The Coddling of the American Mind movie premiere
The Coddling of the American Mind movie premiered before a raucous audience of 400 at the Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills.
The Coddling of the American Mind movie premiered before a raucous audience of 400 at the Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills.
The night following its premiere the film became the first-ever “Substack presents” feature film when it streamed exclusively on the platform. Filmmakers Ted Balaker and Courtney Moorehead Balaker and Substack co-founders Chris Best and Hamish MacKenzie hope Substack will emerge as a place where open-minded filmmakers and film lovers can connect. The movie has since expanded to Apple TV, Google Play, and Prime Video.
The movie’s global tour has reached more than 70 campuses and special-event venues in the US, UK, and Australia.
Renowned psychologist Steven Pinker invited the film to Harvard, and it went on to screen at three more Ivy League campuses—Princeton, UPenn, and Cornell (where its promotional posters were torn down). The film was set to screen at Columbia just before the campus erupted in protest.
Other screening sites include UCLA, Duke, the University of Virginia, Pepperdine, CU Boulder, and the University of Toronto.
The filmmakers with Princeton students, and interview subject Saeed Malami
The filmmakers with Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker
“Excellent”
“Incredible”
“Spectacular”
“Powerful”
“Powerful and poignant. Should be required viewing for all high school students”
“Powerful and“Highly recommended”
“Powerful and compelling. I hope millions of people get to watch it"
“Thoughtfully compelling”
“An absolute must-see for every thinking human”
“An essential, thoughtful, and occasionally shocking expose”
“This is a fantastic film. Every single person in the United States should see this film without exception”
“My students and I had so many good conversations because of the film—thank you!”
Q&A with Jonathan Haidt, Anthony Rodriguez, and Saeed Malami in NYC
with students at Duke University
When I first watched The Coddling of The American Mind, I immediately thought, “I’m not crazy!” The movie has been incredible for me, letting me know I'm not alone, and helping my family understand what I've gone through too.
To reach Gen Z, we need to first pull them out of their bubbles. This is why a film like The Coddling is so important. The scenarios the film described perfectly echoed my high school experience. They are real, important, and necessary stories. If I could go back and show my therapists and parents The Coddling, I’m sure it would’ve saved me a lot of trouble. The film gave me peace.
The Coddling of the American Mind is a “must-see” for anyone feeling lost at college. I came to GSU at 18 with a similar mindset to some of the young interviewees; I was incredibly depressed. I felt alienated. Watching The Coddling of the American Mind gave me both hope and relief that quelled my anxiety — I no longer felt alone. I want others to feel the same way.
I watched the Coddling documentary with my 22 year old college-grad daughter and it had a huge impact on her. She had tears streaming down her face at one point.
with students at Cornell University
Students line up for a screening at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo