For several days, we have viewed the courtroom drama 12 Angry Men. In the film, 11 jurors are convinced that the defendant is guilty; one man is convinced of his innocence. While the evidence appears overwhelmingly against the accused teenager, this one man is able to use the same evidence to steer the others to his way of thinking.
I would like two separate posts.
In the first:
Consider this film, and a court case in particular, a metaphor for the essay itself. Consider the argument. Reflect on the evidence, its meaning, and the explanations that accompanied it. What, if anything, did this film teach you about your argument (thesis) and your use of your own evidence (quotes). How can this information help you with your essay in general, and your Say/Mean/Matter more specifically? Please answer in full
In the second post:
I would love to know what you thought of the film. Give me YOUR OPINION (yikes).
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ReplyDeleteThe film reminded me that if evidence has even one realistic doubt to it, there is a possibility that it is wrong. I have to think from every point of view, I have to be broad minded, and find if there is anything that could possibly prove me wrong, and then quickly decide if I can eliminate that with more evidence or if it actually changes my opinion on the subject.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the film, especially the man who proved everybody wrong in the end by convincing them that the boy was innocent. The only concern I had about the entire movie was what if the boy really actually had killed his father, and all of the assumptions made were not true. The old man heard the boy yell and made it to the door in time to see him and the lady did see the boy kill his father, even if it was without her glasses. That makes me think about how people like that can get away with things like that because of doubts in the jury.
ReplyDeleteAlex Hoover: This cinematic court trail showed me that if there is any reasonable doubt there is room for argument, and that the fact that evidence is not always correct. I agree with Kenneth about how an individual has to think about every aspect of the evidence and check it for cracks/ flaws that can be argued against. Another thing that this film reminded me of was that you have to listen to something from other people's point of view and not entirely focus on your own.
ReplyDeleteAlex Hoover: I love this film. It has been one of my favorite movies since eighth grade, which was the first time I watched it. Debating is one of my hobbies, I think that arguing is fun. This movie also helps write essays because it shows how to have a good argument in the begging and how to have a counter- argument to everything else. I am very glad that we watched the film.
ReplyDeleteThis film allowed me to realize that in order to make a good argument, you must be able to spell it out for your audience. If you do not go in depth and use proof, then the audience will be confused. However, if you give quotes, a good explanation and a good thesis and topic sentence on top, then you have the whole recipe for a great essay!
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a brilliant movie! I loved the little old guy. Arguments made made ME think about the case, made me think I was there. I could "feel" the actors too, they played their parts very well and really acted like 12 angry jurors. Can't wait for the next movie we're watching (let's just not take notes ) =)
ReplyDeleteThe film helped me understand the idea of persuasion. Persuasion involves critical thinking and in order to persuade someone, it is required that both main points of the arguement are known. I learned that with out knowing the other side of the story there is no way to defend yourself. Persusaion has to do with research and a plethora amount of thinking.
ReplyDeleteTO me the film was really funny and it kept me awake. Other films we watch in school are not as entertaining, but it was definitely interesting to watch. I loved learning about the different points of the case and how much effort the one man put in to thinking the teenager was not guilty. Although I agree with Julien,I don't like notes. :]
ReplyDeleteThe movie taught me that your opinion on the topic can change throughout your argument. For example, only the one man believed the boy was not guilty in the beginning. However, slowly each member of the jury changed their minds. The evidence had not changed, but had been presented in a new way. Also, new evidence was brought to them. In an essay you may start out with a thesis and know that it completely favors your opinion, or side of the argument. Throughout your essay though you may find yourself seeing how the other views and points to the argument are correct as well. I also learned how crucial evidence is in proving your point.
ReplyDeleteI love movies about trials and cases like this, so I thought the movie was entertaining. Rather than showing us a boring tutorial on how to write and essay using evidence, showing us a film about a actual murder trial and making us make the comparison between a court case and an essay helped me realize that evidence is important. Because of this movie, I don't think I will ever forget to include evidence in an essay ever again.
ReplyDeleteThis was a metaphor for the essay because it showed how evidence (quotes) can be interpreted to the advantage of both parties. The jurors that initially voted guilty were just using the surface meaning of the evidence. The one juror that voted not guilty tried to find a deeper meaning in the evidence. This showed me I needed to use deep explenations of my quotes for my essay.
ReplyDeleteP.S. This isn't Jason, it's Codi Myers. I'm having issues with my own gmail so I'll be using my stepdad's until I figure it out.
