COM 321-A; CRN 20657
Topics
in Film Genres: The Romantic Comedy
Fall 2015 Cushing-Martin 141
W/F 11:30-12:45
Prof. Wendy Chapman Peek
Info Blog: StonehillEng328.blogspot.com
Info Blog: StonehillEng328.blogspot.com
Office: Cushing-Martin
123
Office Hours:
Mondays 2-4 and other times by appt.
Email:
wpeek@stonehill.edu
Course
Objective:
What features are essential to romantic comedy? What elements does history recommend? Is the genre conservative or innovative
in its gestures, especially in its response to changing ideas about gender and
sexuality?
In answering these questions, we will view
romantic comedies from the 1930s through the new millennium, studying the work
of prominent directors in the genre (George Cukor, Preston Sturges, Nora Ephron)
as well as that of newer contributors (Susan Seidelman, Sean Baker, Wes
Anderson).
Text:
R. G. Goulet. A Glossary of Film Terms. 3rd
ed. Bring this text to class every
day.
On Reserve or
Ares or PDF:
Battista, Maria. Fast-Talking Dames. New Haven: Yale UP, 2001.
Barsam, Richard
and Dave Monahan. Writing About
Movies. 3rd edition. New York: W. W. Norton, 2010.
Barsam, Richard. Looking at Movies (Book & DVD). 3rd edition. New York: W. W. Norton, 2010.
Cavell,
Stanley. Pursuits of Happiness:
The Hollywood Comedy of Re-marriage.
Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1981.
Corrigan,
Timothy. A Short Guide to Writing about Film. 4th edition.
Kimmel, Michael. Guyland. New York, HarperCollins,
2008.
McDonald, Tamar
Jeffers. Romantic Comedy: Boy
Meets Girl Meets Genre.
London: Wallflower P, 2007
Ovid. “Pygmalion”
from The Metamorphoses.
Trans. Allen Mandelbaum.
New York: Harcourt, 1995.
Rotundo, E.
Anthony. American Manhood.
New York: Basic Books, 1994.
Rowe, Kathleen. “Comedy, Melodrama, and Gender: Theorizing the genres of comedy.” In
Classical Hollywood Comedy, ed. Kristine Brunovska Karnick and Henry
Jenkins. Routledge, 1995.
Shumway, David.
“Screwball Comedies: Constructing Romance, Mystifying Marriage” from Film Genre Reader II, ed. Barry Keith Grant.
U of Texas P, 1995.
Library Guide
for Cinema Studies classes: http://libguides.stonehill.edu/content.php?pid=258972&sid=2136906
Recommended
Site for Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ This site covers many areas of grammar
and usage and has quick links to guidelines for APA and MLA formats.
Assignments and
Grades:
7 2-3 Page
essays on Viewing Questions, 45% total (the lowest 4 grades are dropped).
For various films, I will ask you to write a
page or two about the use of a certain aspect of film production or themes in
the assigned film. The aim of these assignments is to increase your familiarity
with film language, to encourage your analytic skills, and to develop your
ability to express yourself clearly and concisely.
Unannounced reading/viewing/glossary quizzes,
20% total (the lowest grade is dropped). Pop
quizzes cannot be made up. If you're absent on the day of a pop quiz,
that will be one of your dropped quiz grades. There will be at least six quizzes.
1 presentation
(you will receive a written evaluation)
Your aim is to
lead—for 30 minutes--a lively and informed discussion about your film, bringing
out aspects of the film that relate to the genre of romantic comedy, to gender,
to the critical template (Old Comedy, etc.), to other films we’ve
studied. You will lead discussion
by asking open-ended questions—that is, without clear “yes” or “no” answers--and
soliciting discussion about clips you have selected. Ask questions that will promote discussion from two or more
perspectives AND that can be substantiated with citations from the text.
Presentations
receiving the highest evaluations will integrate readings, film, and cinema
terms in leading a vigorous discussion.
Please note
that if you fail to show up for your presentation, your accompanying paper will
drop one full letter grade.
Review the
detailed instructions about presentations at the link on the right, “Instructions
for Presentations.”
1 8-10 page
paper on the presentation, 20%
This paper is
due 1 week after your presentation on the material. After you receive an initial grade on
this paper, you have another week to revise it if you choose. The better of the two grades will
stand.
Detailed
instructions for this paper are available at the link to the right, “Instructions
for Presentation Papers.”
