Films that make a difference
We’ve been reading through all of your suggestions for good Topical Talk discussions and this one by shy_clarinet really caught our attention! They asked:
If Black Panther managed to influence people’s opinions on diversity and representation, then I wonder what other times films have influenced people?
We liked the simplicity of this question and would love to hear what you think. Well done, shy_clarinet – you’ve earned 5 stars!
Back to you to respond:
- What other films have influenced people? For example, played an important role in changing public opinions about something, raised awareness about something, or made people behave differently?
- How influential are films in today’s society? Why?
- Has a film ever made you think differently about an issue in the news? Why?
We look forward to reading your thoughts!
Comments (65)
Films can have an impact far greater than first imagined. They can influence culture, politics, laws, and more importantly, they can change the course of history. Art can touch people and make them open up. A good example is when people copy fashion trends from movie stars and musicians. It is also common these days to find societies using figures of speech that are inspired by the film industry.
A girl once sent a letter to the owner of Disney. She asked him why none of the Disney princesses wear glasses? 4 years later she got a letter back from the man from Disney and he told her he was going to bring out a new movie called Encanto and that the main character Mirabell wears glasses!
I had to atched the movie Encanto with Mirabell wearing glasses and was not aware of the fact that it was all in response to a mail from a girl .Thank you philosophical_panther for the share .But does it really depict diversity in real sense ? Mirabell in the movie is projected as someone who actually was not gifted with special powers initially but later does the family realise that she herself is the gift to the family .Does the movie not talk about gender equality and self belief ? Does Mirabell wearing glasses here in the movie make any sense ? What do you think ?
I think that this is good philosophical_panther—some more information. Three years ago Lowri wrote Disney asking for a heroine with glasses. She said it would make children less worried about what other people think like I was. The little girl's letter reached the right person and Jared Bush, the director of Encanto, mentioned her letter on Twitter and added Mirabell from Encanto who now wears glasses thanks to Lowri.
A film or cartoon that5 makes a difference to me is the princess and the frog, why you might ask, well because it inspires all black girls everywhere the princess and the frog is the only Disney movie where the princess is black. On TikTok this was a whole trend there were many videos of children saying she looks like me and other statements.
Yes, films do influence people and their life's greatly. Though there are movies that arecomertial in nature which are made to provide entertainment , there are movies that bring in aspect of some social issues , different people and their difficulty , challenges etc.
One movie that impacted me was in our regional language ( Tamil ) titled " Chennail oru naal" means a day in Chennai.
It shows how different people with different intentions happen to get involved because of a road accident which has different impact on each of them . A film actor , a doctor , a journalist , job seeker , a business man all getinto a road accident which change their lives .The underlying message was to promote organ donation and challenges involved .The movie created a great impact in me that a small incident can have diverse impact on people based on the sittuation in which they are . The emotional part and sittuation handiling and need for desition making was also brought out well through this thriller movie . This had a very great impact on me
I agree because one movie that also influenced me is the woman king it is a great movie, and it has inspired a lot of people especially women, it is about a group of female that protected the African kingdom joyfully with skills and fierceness which is unlike anything the world have ever seen.This film is encouraging women that what a man can do a woman can do better.
I disagree because... When we say diversity, we should also mean how a movie affects each person, race, ethnic group and so on diversely, don't you think.
I think so greatly because it also remembered me on a particular named "Rise" ''it representy diversity on race, it was about a couple thet always hed it hard they left from place to place in search of a place to go they went to Greece where she gave birth to her four son there the two of her sons who loved basketball the first one loved it and had passion for it but can't play it well while the second born loved it but didn't have passion but was very good at it, so the two brothers went to try out for it they were discriminated for there colour and they couldn't afford to go to school and buy shouea for the both of them so ther shared and they strived hard to earn there praise , so the second born was so good at it but the second born was no so he had to be practicing fo it day in and day out until he became better then his brother so the was able to get sponsorship and he was able to help his family greatly '' so what i understood from it was never to give up on your dream because hard work pays .
A film that made a difference to me is the woman king, it was very inspirational, and it was about the. The Woman King is a 2022 American historical epic film about the Agojie, the all-female warrior unit that protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey during the 17th to 19th centuries. It inspired me because not only did it have diversity, but it showed that women could be independent. It was a fierce battle about how the West Africans fought off the colonists, so yes it makes a difference to Nigerians.
The movie, the princess and the frog is well known for the fact that princess Tiana is the only black princess that was ever featured in a Disney movie, so yes, it is inspirational, for the fact that after years of production princess Tiana still gives hope to black girls everywhere it is a cartoon that makes a difference.
When we talk about diversity, we do not just mean in skin color, if you ask me, it also has to do with diversity in culture, the movie Moana has diversity in culture. For example, every chief in the village placed a rock on the top of the mountain, I feel like that signifies some type of cultural tradition. In the past I felt like Disney had an issue with portraying culture and diversity but movies like Moana and the Princess and the frog has diversity, when I hear about diversity, I do not Only think about color I also think about role so as Disney has had an issue with portraying women in diverse roles, Moana has broken that bias with the fact that she did not need any man to help her through her journey of finding herself.
The woman king is another wonderful movie that has exhibited women power and that women are not just born with a purpose of getting married, giving birth to children and cooking for the family, there is a lot more that comes with women been born into this world, and it encourages us to fight for our right as girls or women, and am sure it has sent a message to our community at large.
