You may have heard the term that some people “view life through rose colored glasses.” For this assignment, I
want you to view life through grief, loss and counseling glasses. Most movies can be viewed from this type of
lens. Even ones that you wouldn’t typically think of in that way. Instead of just reading words on a page, you will
complete this interactive assignment where you will be watching a movie.
A good idea is to watch a movie that you have already seen before. If you re-watch a movie you have seen
before you can compare and contrast how you viewed it then vs now. Remember that while watching the
movie, think about it and look at it through a lens of grief, loss, and counseling. Think of the things we
discussed during this quarter, counseling skills you have learned, theories we discussed, stages of grief, etc.
Several things are listed below for you to think about while watching the movie. You do not have to answer
everything listed below, but I am giving you some thought provoking ideas and questions and would like to see
a number of answers/responses incorporated into your paper and I want you to provide detailed examples from
the movie. Feel free to think outside the box. Draw from things that are less obvious. Be introspective and
creative!
Some things to think about and answer/respond to are:
What movie did you watch? – The Color Purple
Have you seen the movie before? – Yes
How did you feel watching the movie?
Which of the character(s) did you identify most with and why? Celie
Which character(s) did you identify least with and why?- Albert he was evil
What did you learn about grief and loss from the movie that you were not previously aware of?
How might the media affect how counselors approach working with grief and loss?
Pick one character you would most like to work with, as well as one character you would least like to work with,
and discuss why. What issues would you expect that person/character to bring to counseling? How would you
address these issues?
What styles of grief do you see and what symptoms?
Does it appear that any of the characters are experiencing a particular stage or process of grief? How you can
tie that in to one of the theories we discussed? Where are they at within the particular theory and did you
witness any movement through the theory? Do you see any barriers to them making it to completion?
Did anyone watch it with you that had any thoughts or perspective that you didn’t?
Are there any elements of the movie you can relate back to what we have talked about in this class, such as
color, sound, costumes, animation, things going on in the background, music, tones of voice, etc?
What are some negatives/flaws that can be taken from this movie, as well as some positives?
Would you change anything about this movie?
Are there any other resources, information, research you can tie into this movie?
What did you take away from this assignment?
In response to watching the movie.