Classic Movies for the Classroom The Spotlight Series: Johnny Belinda: Love Transforms US

At Educational Guidance Institute, we are passionate about helping instructors use classic film to present universal truths to today’s youth teaching character, virtue, truth, goodness and beauty. The lessons of Johnny Belinda can be approached from a wide variety of settings from public school classrooms, after school programs, young adult groups, parent-teen community and church events, as well as by families who homeschool. The story of the deaf and mute heroine Belinda and the caring doctor Dr. Richardson deals with complex issues of compassion and understanding for the handicapped, as well as the harmful nature of gossip and scandal. It also addresses the four kinds of love defined by the ancient Greeks and applies them to the characters in the film. Jane Wyman and Lew Ayres dynamic performances show us that unselfish love is transformative in relationships and community life. Through viewing the film and the discussion and activities in the lesson plan, students see and experience such profound lessons as: infatuation primarily seeks to satisfy the self, while authentic love seeks the good of another; true love respects the person and does not use or abuse them; healing and happiness can come out of pain and hurt; and that generosity of spirit is essential for functioning friendships, marriages and communities. The act of viewing a film makes these lessons about human dignity and the transformative power of love come alive for students of all ages in a powerful and dynamic way. This lesson plan is excellent on its own, as well as a part of a course comprised of the others in the Classic Movies for the Classroom: The Spotlight Series.