Do Political Film Adaptations Affect Voter Knowledge?
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DO POLITICAL FILM ADAPTATIONS AFFECT VOTER KNOWLEDGE? A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Georgetown University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Communication, Culture, and Technology By Angela Maria Hart, B.A. Washington, D.C. April 11, 2016 Copyright 2016 by Angela Maria Hart All Rights Reserved ii DO POLITICAL FILM ADAPTATIONS AFFECT VOTER KNOWLEDGE? Angela Maria Hart, B.A. Thesis Advisor: Diana Owen, Ph.D. ABSTRACT "Do Political Film Adaptations Affect Voter Knowledge?" examines the educational influence of films on viewing audiences. Using the film Recount (2008), an HBO television movie, as a case study, I conducted a multi-method project. I analyzed Recount in regards to how information was presented to the viewer and the potential implications it may have. I held seven focus groups, in which viewers were given a pre-survey, watched Recount, completed a post-survey, and discussed the film. Upon completion, I analyzed their answers to determine knowledge gained. I also spoke with two of the real life inspirations for Recount’s characters, Ron Klain and John "Mac" Stipanovich, helping to differentiate the facts versus fictionalized elements of the film. All research was conducted over a year- long study. Key Words & Phrases: film studies, film adaptations, recount, 2000 election, HBO, TV movie, knowledge gain, mise-en-scène, news footage, and dramatizations. iii “Do Political Film Adaptations Affect Voter Knowledge?” is the result of a year-long study that involved a great deal of time and research. I want to thank all of my focus group respondents who took the time to participate in my study. I really appreciate your time and kindness. Your willingness to spend an entire evening with me completing surveys, watching Recount, and discussing the film helped my project immensely. To the Communication, Culture, and Technology community, I want to thank everyone who supported this project and encouraged my research; especially, Professor Diana Owen and Professor Kimberly Meltzer for their advice and guidance throughout this project. All of my interviewees, Professor Kevin Downs, Professor Brian Hochman, and Professor Michael Shull, your feedback was extraordinarily helpful. A special thank you to the real life inspirations for Recount, Ron Klain and John “Mac” Stipanovich for candidly speaking with me about their experiences in Florida during the 2000 election. My family for their continued love and support. You always encourage me to achieve my goals. My successes would not have been possible without you. Lastly, to everyone who reads this thesis. I hope you learn to examine political film adaptations more carefully. Films are an extremely powerful medium and a subject matter that deserves to be examined. Sincerely, Angela Maria Hart iv TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 Research Questions ..........................................................................................................2 Methodology ....................................................................................................................2 Hypotheses .......................................................................................................................3 Thesis Argument ..............................................................................................................4 Key Research ...................................................................................................................4 Thesis Chapters ................................................................................................................5 CHAPTER ONE: LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................6 From a Screenwriter’s Perspective ..................................................................................6 Film Studies ...................................................................................................................13 Impact of Film ................................................................................................................16 CHAPTER TWO: METHODOLOGY ..............................................................................24 Analysis of Recount .......................................................................................................25 Interviews .......................................................................................................................25 Focus Groups .................................................................................................................26 CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF RECOUNT ............................................................29 The Opening Scene ........................................................................................................29 Democratic Campaign Headquarters .............................................................................32 v Republican Campaign Headquarters .............................................................................34 Republicans v. Democrats ............................................................................................36 Katherine Harris .............................................................................................................38 Creating Likeable Characters .........................................................................................43 Gender Roles ..................................................................................................................44 The End Shot ..................................................................................................................46 Masterful Writing ...........................................................................................................47 The Wardrobe ................................................................................................................52 The American Public .....................................................................................................55 The American Flag ........................................................................................................57 White Wording ...............................................................................................................57 Real Life News Footage Election Night ........................................................................62 Real Life News Footage Throughout Recount ...............................................................63 News Footage & Televisions .........................................................................................68 Inauthentic News Coverage ...........................................................................................69 Historical Newspaper Inclusions ...................................................................................73 Voice Overs and Imagery ..............................................................................................74 The Music ......................................................................................................................76 The Directing Style ........................................................................................................77 Adding Drama to the Film .............................................................................................80 An Underdog Story ........................................................................................................82 vi Emotional Appeal ..........................................................................................................86 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................87 CHAPTER FOUR: RECOUNT FACT VERSUS FICTION .............................................89 Timeline .........................................................................................................................90 Republicans v. Democrats ...........................................................................................112 Racism ..........................................................................................................................114 Bill Clinton ..................................................................................................................115 Seminole and Martin ....................................................................................................116 Press Coverage .............................................................................................................116 My Exclusive Interview with Ron Klain .....................................................................117 My Exclusive Interview with John “Mac” Stipanovich ..............................................120 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................122 CHAPTER FIVE: IMPACT OF RECOUNT ...................................................................123 Knowledge Gained from the Film ...............................................................................123 People and Political Parties ..........................................................................................126 Paired Sample T-Test –Variables Analyzed ................................................................131