And also films can be used to reach a wide audience, to inform and inspire change through engaging audiences and reflecting society. Most social films can unite people in a common sense of humanity and shared responsibility, which gives it added power to help foster positive change.
Films have made me think think differently about an issue on news cause most times when I watch movies of a lot of people who survived a big problem, or thought about a solution it encourages me and also gives me hope that all hope is not gone yet, and change can still happen.
Akeelah and the Bee that stars Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne and Keke Palmer, who plays protagonist Akeelah Anderson, an African American girl from Los Angeles who competes in the National Spelling Bee.
After years of seeing smart white boys in movies, it’s wonderfully refreshing to see a smart black girl take their place.
Films are very influential today because they help reflect culture, change culture and spur economic growth.The reason why films are very influential is because it is used to entertain, educate and explore more economic issues in the society, films help us to open our eyes to a world we know nothing about or see a different perspective of the world.
inspirational_forest, can you give an example of a film that allowed you to see a different perspective on the world and what impact that had on you?
The Greatest Showman is the movie that inspired me. It is the story of P.T Barnum and his dreams of creating a world where everything is possible. He encountered a lot of challenges but he decided not to give up and persevere till the end. Another interesting character was Lettie Lutz, she may have had an abnormality but she had a passion. Though she was discriminated by her folks, she sang for the world.
I learnt from the movie to never give up and believe in myself, despite what life throws at me.
I would not say that the films in the society today do not make a difference but not all movies make positive difference. As of now there are just few movies that influence people. Films are ,made not just to entertain people but to encourage them to take action for example your favorite character in the movie was facing a lot of problems at the end he or she handles it in an unexpected way, you also will be influence to solve all your problems in shocking ways. Films can also influence people to take of our environment an example is " A DAY AFTER TOMMORROW." this movie is based on the theory of abrupt climate change. The plot of the movie is that, as a result of global warming, ocean currents that circulate water around the world shut down, heating up the tropics and cooling the North Atlantic.
Akeelah and the Bee that stars Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne and Keke Palmer, who plays protagonist Akeelah Anderson, an African American girl from Los Angeles who competes in the National Spelling Bee.
After years of seeing smart white boys in movies, it’s wonderfully refreshing to see a smart black girl take their place.
A show that represents diversity, is the movie Coco it represents diversity in tradition, and it teaches us a little about Mexican culture, the difference with this movie is that it portrayed real life culture, Coco helps us to understand that there isn't need for a centralization of culture it helps us to realize that every culture can be represented in a movie, and it can help us to be influential.
Yes of course. Films influence Society and Society influence Films too.
Let's talk about both of them.
Films have positive impact and negative impact over audience and indirectly affects society. It depends on what audience choose to take in. From my experience, I grew up watching Rajinikanth sir films and I am fan of him deep inside. His films have thought me many moral things. Best one was “Without effort you can't get anything, if you get anything without effort it's not going to stay with you”. I am following that all over my life and I'm never running over easy money. I and many depicts a social message through every film and almost all films are blockbusters. Just people loved his message in great way.
Yes, films do influence people in different ways both the good aspect and bad also. Disney is one of my favourite films producing company because in all the films they produce, it comes with a captivating moral lesson that will open our minds to various thoughts and imagination of life. What really makes a film influenceable in people's life is how motivating it is, and how its captures your interests in it and turn it to uncountable imaginations. It is your choice either to be influenced positively or negatively by the films you watch, no matter how boring or interesting a film is, there is always a moral lesson behind the film to learn.
Thanks for this response blithesome_imagination. Can you think of some films that don't have a moral lesson or where the main characters don't have good morals?
Thanks for the reply, Helen. Honestly, I can't possibly imagine any film that doesn't have a moral lesson to tell the audience, the moral lesson must not be told at the end of the film, it can be told at the beginning even at the middle of the film also, one way or the other the film must have its theme behind, even though the lesson behind it is positive or negative but at the end of the day something must be learnt. Some people fail to understand that the protagonist of a film is the main character not supposedly meant to be the good guy, the main character in a film must not have good morals especially if he or she is playing the role of an antagonist, but at the end of it, a lesson must still emerge even though the main character didn't play a role of a protagonist, for example on a movie I watched titled,"Defendless", the main character, TD black was an evil and violent person and he does all the most brutal things you can ever imagine on earth, but in all his doing he does it for his people who were denied the right to be humans because there were black so that the black people can also be respected too and not maltreated. The moral lesson I learnt was that in all evil, there is always a good in it.
The movie, the princess and the frog shows a perfect example of diversity, the well-known Disney movie is marked in history for being the first movie in Disney that represents a black person, Disney has always been known for their representation of white female princesses, even though at first princess Tiana is represented as the bratty princess, she eventually finds her own way and represents the black culture perfectly.
When we talk about diversity, we should talk about the movie eternals, the handled diversity in every sphere of life eternals is one of the most diverse marvel movies ever, it represents every single group that is being discriminated that I could think of, the movie represents the deaf, LGBTQIA, Asian and pacific Islanders along with the black and Latin communities. There were a lot of positive reactions to the movie’s diversity. The inclusion of Makkari, the first deaf superhero in a Marvel film, is a win for diversity if you ask me, after the release of the movie, according to the news agency Independent, "There has been a 250 percent spike in searches for ‘learn sign language for beginners, I myself have grown a rather strange interest in sign language.
To be honest, I have thought about the movie the Incredibles as a diverse movie, I know sound strange, but I feel it is diverse as it is the only Disney movie that does not start off with the female character having a bad life and then she is saved by a knight in shining amour, apart from the fact taht she saves lives, she still gets to be somewhat involved in the life of her children.
