Citing movie titles correctly in MLA (Modern Language Association) format is essential for academic integrity and clear communication. The definitive rule is simple: italicize the title of a movie. This holds true both within the main body of your text and within your Works Cited entry. This article offers a complete guide, addressing nuances and providing practical examples to ensure your citations are flawless.
Understanding MLA Basics for Movie Titles
MLA style focuses on attribution and clarity. Accurately citing your sources, including films, shows respect for the original creators and allows readers to easily locate the material you reference. Incorrect formatting can lead to unintentional plagiarism and diminish the credibility of your work.
Italics or Quotation Marks: Which One to Use?
A crucial distinction in MLA is between standalone works (italicized) and parts of a larger work (placed in quotation marks). Movies, being complete and independent works, fall squarely into the category requiring italics. Short stories, poems, articles, and song titles, which typically appear within a larger collection, album, or journal, use quotation marks instead.
The Anatomy of an MLA Citation
A complete MLA Works Cited entry for a film includes several key elements. Understanding these elements is crucial for creating accurate and informative citations. The general template is:
Director, Director’s Last Name, director. Title of Movie. Distributor, Year of Release.
For example:
Fincher, David, director. The Social Network. Columbia Pictures, 2010.
Note the capitalization and punctuation. MLA style requires title case (major words capitalized) for the movie title.
Crafting a Flawless Works Cited Entry
Let’s break down each component of the Works Cited entry and address some common challenges.
Identifying the Director
The director is usually the primary creative force behind a film and therefore the first element in your citation. You typically list the director’s name as “Last Name, First Name,” followed by the word “director” (or “directors,” if there are multiple directors listed on the film).
Mastering the Movie Title
The title is placed after the director’s name, and, as previously emphasized, is always italicized. It is important to reproduce the title exactly as it appears on the film or its official promotional materials.
Citing the Distributor and Year
The distributor refers to the company responsible for distributing the film. This information is often found in the film’s opening or closing credits. The year of release is the year the film was originally released to the public, not the year you watched it.
When to Include Other Contributors
While the director is the standard focus, sometimes you need to highlight other key contributors. If you are specifically discussing the performance of an actor, the writing of a screenwriter, or the musical score of a composer, you can include them in the citation, adjusting the format accordingly. For example:
Sorkin, Aaron, writer. The Social Network. Directed by David Fincher, Columbia Pictures, 2010.
Citing Movies Within Your Text (In-Text Citations)
When referencing a movie within the body of your paper, you need to provide an in-text citation. This allows readers to quickly locate the corresponding entry in your Works Cited list.
The Basic In-Text Citation
The most common form of in-text citation includes the director’s last name and the year of release in parentheses:
(Fincher 2010)
Citing Specific Scenes or Dialogue
If you are referencing a specific scene or dialogue within the film, you can add a timestamp to your in-text citation. However, MLA no longer requires exact timestamps; instead, provide a general indicator. If the film is readily available, you can omit the timestamp altogether, and MLA now recommends against doing so.
Handling Multiple Works by the Same Director
If you are citing multiple films by the same director, include the movie title (or a shortened version) in the in-text citation to avoid confusion:
(Fincher, Social Network 2010)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions to further clarify the proper citation of movie titles in MLA style:
FAQ 1: Do I italicize TV show titles as well?
Yes, TV show titles are also italicized in MLA format, just like movie titles. However, if you are citing a specific episode of a TV show, you would put the episode title in quotation marks and italicize the series title. For example: “The Dinner Party” from The Office.
FAQ 2: What if the movie title includes a quotation mark within it?
If the title itself contains a quotation mark, maintain it. To avoid confusion with your own usage of quotation marks, consider altering the surrounding sentence. For example: “I watched Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? last night.”
FAQ 3: What if the movie title is in a foreign language?
Cite the title as it appears in the version you are referencing. If you are translating it yourself, provide both the original title (italicized) and your translation in brackets after it.
FAQ 4: What if the movie is part of a series or franchise?
Cite the specific movie title, not the series title. The series might be mentioned in the body of your paper, but it’s the specific movie you’re citing.
FAQ 5: What if the movie is a documentary?
The same rules apply to documentaries as to fictional films. Italicize the title and include the director, distributor, and year of release in your Works Cited entry.
FAQ 6: What if the movie has multiple directors?
List all the directors, separated by commas, after the first director’s name (Last Name, First Name). For example: “Coen, Joel, and Ethan Coen, directors.”
FAQ 7: What if I’m citing a streaming service’s original movie?
Follow the same formatting rules. However, you can optionally include the streaming service in the distributor information for clarity. For example: “Director, Last Name, director. Title of Movie. Netflix, Year.”
FAQ 8: Should I include the URL if I watched the movie online?
MLA no longer requires URLs unless your instructor specifically requests them. Focus on the director, title, distributor, and year. Including a URL is not necessary.
FAQ 9: What if I’m citing a movie review?
Movie reviews are cited differently. The review’s title is placed in quotation marks, and the publication in which it appeared is italicized. The director of the movie is not the focus here.
FAQ 10: How do I cite a movie if I only know the director and title?
Do your best to find the missing information (distributor and year). Consult online databases like IMDb or consult your librarian. If you absolutely cannot find the information, simply omit it, but be aware this may affect the credibility of your citation.
FAQ 11: Does the font and size of the italics matter?
While MLA recommends Times New Roman, 12-point font for the entire document, the only requirement for italics is that they are clearly distinguishable from regular text. Ensure your italics are consistent throughout your paper.
FAQ 12: Are there any exceptions to italicizing movie titles in MLA?
The only exception is if you are writing about the word itself, rather than the film. In that case, you would use quotation marks. For example: “The word Avatar is often misspelled.”
By following these guidelines and addressing these FAQs, you can confidently and accurately cite movie titles in MLA format, enhancing the clarity and credibility of your academic work. Always double-check your citations and consult the official MLA Handbook for the most up-to-date information.