The film is a metaphor for the essay because both the film and essays develop a thesis, and argue it. The man who voted not guilty had a thesis that stated the innocence of the accused. He took the arguments of those opposing him and phrased them in a way that would win him the case. He also introduced new evidence to back his case. Using the evidence, the man who voted not guilty proved his "topic sentences", which were general categories of evidence, such as questioning the credibility of the witnesses and proving alternate scenarios that could have happened. This film is applicable to my writing essays because it shows that any evidence can be twisted and presented in a way to prove any thesis. It also shows effective argument styles that leave no doubt.
ReplyDeleteI LOVED THAT MOVIE. I probably could have enjoyed it more if my attention wasyird, what with the trial. I found it thoroughly enjoyable, and really want to watch it again. Also, the nerdy guy with the high voice was my favorite.
ReplyDeleteP.S. This isn't Jason, it's Codi Myers. I'm having issues with my own gmail so I'll be using my stepdad's until I figure it out.
The film seemed insipid at first, but it grew more and more dramatic halfway through, when the one juror who voted not guilty developed his case to perfection. The grumpy, intolerant guy who had frequent emotional outbursts throughout the movie evoked much interest from me.
ReplyDelete12 Angry Men taught me that your argument must have substantial evidence. Everyone has different perspectives, but for them to see what you want to say clearly, you must back it up. In an essay, your thesis is the main statement. It gives the purpose of what you are writing about. Proving it, though, is where the hard part comes in. Being aware of both sides of the argument will really help in creating a good essay. In the film, Davis was the one man with a different view, and he persuaded 11 men into thinking his way. One has to write like they are Davis; write with a purpose and prove others wrong.
ReplyDeleteI thought this film was original. I like unpredictable stories, and this was definitely not expected. The whole movie was simply in a jury room with 12 men arguing for a little more than an hour. It sounded boring, but inside of the room were different personalities, pasts, and views. It turned out to be extremely interesting, and I enjoyed it very much. :D
ReplyDeleteThe arguments reflected in this film supported the concept of "personal opinion and belief" because as the suspense in the trial grew so did the jurors feelings, thoughts, and emotions. This proves that we can relate essays, thesis's, and our topics to everyday situations, making our essays more relatable in many different ways. This video helped to get me to realize that once we've made a statement, we need to back it up with support, otherwise it will be disregarded and treated as "not important" to the specific topic. This video also helped me to become more precise in my thoughts, so others can understand.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this video, because of the suspense and persuasion that occured. These kinds of movies tend to keep me on my toes and interested rather than documentaries. I also found the topic, murder, and the people in the jury to be intriguing. I really liked how the two main men, the two disputing with each other, were each others foil but it was because of their opposing arguments that the story was interesting and relatable!
ReplyDeleteThis film taught me that if you have the right attitude and a strong and persuasive argument, you get a mob to do anything. At first, I really thought it would be impossible for Davis to persuade the twelve men to vote Not Guilty, but he did it. He was straight to the point every time one of the men tried to argue with him and he was very confident. He believed that this boy was not guilty and made sure the rest of the men knew it too. This information helps because I know that for my essay, I have to be very direct about my arguments so that the reader does not have any confusion when reading my essay. I also know not to sway from one side to another. This just confuses the reader.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this film. It had humor, anger, and persuasion in it. Most importantly, however, it showed that anything is possible. This man persuaded eleven very direct and convinced men that the boy being accused, was not guilty. He believed in himself and by the end of the movie, so did the rest of the jury.
ReplyDeleteThe movie 12 Angry Men taught me that you MUST have evidence to support your argument. This movie taught me that if you have any hint of doubt about an argument then you should voice your opinion. If you do voice your opinion then it is important that you have evidence to back up your argument (or thesis). This video has also taught me to create my own opinion and not just go off what everyone else is thinking. I think this movie will help me write say mean matters because your quote is like the evidence and you must know what the evidence means to your case and why it is important (the case would be you thesis).
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this film because was not predictable like many other films you see today. I enjoyed how one man was able to convince 12 other men to believe in his thesis. This movies was also very surprising and it kept me interested throughout the whole movie. One last thing that I enjoyed about the movie was how different all of the characters where, it allowed you to see all of the different aspects of the argument.
ReplyDeleteThe movie 12 Angry Men taught me that your thesis can be changed. Just becuase you have one opinion at the beginning of your essay does not mean that it has to be the same as you are doing the essay. There must also be evidence supporting your thesis statement. The evidence can change your thesis too. To have a really strong essay, you should understand both sides of the arguement.
