Merely Memorable… or Moving?

This week, I (and my classmates) was charged with viewing an arguably compelling clip from the movie, “My Best Friend’s Wedding.” The ensuing discussion caused the following question to be raised in my mind:

Does something that is compelling HAVE to be memorable? Is something that is memorable ALWAYS compelling?

For some, the answers were yes and yes. For me, the answer is… I’m not so sure.

As I wrestled with these questions, I tried to think back on movie- or television-viewing experiences that I consider memorable, but not necessarily compelling. Due to my viewing preferences, I discovered that I could classify a number of comedies and / or “chick” flicks in the memorable category (Ex. “Hitch,” “Runaway Bride,” “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” “27 Dresses,” “Strange Brew,” “The Spy Who Shagged Me”), but, while I remember specific scenes and sometimes even a line or two, most of these were not even close to what I would consider compelling. In many cases, these and other similar movies are some of the first flicks chosen for an evening of mindless (and repeat) movie viewing, but the evening will not be moving or meaning-filled. It is these latter descriptors that, in my mind, propel a “picture-show” into the realm of the profound. “Steel Magnolias” and “The Notebook,” on the other hand, are movies that caused me to think and reflect. They were moving and meaning-filled. They were more than memorable. These are movies I would call compelling.

What’s the difference? Many would simply lump “Steel Magnolias” and “The Notebook” in with the rest of the “chick” flicks / tear-jerkers, but I would argue that they do stand out. Why? All the movies have a story, so that can’t set them apart, or can it? According to Katalina Groh, story and storytelling is a defining element of film. So, what aspect of story creates an experience that is compelling? Groh says, “These stories [stories that celebrate transformation, change, and learning] create new kinds of conversation and experiences. Most of all, these stories invite us to reflect, learn, and experience the lesson precisely because they make us think about our own stories” (Groh, 2001).

How does this translate to a classroom? Memorization of multiplication facts is a classic example of an educational experience I would obviously consider memorable, but, in most cases, is not compelling. Anyone who has passed through second or third grade can remember when and often how he / she learned the “time tables”. In most cases, though, very little meaning is attached to the flashcards, Mad Minutes, and mindless recall of math facts. Few kids (or teachers for that matter) can converse about connections between the facts or discuss how division and / or addition are related. Patterns within and / or reasoning behind the math of multiplication are rarely reviewed. While some might say that there isn’t much more to math that the memorization of facts and application of rules, when reasoning and reflection replace rote, students can and will “celebrate transformation, change, and learning.”

So, whether it is a movie or math, a “story” with substance is at the crux of what compels.