Oscar Winner: Stutterer

In my last Media Literacy class, I always show this movie to my students as a perfect example of how media content works and affects us at different dimensions. I must have seen this 13-minute movie at least a dozen times, but it still hits me hard every time I watch it. It's just such a simple and powerful human story. Here's my personal analysis:

1. Cognitive dimension (What have I learned from the movie that I didn't know before?)

As I said, I've seen it before many times. But the first time I saw it, the movie struck me with how rich the inner world of the protagonist is. A lot of times when we see how someone stutters, we have no idea of how many times they went through what they want to say in their heads, and it all is smooth and flawless in their heads. "Music's the pleasure the human soul experiences from counting without being aware it's counting" is probably my favorite quote from this movie that is so deep and thought-provoking that probably anyone can find their own meaning in it. It is quite interesting to read the comments from other stutterers on this movie who praise the movie for accurate reflection of their struggles.

For my students, I point out the social media world before Messenger became a separate app and before emojis replaced much of the text. I love how generous the movie is with the time it allows for the viewers to read the DM correspondence. In today's movies, it is much faster and for those of us who are losing sight to age it can be a strenuous exercise.

2. Affective dimension (How did the movie make me feel, which emotions did it evoke?)

I feel deep compassion toward the main character, even though sometimes I also feel angry and frustrated by his procrastination with the response after he faces the real choice of taking an online relationship into the real world. My heart also feels warm when he describes himself as someone who "excels in the art of self-pity." That gives a lot of insight into his mind and soul and allows us to empathize with him deeply. It also makes me happy to see the happy end. I didn't want to see another movie where the main character gets hit by a bus right before he finally meets his soulmate.

3. Aesthetic dimension (How did the show give you the aesthetic pleasure?)

The movie is beautifully shot and masterfully alternates closeups with long shots. When we see a closeup of the main character, we have an opportunity to get a glimpse into his soul and state of mind. In long shots, we see his struggles while interacting with other people. The bus stop scene is the perfect example of this, especially the close up right before the punch out. I also loved the aesthetic of the "old" Facebook, it brought back some good memories of much richer interactions and nostalgia for FB without annoying ads and algos.

4. Moral dimension (What moral and ethical lessons does the movie teach us?)

In this sense, the movie is quite old-fashioned and affirms two millennia-old moral truisms: (1) good people are rewarded for their good deeds, albeit sometimes with a delayed effect; (2) every person has a soulmate that would perfectly match them in both character and abilities, you just need to find yours, take chances, and not sabotage your relationship with easy ways out.

I can gush about this movie a lot more, but I wanted to churn out a quick piece while my memories of it are still fresh from the class screening. If you watch it, I would love to read about your impressions in the comments. You can play it right here by clicking on the play button in the cover image.