"Looks like we're going to need a bigger coffin."

JAWS to me is one of those movies that is pretty near perfect, despite the mechanical failings of Bruce the Shark, who still is much better than the CGI ones of Deep Blue (aka "Smart shark! Smart shark!"). It also heralded the coming of the summer blockbuster, I think...

My favorite college paper was one comparing JAWS to the well-made play, specifically Ibsen's An Enemy of the People. Consider the plot of his play written in 1882 for a moment:

This is from the wiki, with my comments in parentheses.

Dr. Stockmann is the popular citizen of a small coastal town in Norway (Chief Brody is this, his Chief title like that of Doctor to Stockmann). The town has recently invested a large amount of public and private money towards the development of baths, a project led by Dr. Stockmann and his brother, the Mayor . The town is expecting a surge in tourism and prosperity from the new baths, said to be of great medicinal value and as such, the baths are the pride of the town(the Mayor of Amity and it's summertime tourist season are the lifeblood of the town in Jaws). However, as the baths are starting to succeed, Dr. Stockmann discovers that waste products from the town's tannery are contaminating the baths causing serious illness among the tourists (Chief Brody discovers a great white feeding in the water, casuing serious death among the tourist). He expects this important discovery to be his greatest achievement, and promptly sends a detailed report to the Mayor, which includes a proposed solution, which would come at a considerable cost to the town (Brody tells the mayor).

But to his surprise, Stockmann finds it difficult to get through to the authorities. They seem unable to appreciate the seriousness of the issue and unwilling to publicly acknowledge and address the problem because it could mean financial ruin for the town (the mayor ignores Brody and insists that the beaches will be open in time for tourist season, despite the threat). As the conflict ensues, the Mayor warns his brother that he should "acquiesce in subordinating himself to the community". Stockmann refuses to accept this, and holds a town meeting at Captain Horster's house in order to convince the people to close the baths.

And then, well, it breaks off.. they go after the shark and much wackiness ensues... if yer curious, here's how the play turns out:

The townspeople - eagerly awaiting the prosperity that the baths are believed will bring - refuse to accept Stockmann's claims, as his friends and allies, who had explicitly given support for his campaign, turn against him en masse. He is taunted and denounced as a lunatic, an "Enemy of the People." In a scathing rebuke of both the Victorian notion of community and the principles of democracy, Dr. Stockmann proclaims that in matters of right and wrong, the individual is superior to the multitude, who are easily led by self-advancing demagogues. Stockmann sums up Ibsen's denunciation of the masses, with the memorable quote "...the strongest man in the world is the man who stands most alone."