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--- 329:question:329--week_12_questions_comments-2020 [2020/11/12 13:31] – [I.How does this movie work as a secondary source? What does the movie get right about history?] 173.71.200.232
+++ 329:question:329--week_12_questions_comments-2020 [2020/11/12 14:21] (current) – [V. The "So, what?" question] 67.172.219.156
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 ====== II.	Problems with historical accuracy? Errors in fact? ======
-The film is ultimately about fictional people, so the first problem with historical accuracy lies in the fact that the characters are made up. However the events in the story are dated correctly, their depictions are also very well done. This film is probably one of the more accurate ones we have seen as it correctly shows black employment, the bus boycott and its effects. The film seems to be focused more around the fictional story than the history around it, however this does not necessarily hurt the film. The film does not seem to have any massive errors that contradict with primary sources, as the largest historical error is simply the characters, who definitely represent what real people could gave existed at the time, but these particular individuals did not. -- AJ DeGeorge
+The film is ultimately about fictional people, so the first problem with historical accuracy lies in the fact that the characters are made up. However the events in the story are dated correctly, their depictions are also very well done. **This film is probably one of the more accurate ones we have seen as it correctly shows black employment, the bus boycott and its effects.** **The film seems to be focused more around the fictional story than the history around it,** however this does not necessarily hurt the film. The film does not seem to have any massive errors that contradict with primary sources, as the largest historical error is simply the characters, who definitely represent what real people could gave existed at the time, but these particular individuals did not. -- AJ DeGeorge
-As AJ stated, the film is extremely accurate in describing the circumstances and conditions of two women who are representative of those features in this time period and location. The choice of making one of the larger characters in the movie, Miriam Thompson, an indirect supporter of the early days of the Civil rights movement is interesting, as this was definitely not incredibly representative of a large portion of the population of white southern women. However, some did support the Civil Rights movement and Mrs. Thompson’s actions and feelings are very representative of those women. Again, this movie didn’t deviate from scholarly sources in terms of the overall picture and the movie did a really great job of describing what the bus boycott was like from both the black and white perspectives. -Morgan Gilbert
+As AJ stated, the film is extremely accurate in describing the circumstances and conditions of two women who are representative of those features in this time period and location. The choice of making one of the larger characters in the movie, **Miriam Thompson, an indirect supporter of the early days of the Civil rights movement is interesting, as this was definitely not incredibly representative of a large portion of the population of white southern women.** However, some did support the Civil Rights movement and Mrs. Thompson’s actions and feelings are very representative of those women. Again, this movie didn’t deviate from scholarly sources in terms of the overall picture and the movie did a really great job of describing what the bus boycott was like from both the black and white perspectives. -Morgan Gilbert
-One of the things I noticed was the bus scene. Semela Cotter was riding the bus and the three boys came to her and harassed her and the bus driver stopped the bus and yelled at them to get off and told them they were trash. From what we heard in the lecture, usually, bus drivers were not very sympathetic to Black riders, everything else about the scene seemed to fit in line with other events though. -- Helen Dhue
+**One of the things I noticed was the bus scene. Semela Cotter was riding the bus and the three boys came to her and harassed her and the bus driver stopped the bus and yelled at them to get off and told them they were trash. From what we heard in the lecture, usually, bus drivers were not very sympathetic to Black riders, everything else about the scene seemed to fit in line with other events though.** -- Helen Dhue
 ====== III.	How does the film’s overall interpretation(s) deviate from scholarly historical sources? ======
-This is not so much a deviation, more like an observation. Two of our primary sources talk about how African Americans in the service where accosted for refusing to give up their seats. Thomas Williams was part of the Air Force while Sarah Keys was a member of the Women's Army Corps. Both were wearing their respective uniforms while arrested, something which should have at least given them some semblance of respect among their peers. However, this was not so. I think the story in //The Long Walk Home// would have been more compelling had it hinted at the particular struggle faced by African Americans in the service. I don't think I've ever heard of this particular issue before reading about it, and definitely haven't seen it onscreen. I can only recall the military being mentioned once in the film, and it's by Miriam who is recalling her husband's time at war and how he may not have truly seen as much as he claimed. While the story in //The Long Walk Home// is compelling in its own right, I think this would have been a much more interesting spin on the usual stories told about the Civil Rights Movement. -- Lyndsey Clark
