Abrahams cussing

[RJNorton]

As a middle school teacher I had one classroom experience with an "R" rated movie. This was in the late 1980's when Glory was released. PepsiCo was so impressed with the movie that it sent a free, edited version to thousands of schools nationwide. The most violent scenes and some language, including the "F" word, were edited out. The principal brought the movie to me and asked me to use it in class if I had the time. Only in two years did I have the time, but this powerful movie led to some very worthwhile class discussions. We talked about inequality and even the whipping scene (which was partially modified for the "school" edition we received).

These were mostly 14-year-olds at the time they saw the movie in my class. In all honesty, I cannot say that editing out the language and the worst of the violence had any effect whatsoever on the positive value of the movie as an educational tool. I think the students understood the major points of the movie without hearing the language. The language and violence were extraneous in an educational setting; nothing important was lost because the movie was a few minutes shorter than the "theater" version.