According to a group of Italian researchers in 2018, The Wizard of Oz is the most influential movie of all time. “They were aiming to measure the success and significance of certain films, based on metrics other than box-office success and critical reviews,” according to a Vanity Fair article (Links to an external site.) about this newly bespoken title for the film and after analyzing “47,000 films across 26 genres,” Dorothy and the gang were selected, even above Star Wars. Whether or not you argue with these Italian researchers is a discussion to be had, but this article – and many others like it – show the prominence of this film.But you are now different from many who have enjoyed this film; you have read the book it is based on and can annoy everyone around you by discussing how much better the book was – I’m looking at you, Game of Thrones fans. Whether you think the book was better or not though, comparison between these two texts is important for our class – because the coming-of-age story is different.So just like Juno and all great frame stories, we end where we began, with Dorothy and Toto. For your final exam, I want you to discuss how the differences in Dorothy’s experience from the book to the movie demonstrates how film reflects and/or critiques society.In 800 words or more, please answer the following questions in a full essay with an introduction and a conclusion:Is Dorothy the same in the book as she is in the movie? How? What specifically is different about Dorothy’s experiences in Oz. Does book Dorothy learn the same lesson as film Dorothy?And while you may enjoy the movie more than the book – no judgement, most of my students do – what coming of age lesson do you think is more important or significant: the book or the film?Lastly, with everything you’ve learned in this course about American childhood, coming of age and film analysis – what does this change demonstrate about the relationship between film and society?
