14 Educational Movies No Student Should Miss!
Educational movies aren’t limited to non-fiction films, narrated in monotone and projected onto a whiteboard in darkened classrooms that you’ve sat through at some point in your academic careers.
Good educational films are also movies you’ve seen in theaters. Like good teachers, they have challenged, inspired, scared, angered, and moved you. Here are 14 of the best movies for students that are fun to watch but also have some important messages.
Educational Movies for Students
1. Good Will Hunting
Year: 1997
Rated: R
Actors: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, Stellan Skarsgard
Genre: Drama
A janitor at M.I.T. is discovered to be a mathematical genius after solving a graduate-level equation nobody else has been able to. His brilliant mind comes with a troubled personality and he’s unwillingly paired with a therapist as part of a probation agreement after getting arrested. While the math professor who wrangled the probation agreement only sees him as a project, the therapist sees the whole person and pushes him to have the courage to create his own path.
This heartwarming movie delivers important messages about being true to yourself, the importance of solid friendships, and using your gifts even in the face of fear and self-doubt. This remains among the best films for students!
2. Freedom Writers
Year: 2007
Rated: PG-13
Actors: Hilary Swank, Scott Glen, Imelda Staunton, Patrick Dempsey, Mario
Genre: Drama
A young English teacher takes a job teaching at-risk students at a high school where racial tensions run high and gangs are ever-present. Her world is much different than theirs and she struggles to make connections. Her dogged devotion to her students slowly breaks down barriers and using her own money she buys composition books in which they can write about their lives – abuse, violence, neglect, hope, and dreams.
More than one tear will be shed while watching this movie that shouts that our humanness ties us together and that perseverance in following your dreams despite overwhelming odds is a battle worth fighting.
3.Race to Nowhere
Year: 2009
Rated: PG-13
Directors: Vicki Abeles, Jessica Congdon
Genre: Documentary
The idea for this powerful documentary came about after Vicki Abeles’ middle-school daughter became physically ill from the pressure to succeed. Race to Nowhere takes a critical look at the systemic problem of pushing kids to the brink in the American education system. Burdened students, burned-out teachers, and worried parents tell their stories.
This is one of those educational movies that will have you thinking about your own priorities and whether you’re taking on too much. If you’re an education major, this is a must-see in the category of films for students!
4. Lean on Me
Year: 1989
Rated: PG-13
Actors: Morgan Freeman, Beverly Todd, Robert Guillaume
Genre: Drama/Action
New Jersey’s Eastside High School is a derelict war zone with rampant violence, drugs, gangs, and a student body that isn’t learning. The school is set to be turned over to State administration unless 75% of the students can pass the minimum skills tests. The new principal, known as “Crazy Joe” is hired right away and shakes things up in a big way. Do his students succeed? You’ll have to watch it!
Lean on Me is clear about its messages that life often involves some very hard choices, fierce dedication has the power to change lives, and that students in lower socio-economic areas are too often cast away.
5. Theory of Everything
Year: 2014
Rated: PG-13
Actors: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones
Genre: Romance/Drama
Astrophysics student Stephen Hawking trying to determine a thesis topic. After a lecture on black holes, he surmises that these holes may have been a part of creation and decides to write about them. He’s diagnosed with motor neuron disease and is told what that means. His love, Jane, is determined to stay with him but after several years of trying to raise children, care for Stephen, and manage writing her own thesis, it’s apparent that the marriage is no longer realistic. But the divorce isn’t the end of the story.
The themes in this fascinating film include endurance, perseverance in the face of hardships, and selfless love. The theory of everything needs to be on the list of best movies for the classroom!
0 Comments