Posted on 08/20/2008 1:52:36 PM PDT by baba123
Our son is an 8th grade student at a Charter School. He came home with a list of movies they would be watching in class. As we have not seen any of these movies we would like opinions as to how appropriate and accurate these movies are. We do not let our kids watch R rated movies but would like to know if they are historically accurate. The movies are The Patriot, We Were Soldiers, Glory, Uprising and Saving Private Ryan. We value your opinions. Thank you
But my uncles and other WWII vets we knew said they still appreciated the movie very much.
. The war in the south was pretty brutal, and more of a civil war, which I think the Patriot portrays pretty well.
The one scene I objected to was where the British burned the church full of people - that was based on a true incident where a barn full of horses was burned alive by Tarleton. There was no need to exaggerate imo.There were atrocities aplenty.
The movie might interest your son enough to read up on the Revolutionary War in the south - I know my 8th grade son and I really enjoyed reading about Francis Marion, Nathaniel Greene, and especially Daniel Morgan, the teamster turned general, who won the Battle of Cowpens, the battle depicted in The Patriot.
Read the book, "A Devil of a Whipping" describing his exploits and your son will come away with a stirring pride for what our American soldiers pulled off.
So let them watch movies...Oh yeah! That will help them learn to read...Sheesh.
That's why all of our utility bills, voting literature, phone books, and all government garbage is printed in Spanish.
Ya see, this really helps them learn English..
Speaking of movies...I have that Charlton Heston in the ape movie feeling again...
It's a mad house!
I too have seen all but Uprising. They are good movies for learning about the sacrifices of war. They are not very good at learning about the broader historical themes associated with the Revolutionary War, WWII, or Vietnam.
In the day when every minute of anything possibly historical is being put on video, it's hard to get a kid to "picture" anything in their mind. Particularly when they haven't been taught reading the first seven years of their education.
You have to work with what you are given, and modern day highschool history teachers are being given illiterate kids with no grasp of anything that happened before 2000.
How do you tell a kid who doesn't know that Bill Clinton was President to sit down and read The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich?
“We Were Soldiers is a fine movie but too much realism for a 8th grade class.”
Disagree. These kids are only four years away from joining the military. We coddle our children too damn much as it is, might as well give them some reality to think about instead of sex-ed, diversity training, or basket weaving.
I think more schools should offer hunting classes.
“The Patriot” while exaggerated and glorified, was, still, a very patriotic movie that revived interest in the Revolutionary War.
“Saving Private Ryan” was a great movie! Not only realistic and convincing, but, also, a real window into the honor and sacrifices of American soldiers in WWII.
Because there is no legitimate answer for teaching history, by showing the kids commercially produced movies designed strictly for entertainment and profit.
If you want a true story from WWII, Band of Brothers is an excellent choice. It’s long, but outstanding. Has cursing, violence, etc.
As for the others, great entertainment, but way too many liberties taken for accurate portrayal of history.
Regards,
SZ
As for being historically accurate, I'm not really sure if any movie coming out of Hollywood is historically accurate. These movies all contain a message though and it's the right message for Americans. Since most "history" being taught in our "schools" no longer covers the events portrayed in these movies, anything is better than nothing.
If your going to force kids to watch a video, make sure it's a historical documentary. Not a commercially made movie strictly produced for entertainment and profit.
I am out of this thread....lol
I’ve seen The Patriot, We Were Soldiers, Glory, and Saving Private Ryan. All are pretty good and more history than Hollywood. I’d recommend them.
I haven’t seen Uprising and can’t comment on it.
The Story is entirely fiction, but the costumes, and weapons, and their use is dead on. The person adviser in charge of it is a member of the Simon Gurty (Sp?) reenactment group. He spent hours with Mel teaching the proper way to wear and use the equipment.
I think it is okay to show some movies in class. “Glory” is the only one of those you listed I would recommend. I saw 1776, the musical, and despite its silliness, it did manage to teach the students a bit about the American Revolution. If the children were High School students I would show Patton and The Outlaw Josey Wales in addition to 1776 and Glory. All very good movies in which students will learn something of the history, get a feel for it, without actually realizing they are learning.
Great movie.
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