APUSH Extra Credit Quarter 4
Historians like to discuss and discredit films for their inaccuracies, but the average person learns a great deal
about the past from these cinematic representations. Directors may take creative license with the facts and
characters, but they often are careful to represent dress, life-style, and culture in a way that texts and even great
storytellers have trouble doing. This assignment will encourage you to be critical thinkers as you analyze a film
for class.
While watching the movie, students will complete the following:

Your name, the names of any classmates who watched the film with you (you must each hand in your
own paper), the date, and the name of the movie.

A brief (1-2 paragraph) synopsis of the plot of the movie (what happened, who was involved, etc.)

Answers to the following questions (all of them):
o How does this movie relate to what we have studied in class?
o What historical events, issues, or controversies is this film trying to address? Be specific and cite
events, dates, and documents that are relevant to the plot of this movie.
o Is this movie a good representation of history? Did it treat the issues accurately (to the best of
your knowledge)?
o Was it balanced or did it have a point of view? If so, what was it?
o What is your opinion of the film? Would you recommend it to other history students? To the
public in general? Explain. Comment at length about the quality of the film as both entertainment
and historical representation.
o If you were in charge of re-making this film, what would you do differently to increase the
historical accuracy of the film? What would you include and what you leave on the cutting room
floor?
o Any additional comments or questions you had about the film.
Your full paper needs to be typed, detailed and turned in NO LATER THAN MONDAY, June 1st. PLEASE
NOTE, you can only watch the versions that are listed.
Film Choices
1950s
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
American Grafitti (1973)
Quiz Show (1994)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Civil Rights
Freedom on My Mind (1994)
Malcolm X (1992)
Mississippi Burning (1988)
Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
The Long Walk Home (1990)
Vietnam
Platoon (1986)
Good Morning Vietnam (1987)
Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
We Were Soldiers (2002)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Hamburger Hill (1987)
Rescue Dawn (2006)
The War at Home (1979)
Year of the Pig (1968)
1960s
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Thirteen Days (2000)
JFK (1991)
Bobby (2006)
The Right Stuff (1983)
1970s – 1980s
All the President's Men (1976)
Frost/Nixon (2008)
Nixon (1995)
Argo (2012)