ReplyDeletethis film really helped me learn how to start of with a shaky thesis and build my way up to make it perfect. it also tought me how you build evidence (quotes) can help prove you right. this will help me in my overall essays alot because i would get a visual on how an essay's format should be presented.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the movie 12 Angry Men. You never knew what was going to happen. It was educational by teaching us more about a thesis, and overall it was an exciting movie. It also showed us to have faith in what we believe in because anything is possible.
ReplyDeletei enjoyed the film. i thought it was put together well because of the suspenceful moments. i liked the way the director made a usually boring subject fun and catching. i feel i could realte to many of the caracters because they all played regular everyday people. good film
ReplyDeleteThis movie was a good example of how one man can make a difference. It showed how a thesis can always be better. This also showed that evidence toward something can be decieving and sometimes look one way, but be completely different. This makes a thesis able to have many different aspects. This can help my essay so that I consider the different arguments towards my thesis and make an overall better essay.
ReplyDeleteI thought the film was an overall good movie, but I would have preffered to see the actual trial. The different characteristics of all the characters in the movie contributed towards making the film better and more interesting.
ReplyDeleteThis film helped me understand that I need make a strong argument to present to the table like the man who was convinced the boy was guilty and have evidence to prove my point. I've been working on it and I'm going to consider a new thesis.
ReplyDeleteI actually liked the movie. I wished they showed part of the trial as well instead of just telling us about it. I wasn't really fond of the man who was so convinced that the boy was guilty until the very end of the movie where he broke down. Every time I saw him, I knew he was going to yell about something and I just did not want to hear about it. The ending with that man was very touching though, but I thought the old man asking for the other man's name was random.
ReplyDeleteIf anything, this film proved the statement "innocent until proven guilty" to be true. This movie, 12 angry men, helped me realize that my thesis was too flimsy with not enough evidence and quotes behind it. I did not have much of an arguable thesis, and so i wasn't able to support it enought to make others believe it. This movie could help me think more about my thesis as an argument and help me provide better support and evidence.
ReplyDeleteI Loved the film, and i honestly enjoyed doing the note taking activity for it. The movie kept me thinking during the whole thing, and i like that in a movie.
ReplyDeleteThe film helped me understand the importance of using evidence to prove a point and the power of persuasion. It taught me that I need to execute the right amount of information in my topic sentences. It showed me that I can prove a point by persuading others with thorough explanations and evidence (quotes).
ReplyDeleteI usually do not enjoy old films mainly because the actors are boring and the humor is dry. I did like this one though because it benefited me in the long run- I have re-thought my thesis and am in the process of uncovering more supportive quotes.
ReplyDeleteThis movie taught me that strong evidence is needed to prove a forceful argument. This may help me on my essays by teaching me that I need to support more of what I am trying to prove. This movie may also help make more of an argument to my thesis statement.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what I thought of the film because I didnt even see half of it and didn't understand it. I might have liked it if I saw it. Although, since everyone else said they liked the movie, I'll just say I liked it too. The last person to make eye contact with Ms G was Stevie Wonder.
ReplyDeleteNone of the evidence was accurate enough to prove the 18 year old to be guilty of any crime. The film taught me that my qoutes(evidence) need to be strong enough to convince whoever is reading my essay to agree with my argument(thesis). After watching the film now I know that it is important to have hard evidence(qoutes) that directly relate to my thesis that I am trying to prove.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed watching the film it kept me interested, wondering who was going to be the next person to change their vote to 'not guilty'. The only thing I had a problem with about the film was how they didn't say their names. It is harder to make a connection with the character when you don't know their names, and at first they all looked the same to me, but slowly they began to differentiate.
ReplyDeleteThis movie gave me a better understanding to the importance of critical thinking. Infering and digging into greater detail can persuade the reader in an essay. This discussion from the jury described what an essay needs; detail, critical thinking, and evidence. Those three items will make an essay even better
ReplyDeleteThe film showed to always look into thing instead of judging by the outside. Like dont just a book by its cover. This movie also told me that evidence is always needed to support your argument.
ReplyDeletei really liked this film we watched. It kept me intrested throughout the whole film. It was intresting to watch and see all the facts be broken down and shown how they could not be true in ways I would never think of.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this movie because the different opinions and arguments created suspense. The whole time as I watched the movie I felt involved because my opinion had as well changed through the arguments presented. My essay writing will be superb because I now will make sure that I can persuade the reader.
ReplyDeleteWhat this film taught me about my argument was that it has to be a good argument that can be proved. It also taught me to look at my quotes in as many ways possible because a quote I think says one thing another person can think it is saying the exact opposite. This information can help with my essay becuase it shows me that I have to be persuasive to prove my thesis(argument), and it helps me with my say mean matters because it teaches me to be more in depth and to really look into the quotes.
