Reflection on Class Movies

I really liked how there were movies and other visual materials that were used to teach the class, in addition to the traditional materials like books. I liked how there were a wide variety of movies from Coal Black Voices to Beverly Hillbillies. By adding video to the lesson that was being taught, another way to learn was provided.
The first movie that we watched was Matewan. I really liked this film and I thought that it showed Appalachia how I would imagine it. It was also not at all that surprising to see Chris Cooper playing Joe Kenehan. I can definitely imagine him as helping coal miners after seeing him play one in October Sky. He also seemed like someone from Appalachia in Seabiscuit. Cooper was born in Missouri, which is not quite part of Appalachia, but I am sure he was influenced by the region in some way.
Even thought we only watched one episode of the Beverly Hillbillies, I thought that the portrayal of this people was an interesting perspective on Appalachian stereotypes. The main characters kept with many of the stereotypes, like not driving a car, and a very noticeable accent. However, while this may seem almost derogatory, the main characters are never represented in a bad light.
Some of the other movies that I enjoyed watching in this class were Coal Black Voices and Dancing Outlaw. These were very different films covering very different subjects. I liked Coal Black Voices because it gave a new view to poetry. We got to watch the original poets reading their own work and in some cases we saw poem being performed on stage. I also liked Dancing Outlaw, but more because of its entertainment value than it educational value. The genuinely entertaining parts of this movie were when Jesco was dancing and then there were parts that you laugh nervously at (sunglasses, sloppy eggs) and you wonder if he really means what he is saying. I also liked that we watched these films at relatively the same time during the semester. It provided an interesting contrast in both the arts of Appalachia and the people that create the art and culture of the region.I thought that the films and shows that we watched in this class really added a valuable dimension to the course. Not only did we get to see the information somewhere else besides in a book, we also got a different point of view of the issues of Appalachia. The movies covered a variety of subjects, from dancing to poetry to coal mining.