KINGSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF THE … used the principles of rational leadership ... KINGSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE ... Business Images in the Media Dr. Fredric L. Mayerson …

KINGSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF

THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK

BA 77: Business Images in the Media Dr. Fredric L. Mayerson

FILM ANALYSIS QUESTIONS

12 Angry Men

Questions

1. In the play 12 Angry Men, the main character was highly successful in changing the opinions of the other eleven jurors in the room. Describe how he used the principles of rational leadership by providing five examples of its effectiveness.

2. What two lessons did you learn from the main character or any other

character in the play?





All My Sons

Questions

1. What would you do if you were faced with Joe Keller’s situation? Why?

2. Did Mrs. Keller play a part in her husband’s crime? Answer in depth.

3. Describe the moral values of each of the major characters. Provide examples to support your answer.

4. What other means could Joe Keller’s son, Chris (Burt Lancaster), have

taken to demonstrate his negative reaction to his father’s unethical business practices?

5. “This play demonstrates the dark side of the American Dream.” What does

this statement mean? Do you agree?





American Dream Questions

1. Should businesses be permitted to hire replacement workers when confronted with a strike? Explain in depth.

2. Would Local P-9 have been more successful if they had never hired Mr. Rogers

and allowed the parent union to handle the strike? Would the outcome have been the same?

3. Did the behaviors of the local and international unions affect your view of unions

in general? How?

4. Compare and contrast this documentary with Kopple’s Harlan County, USA. Between whom are the conflicts in each movie? What were the outcomes in each strike and what, if anything, accounted for the difference?





Barbarians at the Gate

Questions

1. Ross Johnson, RJR’s CEO, was awarded a severance package worth $23 million after losing the battle to take over the company. Was this justifiable or was it a gross mismanagement of shareholder resources? Explain in depth.

2. At one point in the film, RJR Nabisco’s CEO Ross Johnson comments, “After all,

how many sets of golf clubs can you be buried with?” How do you reconcile this view with the lifestyle that he actually lived?

3. A critic stated “the movie symbolizes the wealth and excesses of powerful

corporate executives in the 1980’s.” Do you agree? Discuss in detail.





Citizen Kane

Questions

1. What does the word “Rosebud” symbolize? What was its significance?

2. In Charles Kane’s early career he was an idealist and champion of the underprivileged. In his later years, he was driven by the dual goals of greater power and wealth. What was the cause of this transformation?

3. This movie is considered the greatest American movie produced in the last

century. Why do critics rate it so highly? As part of your answer, compare it to at least one of the other movies we’ve seen this semester.





A Civil Action Questions

1. Do you think that Jan Schlichtmann’s firm should have accepted the case despite the fact that it couldn’t handle the financial burden? Explain.

2. At one point in the movie, Jerome Facher offered the plaintiffs a $20 million

settlement. Was it a sincere offer or did he have something more devious in mind?

3. Do you think the legal system operated to reach a fair and just settlement for the

plaintiffs? Provide three examples in support of your answer.





Death of a Salesman Questions

1. What is the primary lesson of this film? What does it say about American society?

2. Did the principal characters in the film contribute to Willy Loman’s demise? Do

you think this tragedy was inevitable? Why or why not?

3. Compare and contrast the personalities of Willy Loman’s sons, Biff and Happy. In what ways did their father influence them? Describe fully by providing examples.





Disclosure Questions

1. Discuss management’s role in handling the sexual harassment allegations Tom Sanders (Michael Douglas) made against his boss, Meredith Johnson (Demi Moore). Why did they choose to believe her version over his? What procedures should a company establish to prevent this from ever happening again?

2. If you were Tom what would you have done? Describe a particular action he took that could have been handled differently. Describe in depth.

3. Meredith used every device at her disposal to achieve her ultimate goal of corporate domination. Discuss the role of sex and power in the corporate working environment.





e-Dreams Questions

1. What elements of Joe Park’s personality led to his initial success and eventual failure? Describe fully and give examples.

2. Why did Wall Street initially endorse Park’s venture as a valuable

investment opportunity. Why did they later reject it?





Executive Suite

Questions

1. Compare and contrast Loren Shaw’s (Fredric March) and McDonald Walling’s (William Holden) views about the proper role of corporate management. Is Walling too idealistic, or is Shaw just a greedy businessman? Whose view do you endorse?

2. How accurate does the film portray the inner workings of big corporations?

Does the moral of the movie still have relevance today? Explain in depth.