Talking about the diversity in movies, we are not talking about the fact that women have only been ever portrayed as one role in most movies, the female gender is either portrayed as pretty, dumb and needs a man, or she comes from a poor background while a man comes to sweep her off her feet and give her dream life, why can't women sweep men off their feet, or save them from sudden doom, I do not know where this misconception comes from but we have to end it now.
When we speak about movies that portray diversity it does not just mean one that represents diversity it can also mean a movie that has given people a misconception about diversity and for me that movie or rather those movies in general is the well-known barbie franchise, barbie dolls for me became the beginning of the unrealistic expectations for women, where women had to be tall, skinny and blonde, the misconception of blondes in general is quite prominent blonde women are often seen as the girl that the guy wins at the end of the story or movie, like we women are some type of prize, most demining jokes are made about blonde women and how they need rich men.
Films really influence people to a great extent.Just after watching a film,I feel like I am the lead character of that film.I don't know how many others felt this way?This shows the kind of impact that films could have on people.One film that completely changed my mindset and my view was a tamil film titled,"Anbe sivam."This word "Anbe sivam" means love is god.This film portrays the journey between two characters who have contrasting belief systems and thoughts.One character is a young,arrogant man and the other is a disabled man who is an atheist and lost his legs and his beautiful face in a bus accident that was caused by a dog.Both these characters are connected to each other by destiny.Both these characters who have constant arguments and disagreements at the beginning become very close like brothers at the end.This film taught me how certain relationships in life are interconnected in the most unexpected ways.A dog which was the reason for the accident of the disabled man was taken good care of by that man after his recovery.This totally changed my perception on revenge and such things like that.There is this particular scene that I can never forget.In one scene, the young and arrogant man who donated blood to a young boy sees the boy dying right in front of his eyes and starts crying.He says"These are the times when your belief in the existence of God gets shaken."He looks at the disabled man,who is an atheist and says,"No,I am not like you.I believe in God."The disabled man replies,"I beleive in God too.That heart of yours which shed tears for a boy whom you never knew-that love there is God."This was just a scene in that movie that hit me hard and this film has several scenes such as this which has deep sense and meaning.I deeply understood that spreading love,sharing and caring is the purpose of life and adds meaning to our life.This film also teaches about little sacrifices and adjustments that one needs to make in this wide world.This film taught me so much qualities such as this which if imbibed by everyone would make this world more peaceful and pleasant.
Who among us does not like to spend his free time watching movies, but not any movie, it is a movie of great importance that affected a lot in my heart, as movies based on realistic events a lot, it is (Great Depaters) this is an appropriate choice that was for me, I benefited from it that despite The difficulties they faced, they were able to overcome them and achieve dreams, and not to feel despair about something you want to obtain, overcome the difficulties, rely on God, you can achieve your dreams and face all obstacles.
Yes, movies have a strong impact on viewers, especially young people, for example when I watched the movie The Social Network. Fulfill your dream and watch how Marco Facebook rose. And how do companies transform from a small room to conquer the world in a record period? It made me think about how Facebook can know my interests and direct videos that suit my interests. Where are we going in the next stage In light of the social media invasion of our lives. And will Facebook remain available For everyone. Why is it a free service?
There is also a movie called 3idiots
This movie taught me:
Each person is able to change the other if he wants friendship to be the most beautiful thing in the universe. Loving people and accepting them with their flaws is something that comforts us all (look at the full half, not the empty one). Becoming a teacher is okay, because the teacher is the one who produces
future youth.
The movies that changed the way I think and interact with sudden events are zombie movies.
I never thought of watching a horror movie, but once by chance I watched a zombie movie, and since that day I have been very interested in this type of movie.
How do I change my way of thinking?!
The topic is in the reaction, usually in zombie movies. The spread of the zombie virus occurs suddenly, without prior warning. People's reaction when they see a person infected with the "zombie" virus is divided into two parts:
The first section, which is most, the people who give a reaction of shock and thinking about how this happened, is it real or fiction, these people usually end up.
The second section, who are the heroes of the film, are the ones who think of solutions directly, regardless of how this happened, and also not to be afraid of death.
What I learned from this type of films is that no matter how difficult the obstacles you face in your life and their sudden appearance, look for the solution directly without thinking about the reasons, perhaps you will not find the reason easily and you will end up failing. Also, do not be afraid to experiment, because fear leads to failure faster.
Finally, one of the most beautiful zombie films that I watched is the movie Train to Busan and its second part. The most beautiful thing about the movie is the spirit of sacrifice and the courage to think in very difficult circumstances.
A small note: For myself, I do not classify zombies as horror films, because in the end they are not real!!
Rosita:
Although not well known, this small film directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne created a sensation upon its release in 1999, winning a role at the Cannes Film Festival. It tells the story of a teenage girl named Rosita, who after leaving home tries to escape from her mother. An alcoholic, she found any work she could to survive on her own and the film's depiction of the character's struggle was so realistic and poignant that it was able to inspire a new law in Belgium that prohibits employers from paying teenage workers below the minimum wage.
When I watch Dark City (1998), I am entertained and transported to its world where I question my attitude. I desperately want to wake up and escape the subjective drudgery of my life and work. I want to behold the sunshine and wonder of reality although it be in a dangerous world . Joe vs . the volcano (1990) is a completely different movies genre, but it has a similar enlightening and wakeful effect on me.
