Chicago Semester

Movie Night: Up in the Air

Posted by Janelle Kibbe in Student Activities | Oct 15, 2010

In the last few years, Chicago Semester has hosted at least one or two movie nights a semester. As a movie lover, I think a lot of good conversations can stem from movies, as well as a sense of community in the shared experience. They tend to be especially popular with our students when the weather is bad and they are eager for something warm and free to do. Plus, we always provide snacks with the food, so what's not to love about that!
 
Last week, following a community dinner, we showed the movie Up in the Air (Yep, that's right--the one with George Clooney). A couple of the students had seen it already, but it was new to the others. They seemed surprised by the somewhat melancholy nature of the film, but I think it also resonated with them in a way that needed some time to process. (You could say that they left feeling "up in the air" about the film.)
 
It's a movie that really strikes me as a movie of our time (not unlike The Social Network). Though, it's melancholy, I think it is so precisely because it deals with very relevant and not easily answered questions. Where is home in a global world? How does technology not only intersect with our lives, but change our lives? How well do we really know the people who are a part of our social connection? And yet, it also asks a lot of timeless questions. What makes life worthwhile? Is it better to love and loose than to be alone? What do we do with the heartbreak of the world. which can't be solved with any technological or other advances? Why is community important?
 
Whatever the movie, it's great to gather as the Chicago Semester community, and to relax and reflect together.