Encouraging a love of math is tricky.  People often say, “I’m not a math person.”  Impossible. Everyone is a math person. Math is in everything! It’s like saying, “I am not a water person.”  Um. Yes, you are.

Movies are a great way to get around a subject, connect with it, or feel inspired. Movies can shine a light on a subject’s humanity and encourage us to learn things we previously thought impossible. Surely, we are all “movie people,” right?

When the energy in our math lessons starts to wane, it’s time to take action. I’ve found that simple strategies can make a big difference. Changing the time of day we study math, introducing math-based board games, or incorporating empowering review worksheets can all inject new life into our lessons.  And what better way to end a productive day than with a movie that quietly inspires our math brains? 

Last night, we watched a movie called “Stand and Deliver” (PG). It was the perfect dose of motivation and incentive for us. The film takes place outside of Los Angeles in the 1980’s. A neighborhood high school is at risk of losing its accreditation – until a new math teacher comes along with a plan to teach Algebra and Calculus to struggling Math 101 students. After the students rise to the challenge and pass the AP Calculus exam, the Educational Testing Board accuses them of cheating based on their demographic. It is a great film and is based on a TRUE STORY.

Other math movies to inspire:

The Great Math Mystery (NR) Produced by NOVA/PBS, this documentary provides a fascinating look at numbers in science. From the Fibonacci sequence of plant and animal life to wireless radio to outer space, this film explores math’s power across the centuries. We are a little nerdy, so we completely loved this movie.

Hidden Figures (PG) is Clearly one of our favorites. A gripping, biographical drama that showcases the diligent work of black female mathematicians in a time of segregation and limited educational opportunity.  These women were the backbone of NASA during the space race of the 1960’s and were the original “computers” before the invention of, well, computers. Based on a TRUE STORY.

Moneyball (PG-13) Baseball fans, this is for you! Also based on a true story, the Oakland A’s general manager pairs with a non-sporty Yale-educated economist and builds a winning baseball team of various skill-level based on the numbers. Revolutionary–in terms of team-building–this mode of player selection made an impact on modern baseball.

The Theory of Everything (PG-13)  Set in Cambridge in the 1960s, The Theory of Everything is the story of the most brilliant and celebrated physicist of our time, Stephen Hawking.  Given just two years to live following the diagnosis of a fatal illness at 21 years of age, he fell in love, was hailed as a brilliant scientist, and had three children. Hawking’s true life story is a mathematical wonder.

Gifted (PG-13) is about a single man raising his niece, who is a child math prodigy. Set in coastal Florida, he plans a normal school life for 7-year-old Mary, but her genius cannot be hidden. Then, the over-bearing mother gets involved and threatens to separate them, gah!  Gifted is a sweet, heartwarming drama about a complicated math-y family.

A timely, quality film can make a difference. We see ourselves in the characters before us and imagine the “what ifs” of our own path.  Movies bring to life concepts we might not have fully grasped on paper, and this can be helpful when studying hard math. Bring on the popcorn!