I Watched My Professors’ Favorite Movies

By Sophia Mathews

Not too long ago, I emailed every single one of my past professors to ask them a single question: What is your favorite movie? It felt like emailing my exes; I haven’t kept in touch with most of them, and some I last spoke to three years ago. Also, while I’ve had conversations with my professors about the Cuban Revolution or climate change, I was less likely to discuss a topic as personal as movies. 

Irina Troconis - Romance Studies

“I would say my favorite movie changes almost every week. This week, I rewatched Dead Poets Society, which I very much love because it is one of the movies that inspired me to pursue a career as a professor and confirmed the power of words and of literature to change how we understand the world, traditions, and each other.”

I watched this movie in high school, but apparently I had forgotten 90% of it because I was absolutely stunned by the devastating ending. I love this film’s message that learning is powerful, and remaining curious and thinking independently are invaluable. To be honest, I think I’m still recovering from the shock of the ending, because I mostly just remembered people reading poetry and performing Shakespeare. There’s definitely a little more to the film, so just know you might cry at the end. Also, it warms my heart that this movie inspired Professor Troconis to teach, especially since our class had incredible discussions where everyone was encouraged to share their ideas. I would absolutely recommend this movie. Carpe diem!

Bruce Monger - Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

“I saw My Octopus Teacher about a year ago and loved it a lot!! Great cinematography and great story of falling in love with nature.  The emotional content is what really grabbed me.”

Learning that Oceanography professor extraordinaire Professor Monger’s favorite movie is My Octopus Teacher felt perfect. Of course, he’s interested in marine life! However, you don’t have to study the ocean to find interest in this film. This documentary is like nothing I’ve seen before. It’s unique in that it has a narrow focus on one man’s relationship with one animal, where I find nature documentaries often attempt to describe an entire species. Framing a study on octopi this way made it personal. We got to know an individual octopus, and I loved that I was so invested in her friendship with the filmmaker. 

Cheryl Stanley - Hotel Administration

“If I had to pick one, I would go with Sixteen Candles.  I was, and still am, a huge John Hughes movie fan, including The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink.  Sixteen Candles is a movie I have seen over a thousand times. The movie always brings me joy, reminds me of watching it with my best friends, and is mindless entertainment, which we all need now and then.”

I actually saw Sixteen Candles for the first time at my sixteenth birthday party, but five years later I had absolutely no memory of it. I was a little shocked when I rewatched it because, well, let’s just say it does not stand the test of time. It’s not a fresh take to use today’s standards to criticize an ‘80s movie, so I’m not going to go through every part that was insensitive or flat-out uncomfortable to watch. Instead, I’ll just say that I can understand the appeal of this movie. I love ‘80s high school movies, which feel nostalgic (even though I wasn’t alive in the ‘80s). In general, movies featuring high school parties, crushes, and navigating adolescence are some of my favorites. Plus, I have a handful of comfort movies that are constant rewatches for me, and even when I know they are not perfect, I still love them because they are familiar and fun.

This experiment was worth it! I think of my professors as supersmart, intimidating academics, and while they are supersmart, they are also humans who enjoy movies just like me. Watching their favorites was a fun way for me to get to know them a little bit better and visit or revisit some film classics.