Movie Review Assignment
Philo 3: Ethics
Due Date: 6/17 by 1 pm
Point Value: 30 points
Assignment: The goal of this assignment is to demonstrate your ability to apply various ethical
theories to real-world scenarios as they are presented in a movie. Choose a movie from the list
provided below. While watching the movie, choose two decisions made by different
characters that you believe involve difficult ethical/moral dilemmas.
In an essay of between 5 and 6 pages, complete the following requirements:
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Briefly describe the first situation/decision you have chosen from the movie.
Analyze the situation/decision according to one of the ethical theories discussed in class
(you may also use theories pertaining to social justice, i.e. social contract theory). In
your analysis, briefly describe the important aspects of the ethical theory you have
chosen. Then discuss whether the decision made by the characters involved in the
situation should be considered moral or immoral according to the ethical theory you are
using.
Briefly describe the second situation/decision you have chosen from the movie.
Analyze the situation/decision according to a different ethical theory (different from the
one you have chosen for the first analysis). In this analysis, briefly describe the ethical
theory, and discuss whether the decision made by the characters involved in the situation
should be considered moral or immoral according to the ethical theory you are using.
Include a “Works Cited” page and other necessary citation according to MLA’s citation
standards. Discussion of the aspects of the ethical theories should be cited.
List of movies from which you must choose (italicized movies are available in the Social
Sciences Learning Lab, C315 for your convenience):
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“Sophie’s Choice” (starring Meryl Streep, 1982)
“Up in the Air” (starring George Clooney, 2010)
“The Color Purple” (starring Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, 1985)
“Lions for Lambs” (starring Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, 2007)
“Thank You for Smoking” (2005)
“A Handmaid’s Tale” (starring Natasha Richardson, Faye Dunaway, Aiden Quinn, 1990)
“Hotel Rwanda” (starring Don Cheadle, 2004)