Tag Archives: fathering

Mamma Mia!

Title: Mamma Mia!

Date: 2008

Media type: Film

Format: Complete

Category: Internal Dynamics of Families

Keywords: adulthood, single parenting, parent-child relationship, fathering

Rating: PG 13 – Parents Strongly Cautioned

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

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: Sophie has loved living on her small Greek island with her mother, Donna. Sophie, who is planning her wedding, reads her mother’s diaries to find out who her father is so that she can invite them to the wedding. It turns out, there are three men that are potentially her father so she invites all of them to the island for the wedding without the knowledge of her mother. Who is Sophie’s father and what will Donna do when she finds out who is coming to her daughter’s wedding?

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

Contributor: Krista Hamann

27 Dresses

Title: 27 Dresses

Date: 2008

Media type: Film

Format: Complete

Category: Internal Dynamics of Families

Keywords: adulthood, fathering, response to crises, single parenting, stress and coping, work and family

Rating: PG 13 – Parents Strongly Cautioned

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

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: Jane is a perpetual bridesmaid. She is constantly planning her friends’ weddings, and she’s been a bridesmaid 27 times. While she’s not planning weddings, she’s at work swooning over her boss, George, who she has been in love with for longer than she would like to admit. Then Kevin comes along. He finds her attractive, but she wants nothing to do with the cynical writer that cannot stand the thought of marriage. One-day Jane’s sister Tess comes to town. Tess is the beautiful girl that every man falls in love with. Much to Jane’s dismay, Tess and her boss George hit it off. However, Tess lies about her entire life to get George to fall in love with her. Eventually, the two get engaged and start the wedding planning. Kevin interviews the couple for the wedding and engagement column in the newspaper. To Jane’s disdain, she runs into Kevin while he is interviewing the couple. The two end up having fun and he comes back to her apartment, where he sees her 27 dresses. Without her knowledge, he starts writing a story about her, and eventually she finds out. Will the two end up together, or will Jane forever be a bridesmaid and never a bride?

Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: In what ways was Jane a mother to her younger sister Tess? How did the death of their mother affect Jane and Tess differently. How did their father have to shift roles into being the sole caretaker of the two?

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

Contributor: Krista Hamann

10 Things I Hate About You

Title: 10 Things I Hate About You

Date: 1999

Media type: Film

Format: Complete

Category: Human Growth and Development

Keywords: Adolescence, conflict management, divorce, types of fathering, parent-child relationship, social and cultural influences, single parenting, teens

Rating: PG 13 – Parents Strongly Cautioned

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

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: “10 Things I Hate About You” is a modern spinoff of William Shakespeare’s play “The Taming of the Shrew.” Cameron is a new student at Padua High who is learning how to navigate his new environment. He is shown around by Michael, who ends up becoming his best friend. In the hall, he sets his eyes on Bianca Stratford and is completely entranced by everything about her. The only problem is, she isn’t allowed to date, that is unless her older sister Kat is dating too. Unlike Bianca, Kat isn’t entirely pleasant. Michael sets off to find someone to date Kat so that he can take Bianca out and that leads him to one the the most popular guys in school, that also happens to be a complete jerk, Joey Donner. Michael tells Joey that he can take Bianca out on a date if he pays someone to take Kat out too. The only man that is willing to take Kat out is bad-boy Patrick Verona. Much to everyone’s surprise, Patrick and Kat actually make quite a good pair. The movie follows the teens as they navigate adolescence and try to follow what makes them happy.

Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: How does Kat and Bianca’s father parent them differently? Do you think their father gives his daughters the appropriate amount of freedom?

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

Contributor: Krista Hamann