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A graduate of Northwestern University with a theatre major, I have been teaching theatre and directing plays for 32 years (26 of them at TRHS). I have a masters degree in Instructional Technology, and enjoy blogging as a way to share writings and ideas with others. I am an animal lover, and the proud owner of two cats whose names are Stewey Mulligan and Pinkus Zuckerman.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Establishing Your Voice: Movies

This month we will begin looking at some plays and movies as we try our hand at a bit of writing for the stage and screen. You have probably seen many movies that you have enjoyed, perhaps even ones you can almost recite from memory! For today's blog, consider a movie you have seen that has made a big impact on you. Don't worry if you think the movie is silly or weird. The important thing here is to start thinking about what makes you enjoy a particular movie.

In at least 100 words, answer some or all of the following questions about the movie: What characters in the movie do you like the most and why? Do you like them because of the way they talk or the way they deal with a particular situation? What do you like about the plot of the movie? Did it make you laugh or cry? Did it remind you of events or people in your own life? Have you seen this movie more than once? If so, what caused you to see it again? Can you remember where you were and who you were with when you saw it for the first time? Did your companions enjoy the movie as much as you did? Would you recommend this movie to a friend? To a stranger? Reflect on these ideas as you formulate a blog that communicates your feelings about the movie to others. Remember to use correct spelling, capitalization and punctuation.

16 Comments:

Blogger CWNichole09 said...

A movie I'm sure not many of you have seen is Lost in Translation starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. However, I've seen it many times and I absolutely love it. It is one of my favorites. I like the character of Bob Harris because he seems so depressed and he seems to keep to himself, but you can also see his emotions in a strange and subtle way. I like the plot of the movie because it is basically unclear until the very end when it is made obvious that it is a love story. The movie did not remind me of events in my life but the atmosphere that is created by the director reminds me of my life at times. I was alone the first time I saw it, and I don't really feel that anyone else would enjoy it as much as I have. It is quite a strange movie, and it would probably be boring to people who don't see it the way I do. The director uses so many unique shots and camera angles that really give this movie a strange sense of loneliness. If you're a deep thinker and like movies that are different, then I would definitely recommend Lost in Translation.

9:15 AM, November 19, 2009  
Blogger cwGiacinto09 said...

I will have to say A GOOFY MOVIE (not The, A) hands down. I love how hard Goofy tries to bond with his son, Max. He goes out of the way for him in the most hilarious ways. Max, being a typical teenager from the 90's, only cares about a concert and not being seen with his dad. I like the corny jokes like "It's the leaning tower of Cheeza!” And Bigfoot is my favorite scene; it makes me laugh ever time. Aside from being funny, it has its mushy moments, as well as its dramatic moments. I won't give it away for those who may not have seen it. I was three or four when I saw it for the first time so I don't remember. I have a video of me in Italy and I am watching it there. It was the only movie I brought to watch. We watched this movie on the way to Virginia when the band went my freshman year. The whole bus was singing along, reciting lines, and cracking jokes. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys children's movies. Even if you don't, you should consider watching it. I connect with the movie because it is the same relationship I have with my dad. I am sometimes embarrassed by his corny jokes that sometimes don't make sense. But I understand that he's my dad and the only one I have so I've learned to live with it.

9:16 AM, November 19, 2009  
Blogger CWCaitlyn09 said...

My favorite movie would have to be Blue Crush. Even though it was made in the early 2000's it is still goood. The movie setting wasin Hawaii. It is about three girls and there life and how they live to surf. The movie makes me want to go and there and live in there life becasue I would want to live in a beach bungalo right on the ocean in Hawaii. I think that would be pretty cool. The movie really didnt have an effect on me only the fact that im totally jealous of there lifestyle and how relaxed it is and not having to worry about any drama that you cannot get away from around here. I have seen this movie probably close to 40 times, I love it. the atmosphere of the movie and how I think it was produced and written is what brings me back to watching it everytime.My sister is also a big fan of this movie too. I would definately recomend this to a friend even though all my friends have already seen it. I think all around it is just an exciting movie.

9:16 AM, November 19, 2009  
Blogger CWEmily09 said...

