american beauty

THE LISTENING / READING SCRIPT American Beauty is a 1999 American drama film directed by Sam Mendes.. The film has been described by academics as a satire of American middle class ideas

Lessons On Movies.com

AMERICAN BEAUTY

http://www.LessonsOnMovies.com/american_beauty.html

CONTENTS

Listening / Reading Script 2 Mark The Spaces 9

Insert The Vowels 8

Follow Sean Banville on

Twitter twitter.com/SeanBanville

Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/BreakingNewsEnglish/155625444452176

Google + plus.google.com/110990608764591804698/posts

THE LISTENING / READING SCRIPT

American Beauty is a 1999 American drama film directed by Sam

Mendes It stars Kevin Spacey as office worker Lester Burnham, who hates his job and boring routine He has a midlife crisis when

he becomes obsessed with his teenage daughter's best friend, Angela (Mena Suvari) Annette Bening co-stars as Lester's materialistic wife, Carolyn, and Thora Birch plays their insecure daughter, Jane The film has been described by academics as a satire of American middle class ideas about beauty and personal satisfaction Critics have focused on the film's explorations of romantic and paternal love, sexuality, beauty, materialism,

alienation, freedom, and freeing oneself from sin

American Beauty was positively received by critics and audiences

alike It was the best-reviewed American film of the year and grossed over $350 million worldwide It won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (for Spacey), Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography The years since have seen

its critical regard wane In 2005, Premiere named American

Beauty as one of 20 "most overrated movies of all time" Mendes

accepted the criticism, saying: "I thought some of it was entirely justified—it was a little overpraised at the time." The movie

review site Rotten Tomatoes says: “American Beauty is a smart,

provocative high point of late '90s mainstream Hollywood film.”

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Beauty_%28film%29

TRAILER AND POSTER

POSTER

1 SIX WORDS: Look at the poster and write down six words (more if you like) that you think of as you look at it Share the words with your partner(s) Why did you choose them?

You can find posters for this movie at www.wikipedia.com or www.imbd.com - just type the name of the movie in the search field

beginning, end, etc Change partners and share stories

3 CREDITS: Look at the credits on the poster (the actors, director, producer…) and talk about them with your partner(s).

4 MUST-SEE: Talk with your partner(s) about whether the poster and movie title are good and make you want to see the movie

about your role with your movie star partner(s)

TRAILER

You can watch a trailer at http://www.youtube.com

you saw to your partner(s)

3 QUIZ: Watch the trailer and write down some quiz questions for your partner(s) Watch a second time to find the answers to the questions

4 VOCABULARY: Make a note of words in the trailer that you see or hear Talk about them with your partner(s)

might be good or bad Share your ideas with your partner(s)

MATCHING

SYNONYM MATCH

PHRASE MATCH

1 He has a midlife a at the time

2 their insecure b movies of all time

3 a satire of American middle class c romantic and paternal love

4 the film's explorations of d crisis

5 freeing oneself e critical regard wane

6 positively received by critics f ideas

7 The years since have seen its g daughter

8 one of 20 most overrated h high point

9 it was a little overpraised i from sin

10 a smart, provocative j and audiences alike

LISTENING / READING GAP FILL

American Beauty is a 1999 American drama film directed by Sam

Mendes It stars Kevin Spacey as office worker Lester Burnham, who hates his (1) He has a midlife crisis when he (2) his teenage daughter's best friend, Angela (Mena Suvari) Annette Bening co-stars as Lester's materialistic wife, Carolyn, and Thora Birch plays (3) , Jane The film has been described by (4) of American middle class ideas about beauty and personal satisfaction Critics have focused on the film's (5) and paternal love, sexuality, beauty, materialism, alienation, freedom,

and (6)

American Beauty was positively (7) _

audiences alike It was the best-reviewed American film of the year (8) million worldwide It won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (for Spacey), Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography The years since have seen (9) In 2005,

Premiere named American Beauty as one of 20 "most overrated

movies of all time" Mendes accepted the criticism, saying: "I thought some of it (10) — it was a little (11) ." The movie review site

Rotten Tomatoes says: “American Beauty is a smart, provocative

(12) mainstream Hollywood film.”

