Movie Talk

Using Movies to Help Parents

Talk to Their Kids About Impor tant Issues

Family Planning Council of Iowa108 Third Street, Suite 220Des Moines, Iowa 50309

fpci@fpcouncil.com

2017

This booklet is supported by Grant #FPHPA076259 from the Office of Population Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Hu-man Services – Region VII

www.fpcouncil.com

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................4Zootopia ................................................................................................................5Eddie the Eagle ....................................................................................................6The Martian ..........................................................................................................7Me and Earl and the Dying Girl ........................................................................8He Named Me Malala ..........................................................................................9Finding Dory ...................................................................................................... 10The Intern ...........................................................................................................11Sing Street .........................................................................................................12The Secret Life of Pets ....................................................................................13The Jungle Book............................................................................................... 14Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens ...............................................15Race..................................................................................................................... 16Selma ...................................................................................................................17RESOURCES ........................................................................................................ 18

Movie TALK

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RESOURCESThere are many great resources to support parents as they talk with their children about human sexuality and sexual health.

Advocates for Youth, www.advocatesforyouth.org has a wealth of infor-mation for parents and children. Click on the parents tab and search the contents.

The Talking with Kids Campaign, www.talkingwithkids.org has ideas about communication on all kinds of topics from war and terrorism, drugs, violence to sex.

Families are Talking, www.familiesaretalking.org is hosted by the Sexu-ality Information Council of the United States and provides great tips on many subjects including talking about television and movies with your child.

There are two great sources for finding movie suggestions and descrip-tions:

The Internet Data Base, www.imdb.com lists films by title, content, ac-tors, etc. and gives descriptions and links to reviews.

Common Sense Media, www.commonsensemedia.org offers you a week-ly email about current movies, television, books, music, etc. and hosts a site that lets you search for movies and read reviews by adult and child reviewers. They point out issues like language, sexual behavior, violence and product placement. They also have links to discussion guides for parents.

INTRODUCTIONYou and your children probably have busy lives, and it can be difficult to find the time to have a good conversation with them….talking with them and listening to what they have to say, rather than talking “at” them. It means a great deal for your children to know that they are important enough to you to have your full attention. It is also the best way of sharing your values. Watching a movie together and then talking about it can be a great way to create the kind of space for these conversa-tions.

This guide suggests ways to use movies as an opening to talk about important concerns, as well as just sharing an enjoyable experience. It describes some films and gives ideas about conversation starters, if you need them. You will probably find that your children will provide the questions and issues to talk about. At the end of the guide are resourc-es for exploring other films and finding answers to questions.

CHOOSING WHAT TO WATCH:

Industry ratings and suggested ages of viewers are given. But you will need to consider the personalities of your children as well, and re-member that the ratings weigh sexual activity heavily as compared to violence. You can make your own decisions about what you value. No film will be perfect, but this gives you the chance to explore the things you like and those you don’t like, and the reasons why. It is this kind of exploration that helps children learn to think things through for them-selves. And not all viewing has to be serious. Sharing a funny movie can be a bonding experience that can help when you want to move on to more difficult questions.

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

■ Begin with a general conversation about what each of you liked or didn’t like about the movie

■ You don’t have to do a serious discussion of issues in the story. Let your children’s reactions guide you.

■ While there are ideas for discussion listed with each movie, these are only suggestions. Feel free to use your own.

■ Each person has a right to express his or her own beliefs and opin-ions. It may be even more important to stress this if siblings are present, since they may be in the habit of arguing with each other.

■ Your opinions and values are important, but they will be better heard if you say, “I believe…” rather than “You should…”

■ Ask open-ended questions that encourage thoughts and opinions. ■ Rather than asking what your child would do in a given situation,

talk about how someone else might act, or how a character in the story might have done something differently.

■ Be sensitive to the timing of the conversation and the presence of other people in the room in order to avoid embarrassing your child. Many people find that conversations in the car are a great way to learn what goes on in a child’s mind.

SELMAPG-13 127 minutes In Selma, audiences get a closer look at the severity of the racial injustices that were taking place in America during the 1960s. The story follows Martin Luther King Jr. and his campaign to get African Americans the right to vote. Though they technically had the ability to vote, many black people were turned away from their county courthouses once they went to register, or made to jump through ridiculous hoops, only to be told no. The movie opens on a woman going through this exact experience, then shows the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing where innocent girls are killed simply because of the color of their skin. We fast-forward to MLK speaking directly with President Lyndon B. Johnson and encouraging him to create federal laws that give African Americans a federally protected right to vote. President Johnson refuses to give King what he wants and tells him to wait until next year.