No one can deny that movies can give big impact and changes in people's behaviour so it can influence in many aspects. On my personal level one movie influenced me alot " Home Alone " this film played an important role in public opinions and especially in taking care for children it proved that children can think in high level ،children is smarter than we think when keven behaves in quick ways to protect himself. In this film people change their behaviour so they advise their children how to do in emergency situations so every family must make emergency plans even it seems that exposure is far away so children must know what to do .
And in my point of view i see this film can influenced also in society because here in this movie neighbors played a big part in Kevin's rescue so the relations between neighbors must be very nice and strong because sometimes we need our neighbors Also the film made me think that it is very important to keep first aid kit in all houses and must teach our children how to use it to try to rescue themselves initially. Really this film affects me sooo much and i consider it as a lesson in my life.
There's a turkish series called "mujeze doktor" whick means "The miracle doctor", it's about a surgeon with autism, who received unacceptance from society and all the hospital crew, but he showed up to be the best surgeon in turkey, a student who challenges his professors and beat them, a surgeon who can fix any deadly case and return lives. This series played a great role in shifting the public opinion as that the best one is not necessarily to be like all, but he may be unique and shiner. So this film highlighted "autism" proving that autistic people aren't sick, useless or failures if they receive the appropriate care they can be extraordinary.
This is a fantastic example excited_raisin. I will have to watch it! It sounds like a great show.
I agree because... I have already watched this series and that Ali is the best doctor despite his autism. This series has already shown that respect for others despite their shortcomings and their appreciation works to reveal talents that will help everyone, and also this representation was attended by men and women without discrimination. from the other, and this means not distinguishing one gender from the other, and here the series showed the importance of doctors in our lives who work day and night in order to save people's lives
Hi @free_snail you're right that Ali was probably the best doctor because of his talents. What's more, his autism was part of what made him 'Ali'. So what people might think are shortcomings or weaknesses can actually be part of what makes an individual uniquely talented!
Yes, this is true, and Ali is the closest example to that, and I believe that weaknesses are strengths for everyone, and everyone should take advantage of them
When we talk about diversity, we should talk about the movie eternals, the handled diversity in every sphere of life eternals is one of the most diverse marvel movies ever, it represents every single group that is being discriminated that I could think of, the movie represents the deaf, LGBTQIA, Asian and pacific Islanders along with the black and Latin communities. There were a lot of positive reactions to the movie’s diversity. The inclusion of Makkari, the first deaf superhero in a Marvel film, is a win for diversity if you ask me, after the release of the movie, according to the news agency Independent, "There has been a 250 percent spike in searches for ‘learn sign language for beginners, I myself have grown a rather strange interest in sign language. A movie that allowed me to really see a different perspective is this movie right here, although most movie producing companies have had problems in making diverse movies, I think that Marvel has tried to do that by releasing this movie.
When we talk about diversity, we should look at movies that were groundbreaking or movies that would be recorded in history as groundbreaking, the movie the princess and the frog would go down in history as the first Disney movie to represent a black woman or black princess, the movie gave black girls their first taste of royalty, and for once it featured a white person in a role that normally a black person is in, the valet, for the prince is white rather than black, if you ask me that is diverse. I cannot count the number of people who watch this movie and feel happy knowing that us blacks have finally had a chance.
The movie that influenced me is the movie (The Social Network). I learned from it not to give up, no matter the circumstances. You can also develop your small business into a big and wonderful business with determination, persistence, and cooperation with others. I played an important role in changing public opinions. I acted in a play in my school about bullying and the importance of staying away. About bullying others, and many students responded to this play. I am happy that I was able to change their opinion and that they moved away from bullying. The impact of films in our society is great because films talk about various ideas, and this is a good thing. For example, if we see an oppressed person in the film, and another person who does not like injustice comes and helps him. We will learn not to oppress people and also to help people regain their rights
Great work using an example from your own life to respond!
Movies have a severe and significant impact on people, especially their normal lives. There are many films designed for the purpose of entertainment and entertainment, and the other type has been designed for social and economic purposes, and there are films designed with the aim of issues that must be discussed.
One of the films that affected me and many people had a clear and prominent influence is Batman, which mainly aims to develop values and morals in children. It also spreads courage, hope and audacity in the hearts of many, and casts in the hearts and souls the feeling that there is someone who can become a hero with aspiration, will and determination as well. This movie is neither terrifying nor frightening for children, as this movie is especially for those who are advised to watch it.
The animated film Moana has made a difference because it enlightens people about the Polynesian culture how the people have love for their family, about how people can identity, acceptance, self-actualization and women empowerment. The film shows a strong female who showed the world that she can be an independent woman, with the capability of saving her people without any help from a man. She never let any setback or obstacle get in her way of discovering her true self and identity.
Films are not only a major source of entertainment but they also change our outlook and extend our horizons. One impactful film that is popular in India is “3 Idiots” (Bollywood).
In my country, there is an orthodox mentality that engineering and medicine are the only best career fields. Although this thought process is decreasing, it still exists. The film talks about the pressure from parents and the circumstances one faces when choosing a career stream. The main character of the film, Rancho, encourages his friends to follow their passion and do what ‘they’ want to and not what the society wants. The film mocks at the harsh education system and admits that most Indian students just follow the rat race because they do not have the courage to follow their dreams and go against the expectations of the “society”.