CORRECT THE SPELLING

Paragraph 1

1 sedobess with his teenage daughter's best friend

2 Annette Bening co-stars as Lester's ttrlecisiiama wife

3 their irceuens daughter

4 a raeist of American middle class ideas

5 the film's lstiorneaxop of romantic and paternal love

6 einfger oneself from sin

Paragraph 2

8 rsdsoeg over $350 million worldwide

9 Best Original aepyreclSn

10 one of 20 most oeetadvrr movies of all time

11 it was a little vdoaesripre at the time

12 a smart, evocrtopiav high point of late '90s

PUNCTUATE & PUT CAPITALS IN THE TEXT

american beauty is a 1999 american drama film directed by sam

mendes it stars kevin spacey as office worker lester burnham who hates his job and boring routine he has a midlife crisis when he becomes obsessed with his teenage daughter's best friend angela (mena suvari) annette bening co-stars as lester's materialistic wife carolyn and thora birch plays their insecure daughter jane the film has been described by academics as a satire of american middle class ideas about beauty and personal satisfaction critics have focused on the film's explorations of romantic and paternal love sexuality beauty materialism alienation freedom and freeing

oneself from sin

american beauty was positively received by critics and audiences

alike it was the best-reviewed american film of the year and grossed over $350 million worldwide it won oscars for best picture best director best actor (for spacey) best original screenplay and best cinematography the years since have seen

its critical regard wane in 2005 premiere named american beauty

as one of 20 "most overrated movies of all time" mendes accepted the criticism saying "i thought some of it was entirely justified—it was a little overpraised at the time" the movie review

site rotten tomatoes says “american beauty is a smart

provocative high point of late '90s mainstream hollywood film”

INSERT THE VOWELS (a,e,i,o,u)

_ m _ r _ c _ n B _ _ _ t y _ s _ 1 9 9 9 _ m _ r _ c _ n d r _ m _ f _ l m

d _ r _ c t _ d b y S _ m M _ n d _ s _ t s t _ r s K _ v _ n S p _ c _ y _ s

_ f f _ c _ w _ r k _ r L _ s t _ r B _ r n h _ m , w h _ h _ t _ s h _ s j _ b _ n d

b _ r _ n g r _ _ t _ n _ H _ h _ s _ m _ d l _ f _ c r _ s _ s w h _ n h _

b _ c _ m _ s _ b s _ s s _ d w _ t h h _ s t _ _ n _ g _ d _ _ g h t _ r ' s b _ s t

f r _ _ n d , _ n g _ l _ ( M _ n _ S _ v _ r _ ) _ n n _ t t _ B _ n _ n g c _

-s t _ r s _ s L _ s t _ r ' s m _ t _ r _ _ l _ s t _ c w _ f _ , C _ r _ l y n , _ n d

T h _ r _ B _ r c h p l _ y s t h _ _ r _ n s _ c _ r _ d _ _ g h t _ r , J _ n _ T h _

f _ l m h _ s b _ _ n d _ s c r _ b _ d b y _ c _ d _ m _ c s _ s _ s _ t _ r _ _ f

_ m _ r _ c _ n m _ d d l _ c l _ s s _ d _ _ s _ b _ _ t b _ _ _ t y _ n d

p _ r s _ n _ l s _ t _ s f _ c t _ _ n C r _ t _ c s h _ v _ f _ c _ s _ d _ n t h _

f _ l m ' s _ x p l _ r _ t _ _ n s _ f r _ m _ n t _ c _ n d p _ t _ r n _ l l _ v _ ,

s _ x _ _ l _ t y , b _ _ _ t y , m _ t _ r _ _ l _ s m , _ l _ _ n _ t _ _ n , f r _ _ d _ m ,

_ n d f r _ _ _ n g _ n _ s _ l f f r _ m s _n

_ m _ r _ c _ n B _ _ _ t y w_ s p _ s _ t _ v _ l y r _ c _ _ v _ d b y c r _ t _ c s

_ n d _ _ d _ _ n c _ s _ l _ k _ _ t w _ s t h _ b _ s t - r _ v _ _ w _ d

_ m _ r _ c _ n f _ l m _ f t h _ y _ _ r _ n d g r _ s s _ d _ v _ r $ 3 5 0

m _ l l _ _ n w _ r l d w _ d _ _ t w _ n _ s c _ r s f _ r B _ s t P _ c t _ r _ ,