ReplyDeleteI liked the movie for the most part but it was a little confusing in some parts(I probably didn't understand because I'm semi-sick). It was a good movie becuase it showed so many different views of one argument, as the movie progressed I also changed my vote from guilty to not guilty so I felt somewhat connected to it. As always I agree with Andrew, when he says that the last person to make eye contact with Ms. G was Stevie Wonder.
ReplyDeleteI think that veiwing this film allowed us to relate to writing essays because all the members had to bring evidence in order to support their theories. In an essay you develop a thesis and then provied evidence and supporting details to prove your point. The trial was similar to this process because we watched each juror member develop an idea and give reason for why chose that particular sentence. The case also showed that having more evidence can eventually cause you to change your thouhgts, as did eleven members of the jury who switched sides to not guilty.
ReplyDeleteMadeline
I enjoyed the film. Not only did it open my eyes to the many different perspectives of the case but left me wanting to try and solve it myself. I however, thought that the kid was not guilty and did not need too much convincing. I think that this was a good way to represent composing an essay because it is interesting and still gets the point across.
ReplyDeleteMadeline
From this film I learned that evidence is where impossible happens. I believe that you can change anyones arguement if the suitable evidence is provided. This film realated to writing our essays, because in our essays we are trying to get a point across through evidence. Our essays are persuading people to view the certain quandry on a certain side. This can help us with our say mean matter charts because it can teach us how to go deeper into our evidence to have a stronger persuasion line.
ReplyDeleteI REALLY liked this film. It took a little while for it to get started, but once it got started, it got heated. This film had me on the tips of my toes the whole time and wondering what was going to happen. At times, it had me hating certain characters and wanting to jump in to solve the case myself
ReplyDeleteThe film was a true example of hydroplating beyond the basic beleif. Though all of the evidence seemed to show that the young boy had killed his father at first glimpse, when looked upon later, there was much more to it. The one man who said that the boy was not guilty was actually a caring person and did not just want to accuse a young boy of being guilty after just one vote. He wanted to go beyond that and look at every detail before he made his decision. Slowly but surly by using his evidence he convinced every man in the room that he was not guilty. This movie taught me that you have to look beyond just the rubric when you are writing an essay. You have to look at it and truly think about how you can answer that question using your own opinion and a valid arguement. Most importantly, you must have evidence to back your case up, in the movie that was the marks from the glasses on the woman's face, in your essay it is your quotes from the book. You must change the reader's mind, or at least make them think about it.
ReplyDeleteI am not going to lie, when you first put the movie on, I was thinking, "Oh God, here we go again, another boring old movie in black and white." But as the movie started, I could not take my eyes off of it. I just wanted to punch the grumpy man in the face. He was such a downer. You can always tell that a movie is a good one, if you connect with the characters and you just want to see what happens next. That is definitely how this movie hit me. Having us watch this movie and connecting it to writing an essay was a very good idea. It opened my eyes to the mistakes with the evidenvce in my essay.
ReplyDeleteThis film taught me that there are different perspectives in looking at evidence. Fo example, after I watched the movie I looked back at my quotes and acually started thinking about the different meanings. It made me also change my thesis statement around. This film helped me with my essay because it taught me also about pesuasion. It is important to be able to persuade people while trying to prove the thesis statement. This film helped me with my say, mean, matters because it made me look at the evidence in a different way. I enjoyed learning from this activity.
ReplyDeleteI actually LOVED the movie. I love watching old movies because I feel like those are the ones that actually have the best overall lessons. I really want to be a lawyer so I found this movie very interesting. There was actually one part where I kind of guessed what the old man was going to say about the glasses. I thought it was really cool that I figured that out ahead of time. My favorite part was at the end when the old man asked for the other guy's name. I thought it was so funny how he just walked away after that. I hope we watch another movie like this one again.
ReplyDeleteThe film showed me that one person can truely make a difference. Only one man voted that the boy was innocent, and in the end was able to persuade everyone else to vote not guilty also. It's mt job for my essay to make sure I present arguments aginst my thesis, and my ideas, so I can shed new light on other evidence, and possibly persuade people to take my lead. When you compare Say/Mean/Matter to the evidence in the movie, we need to make sure that our evidence (Quotes), really prove a point and it makes sense.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the movie and was interested with how easily it could be related to writing an essay. The lonely old man was my favorite character because he was HALIARIOUS without even trying to be!! For me, he gave the serious story it's own little funny twist, and it's nice to watch a movie that is not always serious.
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