MOVIE/FILM REVIEW LESSON PLAN
By Coop Cooper,
A.K.A. “The Small Town Critic”
Website: http://www.thesmalltowncritic.com
Subject:
o
English
Length of
Time:
o
Approx. 3 class periods + homework
Description:
o
In this lesson, the students will create a written movie review
using the concepts and skills learned from the teacher and the materials
provided. The students will watch a movie
in class and actively participate in all activities. Depending on the length of the movie and the
depth in which the teacher immerses the students into the material, this could
take three class periods or more.
Objectives:
o
Students will learn to:
1. Analyze a narrative story structure
2. Identify terms and concepts that serve the basis for movie reviews
3. Synthesize literary/visual concepts into a structured essay
1. Analyze a narrative story structure
2. Identify terms and concepts that serve the basis for movie reviews
3. Synthesize literary/visual concepts into a structured essay
Materials Needed:
o
Movie (VHS, DVD, etc.) appropriate for high school or middle
school students
o
Notebook paper and writing instruments
o
TV with a VHS, DVD or other media player
o
Overhead projector if you plan to use transparencies
o
Transparencies or copies of the instructions and examples
o
OPTIONAL: Record an
episode of “At the Movies” with critics Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz or a
similar show featuring movie critics discussing movies to show to the students. They could also look up clips from these
shows online at http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/atm/.
Procedure: (note:
These steps can be done at a quick pace, but I recommend a slow pace
with in depth discussions and possibly small activities and scaffolding to
maximize understanding and define unfamiliar terms. Ultimately the pace and # of days you spend
on this is up to you.)
o
The teacher will pass out the “Movie Review Terms” (or have
students copy them using an overhead projector) and go over the examples. Encourage students to offer their own examples
for participation points.
o
Then pass out copies of the “Review Template” and the “Movie
Review Example” and go over them. Compare
the two and highlight examples/similarities on the overhead projector. Make sure the students understand the
structure before proceeding.
o
Pass out (or have them copy) the “Movie Review Worksheet.”
o
Begin the film. Have the
students fill out the worksheet as they watch.
You may decide to grade them on attentiveness. Informing the students of this might ensure
better participation.
o
After the film, answer questions the students might have missed
on the worksheet (ex – names of the actors/characters).
o
Have them begin writing their reviews by utilizing all of their
materials. They should finish it for
homework if not completed in class, or you could have them spend a couple of
days working on it in class and revising (highly recommended).
o
OPTIONAL: Once finished,
you could have students with completed papers come up in front of the class in
pairs and do an “At the Movies”- type discussion utilizing the “Terminology”
they learned from the lesson (for credit or extra credit).
o
After that, you will collect the papers and grade them.
Evaluation and Grading:
o
The “Movie Review Project!” provides the necessary steps for
evaluation and grading. Feel free to
create your own rubric if you deem it necessary.
o
Other means of evaluation could include student conduct during
the watching of the film, completion of the worksheet and participation in
discussions.
MOVIE REVIEW TERMS
1.
Blurbs –
·
When a
quote from a review is used in a commercial/advertisement
·
(ex –
“Better than the Matrix! I would see it
again and again!”)
2.
Critic –
·
A
professional who publishes his opinion on a particular movie/play/book
·
(ex –
Roger Ebert, Richard Roeper, Leonard Maltin, Pauline Kael)
3.
Mediocre –
·
Competent
but not especially outstanding
·
(ex –
“The film wasn’t bad and it wasn’t good either, it was just mediocre”
4.
Cliché –
·
Something
that’s been used so many times that it no longer surprises or interests the
audience; overexposure
·
(ex –
In a scary movie, a black cat jumps out and scares the character, but the real
danger is RIGHT BEHIND HIM/HER!)
5.
Character Driven –
·
When
the characters in a fictional work develop over the course of the story into
people you care about
·
(ex –
“Twilight” is about vampires, but more importantly, it’s the relationship
between the characters that makes us care about the story)
6.
High-Concept –
·
When
the idea behind the story is interesting enough to get people to see the movie
without knowing anything else about it
·
(ex –
A young clownfish gets kidnapped and put into an aquarium and it’s up to his
father and a misfit group of fish to save him {“Finding Nemo”})
7.
Plot –
·
What
the story is about
·
(ex –
“Kung Fu Panda” is about a clumsy, overweight panda bear who dreams of becoming
the ultimate kung fu warrior, etc… {note that a plot summary is about a
paragraph long})
8.
Hype –
·
Using
different techniques to get the audience excited about the story
·
(ex –
“Come see ‘Coraline’ in amazing 3-D!
It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before!”)
9.
Out of Context –
·
When
quotes are mixed up and changed around to give the words a different meaning
·
(ex –
The commercial says: “Roger Ebert calls
‘The Big Crazy Movie’ BRILLIANT!”
·
What
Roger Ebert really said in his review was, “The Big Crazy movie could have been
BRILLIANT if the acting wasn’t so terrible.”
10. Puns –
·
A
clever play on words
·
(ex –
“Waiting to Exhale” will take your breath away!)
·
(ex –
“Run to the theater to see “Running Scared!”)
11. Editorial rights –
·
When
handing over a review to a publication, the editor has the power to create a
title and cut things out of the review
·
(ex –
YOU WROTE: “This movie stunk.” The editor changes it to: “This movie wasn’t so good.”)
12. Syndication –
·
When
the same article is published in more than one newspaper or publication.
·
(ex –
The Associated Press takes one article and sells it to 300 newspapers and 1000
websites across the country)
13. Ratings system –
·
When
the critic uses a scale to show the degree of how much they recommend the movie
·
(ex –
“thumbs up” or “four stars”)
14. Audience demographics –
·
When
the critic recommends that only a certain group of people should see, or not
see, the film
·
(ex –
“Kids will like ‘Madagascar
15. Critical bias –
·
When
the critic cannot review the film fairly due to a personal problem with
something in the film
·
(ex –
I hated “Jaws” because I’m afraid of sharks.)
16. Spoilers –
·
When a
critic reveals secrets and plot points that could ruin the surprise for the
audience and lessen their enjoyment of the movie.
·
(ex –
In the end of “The Big Crazy Movie,” John the main character dies) Note:
DON’T TELL SPOILERS!!!
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 – 10pts.
These are things
you need to include:
1. A title (headline for your review) – 5pts.
2. The names of the main actors and the names
of their characters (top 5 actors/characters) – 10pts.
3. A summary of the plot of the story (without
giving away the ending) - 10pts.
4. A possible theme (or moral) of this story –
10pts.
5. Give the “audience demographic” or who
would like this movie – 10pts.
6. Your opinion of the movie as a whole
(include details you thought were interesting or awful). – 10pts.
7. A score/rating system (other than “two
thumbs up”) – 5pts.
8. Include a very short biography of yourself
at the end – 10pts.
Extra credit – If you include a clever “pun” in the TITLE OF YOUR REVIEW, I’ll give you an extra 5pts.
-
If you
decide to type it, I’ll throw in another
extra 5pts.
·
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!!!
Total possible score (not including extra credit): 80
pts.
MOVIE REVIEW WORKSHEET
Fill out the following information about
the movie:
DURING THE MOVIE:
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)?
AFTER THE MOVIE:
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
TITLE: “My
Dog Skip” will have you skipping to the theater
By Coop Cooper,
A.K.A. “The Small
Town
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
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
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
Kevin Bacon and Diane Lane Mississippi
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
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 Clarksdale ,
Mississippi Methodist
University with a B.F.A in Cinema, and
received his Masters in Screenwriting from the American
Film Institute in Hollywood