3. Compare and contrast the leadership and team-building styles of at least two of the firm’s executives.

4. The movie exhibits several negative behaviors of corporate executives.

Could these have been avoided? What vital lessons could be learned from this?





Glengarry Glen Rose

Questions

1. Do you believe that the environment created by the real-estate firm depicted in the film led to the theft of the sales leads and the film’s dramatic conclusion? Is the film an accurate reflection of how companies transact business in contemporary America?

2. As you watched the film, the personalities of several characters

emerged. Based on your understanding, would you have predicted which characters committed the theft? Why?

3. What does the film teach you about the advantages and pitfalls of life

in a high-pressure sales environment?





Harlan County, USA

Questions

1. How did the film impact your view of the relationship between labor and management in America? Support your answer by providing three examples.

2. Was it ethical for the government to authorize the state troopers to assist

Duke Power in disbanding the strike by the workers? Why?





Hoffa

Questions

1. Describe the scenes in this movie that you found most believable. Which sequences seemed to be the most realistic? Why?

2. After viewing this film, what is your opinion of Hoffa? Does the movie portray him in a favorable light?

3. Based upon the film, what would be the ideal personal and professional characteristics of a big labor boss?





The Insider Questions

1. Why did Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) jeopardize his lifestyle by acting as a whistle blower? Would you have reacted the same way?

2. Should the government prohibit the production and sale of tobacco

products? The government attempted to accomplish this with alcohol during prohibition. What was the result?

3. Do you agree that tobacco companies are responsible for the deaths of

millions of people? Describe some of the crimes committed by tobacco companies and their executives.

4. Do you think that companies influence the media? Describe how by

providing at least three examples.

6. At one point in The Insider, CBS’s lawyer tell the news media that if Wigand’s charges against the tobacco industry were untrue, the network would have less of a problem than if the information were true. At which point Bergman asks, “ Is this Alice in Wonderland?” What did Bergman mean?





Metropolis

Questions

1. What is the theme of the film? What lessons can be learned from it?

2. Choose one character from the film and describe his/her motives, strengths and weaknesses. Answer the question by focusing on a particular scene.





Norma Rae

Questions

1. Describe the scene in the film you found most memorable. Discuss fully.

2. Were the events portrayed in the film realistic? Describe the scenes you found especially believable. Why?

3. Why did the workers initially oppose the union despite their horrible

working conditions? Describe in depth.





Network Questions

1. In your view, does the film accurately portray the world of television? Why or why not? Provide examples in support of your answer.

2. Is the movie simply a portrayal of TV executives and personalities or does

it suggest something deeper about the society in which they operate?

3. The film was considered overly dramatic and extreme at the time of its release in the 1970’s. Decades later, do you think the movie would still be viewed the same way today? Why or why not?





On the Waterfront

Questions

1. In the film, Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) acts as an informant. He even expressed a willingness to testify against Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb) and his cronies. If you had been faced with the same situation, what would you have done?

2. Some have claimed Terry Malloy’s speech ("I coulda been a contender”)

to his brother is one of greatest speeches in American cinema. What makes it so special?

3. Based upon this film, what is your opinion of unions? Do you believe this

was an isolated event, or is it a reflection of what goes on behind the scenes at unions? Discuss fully.





Quiz Show Questions

1. If you were offered $25,000 to be dishonest as herb Stempel was, would you take the money?

2. Would the quiz shows have been as popular as they were if the public had

known that some of the contestants were provided with the correct answers in advance? Explain by providing four reasons in support of your answer.

3. Why was it difficult for the U.S. senators to criticize the network? Explain

in depth.

4. Was the lawyer, Richard Goodwin, too lenient with Charles Van Doren? Why did Goodwin react the way he did?





The Rainmaker Questions

1. What is the main theme of the film? Is it about how the law is practiced, about the insurance companies, or about Rudy Baylor’s (Matt Damon) personality?

2. Select and explain an action taken by one of the characters in the film.

What motivated that individual? What did this motivation have to do with the film’s theme?

3. A critic claimed that the film makes a bold statement about greed and

corruption in the American corporate world. Do you agree? Why?





Silkwood

Questions

1. Karen Silkwood (Meryl Streep) became unpopular with her fellow employees whom she fought for because they were afraid of losing their jobs. Those people chose their livelihood ahead of safety. Would you have reacted in the same way? Why do you think the workers made that decision?

2. Using examples from the film, describe at least five personal

characteristics that you believe resulted in strengthening the union’s position. (e.g., integrity, determination, etc.)