+This is not so much a deviation, more like an observation. Two of our primary sources talk about how African Americans in the service where accosted for refusing to give up their seats. Thomas Williams was part of the Air Force while Sarah Keys was a member of the Women's Army Corps. Both were wearing their respective uniforms while arrested, something which should have at least given them some semblance of respect among their peers. **However, this was not so. I think the story in //The Long Walk Home// would have been more compelling had it hinted at the particular struggle faced by African Americans in the service. I don't think I've ever heard of this particular issue before reading about it, and definitely haven't seen it onscreen.** I can only recall the military being mentioned once in the film, and it's by Miriam who is recalling her husband's time at war and how he may not have truly seen as much as he claimed. While the story in //The Long Walk Home// is compelling in its own right, I think this would have been a much more interesting spin on the usual stories told about the Civil Rights Movement. -- Lyndsey Clark
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 ====== IV.	How does this movie work as a primary source about the time period in which it was made or the filmmakers? ======
-I think the film works well primarily in terms of its casting. The leads are portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg (//The Color Purple// (1985),//Ghost// (1990)), who is arguably one of the most famous African American actresses at the time, and Sissy Spacek, who is more well-known for her roles in the 1970s like //Carrie// (1976), still had a prominent career as actress in films like //JFK// (1991) and //The Grass Harp// (1995). I think this film serves to highlight their careers as actresses. Ving Rhames, who is best known for his roles in //Pulp Fiction// (1994) and the //Mission Impossible// series does an exceptional job as Odessa's husband, despite his limited screen time. -- Jordan Petty
+**I think the film works well primarily in terms of its casting. The leads are portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg (//The Color Purple// (1985),//Ghost// (1990)), who is arguably one of the most famous African American actresses at the time, and Sissy Spacek, who is more well-known for her roles in the 1970s like //Carrie// (1976), still had a prominent career as actress in films like //JFK// (1991) and //The Grass Harp// (1995).** I think this film serves to highlight their careers as actresses. Ving Rhames, who is best known for his roles in //Pulp Fiction// (1994) and the //Mission Impossible// series does an exceptional job as Odessa's husband, despite his limited screen time. -- Jordan Petty
-I think that //The Long Walk Home// would be a great primary source about the 90s and filmmakers. If we compare this to other historical films during the 90s, we see the accuracy of depicting the times in which African Americans struggled most. Also, the actresses in this film are great at portraying the characters' mental confusion and distress. Showing the civil rights movement and legislation before the 2000s was not common in film without it being very poorly represented. --Tara Scroggins
+I think that //The Long Walk Home// would be a great primary source about the 90s and filmmakers. If we compare this to other historical films during the 90s, we see the accuracy of depicting the times in which African Americans struggled most. **Also, the actresses in this film are great at portraying the characters' mental confusion and distress. Showing the civil rights movement and legislation before the 2000s was not common in film without it being very poorly represented**. --Tara Scroggins
-I think this film is relevant in the 90s as a primary source. There were still civil rights legislations being passed in the 90s when this movie was released, making this movie about an uncomfortable topic even more significant and uncomfortable. The casting choices were also important, using Whoopi Godlberg and Sissy Spacek, two very big names in the time, in the main roles of a pseudo independent film was a big deal and brought a lot of attention, once again to a topic and a story not generally willingly talked about.-- Kimberly Sak
+I think this film is relevant in the 90s as a primary source. **There were still civil rights legislations being passed in the 90s when this movie was released, making this movie about an uncomfortable topic even more significant and uncomfortable. The casting choices were also important, using Whoopi Godlberg and Sissy Spacek, two very big names in the time, in the main roles of a pseudo independent film was a big deal and brought a lot of attention, once again to a topic and a story not generally willingly talked about.**-- Kimberly Sak
-//Long Walk Home// can be relevant as a primary source for the 1990s. Throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, there were still Civil Rights legislation being passed such as non-discrimination laws for educational institutions and strengthening existing civil rights laws that were previously in place. These pieces of legislation were passed after the movie was made. The hardships that African Americans faced at the start of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s were still being faced and dealt with going into the 1990s. They were dealing with achieving non-discrimination rights for over 40 years. The casting choices that were made for Whoopi Goldberg as Odessa Carter and Sissy Spacek as Miriam Thompson were also very important for the movie's success. Whoopi Goldberg was one of the most famous African American actresses during this time. Sissy Spacek was also known for her major roles throughout the 1970s and into the 1990s. They both helped contribute with bringing a lot of attention for the film about a topic that was very important for the Civil Rights Movement but also a story that was not generally mentioned. -Lauren Simpson
