FILM ANALYSIS

Submitted to: Marianne Laarni Faustino

Submitted by: Mikaella Cruz 9-charity I. TITLE
Tuesdays with Morrie

II. GENRE
Philosophical Novel, Memoir, Biographical, Autobiography, Non-Fiction, Inspirational

III. DURATION
89 minutes

IV. CHARACTERIZATION * Morrie Schwartz - Jack Lemmon * The novel is centered on him; Morrie is Mitch’s former college professor who was diagnosed with ALS. * Mitch Albom - Hank Azaria * Morrie’s former student; he has since become a journalist and leads a very fast paced life; finds Morrie after hearing he is sick on “ABC’s Nightline” and visits him every Tuesday. * Charlotte Bonnie - Barlett * Morrie’s wife, who is also a college professor; she keeps her job as a professor even while Morrie is sick because it is what he wished for her. * Janine – Wendy Moniz * Mitch’s wife; she takes a phone call from Morrie, whom she had never met, and accompanies Mitch to his visit with Morrie. As a professional singer, she never sings upon request; however, when Morrie asked heer to sing she did without hesitation and moved him to tears.

* Eva Terri - Hanauer * Morrie’s stepmother who came into his life when he was about nine years old. She provided much love to Morrie and his brother, David. She highly valued education and served as a great motivation for Morrie to work hard at his education. * Connie - Caroline Aaron * Morrie’s at home care aide; she assists Morrie in going to the bathroom, getting up into his chair.

V. PLOT
Albom wrote the plot very straightforward with little ambiguity and complicated historical references. He has a tendency to include flashbacks to his college years from when he was a student of Morrie’s; he does this to give background on his once, slightly naïve and less materialistic self, so the readers have a clear conception of the person he has become in the following sixteen years. He also does this to emphasize Morrie’s loving and compassionate values that he has always tried to express through his teachings.
Mitch feels so thankful to have had Morrie in his life; for he has helped bring value and purpose into Mitch’s life. Through the plot Mitch wishes to express how Morrie has changed his life, through these Tuesday lessons; also, Morrie wishes to express his teachings and values to the world and he was able to do that through Mitch and this novel.

VI. CONFLICTS
There are two conflicts in this novel: the major conflict is Morrie vs. ALS and the second, minor conflict, is Mitch vs. himself. Morrie must come to terms with his illness and accept his coming death from ALS. In the meantime, Mitch, his former college student, visits him every Tuesday. Mitch has become very disillusioned with his fast-paced life and constant strive for materialistic possessions. He struggles to find meaning with his life and to change the person he has become in the sixteen years since he had last seen Morrie. VII. POINTS OF AGREEMENTS AND DISAGREEMENTS The narrator speaks in the first person for the majority of the novel, with the exception of a few passages in which he had not been present. With the exception of these passages, the narrator provides a subjective view of all other characters introduced. VIII. LEARNING INSIGHTS
I’ve learned many things in many different ways. I’ve learned in asking questions, but I believe that best lessons taught from a good friend. Tuesdays with Morrie is a story of the remarkable lessons taught by a dying professor, Morrie Schwartz, to his student, Mitch Albom. Morrie teaches Mitch the lessons of life, lessons such as death, fear, aging, greed, marriage, family, society, forgiveness, and a meaningful life. This is a story of a special bond of friendship that was lost for many years, but never forgotten and simply picked up again at a crucial time of both Morrie’s and Mitch’s lives.