For my film genre class this semester, I have elected to write a paper on developmental disability films.
As excellent as the best examples of these films are, they never fail to make me sob like my pet just died. I plan to compare a list of to-be-determined characteristics and tropes used in the following films:
To do this, I will have to watch the films at least once. Probably twice, considering I ordered the special editions, which all feature commentary by various parties involved in the making of the films. I thought perhaps I could listen to the commentary and not watch the films. But the commentary likely references the specific scenes, and would be rendered useless by removal of such a referent. So two viewings of each film are necessary.
Ergo, I think I should throw a viewing party. Any number of my acquaintances would happily watch tear-jerking (melo)dramas with me, I presume. I could use it as research, to study the effect on such variables as:
- Tear production
- Laughter
- Popcorn consumption
- Level of physically manifested discomfort, including:
- Shifting positions
- Shielding eyes
- The fetal position
- Requests for alcohol
- Fleeing
I could also discuss the tropes and characteristics I plan to investigate with my test group. I mean, my friends. We could have a regaling discussion about disability, stereotyping, and Rain Man's capacity for one-liners repeated for decades.
Paper would write itself, and I would generally humiliate myself in front of people.
Fun fact: The cover of the special edition DVD of Rain Man features a terribly photoshopped picture of Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman walking down a highway. In this photograph, they each appear to be at least 20 feet tall. I just tried to find this picture on the internet. It does not exist outside the anomaly of my DVD. It is quite literally this picture on a highway backdrop, and it only serves to perplex me.
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