King brings the peaceful protests he’s so revered for down to Selma, Alabama where the formal movement known as the Selma Voting Rights Movement would eventually take place. He partners with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to gain support from African Americans all across Selma, preparing for the nonviolent demonstrations. The first sets of demonstrations do not go well for the protestors, as the white police forces enact extreme violence on the black people present. However, King and his supporters don’t give up, continuing to right the very apparent wrongs African Americans experience on a daily basis.

Questions:1. MLK fought to end injustice against black people. Some argue that

we’re still fighting that fight today. Do you think so? Why or why not?2. How does God and religion play a role in the marches?3. Why did MLK and protestors turn back after they made it so far on

the bridge? Why were some of the supporters angrier than others?

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RACEPG-13 134 minutes

Race is a film based on the inspirational true story of African American Olympian Jesse Owens. Owens rose to fame in the mid-1930s, a time when black athletes were not adored, let alone admired by the general American public. He was one of the first black people to attend a university with the purpose of participating in the athletic program. He continues to outperform his peers in every track and field event he’s in – 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and the long jump. Pushed by his coach, Larry Snyder, Owens begins the lengthy process of qualifying for the 1936 Olympic Games. He practices very hard despite constant racist teasing from other athletes and onlookers.

Eventually, Jesse becomes so exceptional at all of his events that he qualifies for the Summer Olympics, held in Berlin, Germany. At the time, Germany was under the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler, a man well-known for his extreme hatred of other races, religions, and creeds that were not his own. Because of this, Jesse receives pushback from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), who believe that he shouldn’t attend the Games because of Germany’s outdated view of black people. Owens then has to decide for himself – should he run in a country that publicly persecutes people that look like him? Or should he stay home in protest?

Questions:1. Jesse initially has to drown out the voices of crowd members who

dislike him. What do you think that experience must have been like for him?

2. Do you think it was brave or idiotic of Jesse to go to the Olympics during the reign of Nazi Germany?

3. What did Jesse’s Olympic wins do for the American people? What about the black population?

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ZOOTOPIAPG 108 minutes Another critically acclaimed film from Walt Disney Animation Studios; Zootopia follows the story of Judy Hopps, a determined bunny who works her tail off to leave her small-town life for the booming metropolis of Zootopia. From a young age, Judy has tried to dismiss the notion that you must only do the things expected of you. Because of her willpower, she becomes the first bunny cop on a police force filled with larger, “stronger” police officers (rhinos, lions, and tigers). Immediately upon arrival at the station, her squad is informed of 14 missing mammals throughout Zootopia but instead of being assigned to help solve the missing people case, Judy is given parking duty. Driven to make the best of her unwanted job, she puts on a happy face and gives out more parking tickets in one hour than most cops do in one day.

While on parking duty, Judy meets (and is hustled by) Nick Wilde, a con artist of a fox. Nick manages to put Judy down, so by the end of her first shift as a police officer, she’s feeling like she may have made a mistake in moving to Zootopia. However, she returns to work the next day and soon finds herself hot on the trail of the missing mammals. In her search for Emmett Otterton (one of the missing), she realizes sly Nick Wilde may hold helpful information that would aid her quest. Judy cons Nick into helping her complete the case within the 48-hour deadline given to her by Police Chief Bogo. The two track leads, eventually making an arrest that seemingly solves everything and become friends along the way. But when asked in a press conference what the connection is between the missing mammals, Judy says that they’ve gone “savage” and the animals may be reverting to their predator-like ways. Because Nick is a fox, thus a traditional predator animal, he is offended by Judy’s insistence that these animals are going “savage” simply because they were born as predators. Zootopia then provides children with an interesting look at a debate that is as old as time – can you overcome the life into which you were born? Is it possible to change yourself beyond the stereotypes you’ve been given?

Questions:1. Have you ever wanted to do something that others said you couldn’t

do? Why do you think they said that? How did you feel?2. Zootopia is about dreaming big and not limiting yourself to the

“carrot farm” – what’s a big dream you have? How do you plan to achieve it?

3. Judy Hopps doesn’t like being called a “dumb bunny” and Nick Wilde doesn’t like being called a “sly fox” – why do you think that is?

