Tag Archives: family functioning

American Beauty

Title: American Beauty

Date: 1999

Media type: Film

Format: Complete

Category: Internal Dynamics of Families

Keywords: adolescence, conflict management, family functioning, parent-child relationships, parenting styles

Rating: PG 13 – Parents Strongly Cautioned

Audience(s): College Age, Adults, Couples

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: From the outside, Lester and Carolyn Burnham are the picture perfect couple living in a picture perfect neighborhood. On the inside, Lester is feeling lost and depressed. He also has an interesting relationship with his daughter and her friend. Next door lives another teenager, Ricky, who has an abusive father.

Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: How do Jane and Ricky’s parents differ in their parenting styles?

Places to view: iTunes, YouTube, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play

Contributor: Krista Hamann

We’re the Millers

Title: We’re the Millers

Date: 2013

Media type: Film

Format: Complete

Category: Ethical Issues and Dilemmas

Keywords: decision-making, family functioning, response to crisis, types of parents, dysfunction

Rating: R-Restricted

Audience(s): College Age, Adults, Parents, Couples

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: David is a small pot dealer that just got robbed of a week’s worth of profit. David’s dealer forces him to go to Mexico to pick up a large supply of marijuana to make up for the loss. David things ahead and tries to create a plan to make him look less suspicious at the border. He asks his neighbor Rose, who is a broke stripper, and two teenagers, Casey and Kenny, that live in the area. In exchange for their assistance, he plans on paying them some of the profits. The four embark on a journey as a pretend family to collect marijuana for David’s dealer.

Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: Even though David and Rose aren’t real parents, in what way are they parents, or influences, to Casey and Kenny?

Places to view: Itunes, Youtube, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play

Contributor: Krista Hamann

A Walk to Remember

Title: A Walk to Remember

Date: 2002

Media type: Film

Format: Complete

Category: Internal Dynamics of Families

Keywords: Adolescence, family functioning, family trauma, parent-child relationships, stress and coping, types of parents

Rating: PG – Parental Guidance Suggested

Audience(s): High School Age, College Age, Adults, Parents, Couples

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: Landon Carter is the popular boy in school, but he doesn’t have any plans for after high school. A prank that went wrong landed a student in the hospital, and Landon is held responsible for it. As a punishment for his actions, Landon is forced to complete after-school community service. One of those activities is being the lead in the school play. At practice, Landon meets Jamie Sullivan who is the opposite of himself. Jamie is a preacher’s daughter and has high expectations for her life. Landon wants to take his life more seriously, so he turns to Jamie, and ends up falling in love with her along the way. As the film continues, Jamie reveals a heart-breaking secret that forces the two to realize the true meaning of love.

Places to view: Itunes, Youtube, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play

Contributor: Krista Hamann