There’s an unspoken guilt English teachers carry when it comes to “movie days.” Sometimes, it’s not just guilt, but school or district mandates that forbid teachers from pressing play…as if the moment we turn the lights off, we are suddenly those stereotypical “lazy” teachers portrayed in movies.
But this couldn’t be further from the truth! The reality is that strategically using movies in the ELA classroom is one of the smartest things we can do. A film is a learning opportunity. A movie is just a different type of “text.” An adaptation of a favorite book is another interpretation. And when used intentionally, movies can strengthen literary analysis, boost comprehension, and make your job easier.
If you’ve ever hesitated before pressing play, here are 10 reasons you should show the movie of the book you’re teaching and how to pull off standards-aligned ELA instruction with the big screen.
1. MOVIES CAN HELP YOU SCAFFOLD LITERARY ANALYSIS
One of the biggest challenges in teaching reading is getting students to “dig deeper” and move from comprehension to actual analysis. Elements like theme, symbolism, tone, and mood can feel abstract and elusive, especially for students who are still developing fluency and/or comprehension skills. Unlike literature, film makes many of these “invisible” elements visible. Students can more easily pick up on visual elements like lighting, framing, pacing, and color, and auditory elements like the soundtrack, voiceovers, or sound effects.
When students experience craft choices visually, it becomes easier for them to identify and analyze similar moves in literature and dig deeper into the text as a whole. With the right modeling and questions, movie analysis can scaffold literary analysis and make things finally “click” for students who have been struggling.
For example, in the film adaptation of The Giver, the movie’s shift from black-and-white to color is a clear metaphor for Jonas’s emotional awakening and capacity to “see beyond.” Watching this transition on the big screen helps readers better understand Lowry’s symbolic use of color and the dangers of a dull, emotionless world dominated by Sameness. (You can check out a free sample of my film analysis for The Giver HERE.)
Similarly, in The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald’s contrast between West & East Egg glamour and the bleak Valley of Ashes becomes unmistakable when viewed on screen. The film’s dusty browns vs. glittering golds reinforce the idea of decay beneath wealth. (You can find my film analysis resources for The Great Gatsby HERE.)
2. FILM ANALYSIS LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD, BUILDS CONFIDENCE, AND CHALLENGES STUDENTS
Every class contains a mix of strong and reluctant readers, as well as kids who simply won’t do the reading homework during a novel unit (no matter what we do). Film analysis can meet students where they are and benefit all of these readers in different ways. For voracious readers, the right film analysis questions will challenge them to think deeper about the text. For the readers who struggle to decode, comprehend, or analyze, the movie will scaffold challenging standards, level the playing field, and build confidence that will help students navigate the rest of the text. And for those kiddos who just won’t read? When used as a supplement—not a substitute—for the text, the film will force those students to still work toward the standards you’re required to teach. The non-readers won’t be able to get away with doing nothing, which is what they want to do!
Hear me out: Do your part to make sure as many students as possible are completing the required reading. Keep your standards high and hold students accountable. If students know they can skip the reading and coast by with just the movie, we all know what will happen. Instead, use the movie after you’ve asked students to read, interact, and analyze the text. Once you’ve done that, then you can use the movie to scaffold literary analysis, reach more students, spark discussions about the author’s and director’s choices, and analyze the text in new ways.
Depending on your unit and goals, you can show just bits and pieces of the movie, play it in chunks (after each chapter/groups of chapters), or use it after students have read the entire novel.
For example, when I teach The Great Gatsby, I show the film throughout our unit. We read Chapters 1-2, complete analysis activities, and then watch the film. Fitzgerald’s word choice can be challenging, and the setting is difficult for kids to visualize while reading, so watching the movie earlier on helps students comprehend and stay engaged. I do the same with The Crucible, because plays are meant to be seen and heard! Seeing the hysteria, the setting, and the characters on screen helps students follow the plot so they can engage in more meaningful discussions about McCarthyism, fear, and power.
For other texts that are more engaging and accessible from the start, like The Outsiders and The Giver, I typically show the movie at the very end, instead of in installments. This allows us to dig deeper at the end of the novel and connect our discussions to symbolism, theme, and more.
3. ALL THE CHANGES TO THE STORY = OPPORTUNITIES FOR ANALYSIS & EVALUATION
I often hear English teachers complaining about film adaptations of classic novels: all the changes, incorrect details, major deviations from the plot, etc. I even know ELA teachers who turn their noses up at these movies so much that they refuse to use them in class, as if they will somehow contaminate their students’ view of the text.
But English teachers have two choices when it comes to less-than-faithful film adaptations: We can hate them…or we can use them as a learning opportunity for students to analyze what was changed and how these choices impact the audience and the story as a whole.
Instead of asking students to merely explain the differences between the book and the movie, ask them to analyze why the director made a certain change. What was the effect? You can ask similar questions about structural choices in the film (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.5), as films often structure the plot differently, whether it’s through reordering the scenes or tweaking the ending.