STAR WARS: EPISODE VII - THE FORCE AWAKENSPG-13 136 minutes

The dark forces have risen again in the seventh installment of the Star Wars franchise. Everyone is on the hunt for Luke Skywalker, the last surviving Jedi. The First Order, better known as the dark side, is hoping to destroy him to have total control once again. However, due to the rebellion of a few, the First Order is having trouble carrying out their mission. Not only that, but nobody seems to have the full coordinates of Luke’s location. What ensues is a race between the First Order and the Resistance (led by General Leia Organa) to track down Luke.

This movie introduces a cast of new characters including feisty female fighter Rey, First Order rebel Finn, and prized droid BB-8. They join up with Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Leia as they try to stop the First Order leader Kylo Ren from inflicting severe damage on the galaxy. All the while, Kylo Ren is trying to locate BB-8, who is known to hold part of the map that leads to Luke Skywalker. Eventually we find out that Kylo Ren is actually Han and Leia’s son who was sent to train with Luke, but turned on him to join the dark side. He is part conspirator of a plan to use a massive weapon that is capable of destroying entire planets. To avoid this, the Resistance pre-emptively attacks the First Order, only to be met with extreme defiance. At that point, a bitter battle takes place.

Questions:1. Han and Leia’s son, Kylo Ren, turns on his family to embrace the

dark forces. Has there been a time in your life when someone you love disappointed you? How did you handle it?

2. Rey is a strong female figure who isn’t afraid to fight back. Can you think of other female main characters that that are strong and stand up for themselves? What do you like about them?

3. Who is your favorite Star Wars character and why?

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EDDIE THE EAGLEPG-13 106 minutes

Eddie the Eagle tells the true tale of Michael “Eddie” Edwards, a decidedly unorthodox man who managed to qualify for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. Interested in athletics since he was a child, Eddie begins to study the Summer Olympics and plots his route to becoming an athlete. Soon he realizes that achieving the athletic prowess required by Summer Olympians is nothing short of impossible, so he switches course and teaches himself to ski. While he was particularly good at skiing, once the opportunity comes for him to join the Winter Games, the British Olympic officials deny him a place in the lineup. Eddie marches on, finding a loophole in the system – the United Kingdom had a ski jumping team, though there had not been a participant on that squad for 60 years. Doing the math, he understands he gets a spot on the team just for trying out since no one else has elected to join up.

Already possessing the basics of how to ski, he ventures to Germany to attend ski jumping camp to hone his skills. Immediately upon his arrival, Eddie is laughed at by his fellow jumpers, but he’s not fazed by their ridicule. Instead he continues to attempt larger jumps although his tendency is to crash on nearly every run. Soon Bronson Peary, a snow groomer at the park, reluctantly takes Eddie under his wing to teach him how to jump correctly. Bronson, now an unhappy alcoholic, was a former champion American ski jumper who stepped away from fame after a disagreement with his mentor, Warren Sharp. With the guidance of Bronson and the aid of outdated Olympic requirements, Eddie manages to qualify for the Winter Games. However, the British Olympic Council swiftly changes minimum qualifications, so suddenly Eddie is forced to outperform what he thought he was capable of. What follows is the story of a lovable underdog who inspires a nation and world to follow their dreams, no matter how unattainable they may be.

Questions:1. Do you think Eddie finding a loophole in the Olympics’ rules was fair

to the other athletes around the world who had worked their whole lives to achieve their goal? Why or why not?

2. Eddie, though an underdog doesn’t follow the traditional route of other underdog athletes – he manages to always come in last place, despite his best efforts. In other sports movies, the underdog often comes out on top in spite of all the obstacles they faced. Do you like the stories where the underdog wins or the stories where the underdog remains just that? Why?

3. Bronson is a tough mentor on Eddie and frequently tells him to give up on ski jumping. Is having a mentor that is harsh helpful or harmful to someone? Why?

THE MARTIANPG-13 164 MINUTES

In the opening of The Martian, the audience is quickly thrust into a science fiction nightmare as they watch the crew of the Hermes gathering samples at the landing site of space shuttle Ares III. The crew, inclusive of protagonist (and botanist) Mark Watney, Commander Melissa Lewis, IT know-it-all Beth Johanssen, pilot Rick Martinez, flight surgeon Chris Beck, and chemist Alex Vogel, realize a storm is fast-approaching. Commander Lewis orders the crew to abort the mission and demands they return to Hermes immediately. However, Mark is struck by a piece of satellite, tossing him away from the crew and unable to be seen. The commander makes a tough call and opts to leave Mark behind in order to maintain the health and livelihood of the remainder of their crew. Back on Earth, the director of NASA holds a press conference to discuss Hermes and informs the country that Mark Watney was lost, thus declared dead.

