Over winter break, I took a class titled, “Drunk on Film: The Psychology of Storytelling with Alcohol and its Effects on Alcohol Consumption.” Taught by Ted Mandell and Anre Venter, this wildly-engaging course was filled with insights, deep thought and realizations, so naturally I thought I would hype it up in the chance that they are offering it as a course in the upcoming semester!
This course integrates psychology and film, which helped fulfill my Liberal Arts 6 “Way of Knowing” requirement, as well as an elective for my FTT major, which made the course seem all the more appealing. From the very first lecture, I knew that it would not be a great class solely due to its convenience, but also because of the robust material and discussions we were going to have over the effects of alcohol — and ultimately looking at the way these effects are portrayed in films.
In total, we watched eighteen movies over the course of twenty-four days, which seems like a lot, but instead of dreading this “homework,” I actually looked forward to it each day. The movies ranged from well-known films like The Kissing Booth, The Girl on the Train and Manchester by the Sea, to more indie films such as Medicine for Melancholy, Smashed and Mary Goes Round. While I did not necessarily enjoy every movie from my own movie-critic perspective, they all contributed to the discussion of alcohol and how it is portrayed in society and films. The use of alcohol varied in each movie. In some of the films, alcohol was used as a comedic vehicle, while in other films, it was used as the driver of the downfall of the protagonist. Furthermore, we observed how alcohol is a partner-in-crime to many aspects in movies, such as romance, action and comedy.
During our lectures everyday, we would also watch an abundance of Ted Talks that delved more into the psychological aspects that we would discuss. Ultimately, from a psychological perspective, we really focused on the idea of social influence and why we deem certain things to be okay, especially in regards to alcohol. A number of articles are included in the syllabus as well, and discuss topics such as “The Animal House Effect” and “The Pleasures of Drunken One-Night Stands.” These discussions were especially relevant because we are all college-aged kids. It was interesting to hear the range of opinions on alcohol and its effects, since alcohol has remained such a prominent aspect in college culture.
In addition to the really interesting content discussed throughout the course, the professors were amazing. Anre and Ted made a great duo, and you could really tell that they were passionate and excited about every discussion. From my perspective, they kept us all engaged and encouraged us to voice our opinions. It can be a bit weird talking to your professors about your experiences with alcohol, especially if you are underage, but Anre and Ted created a safe environment in which I felt comfortable speaking.
I recommend Drunk on Film to anyone who can take it. It will broaden your perspective about the culture surrounding alcohol in our society and even on our own campus. Also, who could be mad about watching movies for homework?