Top Gun

After watching a movie with your children or students, we encourage parents and teachers to look for education opportunities to teach with movies. Here are a few discussion topics that can help with lesson plans or teaching in the home.

Characters often wear sunglasses inside buildings or darkened rooms in this movie. Why? How are sunglasses used to create an aura of “cool”? Why do you think the number of people wanting to join the navy increased sharply after the release of this movie?

What does the description “larger than life” mean? What characters in this movie fit that descriptor? What are the dangers of working with a person who routinely breaks the rules? Whose lives does Maverick endanger in this movie? How does the story of his father’s death impact this young flyboy? How does it influence his approach to flying?

What characters serve as role models in this story? Why are they important to the young pilots? Why is Cmdr. Mike Metcalf (Tom Skerritt) so insistent that Maverick get back in the air after the accident?