Thursday, May 26, 2011

4m Activity: Understanding an American movie - starting from May, 27th 2011

Activity based on the movie "Little Miss Sunshine," a 2006 American comedy-drama film. The road-movie plot follows a family's trip to a children's beauty pageant.

Good to study family relationships, teenage, children and adults' struggles as well as analyzing competitive behaviours.



Notions to clarify with the students before watching the first movie's scene:
-a comedy-drama film
-a road-movie
-a character
-a plot
-a children's beauty pageant
-to divorce
-to attempt suicide
-to be mute/silent
-to be outgoing/lively/spontaneous
-to give complexes
-skinny/fat
-The cult of success: to be a looser/to be a winner; to lose/to win
-to achieve one's dream
-to "let Olive be Olive"
-The anti-American dream

A film screenshot shows the family all seated in the Volkswagen Microbus as it is driven on a highway. The angle is from the windshield looking into the vehicle so that the majority of the interior can be seen. The mother is sitting in the front passenger seat with a dull expression on her face. The father is driving the vehicle with a smiliar expression. In the middle row, the daughter is looking down, listening to music from a CD player. Her uncle is seated on the right, looking to his left. In the back row, the grandfather is looking towards his grandson (who's face is slightly obscured by his father's head due to the angle). In the background, other vehicles can be seen driving on the highway.

A film screenshot showing five girls standing on stage at the pageant at the end of the film. From left to right, the first girl (wearing a one-piece swimsuit) has her left leg placed in front of her right, the second girl (wearing a two-piece swimsuit) has her legs shifted in the opposite direction, at center the main character (wearing a one-piece swimsuit) is standing straight, the fourth girl (wearing a one-piece swimsuit) has her left leg placed in front of her right, and the last girl (wearing a two-piece swimsuit) also has her left foot forward. All of the girls are smiling towards different angles. The background of the stage is decorated and it is reflected on the shiny surface of the stage.

Characters: Olive and Dwayne (kids)
                  Sheryl and Richard (parents)
                  Uncle Frank
                  Grandpa

Questions after viewing 1:
       -Resume what has been seen/the plot with the students during scene 1.
-How old are Olive and Dwayne?
-What is Olive's dream?
-What is Dwayne's dream?
-Why does he refuse to speak by making a vow of silence?
-What does Richard do for a living?
-Why does Frank have to live with the family? What happened to him?
-Why does the Grandpa have to live with the family? What happened to him?
-Where does the family live?
-Where do they have to go? How? Why?

A yellow and white Vokswagen Type 2 vehicle, at center, is parked on a street. The roof of the vehicle is dirty, and on the sides of the picture, several other vehicles and buildings can be seen located on the street.


Questions after viewing 2:
    -Resume what has been seen previously:
-What happens to uncle Frank at the gas station?
-What happens to Olive at the gas station?
-What happens to Richard when they get to the motel?
-What happens to grandpa?

Questions after viewing 3:


Further discussion:
-Which character is your favorite? Explain why.
-Have you ever taken a road trip with your family?
-Where did you go?
-How did it go? Have you had some fights?
-What is the American dream for you?
-Comment one of Sheryl's sentence at the end of the movie: "Let's let Olive be Olive."
-How could you define the anti-American dream?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Miss_Sunshine
Publié par Unknown à l'adresse 7:09 PM

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