However, Mark Watney is far from dead. Though his oxygen tank is empty and he is nearing the end of his life, he manages to hobble his way back to the habitat station. It’s there that Mark begins to make witty video logs of his time on Mars and recognizes the need to grow an additional three years’ worth of food. (He determines he has a supply for one year and that it will be four years before a manned return mission can save him to go back home.) While he starts the process of maintaining life, NASA retrieves satellite images of Mars, noticing solar panels have been cleaned (so Mark can begin growing crops). As they scramble to figure out a method to resupply him with materials to sustain life, NASA also struggles to choose a course of action in order to rescue their lost man and how to tell the American public (and his still-in-orbit crew) that Mark Watney is indeed alive. From there the audience watches grippingly as a brilliant, entertaining astronaut utilizes his own waste and humor to save himself from death on Mars.

Questions:1. Mark Watney is like many people across the world; he uses humor

to make the best of a terrible situation. Can you remember a time when you had to use humor to make yourself feel better? When was that and what did you do?

2. NASA chooses not to tell the crew of Hermes about Mark’s survival for several months in order to keep them on track with their mission. Do you think this was the right call? Why or why not?

3. Although Mark Watney is an intelligent astronaut, he uses some basic survival skills to keep himself alive. What are some survival skills you know? What others would you like to know?

THE JUNGLE BOOKPG 111 minutes

In this live-action remake of the Disney animated classic, the audience is welcomed back into the wooded world of Mowgli and Baloo. Mowgli is a man-cub, adopted by a pack of wolves when he was a baby and raised by them thereafter. As he grows up, Mowgli’s human presence begins to irk other members of the jungle, specifically the tiger Shere Khan. His goal is to rid the forest of Mowgli and vows to do so once the dry season they’re experiencing is over. Because of the threat Shere Khan has placed on Mowgli’s life, the wolf pack decides the jungle may not be the best place for him any more. The panther Bagheera volunteers to take him toward the man village, where he would be safe from the likes of Shere Khan. The tiger, however, knows Mowgli will run back to his wolf pack at some point, so he waits until he shows up again.

Meanwhile, the man-cub is out having adventures of his own. He soon meets his bear comrade, Baloo, whose initial interest in Mowgli has to do with how he can provide Baloo with help when needed. We watch the young boy climb up a tree just to retrieve a bit of honeycomb Baloo has his eye on. The two eventually form a friendship, only to be torn apart once Mowgli is taken by a group of angry monkeys. From there, the story morphs into one of chaos as our favorite man-cub tries to find his way home.

Questions:1. What would you do if you had to survive in a jungle alone? What

animals would you befriend?2. Mowgli trusts Kaa, but quickly learns she’s not a good character.

How do you decide if someone you just met is trustworthy?3. Baloo lies and tells Mowgli he doesn’t want him around anymore.

While Mowgli is sad, it seems like this was a lie to help Mowgli. Did you ever lie to someone for their own good like Baloo? Why?

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ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRLPG-13 105 minutes

Greg Gaines is an aloof high school senior, essentially friendless except for his co-worker Earl (who is probably an actual friend, though Greg will never admit to it). He and Earl make their way through life by creating short films that parody real-life films, but said films are for their own enjoyment, never to be shown to the public. That is, until Greg’s former childhood friend Rachel Kushner is diagnosed with leukemia. Because Rachel is much like Greg in that she lacks a solid friend group, Greg’s parents push him to spend time with her while she is going through chemotherapy. At first Greg doesn’t like the idea of using his free time at the bedside of a sick girl he barely knows, but he keeps the promise he made to his mom, visiting Rachel day after day.

Eventually Earl is roped into the cancer visits with Rachel and he convinces Greg to show the parody films to Rachel, despite Greg’s initial pushback. Thankfully, Rachel finds the films endearing and comical, never poking fun at the boys’ favorite pastime. While the three are growing closer, Rachel decides to stop chemotherapy treatment, effectively time stamping herself with a due date that’s not so far into the future. Meanwhile, the boys are persuaded by Greg’s crush on Madison to produce a film that’s solely for Rachel – something that’s designed to make her feel the slightest bit better as she continues to suffer through her cancer. Soon they find out that Rachel has chosen to quit chemo, sending Greg into a state of panic where he alienates his only two friends. He then has to decide if he is going to let the depression of his life events swallow him whole, or if he’s going to allow himself to see the best of the situation.

