Four Films That Changed America – Marc Lapadula

Smithsonian Associates Art of Living Author Interview Series

Welcome to The Not Old Better Show. I’m Paul Vogelzang, and this is episode #501.

As part of our Smithsonian Associates streaming series, our guest today is Marc Lapadula. Marc Lapadula will be appearing via Zoom at the Smithsonian Associates program titled Four Films That Changed America. For details about Marc Lapadula’s Zoom presentation, please check out our web site.

But, we have Marc Lapadula today, for an excellent preview of his upcoming Smithsonian Associates presentation. While most works of cinema are produced for mass entertainment and escapism, a unique minority has had a profound impact on our culture. Whether intentionally or not, some movies have brought social issues to light, changed laws, forwarded ideologies both good and bad, and altered the course of American history through their resounding impact on society.

For Marc Lapadula, a playwright, screenwriter, film producer, and senior lecturer in film and media studies at Yale University, among these seminal films are I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, The Graduate, Jaws, and Philadelphia. We’ll discuss clips from each film and what they reveal, and what they can tell us about the social and political climates in which they were created and their significance today.

My thanks to Marc Lapadula, who’ll be appearing at the Smithsonian Associates Tuesday, December 15, 2020 – 6:30 p.m. ET, and the title of his presentation is ‘Four Films That Changed America.’ Please check out our website for more details. My thanks, too, to the Smithsonian Associates team for all they do to support the show. And, of course, my thanks to you, my wonderful Not Old Better Show audience, for all your love and support. . Stay safe, be well, practice smart social distancing, and remember, let’s talk about better. The Not Old Better Show. Thanks, everybody.

For more information about Marc Lapadula and his upcoming Smithsonian Associates Zoom presentation, please click here:
https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/four-films-that-changed-america