Rancho repeatedly says, “Don’t chase success, chase excellence.” The film brings a huge impact on the minds of parents, teachers and students. It tells us to keep learning and applying those concepts in real life. It tells us to do what we actually love. It tells us that life is not a race and we should always, always give time to what we are passionate about. It tells us to stay away from negative people and complainers. And lastly, it tells us to enjoy life and live like it’s ours not someone else’s.
This sounds like a really interesting movie! I will have to watch it.
My name is (khan).
This is one of the most beautif Shahrukh khan movies you can watch. Very, very touching and left an unforgettable imporession .
This is an Indian movie produced in 2010. Shah Rukh plays the character of Rizwan "Rizwan" Muslim , who suffers from autism "Asperger's Syndrom " . After the death of his mother , he moves to the United States of America to live with his brother Zakir. There he meets a Hindu girl named Mandira , Who is divrced and has a son from a previous marriage, to fall in love with her. This movie made us look at life differently and made us discover that Knowledge is away to influence and meet people's beeds.
There are no more than two types of people( apart frome all rejected categories) : a good person who does good deeds, and a malicious person who does evil.Peaca and security is a great blessing that only those who lots it know its right . Giving for the sake of serving humanity, regardless of their variety, nationalities , and beliefs , is the most important thing that earns love and speads peace in the world .
Determination and perseveranc is the fuel for success and achieving goals .
The support and assistance that is achieved within the family is a key factor in the success of the children.
A great mother produces agreat human being.
If you ask about movies I can't choose!! but,the movie series Harry Potter is the best for me.
On the one hand I love british movies and it's accent✨.
On the other hand Harry potter and his friends are very inspiring🤍.
They are so collaborators and friendly with each other.
And the most important thing is that the author of the Harry potter book<Joanne Rowling>and her successful story is also very inspiring.
I think films make a difference because it inspires people and it also gives people the courage to be in films or to be a actor.And Black Panther is like a black impowerd movie that just has drama added to keep peoples liking .
Disney's poor representation of the black culture has been very prominent, until their effort to break that bias in 2007 when they released their movie the princess and the frog, the movie featured its first black princess having a major role in the movie industry. The lack of minority representation and the usage of racial stereotypes in Disney movies negatively affects children of color. Looking at the vast vault of Disney films and Disney princesses, it is easy to notice that characters of color are painfully absent. Even when Disney incorporates characters from a variety of racial and cultural backgrounds, stereotypes of race and ethnicity persist. Even in The Princess and the Frog, Princess Tiana, the only Black Disney princess, is not fully represented. For three-quarters of the film, Tiana is a frog, symbolizing Disney’s reluctance to depict a Black princess. The only main African American character in the movie who remains human is the villain, even though they are trying in recent times we can't help but remember all these. Tiana is also the only Disney princess whose storyline revolves around her financial struggles. While Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Ariel all come from wealthy families and live in castles, Tiana works two jobs, and her mother cleans houses. It is Tiana’s dream to own a restaurant, however, she does not achieve this dream until the end of the movie when she marries a man, and he assists her in purchasing a restaurant, which still represents women as someone who needs a man. Seven out of the 11 Disney princesses are white, according to mediamilwaukee.com. These ethnic princesses do not display the same feminine and beautiful attributes as white princesses. Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Belle all wear gowns, gloves, and have neatly done hair. Disney also depicts these white princesses as well-mannered and feminine. Princesses of color, however, do not share these elegant characteristics. Mulan, an Asian princess, is a warrior, Pocahontas is depicted as “savage like,” Moana is known for her rebellion, and Jasmine wears pants. This exemplifies Disney’s depiction of white as beautiful and civilized and people of color as other. In Disney films, there is undeniable evidence of white privilege and binary color symbolism that associates white with goodness and black with evil. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs features a wicked queen dressed in black, who lives in a black castle, has black rats, and there is a dangerous black forest containing black bats and black owls. On the contrary, Snow White is surrounded by white birds. These are all facts that we need to accept to move forward in society
Disney needs to improve their portrayal of stereotypes; Disney currently produces one-third of the market for children’s films according to cnbc.com. Majority of children turn to Disney for entertainment, and even adults enjoy Disney films on some occasions. Studies have shown that it is important for children to see characters who not only look like them and their families but also sound like them. Children look up to Disney characters as inspirational figures, however, due to a lack of diversity, they are not getting the full picture, because only one prominent skin tone is represented. When a young child watches a favorite movie or television show, seeing characters who look like them has a significant impact. A study on the impact of TV exposure on elementary-aged children showed that, for young Black girls, Black boys, and white girls, watching television led to lower self-esteem. Conversely, for young white boys, watching television led to higher self-esteem. White men predominantly run Disney according to thewrap.com. This could be why the company struggles with a lack of diversity. There are very few minority representatives on boards and in executive offices at the company. It is imperative that Disney Studios and its executive producers recognize and acknowledge these serious problems and have said they would make changes in order to ensure the mental health of children of all backgrounds across the globe. Disney is socially responsible for establishing standards for how diverse characters are portrayed in films, and they must do their part to challenge past and present stereotypes. Walt Disney Studios’ story of diversity is a tale as old as time, and we all hope that the effort that they put in now will increase by 2023.
