| Abstract: | Love stories are important tools for building cultural communities. Paying attention to the culturally established process by which new members are initiated in a group is a way of keeping loyalty to and satisfaction with the group. The recent movie Southside with You depicts the beginning of the love story of Michelle and Barack Obama. It differs from the usual movie biographies of important people. Their future importance is not emphasized, and the usual devices of serious conflict, exciting action, and sentimental love scenes are absent. The happy couple do not even end up together in love. But the themes alluded to and the audience attitudes aroused are cultural achievements that are useful to cultural communities. |