Questions:1. Have you ever had a friend or family member close to you get sick?

What was that experience like?2. Greg constantly refers to Earl as his co-worker, even though it’s

clear that they have a strong friendship. Why do you think he does this?

3. People often assume Greg and Rachel will develop romantic feelings for one another, but the events in this movie don’t follow that storyline. What was the reasoning behind the author’s choice for this ending instead of a more traditional one?

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETSPG 100 minutes

Pet owners are sometimes left wondering what it is exactly their pets do while they’re away from home. The Secret Life of Pets shows us just how much mischief their furry family members can get into. The movie opens with an intimate look at Max’s life, a little dog whose owner Katie pampers him endlessly. After a day at work, Katie comes home with a surprise for Max – another dog! Duke is much bigger than Max and begins to take all the attention in the house. Unhappy with the recent addition, Max sets out to get rid of Duke, but his best efforts leave both Duke and Max captured by animal control officers.

Upon being picked up by animal control, the two dogs are helped by a crazed bunny named Snowball, whose goal is to get revenge on all humans. In the Lair of Flushed Pets, the boys meet all of Snowball’s cronies, who are equally vicious about ridding the world of pet owners who abandon their furry friends. Max and Duke seem freaked out by the situation in which they find themselves, especially because they actually enjoy their owner and spending time with her. The animals in the Lair of Flushed Pets denounce collars and animals that wear them. These “mob dogs” soon realize Duke and Max aren’t against pet owners and aim to punish them, but are thrown off when the animal friends of Max have come to save the day. It’s then up to all of them to escape the Lair of Flushed Pets and return home safely to Katie. Questions:1. Do you have a pet? What do you think he/she does when you’re

gone all day?2. Max is clearly threatened by Duke, and while Duke does some

mean things to Max in the beginning, it seems as though Duke’s life hasn’t exactly been easy. Have you ever judged someone too quickly? Why and what happened?

3. What’s your favorite kind of animal? Would you want it as a pet?

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SING STREETPG-13 106 minutes

Sing Street takes place in Dublin, Ireland in 1985, a time when self-expression was beginning to take its form in punk rock bands. Conor Lalor is a 15-year-old who was recently told by his bickering parents that they could no longer pay for his schooling due to financial trouble. For that reason, he is placed in a strict state school that thrives on unnecessarily rigid rules and regulations. Immediately, Conor rebukes the high standards he is held to, causing trouble for himself with the school’s principal, Brother Baxter.

Somehow, despite his inherent nerdiness, he manages to cobble together a group of friends that he molds into a band, Sing Street. Like many teenage boys, Conor’s goal in creating this band is to impress a pretty girl he just met named Raphina. With the additional help of his brother Brendan, the band members work together to craft a musical style that is completely their own, all while struggling to find their band’s physical, costume identity. Raphina helps the band along the way, serving to deepen Conor’s feelings for her, even though he knows she has a boyfriend. The audience continues to root for Conor and his friends, in hopes that they will make it big, and that when they do, Conor will finally get the girl. Questions:1. Raphina tells Conor he needs a rockstar name and dubs him Cosmo.

Do you think this reinvention was necessary? What did it do for Conor?

2. What is a time you felt you were regulated by unnecessary rules? How did you cope?

3. “Drive It Like You Stole It” is the biggest song Sing Street writes and performs. Why do you believe that people like this song so much? What’s its message?

HE NAMED ME MALALAPG-13 87 minutes

Malala Yousafzai is a young, Pakistani female activist who diligently speaks out for the right to education for girls all across the world. As a result of her persistent activism and positive attention from the media, the Taliban targeted her. (The Taliban being a group who aim to reestablish a puritanical Islamic state in Afghanistan. They are famously hateful toward America and American forces in Afghanistan as well.) On October 9, 2012, a masked gunman attempted to kill Malala as she rode home on a bus after a day at school in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. Thankfully, Malala made a near-full recovery from her wounds, despite having a bullet go through her head and neck, ending in her shoulder.

He Named Me Malala (2015) details Malala’s recovery and her continued presence in her community, country, and across the world. She has become a worldwide-known figure, a lead campaigner for the rights of children everywhere. The audience gets an inside look on the daily life of Malala, from seeing her at home with her brothers goofing around, to watching her plead with the United Nations (UN) for action. Although she’s a bright face for the movement towards equal education rights, we remember that she’s only 17-years-old and like any typical 17-year-old, she has crushes on boys, misses seeing her friends, and stresses about the grades on her biology exams.