B _ s t D _ r _ c t _ r , B _ s t _ c t _ r ( f _ r S p _ c _ y ) , B _ s t _ r _ g _ n _ l

S c r _ _ n p l _ y _ n d B _ s t C _ n _ m _ t _ g r _ p h y T h _ y _ _ r s s _ n c _

h _ v _ s _ _ n _ t s c r _ t _ c _ l r _ g _ r d w _ n _ _ n 2 0 0 5 ,

P r _ m _ _ r _ n _ m _ d _ m _ r _ c _ n B _ _ _ t y _ s _ n _ _ f 2 0 " m _ s t

_ v _ r r _ t _ d m _ v _ _ s _ f _ l l t _ m _ " M _ n d _ s _ c c _ p t _ d t h _

c r _ t _ c _ s m , s _ y _ n g : " _ t h _ _ g h t s _ m _ _ f _ t w _ s _ n t _ r _ l y

j _ s t _ f _ _ d — _ t w _ s _ l _ t t l _ _ v _ r p r _ _ s _ d _ t t h _ t _ m _ "

T h _ m _ v _ _ r _ v _ _ w s _ t _ R _ t t _ n T _ m _ t _ _ s s _ y s :

“_ m _ r _ c _ n B _ _ _ t y _ s _ s m _ r t , p r _ v _ c _ t _ v _ h _ g h p _ _ n t

_ f l _ t _ ' 9 0 s m _ _ n s t r _ _ m H _ l l y w _ _ d f _ l m ”

MARK THE SPACES

AmericanBeautyisa1999AmericandramafilmdirectedbySamMendes

.ItstarsKevinSpaceyasofficeworkerLesterBurnham,whohateshisjob andboringroutine.Hehasamidlifecrisiswhenhebecomesobsessedwit hhisteenagedaughter'sbestfriend,Angela(MenaSuvari).AnnetteBen

ingco-starsasLester'smaterialisticwife,Carolyn,andThoraBirchplaystheirin securedaughter,Jane.Thefilmhasbeendescribedbyacademicsasasat ireofAmericanmiddleclassideasaboutbeautyandpersonalsatisfactio n.Criticshavefocusedonthefilm'sexplorationsofromanticandpaterna llove,sexuality,beauty,materialism,alienation,freedom,andfreeingo

neselffromsin.AmericanBeautywaspositivelyreceivedbycriticsanda

udiencesalike.Itwasthebest-reviewedAmericanfilmoftheyearandgrossedover$350millionworldw ide.ItwonOscarsforBestPicture,BestDirector,BestActor(forSpacey), BestOriginalScreenplayandBestCinematography.Theyearssincehav

eseenitscriticalregardwane.In2005,PremierenamedAmericanBeaut

yasoneof20"mostoverratedmoviesofalltime".Mendesacceptedthecr

iticism,saying:"Ithoughtsomeofitwasentirelyjustified—

itwasalittleoverpraisedatthetime."ThemoviereviewsiteRottenToma

toessays:“AmericanBeautyisasmart,provocativehighpointoflate'90 smainstreamHollywoodfilm.”

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1

2

3

4

5

6

Copyright © www.LessonsOnMovies.com

-

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1

2

3

4

5

6

AMERICAN BEAUTY SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about American Beauty in the table Do this in pairs Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper

When you have finished, interview other students Write down their answers.

STUDENT 1 _

STUDENT 2 _

STUDENT 3 _

Q.1

Q.2

Q.3

Q.4

Q.5

• Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out Change partners often

• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings

WRITING

Write your own movie review Show your partner your letter Correct each other’s work

HOMEWORK

the text Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word

about “American Beauty” Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson

Beauty” What are (did) critics and moviegoers saying (say) about it? How good were the actors’ performances? What was good and bad about the movie? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson Give each other feedback on your articles

“American Beauty” Make sure you put tag lines, audience and critics’ reviews, why people should see it, etc Show it to your classmates in the next lesson Give each other feedback on your posters

“American Beauty” Make sure there is a good mix of things to do Find some good online activities Read what you wrote to your classmates

in the next lesson Give each other feedback

movie Imagine you are that character Write your story about what you did in the movie Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson Give each other feedback

stream, or any other social media tool to get opinions on “American Beauty” Share your findings with the class