MESS Movie Night offers a valuable alternative

I was sitting next to a table full of snacks, hunkered down to watch a movie last Friday night, but I wasn’t necessarily relaxing.

Instead, myself and a group of other students were gathered on the 35th floor of the Cathedral of Learning, our eyes fixated on the projector screen in front of us, taking in specific details of the movie in order to prepare for a discussion that would follow.

Amid the sounds of candy wrappers crinkling and popcorn crunching, I sat in the second row watching the 2016 Coen Brothers film “Hail, Caesar!,” as part of the University Honors College Friday Night Movies Everyone Should See — MESS for short.

MESS is a forum where students can bond over a film they watch together and discuss the film’s themes afterward. MESS was originally supposed to be student-run until Christopher Chirdon, the systems analyst for the Honors College, created the program a bit more smoothly. He became the presenter of MESS in order to oversee the program and make it focus less on just watching a film and more on discussion.

Student discussions like these are valuable to hear different views from peers, interact respectfully and make social connections. These discussions also make better Friday night alternatives than partying and drinking or holing up in your room. Furthermore, the movie night offers a space for students to express their opinions in a small group that fosters intellectual discussion — an escape I was especially grateful for during an election season rank with contentious debate and petty mudslinging.

More student forums like this should exist on campus. These events are educational in a non-imposing way, and offer something productive to look forward to on Friday nights.

Before “Hail, Caesar!,” Chirdon began by explaining the film’s historical context and pertinent background information and highlighting the general focus of the viewing. Specifically, he told us the film is set in the Hollywood Golden Age —  a period of time loosely considered the 1930s to the late 1950s, during Hollywood’s cultural heyday — and functions as a commentary and critique of that age. All of the actors are based off real people. The film industry was concerned about the future success of movies due to the invention of the television, and the Cold War and the Red Scare were very prominent during this time. Because of this, there were a lot of escapist films created, such as westerns, epics, the aquatic musical and huge dance numbers, Chirdon said.

During the following discussion, I had no problem voicing my opinion because everyone was so open-minded. The atmosphere has been carefully cultivated to be respectful and welcoming, while also inspiring thematic discussion and debate.

“I believe that talking through ideas and learning to disagree with people is important, and it’s one of the things that I make very intentional,” Chirdon said.

We debated protagonist Eddie Mannix’s motivations and how he, as the main character, drove the plot. Mannix was given an offer for a stable job as a high-level executive that would be easier than managing actors at a film company. We speculated that the new job offer might have driven his actions by forcing him to reevaluate his old job.

Lauren Thomson, a senior and regular member, has been attending MESS since her first year. She was first introduced to the program because she lived in honors housing in Sutherland West. She said she enjoys the films featured at MESS because they open her eyes to different genres and give her a new perspective on certain topics.

“If I watch a film, I want to talk about it with someone usually,” Thomson said, adding that interaction is key to getting the most out of the film.

Encouraged by Chirdon, Thomson started her own group this year centered around the discussion of graphic novels. This forum was inspired by the structure of MESS, and it has already had a couple of successful meetings this semester.

She and I both agreed that forums like these were important in higher education — fostering community discussion and deeper thinking about everything from history and culture to entertainment. The benefit of being on a college campus is being able to engage with other intellectuals of your own age group. Additionally, art is meant to open discussion, not to be viewed passively from the confines of our apartments and dorms.

Next time you’re thinking of “Netflix and chilling,” I suggest you move your movie session to a more productive setting — there’s a whole lot more you can do with your Friday nights.

Write to Maggie at mmk93@pitt.edu