FILMS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Well,when it comes movies to that have really impacted society and influenced people and changing their opinions,my mind goes back to the movie "Alvin and the chipmunks"this movie shows how music brings happiness and also shows the beauty in pets.After watching this movie,I changed my opinion of "pets are annoying" to "pets are not that bad afterall" that I even bought a cat to keep at home.From then up to now,I have grown strong love for animals that I even enjoy taking care of them through giving them food, cleaning their shelter and so on.So you see how this movie actually changed my opinion about animals forever. Such a positive influence from a movie is good for us all because I think some animals suffer or are extinct because nobody loved and protected them.A change in opinion like that is a good torch in the darkness of this world.In my opinion movies really do alot in influencing and changing people's opinions take an example of the movie "Door to door",its was able to raise awareness in people that disability is not inability.The movie "door to door" is about Porter who was born with cerebral palsy (CP) and follows his dad’s footsteps in becoming a winning salesman.Porters sales ideas ignite changes in the hearts of his clients as they go through the routine of his job because he was able to relate with them and understands their needs despite his disability.A message like that to the public helped many forexample many with people with disabilities were able to get jobs that wouldn't have been given to them if the employers were not aware of such a lesson "disability is not inability."
With the world growing so fast today,it's through movies that make a difference such as those that people are reminded of what really matters and what their roots are. So I really think films very are influential in today’s society.
Hi @daring_cherry, you've given fantastic and unique examples of films which make a difference! I also like how you used your own experience to show how films can influence people's thoughts and behaviours for the better. Well done!
I think diversity not only related to the colour of skin, ethical values , culture and religion valuess. The courage to achieve for your dreams where the society thinks about you otherwise is the most beautiful aspect of the diversity shown in films
Zootopia is my favourit movie in this regard where the character of Judy Hopps is the inspiration for me. The character reveals how the persistence and optimism can help someone to overcome the discriminations issues.
Her determination in the face of hate and prejudice is expamplary for young people like me who are passionate about her profession but having fear to face failure in the society.
Her caring and helping nature taught me that even in the society where physical power dominant over the kindness how soft hearted person can change the mindset of the people. I find the lesson that by lifting friends and make them recognising their worth can make you the best of the hero.
We watched this movie as a family, we all sat and watched it,,,, The amount of lessons learned and the amount of motivation to get tired and make efforts to get your dream from scratch until you reach it is very big... You feel yourself really wanting to achieve your dream by yourself in all its details and you do not want to help anyone... After this This movie changes your point of view towards the fatigue and effort exerted for achievement, but it becomes an adventure and a challenge in order to get what you want,,,, We watched the movie three times... and I feel myself now that I want to watch it again, I really recommend it💜
The thing with films that people fail to understand is that it holds a vital part of our lives, it holds a very vital part of information that preserves our culture and heritage, as the world evolves vital parts of the past are being left behind, gone are the days when people sit by fires and tell stories, the only thing we have now to remember all of these things are films, without films I believe that people will actually forget the struggle that we have been through. For example, I believe that with all the effort we are making to change the world, the change would actually happen, and the truth is we cannot forget the struggle, those that come after us will not get it but through movies we get an idea of the battles that we have been through, especially women, in the next few years when we achieve gender equality, we would need a few films to say how tough it was for us, we will need a few films to describe how long it took to achieve the goals that we set for ourselves. Films make a difference generally not only specifically, but they generally affect our lives, the sooner we learn that movies hold a vital part of the past and hold a vital part about how the future is formed, we will be able to achieve a whole lot of progress.
Some films are very influential they help us to think about modern day problems and they help us to think about possible solutions to those problems, they give us a view that helps to open up a brand-new perspective for us all, and by doing that the movie industry also influence those around them and help to generate a sense of awareness.
I'd argue Star Wars did more to change cinema than the Avengers, whereas jaws creatrted the summer blockbuster, Star Wars kickstarted the spectacle driven film.
Before A New Hope, the vast majority of top grossing films were dramas, thrillers, comedies and musicals, Star Wars shifted the focus away from grounded stoies to more flamboyant, concept-driven ones.
I think the movie that greatly influenced the world is (Super Size Me):
Morgan Spurlock's first documentary finds his boss conducting an experiment to see what would happen if he ate only McDonald's food for a month Less than six weeks after its release, McDonald's discontinued the "super-size" option at all of its locations even though the restaurant would deny Later that move had something to do with the movie, and they have since taken steps to include healthier alternatives in their menu. Today I believe that movies eat people's feelings of empathy by making violence and the suffering of others acceptable and familiar, so the culture of spectacle increases and insensitivity and indifference spread among people, so you see many people in larger urban areas content with passive observation when people injure or kill each other (Good Will Hunting This is a movie that radically changed my thinking. This movie was released in 1997, starring Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, and Minnie Driver. This movie is one of the most important films for people who have talent but do not appreciate it and think that their talent does not deserve success. They will find inspiration after watching this movie and make sure that they are people They deserve success in life
It would be better if there was an equal amount of women and men marvel characters so more young people dont just look up too men such as hulk . she hulk was made which influenced people to look up too female chacters more I am usally play with my sister and she would be she hulk if more people were had a female version of the character .
They could also have games made of them likre gwen stacey was released in fortnite like captain marvel and black widow can be then seen more and can be seen more . My sister cut her hair like spider girl and likes marvel because of female models .
Films have a great influence and a great impact. They take inspiration from many things. They are more than just motion pictures, they can be stories. For example, the movie "Woman King" was a movie about 1850's black history which talked about African and African American amazonians It had a great influence just by taking inspiration from what happened in Black History back then in the 1800's and came out to be a beautiful movie. These movies have greater meaning than some people realise, and all they need is a little inspiration.
The woman king and The black panther are 2 very important films for black women because it represents black women's strength as they're only warriors are women and they are the #1 nation in the world.