3. Do you think that Karen Silkwood’s lifestyle, which was considered radical

at that time in conservative Oklahoma, affected her credibility? Explain.





Startup.com Questions

1. What is the theme of the film? Do you believe the filmmakers were effective in telling the businessmen’s story? Justify your answer.

2. In your opinion, how did intelligent investors fail to see that this business

venture was not going to succeed in the long-term? Provide three examples.

3. This film portrays the rise and fall of the American dream. What does this

statement mean?





Super Size Me

Questions

1. Do you think the title of the film Super Size Me fittingly represents the movie? Provide four reasons in support of your answer.

2. Describe four ways the film “Super Size Me” changed your opinion of the

fast-food industry.

3. Do you believe McDonald’s and other fast-food restaurants are responsible for the national epidemic of obesity? Explain by providing at least four arguments in support of your conclusion.

4. What changes did the fast food industry make following the critical

analysis presented by the director? Provide four examples.

5. Describe the health hazard created by the fast food industry and how the director brought them to the viewer’s attention?





Tucker: the Man and His Dream

Questions

1. The Tucker Corp. sold $20,000,000 in stock to the public and produced only 50 automobiles. Do you think that Tucker was responsible for losing the investor’s money? Discuss in depth.

2. In your opinion, should Tucker have recognized the forces that were

arrayed against him? To what degree was each of these forces responsible for the demise of the firm?

3. Do you think that the ultimate destruction of the Tucker Corp. was

captured in the movie? Provide five detailed examples in support of your answer.

4. Since the film does not offer any real insights into Tucker’s personality,

what do you think accounts for his behavior? Discuss fully and give examples.





Wall Street Questions

1. The movie argues that most small investors are dupes and big market

killings are made by men such as Gekko, who raid companies and erode the assets of the shareholders. Do you agree? Explain in depth.

2. Is Gekko’s behavior an isolated event, or is it a reflection of the “capitalist

trading mentality,” as some have claimed? Discuss in depth.

3. At one point Bud Fox asks Gordon Gekko, “How much is enough?” What do you think is enough? Discuss the role of money in business and in people’s personal lives. Is money by itself corrupt?



FLM : NNTS05



Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room

1. Enron : The Smartest Guys in the Room, is truly a tale for our time. There's only one word that means anything to the heads of major companies, and it's not "ethics, " it’s "greed.” In a well developed essay discuss what role “greed” played in the collapse of Enron. Site at least 3 examples. 2. When Enron went bankrupt there were winners and losers. Some people lined their pockets with gold, while others were totally ruined. Identify the losers and winners (no specific names are necessary) and discuss, in depth, how it affected their futures. 3. Enron has been called one of history's greatest business scandals. Do you agree with this assessment? Explain why or why not. Use specific examples from the movie to support your opinions.

4. Enron used “Mark-to-market” accounting which allowed estimated profits for deals to be recorded as such before they’re ever actually made. Discuss the benefits and risks of this type of accounting. Do you think it was an ethical practice? Support your answer with specific examples from the movie.



FLM : NNTS05



North Country 1. Glory (Frances McDormand), is the first woman to work in the mines. She is conflicted when asked to “stand with” Josey in a lawsuit against the mining company. What are her conflicts? Give at least three examples. Do you agree or disagree with her final decision? Why? Answer all questions completely. 2. In the movie, Josey’s lawsuit brings about a monumental change in the way women are treated in the workplace. Cite specific examples of the conditions Josey endured. Why do you think it took so long for a woman to sue for sexual harassment? 3. Josey’s lawyer suggests that they file a class-action sexual harassment lawsuit against the mining company. What problems did Josey and her lawyer face while trying to prove the validity of this lawsuit? Explain completely, using specific examples from the film.



FLM : NNTS05



The Constant Gardener

Questions

1. A pharmaceutical company is using people in a third world country as “human guinea Pigs.” Explain what the company was doing and discuss the company’s motivation for doing it. Do you think it is the right thing to do, why or why not?

2. Justin & Tessa have completely different personalities. Give at least three examples of their differences and the impact it has on the movies complex storylines.

3. The Constant Gardener is both a “thriller” and a “love story.” Discuss both aspects of the movie citing specific examples of each. What side of the story did you find more appealing? Explain.

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KINGSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF THE … used the principles of rational leadership ... KINGSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE ... Business Images in the Media Dr. Fredric L. Mayerson …