Skip to Main Content

Film, Contemporary Actors & Literature Research

Potential topics

When searching the library catalog and databases, try using a combination of the terms listed below:
 

  • "motion pictures"
  • "film adaptations" OR "movie adaptations"
    • The Revenant; The Martian; Carol; The Big Short; The Danish Girl; Steve Jobs; 45 Years - from David Constantine's In Another Country: Selected Stories
    • See also James Donovan's memoir Strangers on a Bridge which has been made into Bridge of Spies.

 

  • "movie industry" OR "motion picture industry"
  • "motion pictures - history"
  • “film history”
  • "historical films" OR "historical movies"

 

  • "film criticism" OR "movie criticism"
  • reviews
  • "motion picture criticism"

 

  • "science in motion pictures"

 

  • "animated films'" OR animation

 

  • "motion pictures" AND setting
  • "motion pictures" AND scenery
  • "setting and scenery"

 

  • "art in motion pictures"

 

  • couples AND "motion pictures"
  • "man woman relationships"
  • "man woman relationships in motion pictures"
  • "sex role in motion pictures"

 

  • "love in motion pictures"

 

  • "motion pictures" AND "political aspects"
  • "race relations"

 

  • animals AND "motion pictures"
  • animals AND movies
    "motion pictures" AND literature
  • "silent films"
  • "film noir"
  • parodies
  • "film genres"

 

  • drones AND movies [Batman, Iron Man, Transformers, Crank: High Voltage, The Hurt Locker, Jupiter Ascending, Avatar, Battle: Los Angeles]

 

  • cinematography
  • "motion pictures" AND music
  • ("motion pictures" OR movies) AND music AND (mood OR emotions)
  • "film history"

 

  • "Leonardo DiCaprio"
  • "Martin Scorsese"  [etc.]

 

Critics/moviegoers questioned the facts as presented in the following nominated movies:

  • American Sniper (2015)
  • Argo (2013)
  • Bridge of Spies (based on James Donovan's memoir Strangers on a Bridge) (2016)
  • Captain Phillips (2014)
  • Hacksaw Ridge (2017 nomination)
  • Hidden Figures (2017)
  • Imitation Game (2015)
  • The King's Speech (2011)
  • Lincoln (2013)
  • Loving (released 2016)
  • Selma (2015)
  • Southside With You (2016 release. Available on Netflix)
  • Zero Dark Thirty (2013)

Search terms:

  • "historical accuracy"
  • "historical accuracy" AND (movies OR films OR "motion pictures")
  • "fact checking"

Keywords:

  • diversity AND (movies OR "motion pictures)
  • racism
  • sexism

 

LGBT movies

  • Moonlight (2017)
  • Imitation Game (2014)
  • Whiplash (2014)
  • Birdcage (1996)
  • A Beautiful Thing (1996)
  • Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Fact-checking in the movies

Critics/moviegoers questioned the facts as presented in the following nominated movies:

  • American Sniper
  • Argo
  • Captain Phillips
  • Imitation Game
  • The King's Speech
  • Lincoln
  • Selma
  • Zero Dark Thirty

See also:

Bridge of Spies based on James Donovan's memoir Strangers on a Bridge

 


Search terms:

  • "historical accuracy"
  • "historical accuracy" AND (movies OR films OR "motion pictures")
  • "fact checking"

Contact the Library

Profile Photo
Jane Lewandoski
Contact:
Phone (810) 989-5640
Text (810) 515-7343
library@sc4.edu
Website

Arrival

Suggested keywords:

  • "science fiction"
  • "linguistic relativity"

Available at St. Clair County Public Library

Based on the short story "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang.

Fences

Suggested keywords:

  • diversity AND movies [compare to Selma (2015) Hidden Figures (2017) Help (2011)]
  • "minorities in motion pictures"

Available on DVD March 2017

Based on 1983 play by August Wilson.

Available in SC4 Library.

Fire at Sea - Documentary (feature) nomination

Hacksaw Ridge

Potential keywords / topics

  • pacifists OR pacifism
  • war AND ethics

Available on DVD February 21.

St. Clair County Public Library

Based on the life of Desmond Doss, World War II.

Hell or High Water

Potential topics

Working class white men

  • Manchester by the Sea (2017 nomination)
  • Hell or High Water (2017 nomination)
  • Loving (2016)
  • Deepwater Horizon

Available at St Clair County Public Library

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Working class white men

  • Manchester by the Sea (2017 nomination)
  • Hell or High Water (2017 nomination)
  • Loving (2016)
  • Deepwater Horizon

Hidden Figures

Suggested keywords:

  • "women mathematicians"
  • "African American women"
  • "African American mathematicians"
  • "space race"
  • racism
  • "science in motion pictures" [compare to Imitation Game (2015) Theory of Everything (2015)]
  • diversity AND movies [compare to Selma (2015) Hidden Figures (2017) Help (2011)]\

See Fact Checking in the movies in the left hand column

  • "historical accuracy"
  • "historical accuracy" AND (movies OR films OR "motion pictures")
  • "fact checking"

La La Land

Lion

Manchester by the Sea

Potential keywords:

  • "single fathers"
  • grief AND ("motion pictures" OR movies)
  • "death in motion pictures"
  • "working class white men" OR "white working class men"

 

Available on DVD late spring 2017.

The Confirmation (2016 release) - divorced father

Working class white men

  • Hell or High Water (2017 nomination)
  • Loving (2016 release)
  • Deepwater Horizon (2016 release)
  • Manchester By the Sea (2017 nomination)

Moonlight

Themes:

  • LGBT movies
    • Moonlight (2017)
    • Imitation Game (2014)
    • Whiplash (2014)
    • Birdcage (1996)
    • A Beautiful Thing (1996)
    • Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Keywords / search strings

  • diversity AND ("motion pictures" OR movies)
  • "minorities in motion pictures"
  • bullying
  • poverty
  • "coming of age"
  • masculinity
  • "challenging stereotypes" AND "black men"

Available on DVD in late spring.

Based on the never published piece "In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue" by Tarell Alvin McCraney/

Silence (Best Cinematography nomination)