The best movie…ever, is Wall-E. First off, I would like to say that seeing a cute little robot trying to get with the robot he loves, very cute. I also love Wall-E because it taught me that it’s important to do what you think is right or what you believe in, don’t let anyone else tell you what you have to do. My favorite character is, of course, Wall-E himself and Mo because they’re funny, and I just love them. It has its funny parts and it’s sad parts, I remember watching it with my friend Melani and she cried at the end, I always remember it every time I watch it. I’ve seen this movie a lot, probably too much for my own good, but I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves good movies. Watch it!

9:17 AM, November 19, 2009  
Blogger CWBryanna09 said...

My all time favorite movie is Evan Almighty. I like this movie for many reasons. Steve Correll is the main charachter in this movie. The reason i think i enjoyed the movie the most was beacuse they took normal "today" life,and incorporated olden bibilical times. I was hysterical laughing most of the movie. Steve Correll just says things that make you laugh. I have probably seen this movie over twenty times. Any time i am in the mood to watch a movie it's always Evan Almighty. I would recommend this movie to about every person. It's the type of movie that you can watch especially when you are in a bad mood, because it without a doubt will put a smile on your face. When i first saw this movie i was with a past boyfriend on a date. He also enjoyed it. At first he was complaining about seeing it beacuse he thought he was cool, and didn't think a movie that had Noah's Ark in it would be enjoyable. Well, in the end it turned out to be one of his favorite movies. If you ever get the chance to watch a movie, watch Evan Almighty

9:19 AM, November 19, 2009  
Blogger CWPete09 said...

One of my favorite movies of all time is Charlie Bartlett. It follows the story of a caring and intelligent young man who only wants to be well liked. The movie begins with him trying to find a place in his new public school. He ends up becoming the most popular kid in school as well as the school’s unofficial therapist and pharmacist. Charlie is my favorite character because I can easily relate to him, as I fancy myself a bit of a school therapist. People I barely even know often approach me for advice because of my interest in psychology and philosophy and my desire to become a Psychology major in college. I also admire Charlie because of his offbeat personality, another trait we share; he’s funny and kind to anyone who seeks his help, much like me. I have watched this movie time and time again because it’s always an enjoyable experience, I love the story and can easily relate. The first time I watched it was with my life-long friend Jimmy, he told me how he had watched the movie at least 5 times in a week and still wanted to watch it. I recommend Charlie Bartlett to anyone who likes a comedy that will make you think.

9:20 AM, November 19, 2009  
Blogger CWCassandra09 said...

The movie I enjoy the most is The Notebook. That is on of my favorite movies. The character I like the most is Noah. Noah is my favorite character because of how he treats Ally. Even though they weren’t together he still built the house that they talked about when they were younger. He even put the things she wanted in the house. Noah shows the true meaning of love. Even though Ally can’t remember who he is or anything from her past, Noah reads her the story of how the fell in love every day. Noah shows true commitment to his wife. He could have just left her and not have cared, but he sticks with her and tries to get her to remember her past. The first time I ever saw this movie I cried during many part of the movie. Now I only cry at the end because it’s so sad. There love was so strong that they both died together while they were asleep. Even though parts of the movie are sad the movie also makes me happy. I think this is the best romance movie because it makes you believe in love at first sight and true love. Yes I’ve seen this movie more than once; I’ve watched it many times because I think it’s a really cute movie. The first time I ever saw the movie was by myself at my house. The only other person I ever watched it with was this girl I used to be good friends with. I would recommend this movie to anybody because it shows you what true love can look like and its just a really good movie to watch.

9:23 AM, November 19, 2009  
Blogger cwstephanie09 said...

A movie that has impacted my life is one not many people have seen. It's called The Labyrinth. It stars David Bowie as the evil goblin king. Young Sarah wishes away her younger brother to the goblins. She has 13 hours to reach the castle beyond the goblin city to save her brother before it's too late. Along the way she gets help from three very different creatures. Ludo is a giant furry orange monster. Sarah saves him and he then helps her on her journey. Sir Diddymus is a fox like creature that rides a dog named ambrosia. Hoggle is a goblin who turns out to be Sarah’s greatest friend while she is in the underworld. Sarah most influences me because as the story progresses she learns that life isn't always fair but that she can over come all things if she tries. I find that to be the best thing about the movie and the fantasy of it just pulls you in.

