GRADUATE SPOTLIGHT QUESTIONNAIRE

Name (First, Last), Preferred Name

Meredith Donovan

Program/Major

M.A. in Liberal Arts, Film Studies

Graduation Term and Year

May 2024

Hometown (Town, State, Country)

Panama City Beach, Florida

Are you a scholarship recipient?

No.

Provide a synopsis of your thesis (3-8 sentences)

My thesis project investigates the boundaries of music and narrative existing within the overlooked and understudied melodramatic score of Douglas Sirk’s All That Heaven Allows. My project’s overall argument suggests that the score of the film builds protagonist Cary both a home—and a “home key”—through its tonal structure, rejecting the concept of rigid non-diegetic music as a whole by offering a fluid and transcendent musical space to express and inform the conflict between Cary’s emotional home and romantic desires. In other words, the score uses relationships between musical keys to define, and eventually indirectly resist through musical discontinuity, the social and familial conventions of postwar suburban America that dismiss the relationship between Cary and Ron. This argument is significant because it critiques the score-denying scholarship of the 50s American melodrama, asking viewers to think about—as opposed to merely feel—the score’s implications and possibilities within a film’s diegetic reality. To this end, the reoccurring musical themes in All That Heaven Allows dissolve boundaries between public/private and outsides/insides (that are conceptually linked to non-diegetic/diegetic music) as well as rich/poor, masculine/feminine, and reality/desire that, in turn, challenge the fixed melodramatic interpretation the spatialized home.

What led you to your research? What does your research cover?

My research project originated from a directed study course I took with my advisor, Dr. Cizmic. Originally, I didn’t know if it was even possible to write a thesis about film music without being a music theorist or a musicologist. Consequently, we spent a lot of time together reading and writing about narrative film music. Like any class within the Humanities Department, my research attempts to make connections between the arts and socio-historical issues. Specifically, I knew I was interested in the American melodrama and themes of home/nostalgia, so with Dr. Cizmic’s recommendations we watched several compatible films and analyzed their scores. The last film of our study was Douglas Sirk’s All That Heaven Allows, and within the first few moments of the screening I felt confident that this film would encapsulate all of my thematic and aesthetic interests.

Things that help to keep you motivated during Master’s program.

My main sense of motivation was academic growth. I really wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of writing a project this big (and complicated). I was motivated, too, to find a topic that I felt passionate about. Once I found this topic, I was motivated by the incredibly intricate and complicated conversations surrounding the subject matter; it was a priority of mine to then find my own voice within this larger conversation.

What do you do outside of the Academic world? Any Hobbies? Activities?

Outside of academics, I enjoy thrift/antique shopping and visiting Florida theme parks. More than this, I value spending quality time with my friends and roommates, talking to my parents on the phone, and writing letters to other family members. I do, of course, enjoy attending the cinema, but I also love playing the piano and trying new restaurants or coffee shops around the Tampa Bay Area.

Do you have any advice for future applicants or possible readers of your thesis?

I would advise future applicants to build a sense of community within their cohort; your peers know exactly what you are going through, and it’s very helpful to have emotional support and friendship throughout this process. I would also encourage them to ask for help when they need it! The faculty is always eager to help you, and they do so with kindness every time.

Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree? Why your particular program?

I pursued this graduate degree and chose this particular program because I thoroughly enjoyed learning from these professors. I received my undergraduate degree from this department too, and by the time I was scheduled to graduate I knew I wanted to continue taking the courses that this program has to offer. Moreover, as I completed my undergraduate degree I also realized that I had specific scholarly interests, projects, and research that I had yet to pursue, and I wanted to do so at a higher-level of education. Considering that I gained my foundation in the undergraduate courses, I felt comfortable discussing the graduate program with faculty members. They were nothing but encouraging and supportive, assuring me throughout the application process despite my nerves of the unknown.

Looking back on your time at USF in the Humanities & Cultural Studies Department, what are you most proud of and why?

As I previously mentioned, my journey in this department has been a bit lengthier than other members of the graduate program, as I received my undergraduate degree in this department as well. This being said, I feel proud of my growth as an academic. When I took my first film class at USF, I never imagined myself writing a thesis project, and I certainly never believed I would ever have the mental capacity or scholarly tools to do so. I feel thankful for the ways my thinking has evolved, my determination has increased, and my writing has improved.

What do you consider to be the strengths of your academic program?

The professors in this department are truly the greatest strength of this program. The faculty goes above and beyond for their students, guiding them academically as well as offering them care, patience, and kindness. They see the best in each person who enters their classrooms, encouraging them to continuously grow and challenge themselves as budding scholars. They demonstrate relentless flexibility and understanding, and they will do anything and everything in their power to ensure their students are comfortable, prepared, and successful in their research.

Is there anything you feel is important to know about you that we haven’t asked about?

N/A

Tell us something you have learned/discovered during your program that surprised you?

I was surprised to discover that the thesis writing process moved much quicker than I expected it to. When I first heard about the required page count (25-40 pages), I never thought I would be able to write that much. To my surprise, I found myself wishing I could extend this range!