+//Long Walk Home// can be relevant as a primary source for the 1990s. **Throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, there were still Civil Rights legislation being passed such as non-discrimination laws for educational institutions and strengthening existing civil rights laws that were previously in place.** These pieces of legislation were passed after the movie was made. The hardships that African Americans faced at the start of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s were still being faced and dealt with going into the 1990s. They were dealing with achieving non-discrimination rights for over 40 years. The casting choices that were made for Whoopi Goldberg as Odessa Carter and Sissy Spacek as Miriam Thompson were also very important for the movie's success. Whoopi Goldberg was one of the most famous African American actresses during this time. Sissy Spacek was also known for her major roles throughout the 1970s and into the 1990s. They both helped contribute with bringing a lot of attention for the film about a topic that was very important for the Civil Rights Movement but also a story that was not generally mentioned. -Lauren Simpson
-To me //The Long Walk Home// felt like a slightly less problematic version of// The Help// with more historical context. Which was a little bit surprising because it came out about 20 years before //The Help//. I felt like it was better than the help because the story felt more revolved around Odessa versus //The Help// which was much more revolved around Emma Stone's character. I think that the directors were definitely trying to make a piece that was well-intentioned and about coming together, but it still fell short and landed in the white savior category.--Helen Dhue
+**To me //The Long Walk Home// felt like a slightly less problematic version of// The Help// with more historical context.** Which was a little bit surprising because it came out about 20 years before //The Help//. I felt like it was better than the help because the story felt more revolved around Odessa versus //The Help// which was much more revolved around Emma Stone's character. I think that the directors were definitely trying to make a piece that was well-intentioned and about coming together, but it still fell short and landed in the white savior category.--Helen Dhue
 Based on this YouTube interview of Sissy Spacek, I think this film is a primary source for the year it came out. At the beginning of the video, the interview talks about how the year in which this film came out had seen only a few serious roles played by women. This film goes against that statement because this film has two leading ladies, Whoopi Goldberg and Sissy Spacek. Additionally, this film serves as a primary source for Sissy Spacek's career and her willingness to "socially conscious" films (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIZd4zWJATc).
 -Megan Williams
-I think that this movie works as a primary source about the time in the sense that the filmmakers were trying to show this piece of history that was honestly quite recent and to some not a part of history just a part of their life. As a nation we have a tendency to think that things happened longer ago than they did. To put this film into perspective it was released in 1990, and Rosa Parks passed away in 2005. Granted she lived a longer life than most but the point stands. This was a movie about the past and it was likely watched by people who lived through it. The reviews of this movie are also quite telling. One review of the movie from the New York Times states, "it avoids shrillness and keeps its potential for preachiness more or less at bay". She essentially said you got your point across without getting in my face about it and annoying me with peoples troubles of the past. Which I think says something. Of course its not as if race relations in the 1990s were the best. The Rodney King riots would occur two years after the release of this movie. Link: https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/21/movies/review-film-a-personalized-view-of-the-civil-rights-struggle.html- Dan Dilks
+I think that this movie works as a primary source about the time in the sense that the filmmakers were trying to show this piece of history that was honestly quite recent and to some **not a part of history just a part of their life.** **As a nation we have a tendency to think that things happened longer ago than they did. To put this film into perspective it was released in 1990, and Rosa Parks passed away in 2005.** Granted she lived a longer life than most but the point stands. This was a movie about the past and it was likely watched by people who lived through it. The reviews of this movie are also quite telling. One review of the movie from the New York Times states, "it avoids shrillness and keeps its potential for preachiness more or less at bay". She essentially said you got your point across without getting in my face about it and annoying me with peoples troubles of the past. Which I think says something. **Of course its not as if race relations in the 1990s were the best. The Rodney King riots would occur two years after the release of this movie.** Link: https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/21/movies/review-film-a-personalized-view-of-the-civil-rights-struggle.html- Dan Dilks
 ===== V. The "So, what?" question	======
-This movie is important because it does an exceptional job in showing the struggles during the Civil Rights movement, specifically during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It's unique usage of fictional individuals helps to make the story more intimate and personal without having the need to focus on the actual figures of the story. I think this is what makes the movie stand out. Other movies we have watched this semester, like //Amistad//, //Glory//, and even //The Patriot//, utilize fictional individuals in telling the story, but does so in a way that takes something away from the viewer. //A Long Walk Home// does the opposite however, using fictional individuals in a way that helps its portrayal of the story. I like the fact that actual individuals were not the focus of the story, with people like Rosa Parks only being mentioned a small handful of times. I think having someone like Parks as a character in the film would have been another way to criticize the film negatively, had they not portrayed her well.
