Write-Up #5 Assignment
The Hours (2002) Stephen Daldry
“Madness in Movies” Coordinated Studies
Brian Holt & JC Clapp, North Seattle Community College, 2012
Focus/Topic of Write-Up #5: Depression
Below is a list of common symptoms for Clinical Depression:















Feelings of sadness or unhappiness
Irritability or frustration, even over small matters
Loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities
Reduced sex drive
Insomnia or excessive sleeping
Changes in appetite — depression often causes decreased appetite and weight loss, but in some people it causes
increased cravings for food and weight gain
Agitation or restlessness — for example, pacing, hand-wringing or an inability to sit still
Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
Indecisiveness, distractibility and decreased concentration
Fatigue, tiredness and loss of energy — even small tasks may seem to require a lot of effort
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or blaming yourself when things aren't going right
Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
Frequent thoughts of death, dying or suicide
Crying spells for no apparent reason
Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches
Your Task (What your Write-Up should include): Choose one of the major female characters to
focus on (Clarissa, Virginia, or Laura), and then analyze:
1. How does this character behave that might indicate that she suffers from depression?
What does she do, think, or say that shows the audience she is depressed?
2. How is this same character portrayed, cinematically, to show the audience that she is
depressed? This would include filmmaking considerations such as how the lighting is
used, or what the camera angles are, or the music/sound she’s associated with that
communicates (outside of her behavior) that she is depressed.
What your Write-Up should not include:
 a review, reaction, or personal response
 the use of any research
 a plot summary
Grading Criteria (10 points): We will be looking for these elements when we grade your Write-Up:
 Discussion of how the depressed character behaves that indicates depression
 Discussion of how the depressed character is portrayed that indicates depression
 A minimum of 500 words (about 1 ½ pages)
 A heading that includes the name of the film, the year, and the name of the director
 Assignment typed in 12 pt. font, double spaced, and has 1 inch margins
 No response, critique, review, evaluation, or reaction
 No ideas or word used from any other source
 Grammatically correct and proofread – if there are extensive problems in this category, the paper as a
whole will not earn more than 6 points.