Arming Ourselves With Poetry, Film & Discussion on Memorial Day: 1917

Memorial Day is here. Sarah and Jennie urge Screen Cares listeners to respect the extraordinary bravery and sacrifice of all armed forces and their families by choosing to seek civil discourse rather than looking for an enemy among us. By thoughtfully screening 1917, we are reminded that there is a real human cost in war and that as articulated in Amanda Gorman’s optimistic poem, “The Hill We Climb,” America is “not broken but simply unfinished.”

1917 (2019) - IMDb

For those who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please visit this link for the transcript of this episode of Screen Cares:

Episode Transcript

Special Thanks to all who have served and lost in armed conflicts. We see you, your families, and your sacrifices.

Episode Host:Sarah Woolverton-MohlerCo-Host:Jennie Ziverk Carr

Screen Shares Rating:

1917 is an excellent Family Screen to share in any experiences and memories that an intergenerational viewing may stir up, as well as a (cautionary) Little Screen to help provide older adolescents with the context that violence in real life is very different than that often portrayed in action movies, and that Memorial Day celebrations come at a cost.

Screen Sparks:

Use our Screen Sparks to discuss 1917 and the incredible significance of Memorial Day as you consider the use of war movies, depiction of violence and truth with those you care about:

There are many types of violence– slapstick/comedy, domestic, sci-fi/superhero, horror/torture, war and more. Do you feel that all violence should be treated the same?
Do war movies make you feel more or less optimistic about the human condition?
In an emotional moment in 1917, Blake is mortally wounded and asks Schofield if he was dying. Schofield says, “yes, I think you are.” How do you know when to share the truth and when to gloss it over?

Check out our socials pages (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube) share your thoughts with the Screen Cares Community this week.

Resources & Background

In Flanders Fields

Leonard Cohen recites “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae | Legion Magazine

1 complaint led a Florida school to restrict access to Amanda Gorman's famous poem

Amanda Gorman

Book Bans - PEN America

The Real World War I History Behind the Movie 1917

There Are No Small Parts, Only Long Memories

Redshirt (stock character) - Wikipedia

Redshirting (academic) - Wikipedia