Disney's poor representation of the black culture has been very prominent, until their effort to break that bias in 2007 when they released their movie the princess and the frog, the movie featured its first black princess having a major role in the movie industry. The lack of minority representation and the usage of racial stereotypes in Disney movies negatively affects children of color. Looking at the vast vault of Disney films and Disney princesses, it is easy to notice that characters of color are painfully absent. Even when Disney incorporates characters from a variety of racial and cultural backgrounds, stereotypes of race and ethnicity persist. Even in The Princess and the Frog, Princess Tiana, the only Black Disney princess, is not fully represented. For three-quarters of the film, Tiana is a frog, symbolizing Disney’s reluctance to depict a Black princess. The only main African American character in the movie who remains human is the villain, even though they are trying in recent times we can't help but remember all these. Tiana is also the only Disney princess whose storyline revolves around her financial struggles. While Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Ariel all come from wealthy families and live in castles, Tiana works two jobs, and her mother cleans houses. It is Tiana’s dream to own a restaurant, however, she does not achieve this dream until the end of the movie when she marries a man, and he assists her in purchasing a restaurant, which still represents women as someone who needs a man. Seven out of the 11 Disney princesses are white, according to mediamilwaukee.com. These ethnic princesses do not display the same feminine and beautiful attributes as white princesses. Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Belle all wear gowns, gloves, and have neatly done hair. Disney also depicts these white princesses as well-mannered and feminine. Princesses of color, however, do not share these elegant characteristics. Mulan, an Asian princess, is a warrior, Pocahontas is depicted as “savage like,” Moana is known for her rebellion, and Jasmine wears pants. This exemplifies Disney’s depiction of white as beautiful and civilized and people of color as other. In Disney films, there is undeniable evidence of white privilege and binary color symbolism that associates white with goodness and black with evil. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs features a wicked queen dressed in black, who lives in a black castle, has black rats, and there is a dangerous black forest containing black bats and black owls. On the contrary, Snow White is surrounded by white birds. These are all facts that we need to accept to move forward in society
But for me I think a movie rhatdid great change or hadgreat impact in my country and may be the whole of Africa is THE QUEEN OF KATWE this didn't only have a female protagonist but also alot more in gender equality although this movie didn't base more on showing diverse colours but it atleast showed the women that they can be successful or win over men it also delivers the essence of no man is superior over the other despite the economic status, physical state and gender because it showed a poor black girl who was able to battle with alot of people in chess and managed to win them even though there were alot of problem in due coarse so this inspired alot of women who thought that the fact they are women they cannot win over men or can't standup for them selves. Films are the most influential media apart from music films are one way people entertain themselves and relax from stress and films are used by the producers or the writer to deliver message or what they want to say for example the children watch cartoons but if the writer of the script is a racist by time even the child will become a racist because of the information contained in these films that's how influential and powerful these movies are, in our country there are lots of movies and cartoons and children are the largest group of fans for these many children always after watching the movie or cartoon they always start copying the behaviours and the actions of the protagonist so if the protagonist was badly behaved they will take that if the protagonist was racist that what they will take.
Yes, always movies make me think differently about issues for example iwas thinking the Nazis were good and we're the ones who were on the good side but when I got to watch THE ESCAPE FROM SOBIBAR got to know how these people were racists and hostile they led to the killing of many people this film opened me to the truth and it changed my thinking towards the Nazis but I still like the Germans even I have a German friend who is going to visit me this Christmas.
Well done for making the distinction that one group of people does not represent a whole country.
A movie that inspires me is Moana. The animated film is about a Polynesian girl, Moana, who decided to listen to her heart and explore an unknown world despite the restrictions and the fear of the ocean by her parents. She does this to save her island to the detriment of her own life. She is self-confident and enthusiastic; she knew what to do and how exactly to do and that is very inspirational. What I find most impressive is the fact she, a mediocre human when compared to a demigod, saved Maui (the demigod) when he was in danger. She did not worry about her own well-being but she put Maui's life ahead of hers. That is what I love about her.
The wakanda forever film shows us that two different cultures can fight, two different cultures can be somewhat friends. Two different cultures can do lots of things. And that is what that movie has shown me. And I know some of y'all did not watch the movie yet, So when you do reply.
Super Size Me.
For an entire month, in an attempt to establish the damage fast food does to our bodies, Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock ate only one thing: McDonald’s. After the experiment was over, he had gained 25 pounds, his cholesterol levels had shot up, and his doctor said he had the liver of an alcoholic.
The documentary reignited the debate on fast food, everything from how bad it is for our health to the way it is marketed at children. A few weeks after the film was released, McDonald’s ditched its super size option and started introducing healthier items to its menus, although they deny this, this was in response to the documentary.
Films are influential in our society today because besides mirroring our diverse cultures, the film has for a long time been shaping our beliefs and values. A good example is when people copy fashion trends from movie stars and musicians. It is also common these days to find societies using figures of speech that are inspired by the film industry.
Films have made me think differently about an issue in news because whenever I hear about the problems of my country and I watch movies that after challenges the still made it and conquered as one it encourages me and gives me hope that their is still a chance for us as a country to make a difference.
