not a horrible thing. In a busy American society where entertainment is often a luxury that comes in passing but let us not confuse movies with films.

Films serve to get across specific messages that are often powerful, inspiring or awareness-raising thus functioning as a catalyst for discussion, thought and praxis. Messages in films, like with many novels, can be either subtle or direct with the end result hopefully being the creation of thought in the viewer. So why do people often cringe when phrases like "oh, I just saw that same thing on this DVD" or "a movie talked about the same thing?"

Is it the use of the word "movie" or the use of a movie/film being used to facilitate learning?

EMU has a campus movie each weekend that most of the time is meant purely for entertainment, "The Legend of Zorro," "Elizabethtown," "King Kong," while others have a more specific purpose. This weekend the movie is "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," which is a comedy that follows one woman as she grows as a result of life's struggles, but it is the timeliness alone that makes this film meaningful. By opening this weekend, the first week of February a.k.a. Black History Month, "Diary" serves to highlight the importance of this month.

Bringing particular issues into the limelight are also things films can do; for example "Crash" highlights the sensitive issues of racism and prejudice. Movies like "Cinderella Man" or "The Rookie," though not instructional, are based on true stories that make the message of overcoming the odds more powerful and inspirational. Finding inspiration can often be very difficult which is why a movie deserve credit for being able to lift spirits.

When the term "documentary" is used, the general assumption is that the focus of the movie will be over one subject, which viewers will then proceed to learn. Documentaries, like with any motion picture, also entertain thereby making the difference simply that some form of learning over a particular subject will be attained.

Ultimately, whether it is called a motion picture, a film, documentary the outcome is always the same; people will get whatever they want out of a movie. Gender, race, mood, or age are all factors in determining how one viewer will react to a "movie" but the point is simply to keep an open mind. I encourage everyone to watch a variety of flicks and instead of trying to pass judgment try to find praise. It is true that some movies just flat out stink and that does happen but do not judge a movie based the failure of another. Now stop reading and start watching.