9:23 AM, November 19, 2009  
Blogger Kaila said...

My favorite movie is the Wizard of Oz. I’ve seen it so many times I can almost recite it from heart. It’s such a touching story. I love all the characters, although the Scarecrow is my favorite. I love him because he doesn’t think he has a brain, but he’s actually very smart. I’m not really sure why I love the Wizard of Oz so much, but I do. I don’t remember the first time I watched it, but it was probably with my mom. She loves the Wizard of Oz as much as I do. The Wizard of Oz has the ability to make me laugh and cry every time I see. Seriously, if you haven’t seen this movie chances are you’ve spent the last seventeen years living under a rock.

9:23 AM, November 19, 2009  
Blogger cwjonathan09 said...

My all time favorite movie so far in my life is, Nothing To Lose. It's a movie with Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence. Its a movie about Nick Beam (Robbins)runs into a little bit of issues with his wife. He goes for a drive to get away from it, when he runs into Terrance Paul Davidson (Lawrence) in the ghetto of his city. Nick Beam is my favorite character in this movie because of the way he reacts to the situations he gets into. In one part he calls this guy who's trying to rob him a girl scout, the guy says he's going to kill him, so he replies "well that just makes you my best friend." In another part of the movie, he runs into that same guy again, and they get into a tussell in an alley. The partner in crime of the other guy asks Nick what's wrong with him, and Nick says "I'm married..." then shoots them with a shotgun, in the hand. Anyway, I don't want to tell you the whole movie, go watch it for yourself, the way they meet, and the things they go through are hilarious.

9:23 AM, November 19, 2009  
Blogger cwtom09 said...

Its extremely difficult to decided what movie is my favorite. There are so many to choose from. What makes a movie really good in my opinion is that it can make me laugh. I have to say that the movie Super Troopers is one of my favorites. The way that the characters talk to each other and just the things that they do kept me laughing throughout the whole movie. It is a movie about a bunch of highway patrol cops stumble across a big drug bust. They run into some shananigans along the way. This movie is pee-your-pants funny and I highly recommend that you watch it if you enjoy a good laugh.

9:27 AM, November 19, 2009  
Blogger cwTage09 said...

The movie that has had the most impact on me has to Pursuit of Happiness . The character that I admire the most in this movie is Will Smith. He plays the role of a single and struggling father that is doing everything and anything possible to the best of his ability to make ends meet for his child. I loved the way he never gave up no matter how difficult times got. The plot of the movie was actually realistic. This movie was based on a true story which is great because it inspires you to never give up, anything is possible. The movie is so adorable; it made me cry at the end because it was such a happy ending. In a way it kind of reminds me of my mom in Will Smith’s position. My mom was a single parent as well struggling to juggle everything at once while trying to raise me. Fortunately it turned out to be a great ending just like in the movie. Luckily, I’ve seen this movie a few times. It is just a movie you never get bored of. It’s full of interesting events. This movie is just a cute movie that happens to be very encouraging and great because it’s based on a true story.

9:29 AM, November 19, 2009  
Blogger cwalison09 said...

Imagine, if you will, that your imaginary friend was real. Imagine, now, that he or she has come back, and is now turning your life upside down in your adult life.

Welcome to Drop Dead Fred.

This movie is wonderful; the characters are vivid and colorful. Lizzie Cronin is 26 years old, with an overbearing mother and a cheating husband. She has just been fired from her job, and kicked out of her own house. She is forced to return to her childhood home, where she finds a jack-in-the-box that contains her imaginary friend- Drop Dead Fred. Fred is the character that is everyone's childhood, he's silly, pulls pranks, and thinks girls are DEE-SGUST-ING. He's my favorite character, because he reminds me very much of my old imaginary friend.

I cried at the end of the movie, not because it's sad, but because it's so sweet. I've seen this movie dozens of times and it never ceases to make me smile.

9:30 AM, November 19, 2009  
Blogger CWTeacher said...

Movies often affect us because they connect to events that are happening in our lives at the time when we first see them. My all time favorite movie is Annie Hall. It was released in the late-1970's, way before video was ever invented, and I first saw it in a movie theatre in St. Louis, where I was living at the time.

