So, Hollywood agrees that films can influence behavior. Witness "Hollywood Gets MADD," a Mothers Against Drunk Driving special (at 2:30 today on TBS cable) that explores the way the industry has changed its attitude in recent years toward drunk driving on film.
Film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, two of many unpaid celebrities who appear on the half-hour program, screen clips from such movies as "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Animal House" to illustrate old, non-critical attitudes. Clips from "Postcards From the Edge" and "Distinguished Gentleman" indicate that designated drivers and the consequences of drunk driving are acceptable film fodder.