+This movie is important because it does an exceptional job in showing the struggles during the Civil Rights movement, specifically during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. **It's unique usage of fictional individuals helps to make the story more intimate and personal without having the need to focus on the actual figures of the story.** I think this is what makes the movie stand out. **Other movies we have watched this semester, like //Amistad//, //Glory//, and even //The Patriot//, utilize fictional individuals in telling the story, but does so in a way that takes something away from the viewer.** //A Long Walk Home// does the opposite however, using fictional individuals in a way that helps its portrayal of the story. I like the fact that actual individuals were not the focus of the story, with people like Rosa Parks only being mentioned a small handful of times. I think having someone like Parks as a character in the film would have been another way to criticize the film negatively, had they not portrayed her well.
 The film is important in telling a story about the Civil Rights movement in a way that helps the viewer understand the story better. It serves to complement what other sources say about the subject, how other sources tell the story. -- Jordan Petty
-While this film is set in the 1950s, it would be foolish to say that this kind of racism is not still seen in the United States to this day, as if especially in the last few years, we haven't seen these white supremacist mobs in places like Charlottesville and Trump rallies, etc. It is important that the film ends on conflict, ends with the violence unresolved because the simple fact of the matter is that it is. The words at the end of the film, declaring this as an inciting point of the Civil Rights movement are not incorrect, but often films leave it at that, attempt to tie things into a nice little bow. I liked that this film was clear to establish that the violence against the Civil Rights Movement even after the decision was made banning segregation on buses did not end. Watching this film is an important reminder that this is something our grandparents were alive during, this is something that happened within a few generations of us and the fight for equality is not over. This film serves as a reminder of the terrible racism of our past in the United States, and a reminder that this type of racism still persists in America whether through institutional racism of the policing system or zoning laws seen in this film, or just through blatant ignorance and stereotyping of Black Americans and other minority groups in the United States. It provides a very personal look at the period that immerses the reader and creates empathy for the struggles experienced by the women in the film in a way that can help viewers to understand the impact of this racism in the United States on people. - Ashley Dimino
+**While this film is set in the 1950s, it would be foolish to say that this kind of racism is not still seen in the United States to this day, as if especially in the last few years, we haven't seen these white supremacist mobs in places like Charlottesville and Trump rallies, etc.** **It is important that the film ends on conflict, ends with the violence unresolved because the simple fact of the matter is that it is.** The words at the end of the film, declaring this as an inciting point of the Civil Rights movement are not incorrect, but often films leave it at that, attempt to tie things into a nice little bow. I liked that this film was clear to establish that the violence against the Civil Rights Movement even after the decision was made banning segregation on buses did not end. Watching this film is an important reminder that this is something our grandparents were alive during, this is something that happened within a few generations of us and the fight for equality is not over. This film serves as a reminder of the terrible racism of our past in the United States, and a reminder that this type of racism still persists in America whether through institutional racism of the policing system or zoning laws seen in this film, or just through blatant ignorance and stereotyping of Black Americans and other minority groups in the United States. It provides a very personal look at the period that immerses the reader and creates empathy for the struggles experienced by the women in the film in a way that can help viewers to understand the impact of this racism in the United States on people. - Ashley Dimino
 I think this movie is extremely significant to watch in context of civil rights discussion. Not only does the film have big names in it, especially for the time it was made, but it also claims historical accuracy without trying to conform to a specific story. It is a fictional story, set in a real time period with real events happening around it to provide the context needed to make the story what it is. I think that the film does a good job of showing the violence and hatred that some felt while acknowledging that some felt differently and had doubts about the way things were but were often afraid or unable to speak up, a narrative not often taught because of the stereotypical Black versus White debate in most civil rights era stories. The film does a good job of showing the Bus Boycott from a more outside perspective than those that were right on the front lines, and shows the inner conflict that many had to go through when trying to keep their jobs and participate in the boycott, as well as the inner conflict of the white families of keeping their employees despite their displeasure about the boycott and the effect it had on their jobs. -- Kimberly Sak
-I believe //The Long Walk Home// could be used as an excellent example of the portrayal of poverty, racism, segregation, and violence during the Civil Rights Movement. The main characters are fictional, but are living out their own independent lives in the world without directly coming into contact with any major historical figures. We've seen from other films that the inclusion of fictional characters among historical figures has obstructed the story, perhaps with the exception of Matewan. However this film is entirely fictional, yet exists within a crucial historical time period. I think what makes this film so intriguing is that is not about anyone important. Whoopi Goldberg and Sissy Spacek's characters are two average women from different ends of a spectrum. They're not important, yet this film has them in leading roles. //The Long Walk Home// is pretty much an inside look at the struggles average people such as Odessa and Miriam faced. While they are fictional, Odessa and Miriam appear to be loosely based off Mary and Virginia Foster Durr. Going off of this, I believe having the main characters be fictional gave the film more flexibility than had they been actual historical figures. You can easily build onto an idea and let it take shape to tell a story. This movie does that while staying true to its core theme of telling the stories of ordinary people's lives during the Montgomery Bus Boycott and how it affected them. -- Lyndsey Clark
+I believe //The Long Walk Home// could be used as an excellent example of the portrayal of poverty, racism, segregation, and violence during the Civil Rights Movement. The main characters are fictional, but are living out their own independent lives in the world without directly coming into contact with any major historical figures. We've seen from other films that the inclusion of fictional characters among historical figures has obstructed the story, perhaps with the exception of Matewan. However this film is entirely fictional, yet exists within a crucial historical time period. I think what makes this film so intriguing is that is not about anyone important. Whoopi Goldberg and Sissy Spacek's characters are two average women from different ends of a spectrum. They're not important, yet this film has them in leading roles. //The Long Walk Home// is pretty much an inside look at the struggles average people such as Odessa and Miriam faced. While they are fictional, Odessa and Miriam appear to be loosely based off Mary and Virginia Foster Durr. Going off of this, **I believe having the main characters be fictional gave the film more flexibility than had they been actual historical figures.** You can easily build onto an idea and let it take shape to tell a story. This movie does that while staying true to its core theme of telling the stories of ordinary people's lives during the Montgomery Bus Boycott and how it affected them. -- Lyndsey Clark
-This film is important because it portrays a very important point in American history.  When a studio decides to make a historical film, they often choose to make it about war, adventure, or something else action-packed.  It is not so often that they choose to make a film about a social movement like the Civil Rights movement.  However, this is the type of subjects that more films should be made about.  It is important for people to see what the United States was like years ago.  This way, people can see what problems this country used to have and what problems this country still does have.  Too often, people learn about the Civil Rights movement but do not dedicate enough thought to what it would really be like to live through that time period.  Movies force people to think about what it was really like.
+This film is important because it portrays a very important point in American history. ** When a studio decides to make a historical film, they often choose to make it about war, adventure, or something else action-packed.  It is not so often that they choose to make a film about a social movement like the Civil Rights movement.**  However, this is the type of subjects that more films should be made about.  It is important for people to see what the United States was like years ago.  This way, people can see what problems this country used to have and what problems this country still does have.  Too often, people learn about the Civil Rights movement but do not dedicate enough thought to what it would really be like to live through that time period.  Movies force people to think about what it was really like.
