Table 1 Specific movie popularity based on self-reported viewing (at baseline and during the public health module) and DVD withdrawal data from the medical school library (for n = 82 students)
| Â | Â | Self-report of having already seen the movie at baseline | Self-report of having watched the movie during the module* | Library data on withdrawals* | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Movie title (year) | Brief description (using the wording on the hand-out provided to all the students at the start of the module) | N | Row % | N | Row % | N | Row % |
A Civil Action (1998) | A drama about a law suit and toxic pollutants causing health problems (stars John Travolta). | 1 | 1.2 | 7 | 8.5 | 13 | 15.9 |
An Inconvenient Truth (2006) | A documentary about climate change by Al Gore. | 27 | 33.3 | 10 | 12.2 | 17 | 20.7 |
And the Band Played On (1993) | A drama about how the HIV/AIDS epidemic emerged in America and the response to it. | 4 | 4.9 | 16 | 19.5 | 18 | 22.0 |
Born into Brothels (2004) | A documentary about the children of sex workers in an Indian city - and how a photographer helps them. | 6 | 7.4 | 13 | 15.9 | 20 | 24.4 |
Bowling for Columbine (2002) | A quirky documentary about gun control in America (directed by Michael Moore). | 36 | 44.4 | 9 | 11.0 | 7 | 8.5 |
Bright Leaves (2003) | A documentary about smoking, tobacco and personal history set in North Carolina. | 1 | 1.2 | 2 | 2.4 | 6 | 7.3 |
Dark Days (2000) | A documentary about homeless people living in the New York subway - and how their housing problem is helped. | 3 | 3.7 | 6 | 7.3 | 12 | 14.6 |
Erin Brockovich (2000) | A drama about a law suit and toxic pollutants causing health problems (stars Julia Roberts). | 51 | 63.0 | 12 | 14.6 | 11 | 13.4 |
Sicko (2007) | A quirky documentary about access to health care in America compared to other countries (directed by Michael Moore). | 30 | 37.0 | 27 | 32.9 | 25 | 30.5 |
Super Size Me (2004) | A quirky documentary about fast food and obesity (set in America). | 48 | 59.3 | 21 | 25.6 | 15 | 18.3 |
The Constant Gardener (2005) | A drama about unethical corporate behaviour (pharmaceutical industry) set in Kenya. | 31 | 38.3 | 16 | 19.5 | 20 | 24.4 |
The Corporation (2003) | A documentary about corporate behaviour, globalisation, and environmental health hazards. | 7 | 8.6 | 8 | 9.8 | 11 | 13.4 |
The Insider (1999) | A drama based on a scientist who reveals information about tobacco industry practices (stars Russell Crowe). | 15 | 18.5 | 10 | 12.2 | 20 | 24.4 |
The Yes Men (2005) | A humorous documentary about globalisation and corporate behaviour. | 12 | 14.8 | 9 | 11.0 | 14 | 17.1 |
Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006) | A documentary (in murder mystery style) that examines why the electric car was withdrawn from California. | 7 | 8.6 | 11 | 13.4 | 18 | 22.0 |
Total | Â | 279 | - | 177 | - | 227 | - |