This study explores the development of a methodology to analyze how nature of science (NOS) and scientific inquiry (SI) are portrayed in mainstream films. We demonstrate this methodology using the films, "Contact" and "Twister," as they are commonly used in earth/space science classrooms. We investigate the following research question: "how do mainstream films present NOS and SI?" Using a qualitative approach to examine the instances in which NOS and SI were observed in the film, we developed a template that assists the viewers in identifying these incidences visually. Not only can this instrument be used to determine when NOS and SI are portrayed in mainstream films, it can also be used to create a visual fingerprint depicting the number of incidents in which each construct is displayed. We suggest that these fingerprints can be used to help teachers understand how NOS and SI are addressed in selected mainstream films normally used in secondary science classrooms.