Tolich, Martin. “Bringing Sociological Concepts into Focus in the Classroom with Modern Times, Roger and Me, and Annie Hall.” Teaching Sociology, Vol. 20, No.4. (Oct, 1992), pp. 344-347.

Tolich’s article is a type of university lesson plan involving the use of Annie Hall. A sociology professor at Massey University in New Zealand, Tolich utilizes sociologically-relevant films to provide more stimulating lessons for his students. Among the three films he chooses is Annie Hall. It allows for the students to retain a deeper understanding of sociological analysis, because film is a medium with which they more easily connect. Tolich argues that Annie Hall is pertinent in teaching many subjects, in that it strongly relates to many different aspects of today’s society. The author specifically uses Annie Hall to demonstrate an early component of romantic relationships: the pickup. Utilizing the scene in which Alvy Singer and Annie Hall first meet at a tennis club in New York City, Tolich describes, in detail, the steps a person must follow to successfully persuade another person to spend further time with him on a more intimate level. Tolich mentions every detail of the scene, displaying how Alvy and Annie engage in a perfect pickup scenario, which eventually leads to the initial phases of their romantic relationship. The article’s argument concerning the theme of the pickup more generally demonstrates the types of sociological components which exist in film and how, if created successfully, they can communicate sociological themes to students.

This work is relevant to Annie Hall because it makes a strong case for the film’s sociological elements and its ability to communicate to people on a broader scale. The use of the example of Annie and Alvy’s initial interaction makes Tolich’s argument even more pertinent, for it successfully expresses how very relatable the characters are to the everyday audience member. The article supports Annie Hall as an extremely relevant commentary on the world and the ups and downs of relationships between individuals.