Please note
that papers need to be turned in in hard copy on the day they’re
due and in class (or they will be marked late). Anticipate that there will be
problems with printers and plan accordingly.
A comprehensive
final exam, 15%
Note: You must
complete all of the papers to pass the class (even if they are turned in
so late that they cannot receive a passing grade).
Remember, too,
that active and engaged PARTICIPATION ALWAYS HELPS YOUR GRADE.
DAILY SYLLABUS
NOTE: All films
listed on the syllabus are on reserve in the MacPhaidin Library and/or stream
through Ares.
W S2
Introduction
to course
Handouts: Raymond Williams, Keywords, “Romance”
Review R. G. Goulet, A Glossary of Film
Terms, 3rd ed.
Definition
of terms: What is a RomCom?
F
S4
View in class: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Michael Hoffman, 1999)
Handout on plots, etc.
For students new to film study, view/read:
1.
Barsam, Looking at Movies DVD, Chapter 1, “Film Analysis” (15
minutes; on reserve).
2.
Terms 1-6 in Goulet’s Glossary of Film Terms. Read through
the questions accompanying each term.
W S9
View before class: It Happened One Night
(Frank Capra, 1934)
Read for class: Kathleen Rowe, “Comedy, Melodrama and Gender:
Theorizing the Genres of Laughter” (PDF on class eLearn site)
View in class: MND with commentary
F S11
Read before class: Northrop Frye, "The
Argument of Comedy"(Ares)
Prepare to
discuss:
1. Rowe article and It Happened One Night. Prepare an answer to these questions: What two points in the article were most interesting to you and why? How did the article shape your interpretation of It Happened One Night?
2. Responses to questions on handout about MND and Frye
1. Rowe article and It Happened One Night. Prepare an answer to these questions: What two points in the article were most interesting to you and why? How did the article shape your interpretation of It Happened One Night?
2. Responses to questions on handout about MND and Frye
For students new to film study, view/read:
1.
Barsam, Looking at Movies DVD, all the films in Chapter 5,
Mise-en-scène (21 minutes; on reserve)
2.
Terms 7-18 in Goulet’s Glossary of Film Terms
UNIT 1 Shakespearean Comedy
W S16
View before class: The Philadelphia Story
(George Cukor, 1940)
Read before
class: Timothy Corrigan, from “Your Audience and the Aims of Film Criticism” through
“The Critical Essay” from Chapter 1 (Ares)
Homework due in
class: Turn in Viewing Question essay on The Philadelphia Story.
F S18
View before class: The Philadelphia Story
Read before class:
Stanley Cavell, pp. 27-30 (from “To assess my claim” to “…has been
reached,” PDF on eLearn), and Chapter 4 “The Importance of Importance: The
Philadelphia Story” from Pursuits of Happiness (Ares).
The first short bit must be read slowly; here Cavell says important things about how we classify members of a genre (like Romantic Comedy, or horror, or in his example, comedies of re-marriage). My hope is you will use these ideas to shape your own ideas about the genre of RomCom. The second reading, from Chapter 4, explicitly addresses The Philadelphia Story.
Again, please note two places in the essay that interest you, because you disagree with him, he introduces you to a new idea that helps you see film differently, or because you have a question.
There readings are densely written; be sure you budget enough time to read them carefully.
The first short bit must be read slowly; here Cavell says important things about how we classify members of a genre (like Romantic Comedy, or horror, or in his example, comedies of re-marriage). My hope is you will use these ideas to shape your own ideas about the genre of RomCom. The second reading, from Chapter 4, explicitly addresses The Philadelphia Story.
Again, please note two places in the essay that interest you, because you disagree with him, he introduces you to a new idea that helps you see film differently, or because you have a question.
There readings are densely written; be sure you budget enough time to read them carefully.
For students new to film study, view/read:
1.
Barsam, Looking at Movies DVD, view all the films in
Chapter 6, Cinematography (42minutes; on reserve).
2.
Terms 19-67 in Goulet’s Glossary of Film Terms
Romantic Comedy with music
W S23
View before class: My Fair Lady (George
Cukor, 1964)
Due in class:
Viewing Questions for My Fair Lady
Read before class: Anne Carson, “The Gender of Sound” (Ares)
Read before class: Ovid, “Pygmalion” (PDF)
Presenters: Gabrielle (who has 1 class extension on Viewing Questions essay)
F S25
Class Cancelled for campus emergency
Romantic Comedy with suspense
W S30
Discuss in class: My Fair Lady
For students new to film study, view/read:
2. Terms 86-127 in Goulet’s Glossary of Film Terms
F O2
View before class: Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)
Homework due in class: Review Discussion Questions for Rear Window (NO ESSAY DUE!)
Presenters: Emily & Kayla
W O7
Rear Window
Read for class: David Bordwell, “Classic Hollywood Cinema” (Ares)
Screwball Comedy
F O9
View before class: The Lady Eve (Preston Sturges, 1941)
Read before class: Maria Battista, Chapter 1 “Fast-Talking Dames” (Ares).
Homework due in class: Viewing Question essay on The Lady Eve--Reminder from class Wednesday: You have the option of turning in the VQ essay the following Wednesday (Oct. 14)
Presenters: Courtney & Jenni (who have a 1-week extension on the VQ essay)
W O14
The Lady Eve
Read before class: Cavell, Chapter 1 “Cons and Pros: The Lady Eve” (PDF)
F O16
View before class: Desperately Seeking Susan (Susan Seidelman, 1985).
Read before class:
1. Tamar Jeffers McDonald, “Screwball Comedies” (excerpts pp. 18-24; PDF). Please note that the McDonald PDF contains ALL the McDonald readings for this semester (we'll be reading 3 bits from her book). For today's class, you need read only pp. 18-24.
Discussion-only Question: What themes and motifs does this film share with The Lady Eve? How does this film revise traditional RomCom motifs?
Discussion-only Question: What themes and motifs does this film share with The Lady Eve? How does this film revise traditional RomCom motifs?
For students new to film study, read Terms
72-85 in Goulet’s Glossary of Film Terms.
UNIT 2: New
Comedy
W O21
View before class: Rushmore (Wes
Anderson, 1998)
Read for class: Review Frye on New Comedy
Presenters: Richard and Colleen (who have 1 class extension on Viewing Questions essay)
F O23
Rushmore
Homework due in class: Viewing Question essay on Rushmore
W O28
View before class: Sideways (Alexander
Payne, 2004)
Read before
class: “Roots of Change: the Women Without and the Woman Within” (pp. 247-top
of 272) from E. Anthony Rotundo, American
Manhood
(PDF)
Presenters: Anna & Carter & Taylor
F O30
View before class: Sideways (Alexander
Payne, 2004)
UNIT 3: Econo-Rom-ics
W N4
View before class: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953; dir. Howard Hawks)
Read for class: “The New Economic Criticism” (PDF)
Presenters: Tanesha & Adrianna
Presenters: Tanesha & Adrianna
F N6
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
W N11
View before class: You’ve
Got Mail
(Nora Ephron, 1998)
Read before
class: Tamar Jeffers McDonald on “The Neo-traditional Romantic Comedy” (pp.
85-last full paragraph of p. 97; PDF)
Homework due in class: Turn in Viewing Question essay
Presenters: Natalie & Liam
UNIT 4: Whither
RomCom?
F N13
View before class: Tangerine (Sean Baker, 2015)
Discussion
Question: Does Tangerine fit into the romance forms we’ve discussed this
semester? If so, what does it alter?
W N18—Claudia
Rankine speaks tonight!
View before class: Lost in Translation
(Sofia Coppola, 2003)
Read for
class: McDonald on “The Radical Romantic
Comedy” (pp. 59-67, to end of bulleted section; PDF)
F N20
Lost in Translation
Homework due in class: Turn in Viewing Question essay
W N25 and N27
NO CLASS—Thanksgiving; watch Annie Hall over break
W D2
View before
class: Moonrise Kingdom
Presenters: Hayley & Kristin
Note:
presenters on this topic will turn their paper in the week of their
presentation, to allow time for comments and revision.
F December 4
Moonrise Kingdom
Homework due in class: Turn in Viewing Question essay
Discuss FINAL EXAM
Discuss FINAL EXAM
W D9
View before class: Beginners (Mike Mill, 2010)
Presenters: Adrian & Rachel
Presenters: Adrian & Rachel
F December
11
View for class: Beginners
Grading Guidelines NOTE: this rubric applies only to your long paper. Short papers are graded by the rubric available at the page link "Grading rubric for short papers."