Questions:1. Malala is seen having to juggle the struggles of attending

conferences and giving speeches along with the pressure of completing her schoolwork on time. How do you balance completing your schoolwork in addition to your other commitments?

2. Clearly, Malala Yousafzai is passionate about girls and their right to the education their male peers receive, though she has other interests as well. What are some of your passions? Are there any causes that you want to spend time supporting?

3. We see that Malala isn’t the only person in her family; she has two brothers as well. Her brothers don’t seem bothered or jealous by her success – why do you think that is?

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FINDING DORYPG 100 minutes

Finding Dory plops us back into the underwater world of our lovable fish friends, Dory, Marlin, and Nemo – except this time, we follow Dory’s journey to relocate her long lost family. At the beginning of the film, Dory starts to remember her parents, Charlie and Jenny, and thus remembers losing them when she was a child. Dory continues to have memories resurface and decides to follow those memories in hopes of finding her family. Marlin and Nemo join Dory for the ride, until Nemo is nearly snatched by a scary squid, at which instance Marlin blames Dory for their bad luck. Obviously hurt by Marlin’s less-than-kind words, she rushes off, persisting forth with her mission to locate her parents.

Dory’s trek across the ocean leads her to the Pacific Ocean, where she quickly finds herself at the Marine Life Institute – a rehabilitation center for sea creatures. As Dory does, she makes fast friends with the fish around her with her endearing life story and charming personality. Soon she’s surrounded by a seven-legged octopus named Hank, a whale shark named Destiny (and coincidentally, a childhood friend she had forgotten), and a beluga whale named Bailey who are all working to help her in her cross-ocean journey. Meanwhile, Marlin and Nemo are trying to track Dory down by following in her fin-steps after Marlin’s minor blow-up at his friend cause them to lose sight of her. Eventually they are able to reach the Marine Life Institute and Dory, but their quest isn’t over just yet! Questions:1. Hank is a grumpy octopus who values environments where he

knows he’ll be safe, but Dory tries to convince him to live beyond the glass box he’s used to. He even says, “I just want to live in a glass box alone. That’s all I want.” Do you think Hank’s life would be better behind glass or out in the ocean? Why?

2. Bailey is a beluga whale who came into the Marine Life Institute with a head injury, which he thought caused his echo location not to work. However, Destiny convinces him that it does work and he later uses it to help Dory swim through pipes as she searches for her parents. Has there been a moment where you thought you couldn’t do something, but then were surprised by your own abilities? How did you find out you could actually do the thing you were trying to do?

3. One of Dory’s life mottos is to “just keep swimming.” Can you remember a time where you needed to remind yourself to “just keep swimming?”

THE INTERNPG-13 121 minutes

Ben is a widowed senior citizen looking for a way to fill his time, so he creates a video resume for an internship he wants. Luckily for him, this internship program is trying out a new initiative where they hire senior citizens and the interviewer thinks he’s beyond qualified for the job. So he begins work at an online clothing retailer, run by go-getter Jules Ostin. Though ‘About The Fit’ is a relatively new company, Jules has worked to make it an immense success, all while maintaining positive relationships with her staff and a healthy life at home.

Ben’s presence on the team is immediately felt, as all other employees embrace his friendly manner, though Jules has trouble finding something for him to do. She isn’t sure that his being there will be necessary and tells her assistant that she’ll give him the mandatory six-week period and see where things go from there. Ben, however, manages to mosey his way into Jules life, proving he is a valuable asset by taking over for her chauffeur after he notices the man has had too much to drink. Thankful for his honesty, Jules begins to open up to Ben and confide her thoughts, dreams, and insecurities to him. It is because of this newfound friendship that Jules is able to let go of her boss girl persona and admit to being unsure about whether or not she should hire a CEO to best manage the company. We find out she is receiving pressure not only from her business colleagues, but from her husband as well. This film shows that age is just a number and shouldn’t stop people from spending time with others who lift them up, regardless of how young or old they are.

Questions:1. Ben finds himself unchallenged by his life, which is why he ends up

submitting his video for the internship program at ‘About The Fit.’ When is a time you challenged yourself to do something different than you were used to? Why did you do it?

2. This movie brings up the stigmas working moms face. Jules even says, “It’s 2015, are we really still critical of working moms?” What do you think about working moms? Can women have it all in this day and age?

3. Ben seems to calm Jules and make her feel at peace. Who is a person in your life that does this for you?

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