I had been a fan of Woody Allen's previous movies, but up to that point, his style was very wacky and bordered on slapstick comedy. Annie Hall seemed more real by comparison.

The movie starred Woody Allen and Diane Keaton, who were in a real-life relationship at the time it was made. Since the movie was all about the pitfalls of romantic relationships, their performances were extremely authentic. In fact, Diane Keaton won the Best Actress Oscar that year, and the movie won Best Picture.

The reason the movie had such an impact on me was that I was recovering from a bad relationship myself at the time, and so many of the lines rang true to my own experience. The crowning moment for me was in the final scene, when Woody's voiceover narrated his reaction to an old joke: This guy goes to a psychiatrist and says, "Doc, uh, my brother's crazy; he thinks he's a chicken." And, uh, the doctor says, "Well, why don't you turn him in?" The guy says, "I would, but I need the eggs." Well, I guess that's pretty much now how I feel about relationships; y'know, they're totally irrational, and crazy, and absurd, and... but, uh, I guess we keep goin' through it because, uh, most of us... need the eggs.

It was then that I realized an essential truth about romantic relationships. Whatever happens in the longrun, they're worth it... because we need the eggs. Thanks, Woody.

9:39 AM, November 19, 2009  
Blogger CWMichelle09 said...

My favorite movie of all time is Across the Universe. I once watched this movie three times in one day! can you believe it!? the movie is about a dock worker, Jude which is played by actor Jim Sturgess, from the 60s that travels to America to find his dad whom he has never met. He falls in love with an american girl, Lucy. When her brother Max gets drafted into the war, Jude, Lucy, and their friends all become involved in peace activism. The coolest part about the movie is that the songbook and characters are named after the Beatles. Over 30 songs from the Beatles were used. The movie is a musical and all the characters sing their songs. it is an amazing movie and i never get tired of talking about it. You would think making a movie with people singing songs from the legendary Beatles wouldn't turn out that good, but they all did a wonderful job. Some characters include, besides Jude ("Hey Jude"), and Lucy ("Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds") there are characters such as Prudence ("Dear Prudence"), Dr. Roberts which is played by Bono from U2, Sadie who is suppose to be Janis Joplin and jo-jo who is suppose to be Jimmie Hendrix and finally Max ("Maxwell's Silver Hammer"). If you happen to know a lot about the Beatles, Janis Joplin, Or Jmmie Henrix and their music you would LOVE this movie because besides the Beatles' characters names and music, they make comments about their life and they make "Jokes" about songs not sung in the movie. For example if you know the song "Hello Hello" u would understand it when Jude greets his friends with Hello Hello instead of just Hello or Hi. Another song written by Paul McCartney and performed by the Beatles is "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window." They incorporated this into the movie when Prudence climbs through the "bathroom window." There are other things too but i cannot think about all of them. If you haven't seen the movie, please do! It also gives you a really good understanding about the way it was during the Vietnam war. It really touched me, and the soundtrack is amazing. I listen to it everyday!

9:51 AM, November 29, 2009  
Blogger cwJose09 said...

One of my favorite movies has to be Accepted. The movies is about a group of friends opening up a fake college because every other college rejected them, so they want to make their parents think that they’re going to college, but in the process something goes wrong. Other kids who also been rejected from every college they applied to start to hear about this new college, but what they don’t know is that the college is not real. Instead of Bartleby telling them the truth about the school he welcomes them to their first year of college for the same reason as his, he couldn’t fit in in the college world. My favorite character in the movie is the high school burnout Bartleby Gaines. He is my favorite character in the movie because he is the master mind behind the college. Although Bartleby dosnt know it, his college has rival on its hand, With south Harmen Institute of Technology being born, Harmen University is trying to fight back for stealing their territory by find how and who started this mysterious college.
When Bartleby gets cught my parents and others that the college was a fake, the college gets shut down and every one is sent home. Even then when the colege gets shut down Bartleby fights to keep the college oing by fighting with Harmen University and the bord of education, by showing that the only reason he kept the S.H.I.T going was to give kids a place in the real world, and with that he wins the trial and S.H.I.T becomes an offical college with a little help from the board of education.

9:31 AM, December 03, 2009  

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