I give out numerical rather than alphabetical grades. The scale is:
I give out numerical rather than alphabetical grades. The scale is:
97 = A+
93 = A
90 = A-
87 = B+
83 = B
80 = B-
77 = C+
73 = C
70 = C-
67 = D+
63 = D
60 = D-
59 & below = F
F = You fail to turn in
the paper, or your paper lacks a thesis, or you have no arguments or evidence
in defense of your thesis. Simply completing the work does not guarantee a
passing grade.
D = A thesis with some
supporting arguments and examples/quotations. A “D” signifies serious problems
with the organization of the argument (weak topic sentences, unconvincing
examples, no transitions between ideas) and/or with expression (diction, wordiness,
poor grammar, mechanical errors, lack of necessary specifics).
C = A clear thesis,
with some convincing supporting arguments with examples/quotations. Some
acknowledgment of relevant objections, if appropriate. A “C” indicates that
there are problems with organization and/or developments of the thesis,
although the writing may be clear and the argument convincing.
B = A clear thesis,
with fully developed and convincing supporting arguments. Appropriate and
helpful examples/quotations. Careful attention to details of expression,
whether verbal or visual. Sensitivity to the subtleties of the text. You
demonstrate that you are a careful reader as well as a competent writer.
Consideration and refutation of relevant objections, if appropriate. Free of
mechanical errors.
A = Everything required
for a B, plus significant, original thought. The thesis and analysis in an “A” paper
are sophisticated, complex, subtle. In particular, the work with quotations
closely reads and builds on the ideas in the quotations.
Attendance Policy:
Attend every class. We
have a lot of ground to cover in a very short amount of time. If you become ill
during the semester, send me an email immediately. Please find a friendly face in class to take notes for you and
to collect or turn in any handouts or assignments that are due.
If you encounter
circumstances that make it difficult to abide by this policy, come and talk to
me. An excessive number of absences will have a deleterious effect on your
final grade. It is necessary, though not sufficient, that you attend at least
75% of the classes for a passing grade.
English
Department Policy on Plagiarism
In support of Stonehill College's Academic
Integrity Policy, the English Department requires that its faculty notify the
Director of Academic Services about every student who has plagiarized or
violated the Academic Honor Code in any manner. All members of the
College community have the responsibility to be familiar with and to follow the
College's policy on academic integrity. Since the actions that constitute
violation of the policy are covered in many places, including The Hill
Book and in presentations at orientation, pleading ignorance will not work.
If you have questions about what constitutes a violation of the code or how to
incorporate outside sources in your work, please consult with your professor
before you turn in your assignment.
Academic
Integrity:
(From the The Hill Book): Academic
dishonesty includes but is not limited to the following actions:
a) presenting another's work as if it were
one's own;
b) failing to acknowledge or document a
source even if the action is unintended (i. e. plagiarism)
[N. B. This can take various forms:
1) using the writer's exact words; 2) paraphrasing the argument without crediting
the author; 3) providing a paraphrase that is too close to the original—even if
you cite the author; 4) even following the general outline or drift of the
argument without indicating the source of the idea];
c) giving or receiving, or attempting to give
or receive, unauthorized assistance or information in an assignment or
examination;
d) fabricating data;
e) submitting the same assignment in two or
more courses without prior permission of the respective instructors;
f) having another person write a paper or sit
for an examination;
g) unauthorized use of electronic devices to
complete work; or
h) Furnishing false information, including
lying or fabricating excuses, for incomplete work.
Because we have reviewed in class what
constitutes academic honesty, we will not consider ignorance of the rules to be
a valid excuse. A violation of Stonehill’s Academic Integrity Policy will result in a
failing grade for the assignment, with no opportunity to re-submit it.
Academic Accommodations
Students with disabilities: Stonehill College is committed to
providing all students equal access to learning opportunities. The Office of
Accessibility Resources (OAR) works with students who have
disabilities to provide and/or arrange reasonable accommodations. Students
registered with the Office of Accessibility Resources are encouraged to
self-advocate and contact their professors as soon as possible, preferably
prior to the start of the semester, to inform them of the accommodations for
which they qualify.
Students
are responsible for providing their professors with an accommodations
verification letter from the Office of Accessibility Resources and
discussing their needs with them. Students who have, or think they may
have, a disability are invited to contact the Office of Accessibility Resources for
a confidential appointment at (508) 565-1306 or accessibility-resources@stonehill.edu
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