All posts by Paying Lee

Families in Society, Internal Dynamics of Families, Interpersonal Relationships, Parenting

The Kids are Alright

Title: The Kids are Alright

Date: 2010

Media type: Movie

Format: Complete

Category: Families in Soceity, Internal Dynamics of Families, Interpersonal Relationships, Parenting

Keywords: family types (LGBT), family relationship, conflict management, parenting styles

Rating: R

Audience(s): Adults

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: The teenage children of a maried lesbian couple decide they want to meet their biological father. The children’s mothers each gave birth to one of the siblings using the same sperm donor. The children get the mans information from the sperm bank and reach out to him. The three spend more and more time together which one of their mothers does not like. As the children’s father spends more time with their family a trist developes between one of the children’s mothers. Eventually the family comes back together and mend the damage that was done. The father is then blocked out by all of the family members. The movie ends with the family taking the elder daughter to college.

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Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: What rights does the sperm donor have in regards to the children (i.e. when he takes the daughter out on the motorcycle though their mom forbid it)? How should the family deal with the revelation of the mother’s infadelity? Is the father to blame for the harm that befalls the family? Why?

Contributor: Ian Brunzell-Looney

Families in Society, Family Life Education and Methodology, Interpersonal Relationships

Independent Lens: Twin Girls

Title: Independent Lens: Twin Girls

Date: 2014

Media type: Documentary

Format: Complete

Category: Families in Society, Interpersonal Relationships, Family Life Education Methodology

Keywords: family types (adoption), communication, cultural and global perspectives

Rating: NR

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

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: Independent Lens looks at a case where twin girls were adopted in China to 2 different families. The families were not informed of each other nor did they know that the child they were adopting had a twin. The families met by chance in China after adopting their children and figured out that the girls were twins. One family lives in Norway and the other in California, the girls remain in correspondence and have met on a few occasions, both express feelings of incompleteness without the other and share many traits.

Comments or Recommendations for Teaching: What ethical questions does this raise? In regard to who or what raise those questions? What does this say in your opinion about the international adoption process? Should the families tried to keep the girls together or was separating them right? What does this say about the influence of nature and nurture on a child’s development and personality?

Contributor: Ian Brunzell-Looney

Family Resource Management, Internal Dynamics of Families

We Bought a Zoo

Title: We Bought a Zoo

Date: 2011

Media type: Film

Category: Internal Dynamics of Families, Family Resource Management

Keywords: stress and coping, family relationship, financial management, decision-making

Rating: PG

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

Language: English

Film/Episode Summary: Benjamin has lost his wife. In a bid to start his life over, he purchases a large house that has a zoo. This is welcome news for his daughter, but his son is not happy about it. The zoo is need of renovation and Benjamin sets about the work with the head keeper, Kelly, and the rest of the zoo staff. But, the zoo soon runs into financial trouble. The staff must get the zoo back to its former glory, pass a zoo inspection, and get it back open to the public.

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

Contributor: Anonymous