A film that i can think about that made a difference is the movie "The Lorax"(2012), it raised awareness about trees. It is about a man named The Once-ler who had a dream of selling thneeds. He was looking for a perfect material to make his thneeds, he found a valley full of truffula trees. Truffula trees are softer than silk and smell like butterfly milk. He decided to chop them down and make his thneeds. His company was growing and he had to build more factories which made the environment polluted, the sky was filled with fog and rivers polluted. The once-ler was deciding on making his company bigger and not planning on stopping. He once found out he was going to be stopped, The last truffula tree had fallen. His biggest mistake was not planting down the trees back in place, Most paper and logging companies plant the trees they cutted or they grow naturally, that was The Once-ler's big mistake. Animals that lived there had to leave, The moral of the story is
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not”
The movie that actually made me think straight was GIFTED HANDS which was Directed by Thomas Carter, with Cuba Gooding Jr., Kimberly Elise, Aunjanue Ellis, Alora Adams. A Biography of Ben Carson, apparently when i got into the high school, my parents always complained about my result and i had a guardian who told me about the movie GIFTED HANDS so i watched up to 3 times and took some note on the movie and i applied what was written in the note and from my next section i started to improve and now at my present class, i am one of the top performing students in my class and my school. So this movie is a powerful and wonderful movie that could transfer peoples life and destiny for the good.
FILMS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Well,when it comes movies to that have really impacted society and influenced people and changing their opinions,my mind goes back to the movie "Alvin and the chipmunks"this movie shows how music brings happiness and also shows the beauty in pets.After watching this movie,I changed my opinion of "pets are annoying" to "pets are not that bad afterall" that I even bought a cat to keep at home.From then up to now,I have grown strong love for animals that I even enjoy taking care of them through giving them food, cleaning their shelter and so on.So you see how this movie actually changed my opinion about animals forever. Such a positive influence from a movie is good for us all because I think some animals suffer or are extinct because nobody loved and protected them.A change in opinion like that is a good torch in the darkness of this world.In my opinion movies really do alot in influencing and changing people's opinions take an example of the movie "Door to door",its was able to raise awareness in people that disability is not inability.The movie "door to door" is about Porter who was born with cerebral palsy (CP) and follows his dad’s footsteps in becoming a winning salesman.Porters sales ideas ignite changes in the hearts of his clients as they go through the routine of his job because he was able to relate with them and understands their needs despite his disability.A message like that to the public helped many forexample many with people with disabilities were able to get jobs that wouldn't have been given to them if the employers were not aware of such a lesson "disability is not inability."
With the world growing so fast today,it's through movies that make a difference such as those that people are reminded of what really matters and what their roots are. So I really think films very are influential in today’s society.
Disney's poor representation of the black culture has been very prominent, until their effort to break that bias in 2007 when they released their movie the princess and the frog, the movie featured its first black princess having a major role in the movie industry. The lack of minority representation and the usage of racial stereotypes in Disney movies negatively affects children of color. Looking at the vast vault of Disney films and Disney princesses, it is easy to notice that characters of color are painfully absent. Even when Disney incorporates characters from a variety of racial and cultural backgrounds, stereotypes of race and ethnicity persist. Even in The Princess and the Frog, Princess Tiana, the only Black Disney princess, is not fully represented. For three-quarters of the film, Tiana is a frog, symbolizing Disney’s reluctance
films dose make a differences because it opens up children's minds to be more imaginative and tells children that you can be who you want to be and don't change for any one.
i think mulan is quite a insparational film as it shows how women and black people can fight like men and are not weak and dont need to be compared like they used to. mulan has to hide her identity and pretend she is a man in the war and that is different now. as many woman are inspired to fight like men.
adaptable_guineapig Mulan is a popular role model! Can you explain what you mean by women being inspired to fight like men?
Black people are powerful .
Films are one of the few of many things that influences mankind greatly. People discuss regarding it on social medias and it acts as a medium for bondage for various people. For me the film that really had a difference is the movie "Battleship". It is a classic alien invasion movie but more focusing on a single warship neutralizing the whole of the foes singlehandedly and not some hundreds of ships nuking the aliens. It teaches a person about the naval art of war and the hardships they face proving that being a naval soldier is no easy task. In fact the forces of Japan and USA came together to fight the enemy and fought shoulder by shoulder bringing together diffrent nations.
Super Size Me.
For an entire month, in an attempt to establish the damage fast food does to our bodies, Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock ate only one thing: McDonald’s. After the experiment was over, he had gained 25 pounds, his cholesterol levels had shot up, and his doctor said he had the liver of an alcoholic.
The documentary reignited the debate on fast food, everything from how bad it is for our health to the way it is marketed at children. A few weeks after the film was released, McDonald’s ditched its super size option and started introducing healthier items to its menus, although they deny this, this was in response to the documentary.
Films are influential in our society today because besides mirroring our diverse cultures, the film has for a long time been shaping our beliefs and values. A good example is when people copy fashion trends from movie stars and musicians. It is also common these days to find societies using figures of speech that are inspired by the film industry.
Films have made me think differently about an issue in news because whenever I hear about the problems of my country and I watch movies that after challenges the still made it and conquered as one it encourages me and gives me hope that their is still a chance for us as a country to make a difference.
When we talk about diversity, we do not just mean in skin color, if you ask me, it also has to do with diversity in culture, the movie Moana has diversity in culture. For example, every chief in the village placed a rock on the top of the mountain, I feel like that signifies some type of cultural tradition. In the past I felt like Disney had an issue with portraying culture and diversity but movies like Moana and the Princess and the frog has diversity, when I hear about diversity, I do not Only think about color I also think about role so as Disney has had an issue with portraying women in diverse roles, Moana has broken that bias with the fact that she did not need any man to help her through her journey of finding herself.