Dialogical Film Club Run Down
I wanted to give each Dialogical Film Club gathering its own post, but as they stretch back to June, there’s just no way I can do honor to each individual film or the dialogue we had throughout it. So here’s an insufficient run down.
June: He’s Just Not that Into You
Chosen Because: We were interested in films that were hugely popular in the culture, so we could identify some of what our culture is consuming and wonder about why.
Our Dialogue: Mostly about how the film came entirely from white privilege, and the only characters of color of diversity were comedic side characters or guru advice givers, aka helpers to the white protagonists. We talked a lot about how male and female relationships were defined in the film, but I can’t remember what we landed on, other than that we groaned and screamed a fair bit.
July: Fireproof
Chosen Because: It was the most successful evangelical film widely released in theaters and we were curious about it.
Our Dialogue: Categories of sexual violence, domestic abuse and contempt. Issues of what the woman is held accountable for versus the man- (its a movie about a marriage in trouble). Also- we were disturbed by the lack of communication or accountability of the main couple. Everything was done through symbolic gestures rather than honest engagement with the other person.
August: Save Me
Chosen Because: Well, we’d watched a teen sex drama (Twilight), a hetero sex comedy and a Christian sex drama, it was time for a gay sex drama.
Our Dialogue: In some ways, this was our richest gathering as people shared their own stories of growing up gay, coming out to family members, and how church rhetoric and influence affected that journey. Our conversation dealt a lot with what compassion and integrity can look like.
September: 2 Days in Paris
Chosen Because: We were gonna watch a “Bromantic Comedy” along the Judd Apatow genre, but when it came down to it, no one wanted to go there. Instead, we voted on some suggestions from my collection- the first of our “curated” DFC’s.
Our Dialogue:We talked a lot about power plays in relationships, self-delusion, avoidance of conflict, and how honesty can sometimes be a weapon. And about how amazing Julie Delpy and Adam Goldberg are.
October: Gone Baby Gone
Chosen Because: It was Shannon’s turn to curate and he brought the movie because he wanted to hear other’s response to the film’s ambivalent ending.
Our Dialogue: Much of our dialogue was about predicting the plot and who was lying. We discussed the cost of making the “moral” choice when the “un-moral” choice seems to bring about the most good.
November: Hell House
Chosen Because: We had yet to watch a documentary, and we seem to lean towards issues of Evangelical culture.
Our Dialogue: Lots of shock, lots of sadness. Honestly, I can’t remember what we talked about. There was so much. I know some of what came up was about ways people avoid grief, as well as the things that naturally come from fear-based theology.
December: Christmas Specials-coming soon.
1 | spiro
December 2nd, 2009 at 3:47 am
does serenity not count?
2 | Kj
December 2nd, 2009 at 4:41 am
ooh- good question. i think Serenity was more of a DFC field trip extra event. wasn’t part of the normal docket.
3 | Pious Antic
December 2nd, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Perhaps not surprisingly, I’ve managed to hear of exactly none of the movies you mentioned except for twilight). I look forward to not playing the M-O-V-I-E game with you at our next reunion (and may it be soon).
4 | Kj
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:09 am
It’s okay Arby- the only one you really need to see is 2 Days in Paris. i think you’ll love/hate it in a good way
5 | Ian
December 3rd, 2009 at 5:46 pm
I love DFC. T-shirts?