[[3]] The Ethicist (2015) [imdb]

This movie passed 3 of 3 tests. It was entered by The Representative to The Ethicist on 2020-05-24 05:51:15.

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The Representative to The Ethicist said:
This mystery teen film passes safely, thanks to the following relationships:

The perfection-obsessed duo – Cassidy and Lucille – discuss schoolwork throughout the film. They talk about preparing for a big test in the opening scene, bond over their (identical) good grades later on, and argue when Cassidy confesses she cheated off of Lucille’s paper.

The bully trifecta – Veronica, Alexia, and Phoebe – mock Lucille on three separate occasions in the film. They also make fun of the “Ethicist” sign, describing the Ethicist as “some nerd trying to make friends.” This second point is more debatable, since the Ethicist turns out to be male. Arguably, though, it counts: None of them know the Ethicist’s true identity, and they likely use “nerd” in a gender-neutral sense.

Now, for the more gray-area material:

Though the Principal is the central antagonist of the film with an active role in the plot, she is never given a name beyond her occupation. Neither is her militant assistant, the Vice (though one could argue the use of wordplay, with “vice” meaning both “second-in-command” and “machine with an iron grip,” puts the Vice in a category between occupational and traditional naming).

If these two characters do indeed qualify, the following three scenes would count in the film’s favor:

1. The Vice grills Dr. Wilson over rumors she was behind the “Ethicist” service.

2. The Principal and the Vice strategize to take down the service and keep their good reputations with the school board (the genders of the school board members are never identified).

3. Cassidy storms up to the Vice, demanding a meeting with the Principal.

Overall, this film passes easily, due to a large ensemble cast with a lot of one-on-one exchanges.
Message posted on 2020-05-24 05:51:15

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