ASSIGNMENT:
You must answer the eight questions below, and then write a movie review following the template provided in this post. An example of a movie review fitting this template is provided as an example.
MOVIE REVIEW WORKSHEET
Fill out the following information about the movie [Two sentences per question]:
1. Who are the 5 most important characters in the film? Also list the names 5 of the actors playing these characters.
2. What is this story about? Be very detailed!
3. What group of people would like this movie (demographics)?
4. Did you like this movie? Why or why not?
5. What rating would you give this movie?
6. What spoilers might ruin the movie for viewers if you told them about it?
7. All movies teach a lesson (theme/moral). What did you learn from this one?
8. What title would you give your review (and can you think of a pun that might work for it)?
MOVIE REVIEW TEMPLATE
Note:
DON’T FORGET that movie titles are written within “quotation marks!”
HEADLINE: Include the title of the
movie (try to use a pun!)
PARAGRAPH
#1:
Introduce the movie by stating that you’ve just seen this movie and
would like to give an opinion about it.
Mention a couple of details that might help the reader understand what
type of movie you are talking about.
PARAGRAPH
#2:
Summarize the plot (story). Where
and when did it take place? Who are the
main characters? What is the story
about? Remember, do NOT include spoilers
and do not tell how the story ends!
PARAGRAPH
#3: Talk
about the actors/actresses and discuss who did a good job and who didn’t.
PARAGRAPH
#4: Talk
about what you liked about the movie and what you didn’t like. Be sure to include specific details and
scenes.
PARAGRAPH
#5: What
lessons did you learn from this story (theme/moral)? What do you think others will learn from it?
PARAGRAPH
#6: What
group of people would like this movie?
Who would you recommend it to?
Who would you not recommend it to?
What’s the MPAA rating of the movie (G, PG, PG-13, R, etc…)? What is your final word on the film: Is it good or bad?
RATING
SYSTEM:
Give the movie a score. You can
do grades (A,B,C,D,F+ or -), stars (*** out of *****), numbers (3 out of 5) or
something totally original… just don’t
use “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.”
SHORT
BIOGRAPHY:
Explain who you are, what your school level is (freshman, junior, etc.),
your job (if you have one), sports you play and interesting things you like to
do. Talk about yourself in the “3rd
person,” that is; pretend someone else is writing the bio about you.
MOVIE REVIEW EXAMPLE
“My
Dog Skip” will have you skipping to the theater
By Coop Cooper, A.K.A. “The Small Town
Critial”
Everyone
remembers their childhood dogs and the impact they’ve had on their life. Perhaps one dog in particular sticks out in
your mind… a special dog that was there for you in the toughest or best years
of your life. That is what this screen
adaptation of Willie Morris’ “My Dog Skip” conveys in a fun, nostalgic and
heartbreaking kind of way. Morris
recounts the autobiographical memoir of his childhood in Yazoo City,
Mississippi and the four-legged friend that accompanied him on his journey into
manhood.
Set in
the backdrop of the war-torn world of the 1940’s, young Willie (Frankie Muniz)
is on the verge of his ninth birthday.
His only real friend, neighbor and high school sports hero Dink Jenkins
(Luke Wilson) goes off and fight in WWII, leaving Willie feeling alone in the
world. To lift Willie’s spirits, his
mother (Diane Lane) decides to defy the wishes of his stern father (Kevin
Bacon) and buy Willie a Jack Russell terrier puppy. The unusually smart and charismatic dog Skip
quickly becomes a local institution and helps Willie gain respect, make friends
and even win over his first girlfriend.
The young Morris is outstandingly played by
Frankie Muniz, now a household name due to his success on TV’s “Malcolm in the
Middle.” His acting is very mature and shows
shades of emotions very effectively.
Both Kevin Bacon and Diane Lane do decent jobs of portraying caring and
concerned parents. Luke Wilson exceeds
his normal comedy boundaries and pulls off the disgraced town hero with
surprising effectiveness. However it’s
the dog that steals the show… or should
I say dogs. “Moose” (Eddie from TV’s
Frasier) and his son “Enzo” play the older and younger Skip respectively. Look for them in more movies, commercials and
TV shows to come. I guarantee you’ll see
them.
Kevin Bacon and Diane Lane’s characters
were strong, but didn’t get enough screen time to fully develop. Willie’s friendship with a young black boy
was never given a chance to develop either, probably in an effort by the
filmmakers to avoid focusing on the segregation issues of the time period. The issue is addressed, but I feel that the
African-American characters should have had bigger, more substantial
parts. Also, I didn’t get the whole
subplot with the evil moonshine dealers and why they tormented little Willie
and Skip. It seemed like a fictional
part that was slapped on to cause more conflict. Despite these objections, the entire
production was shot so effectively that it seemed that it genuinely conveyed
feeling of growing up in rural Mississippi.
The attention to detail and the accuracy of the time period are
phenomenal. I felt completely immersed
in this world and felt the full effect of this moving story. Even the southern accents were much better
than average.
The message of this film is very clear and
invokes plenty of nostalgia to anyone who can identify growing up in a rural
town. It’s about passing into adulthood,
remembering old friends long gone, and the desire to remember or relive happy
moments in our lives that may be fading from our memory. Morris is certainly a master at preserving
his own memories by writing it down for others to enjoy. I truly believe that this story is his gift,
not only to the people of Mississippi, but to all who want to remember their
past, and the friends they left behind.
This movie is PG, a rating which might run
off some of the older crowd, but it’s truly a movie for everyone. Most films geared for children these days
depend on lame, pop-culture references and gas-passing jokes in a patronizing
attempt to entertain the younger masses.
This movie rises above all of that to become one of the most watchable
non-Disney film for children since 1993’s “Searching for Bobby Fischer.” Your date might resist going, but try to talk
them into it. They won’t regret it and
neither will you.
Scale of 1-5:
4 ½
Coop Cooper is an independently syndicated
film critic, living in Los Angeles. He is originally from Clarksdale,
Mississippi and a Southerner at heart. He graduated from Southern Methodist University
with a B.F.A in Cinema, and received his Masters
in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Hollywood. You can read his past reviews at http://www.thesmalltowncritic.com/.
MOVIE REVIEW PROJECT!
Now that you have seen a movie in class, it
is your turn to be the critic. You will
write a page and a half review on the film.
The review must at least be two pages long
These are things you need to include:
- A title (headline for your review)
- The names of the main actors and the names of their characters
(top 5 actors/characters)
- A summary of the plot of the story (without giving away the
ending)
- A possible theme (or moral) of this story
- Give the “audience demographic” or who would like this movie
- Your opinion of the movie as a whole (include details you
thought were interesting or awful).
- A score/rating system (other than “two thumbs up”)
- Include a very short biography of yourself at the end.
- Note: Write this review
as if you were trying to convince someone who has not seen the movie to
either see it or avoid it, and NO SPOILERS!!!
