Film Talk: Viewers Responses to a Film as a Socially Situated Event

Taken from Introduction: Thisstudyattemptstodescribepatternsofviewerinterpretive engagementwitha film.The film usedinthestudy,JonathanDemme's CitizensBand(1977),wasselectedbecauseinmostrespectsit was like thefilmsviewerscouldseeatcommercial, first-runmovie theatres.Informantswereselectedaccordingtothefrequencywith whichtheyreportedattendingfilms.Thisselectionwasdoneinline witha modelofinterpretive behaviordevelopedby SolWorthand LarryGross.Thismodelsuggeststhat experiencewithasymbolic mode mightleadtodifferent waysofinterpreting articulations within a mode.Ithoughtthat thedegreetowhichinformantsusedthemedium mightprovideananalyticcontextforexaminingdifferent patternsof interpretive engagementwithafilm.Thus,themainpurposeofthis studywastodescribethekindsofinterpretive acts and verbal responsesactualviewersengagein(inself-selected groups)when discussinga film after a viewing. Thisstudyattemptstodescribepatternsofviewerinterpretive engagementwitha film.The film usedinthestudy,JonathanDemme's CitizensBand(1977),wasselectedbecauseinmostrespectsit was like thefilmsviewerscouldseeatcommercial, first-runmovie theatres.Informantswereselectedaccordingtothefrequencywith whichtheyreportedattendingfilms.Thisselectionwasdoneinline witha modelofinterpretive behaviordevelopedby SolWorthand LarryGross.Thismodelsuggeststhat experiencewithasymbolic mode mightleadtodifferent waysofinterpreting articulations within a mode.Ithoughtthat thedegreetowhichinformantsusedthemedium mightprovideananalyticcontextforexaminingdifferent patternsof interpretive engagementwithafilm.Thus,themainpurposeofthis studywastodescribethekindsofinterpretive acts and verbal responsesactualviewersengagein(inself-selected groups)when discussinga film after a viewing.