The impact of media often depends not merely on whether a program is viewed or heard, but on how it is discussed and remembered. This is true for fiction as well as nonfiction. The philosopher Peter Kivy decades ago identified the “reflective afterlife” of a work, the way that it sparks discussion or rumination. I witnessed this powerfully myself when my sixth grade teacher took the class on a field trip to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film had been recently released on new and exciting widescreen formats. The film astounded us but also confused us. Discussions of the film introduced us to the idea of space travel, the possible future of AI, human evolution, and what might become of humanity itself. I have been thinking about this film for over fifty years now; it has become a feature of my mental architecture.
Film director and screenwriter Paul Schrader has spoken memorably about the value of post-viewing reflection: “I’ve often felt that the last scene of a successful movie occurs on a sidewalk outside the theater where the couple walks out and the guy says, ‘Well that was kind of stupid!’ and she says, ‘No, no, no, you didn’t understand it; here’s why it was smart.’ And now they’re having this discussion, and the movie’s still going on in their heads as they get into their car. And if it’s a good enough movie, it’s still going on as they get to the restaurant. That’s what a good movie does. It doesn’t end when the lights go up. "
Recent research in media psychology has strongly affirmed the importance of such post-viewing reflection, or retrospective thought, to the benefits of consuming media such as fiction films and documentaries. Researchers have recently promoted TEBOTS, or Temporarily Expanding the Boundaries of the Self. Narratives have the capacity to help people experience competence, autonomy, and relatedness, allowing people to fulfill or satisfy their personal needs.
But such fulfillment is more likely to occur after post-viewing discussion and reflection. Ellen Winner, in her book How Art Works, reports on an experiment in which medical students were taught to closely look at works of art and through this became better medical observers. It is certainly possible that engaging with fiction may train our observational skills in similar ways. But notice that in this experiment, subjects were asked to do specific things with the works of art. Not just view them, but closely observe and write about them.
Video librarians know about the benefits of post-viewing reflection and discussion. Many offer discussion guides, links to online reviews or commentary, and suggestions for further watching and reading. Resources for teachers would also be invaluable. Video librarians can also direct patrons to films most likely to lead to discussion and have a “reflective afterlife.” What might those be?
The answer to that question, of course, depends on the audience. But after taking audience age and demographics into account, one can make a few generalizations. First and foremost is this; for a work to have a reflective afterlife, it must find a balance between engaging the audience and leaving some ambiguities and/or questions unanswered. If it is too ambiguous or difficult, audiences will disengage. If it is too easy and simple, there will be nothing to discuss.
Researchers have found that ambiguous characters lead to rumination, as do films in which characters learn or change, or about which the audience is taught to see the characters differently (as in Wicked with the character Elphaba). Another type of film that elicits discussion features characters with differing viewpoints, as in Inside Out 2, in which characters represent various emotions, each with its own perspective on the world. Some stories leave narrative or thematic questions unanswered with open endings and these too offer opportunities for reflection.
These are a few of the ways in which stories in the moving image media can contribute to discussion and reflection, which are both important for their potential benefits to viewers. Those who curate media libraries can have an important role to play in getting the right works of media to the right audience, and in promoting their reflective afterlives.
Dr. Carl Plantinga is Senior Research Fellow at Calvin University and Templeton Religion Trust Grantee. Among his books are Moving Viewers: American Film and the Spectator’s Experience and Screen Stories: Emotion and the Ethics of Engagement.