Tag Archives: family trauma

Sleepless in Seattle

Title: Sleepless in Seattle

Date: 1993

Media type: Film

Format: Complete

Category: Internal Dynamics of Families

Keywords: Family trauma, response to crisis, stress and coping, single parenting

Rating: PG – Parental Guidance Suggested

Audience(s): Children Under 12, High School Age, College Age, Adults, Parents, Couples, Families

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: Newly widowed Sam Baldwin and his 8-year-old son Jonah move from Chicago to Seattle in order to attempt to escape the grief that comes from losing a mother and a wife. Even after Eighteen months, Sam still is stuck in the grieving process and can barely sleep. Even though Jonah misses his mother, he wants his dad to meet someone new so he can be happy again. Then, on Christmas Eve, Sam ends up sharing his life story with his late wife and talked about how their life together was absolute bliss and perfection. Annie Reed hears Sam confessing his love for his wife on the radio and ends up falling in love with him. Even though Annie is engaged to another man, she can’t get Sam out of her mind. Annie writes to Sam to meet her on top of the Empire State Building. Will things work out for Annie and Sam, or is their situation just too complicated for things to work out between the two?

Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: How does being widowed affect how Sam parents his son Jonah?

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

Tangled

Title: Tangled

Date: 2010

Media type: Film

Format: Complete

Category: Human Growth and Development

Keywords: Adolescence, decision making, response to crisis, family trauma

Rating: PG – Parental Guidance Suggested

Audience(s): Children Under 12, High School Age, Families

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: Baby Princess Rapunzel, who has been blessed with magical healing powers, is kidnapped in the middle of the night from the palace by Mother Gothel. Mother Gothel locks the growing Rapunzel up in a tower that is hidden away in the forest to keep others from accessing the healing powers of Rapunzel’s golden hair. Fast forward to Rapunzel as a teenager with 70-feet worth of golden hair, Princess Rapunzel becomes curious about the outside world. One day, Flynn Rider climbs the tower and holds Rapunzel captive. The pair strike a deal and Flynn Ryder agrees to show Rapunzel the place where the floating light come from. The pair go on a dangerous journey, and Rapunzel ends up finding out more about of herself than she ever imagined.

Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: Focus on Princess Rapunzel’s parents and what ways they continue to search for their daughter and how they never give up the faith that their daughter will be found.

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

Contributor: Krista Hamann