 Both this movie and The Best Years of Our Lives are unique in that they show just normal people in these situations. Instead of being disappointed in how horrible film makers have butchered a historical figure, we get to see how every day people handled being put in these positions. It helps the audience realize that it wasn't just famous Americans who were heroic, but regular Americans were heroic within their own lives. —Madison Roberts
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 This film is a very valuable tool to examine and display what life was like for black and white women during this time period. It highlights the different relationships each had with their families, the different social structures and expectations for each, and it does a really good job of giving a sense of the “average” American life during the bus boycotts. The plight of African Americans during the Civil Rights movement is incredibly important, especially of African American women as they were the group that experienced the most changes. The intricacy of Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Cotter’s relationship opens an often ignored perspective when reading about this topic. While the two were not considered friends in their own eyes, they had formed a bond that they were both willing to risk a lot on. This movie is incredibly powerful and serves as a great resource to learn about different perspectives during the bus boycotts and the early Civil Rights Movement. -Morgan Gilbert
-I think this film is important in the sense that it give us a basic look into life during the Civil Rights Movement. In school we don't exactly focus on any of that. We are taught a few names to remember like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr and that's about it. We rarely take an in depth look at the lives of the average worker during these times. I think it would be benefical if more people saw this film just to get a better understanding of the time and the civil rights movement.- Dan Dilks
+**I think this film is important in the sense that it give us a basic look into life during the Civil Rights Movement. In school we don't exactly focus on any of that. We are taught a few names to remember like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr and that's about it. We rarely take an in depth look at the lives of the average worker during these times.** I think it would be benefical if more people saw this film just to get a better understanding of the time and the civil rights movement.- Dan Dilks
-I think this film is important because it shows the daily lives of people during the civil rights movement and just how they were affected by the boycotts and protests. Often times historical movies tend to focus on major significant events, but A Long Walk Home focused on regular people with the major event as the background. This makes the movie much more personal as these are just regular people from this time period trying to go about their lives while fighting for equality. It helps viewers understand and empathize with the plight of minority groups throughout history since the characters aren’t some exceptional, unrelatable figures in history. Plus I feel the knowledge it provides on life during civil unrest and the empathy it encourages are more relevant than ever in today’s politically charged climate.  -Purnaja Podduturi
+**I think this film is important because it shows the daily lives of people during the civil rights movement and just how they were affected by the boycotts and protests. Often times historical movies tend to focus on major significant events, but A Long Walk Home focused on regular people with the major event as the background.** This makes the movie much more personal as these are just regular people from this time period trying to go about their lives while fighting for equality. It helps viewers understand and empathize with the plight of minority groups throughout history since the characters aren’t some exceptional, unrelatable figures in history. Plus I feel the knowledge it provides on life during civil unrest and the empathy it encourages are more relevant than ever in today’s politically charged climate.  -Purnaja Podduturi
+The Long Walk Home does a good job of conveying a historic moment from two different stand points and does so realistically. Neither Odessa nor Miriam are presented as fantastic heroes of the past but rather as regular people whose lives happen to lead them to the boycott.  Miriam’s involvement could be argued as solely for inconvenience of losing her long time employee and yet by the end of the film the audience still views her as a martyr.  The violence both of Odessa’s son and the slap Mariam received did feel out of place in this type of film but it was effective at reminding the viewers of how dangerous Birmingham was.  – Janis Shurtleff
 I believe that this film is impactful in explaining the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement, racism, and injustices faced by many people in the United States; based solely on the color of their skin. I think that this film points to the bigger picture of African Americans fight to gain equality and a voice in a country that was so bent on denying them those rights. While it may have some details that are fictionalized, it does highlight bigger historical events, and that is why it is so important. -Mariah Morton
-Form what we learned in class, it seemed like this movie was a largely successful attempt to make a "good" historical film. It might be telling to consider why it didn't do well commercially. Does the support the claim by the likes of Mel Gibson that accurate films are considered boring by viewers, or not? (I think not, as evidenced by //Glory//, but it would be an interesting discussion.) - Ethan
+Form what we learned in class, it seemed like this movie was a largely successful attempt to make a "good" historical film. **It might be telling to consider why it didn't do well commercially. Does the support the claim by the likes of Mel Gibson that accurate films are considered boring by viewers, or not?** (I think not, as evidenced by //Glory//, but it would be an interesting discussion.) - Ethan