For example, in The Hunger Games, the film expands the Gamemakers’ perspective, showing behind-the-scenes manipulations that aren’t present in Katniss’s narration. Students can debate how that choice affects theme, suspense, and our view of the Capitol. (You can check out my film analysis guides for The Hunger Games HERE.)
In the adaptation of The Giver, the physical setting is different: giant cliffs that rise into a plateau obscured by clouds. A tiny bit of backstory about an event called “The Ruin” is added, too. Students can analyze why the director added this and evaluate how the change in setting impacts the story.
4. THEMES AND SYMBOLS BECOME MORE ACCESSIBLE AND MEANINGFUL WHEN STUDENTS SEE THEM ON SCREEN
Themes and symbols become more accessible when students experience a story twice, once in print and again on the movie screen. Seeing things in context on the big screen—in full color, with narration/voiceover, a soundtrack, etc.—helps students realize that their English teachers didn’t just make up that symbol after all. (Looking at you, Gatsby’s shirts). Watching scenes, essential questions, key ideas, and character interactions unfold over the course of a movie can strengthen students’ understanding of theme. The movie might help them better articulate a specific theme, but you can still require students to head back to the text to find textual evidence that demonstrates the development of that theme. On that note, you can also ask students to cite visual details (evidence!) from the movie, too.
When students see symbols and themes more clearly, they’re also more confident discussing and writing about them. By pairing the novel with its film adaptation, you can give students two mirrors that reflect the same ideas and help them analyze theme and symbolism from multiple angles.
For example, in The Hunger Games, the theme of power and control is threaded through Katniss’s internal thoughts and the Capitol’s rigid rules, but some students struggle to visualize how deeply surveillance shapes this world while reading. But the film makes it unmistakable. Wide shots of the Capitol’s sterile control rooms, the hovering drones, and the ever-watchful screens in District 12 visually reinforce the theme. Students can point to exact moments—the Reaping broadcast, the commentary during the Games, the artificial arena settings—as visual evidence of the Capitol’s manipulation. Once they see it, they can better understand Suzanne Collins’s warnings about spectacle, propaganda, and media power in the text.
5. FILMS STRENGTHEN ACTIVE VIEWING AND LISTENING SKILLS STUDENTS NEED
Reading isn’t the only literacy skill that matters. Today’s teens are constantly consuming information from YouTube videos, TikToks, podcasts, livestreams, and other short-form content, but they are rarely taught how to watch or listen with intention. Students often don’t know how to actively view and listen: how to notice, what to look for, what question to ask, and how to focus on one thing without being distracted by another. In some ways, listening and viewing can be more demanding, because if you miss a key detail, you can’t just turn back the page and reread the paragraph in question. Movies require your full focus and a much longer attention span than many of our students are used to in today’s fast-paced, distracted world.
When you press play with a purpose, craft questions that demand active viewing, and hold students accountable for actually analyzing (and not just passively watching) the movie, you can strengthen this essential skill. You can challenge students to “read” a movie just like they examine a text, to note the patterns they see, ask questions, track themes, analyze the soundtrack, etc.
English teachers, it’s time to stop treating the movie as a time-filler and start embracing it as an opportunity to sharpen students’ attention spans, “close reading” skills, and critical thinking.
For example, during The Hunger Games, students can practice media literacy skills as they analyze how propaganda is crafted and portrayed on the screen. While watching The Outsiders, students can evaluate the importance of the opening scene in which Ponyboy is attacked by the Socs, a scene that was cut from the original theater version. During The Giver, students can pay close attention to how memories and emotions are portrayed, leading up to the scene where the community members finally receive them. These are all examples of small details with a big impact, learning opportunities that will spark rich discussion, and deep connections that students might not make with the text itself.
The synergy of the text and the film is powerful, but you’ll never know unless you give the movie a chance. Yes, even if you hate it. (I’m talking to all of you ELA teachers who hate The Giver movie.) In fact, if you’re so staunchly opposed to showing the movie, I have a little gift for you: a FREE sample of my film analysis guide that will help you press play with strategy and scaffold literary analysis with the movie. Click HERE to download this freebie and change your mind about showing movies in class. 😉
When used intentionally, movie adaptations are powerful learning tools. Whether you’re showing a few key scenes or the entire 2-hour film, you shouldn’t feel guilty about pressing play with a purpose. If you need more help with crafting film analysis questions and using movies strategically, check out my film analysis guides for the following texts:
- The Great Gatsby
- The Crucible
- The Hunger Games
- The Giver
- The Outsiders
- A Long Walk to Water (not an adaptation, but a related documentary)
- Coming Soon: Into the Wild
Need more help pressing play with strategy and confidence? I’ve teamed up with ten of my favorite secondary ELA teachers to put together a full Movie Marathon in ELA to help you get through the busiest days of the year with lessons that are fun and aligned to the standards (so that you can actually get away with it). Grab the entire collection of Movie Marathon ideas at Mrs. McManus ELA’s blog.
