Ethics in the Movies

Each term the class views several feature-length movies that address ethical issues in provocative ways, sometimes during class and sometimes during evening sessions. Below are some of the movies that have been shown in past semesters. Each movie has a brief description and a link to the Internet Movie Database where one can read fuller plot summaries and critics' review.



 		A Man for All Seasons--Sir Thomas More's battle with Henry VIII over the granting of a divorce. A powerful, but wordy examination of one man standing up for his sense of right in the face of family, friends, and king.




Cheaters--A true story of a group of students who, conspiring with their teacher, cheat in an academic interscholastic competiton and deal with the consequences. While a TV movie, a well-made and thoughtful examination of group cheating.   





The Cider House Rules--Tobey Maguire, Michael Caine, and Charlize Theron are featured in  a World War II era tale set  in an orphanage and an apple orchard in Maine. The central issue is abortion, the acting is wonderful, and the examination of a young man finding his own path is beautiful.




Dead Man Walking--A nun responds to a request for a visit from a man on Death Row. The result is a fascinating and balanced examination of capital punishment in all of its complexities. A moving and powerful film starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn.


Doubt--Suspicions about a priest's relationship with a boy at a Catholic school provide the context for a thoughtful examination of certainty and doubt. Meryl Streep plays a confident nun, while Amy Adams is less certain of the right thing to do.







The Emperor's Club--Kevin Kline stars as a history teacher at a boys' boarding school who is challenged by a student he is trying to reach. An examination of integrity, teaching, and the ethical implications of father-son relationships.






Enron--The Smartest Guys in the Room--A documentary detailing the collapse of energy conglomerate Enron while top executives found ways to protect their own wealth. A complicated but compelling story.








The Fog of War--Former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara reflects on his involvement in both World War II and the Vietnam War in a chilling and powerful documentary about proportionality, civilian casualties, and the conduct of war in modern times.



Friday Night Lights--High school football in Texas presents coaches, parents, players, and fans with a series of ethical dilemmas. Based on the book by Buzz Bissinger of The Philadelphia Inquirer.




Gattaca--Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Gore Vidal in a science fiction look at a future of selective cloning. A thoughtful and challenging examination of the possible consequences if cloning humans were feasible.



Hotel Rwanda-- Don Cheadle portrays a hotel manager whose efforts save the lives of 1200 countrymen during a vicious civil war. A tremendous true story of moral courage.


The Last Debate--A Showtime movie that examines the relationship of the press and politics in the context of an American presidential election that is greatly affected by a panel of journalists in a candidates' debate.






Million Dollar Baby--A woman seeks out a washed-up boxing trainer who ends up facing a critical ethical decision. This film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture in perhaps Clint Eastwood's finest directorial effort.




Mississippi Burning--Starring Willem Dafoe and Gene Hackman as two FBI agents with very different approaches to "ends-justify-the-means" arguments, this examination of the murder investigation of three Civil Rights workers in 1964 Mississippi gives a vivid and focused view of race hatred and its results.


Philadelphia--Tom Hanks won the Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of a gay attorney dying from AIDS who is fired by his prestigious law firm. Denzel Washington is his homophopic ambulance-chasing attorney. An emotional and sad film that was the first big budget Hollywood examination of homosexuality.




Quiz Show--Directed by Robert Redford, this is a fact-based examination of the 1950s television show scandal involving Charles Van Doren that deals with the issues of fame, money, and family relationships.




Saving Private Ryan--Steven Spielberg's homage to the soldiers who sacrificed themselves in the Normandy Invasion in 1944 contains a series of scenes with deep ethical dilemmas. After learning that all three of Private Ryan's brothers have died, a unit of American soldiers is sent to rescue him. A winner of five Academy Awards.





School Ties--A Jewish student at a 1960s prep school conceals his identity and has to face anti-Semitism when his truth comes out. Brendan Frasier, Matt Damon, Chris O'Donnell, and Ben Affleck play convincing roles in this examination of stereotypes and a "who-is-using-whom" situation for a student and a school.




Shattered Glass--A true story of a reporter's descent into the world of serial lying as he spins stories at The New Republic and then spins a web of lies to cover his tracks. Hayden Christensen stars as Stephen Glass in this look at journalistic ethics.



Wit--Emma Thompson portrays a college professor dealing with cancer, a health establishment that is alternately disdainful and compassionate, and her own mortality. A beautiful and affecting film about dying by Mike Nichols.