Unit 21: It started out kind of slow.
– Relating the plot of movies
– Describing reactions to movies
Part 1
Vocabulary
Think of movies that you have seen. Write a movie next to each adjective below
| Adjective | Name of the movie | |
| 1. suspenseful | ||
| 2. slow | ||
| 3. hilarious | ||
| 4. offensive | ||
| 5. moving | ||
| 6. depressing | ||
| 7. heartwarming | ||
| 8. corny | ||
| 9. tearjerker | ||
| 10. nail-biter | ||
Explain your answers to your teacher.
Sample answer
A: I thought the new Spiderman movie was really suspenseful.
B: So did I. But It's Kind of a Funny Story was kind of slow. The story took a long time to tell.
Part 2
Conversation
Listen and answer 2 questions.
1. How does Peter feel about the movie?
2. What is the movie about?
Jennifer & Peter
Transcript
Jennifer: So, how was the movie you saw last night?
Peter: It started out kind of slow, but by the end, I was really into it.
Jennifer: What was it about?
Peter: It’s about this woman whose life completely falls apart. In the beginning, she gets fired from her job. Then she can’t pay her rent.
Jennifer: Wow, that sounds really depressing.
Peter: Yeah, but it gets better. She has to live in her car because she doesn’t have a place to stay. Meanwhile, someone is looking for her.
Jennifer: Who is this person?
Peter: It’s an editor from a publishing company. A few years earlier, she had written a book and sent it to a publisher, but she had never heard anything back.
Jennifer: OK, this is starting to sound more interesting.
Peter: Eventually, the editor finds her and offers her a book deal!
Jennifer: Wow, that’s great!
Peter: Yeah, it was a little corny, but it was heartwarming.
Example answer
- Peter thought the movie was a bit slow at the beginning, but it got better as it went on. He found it heartwarming, though a little corny at times.
- The movie tells the story of a woman whose life begins to fall apart. She loses her job and, unable to pay her rent, is forced to live in her car. Despite these hardships, she eventually catches a lucky break when her book gets published, giving her a new chance at success.
Practice the conversation with teacher
Write the three extra sentences you hear in the conversation. Practice the new conversation.
Jennifer: So, how was the movie you saw last night? __________________.
Peter: It started out kind of slow, but by the end, I was really into it.
Jennifer: What was it about?
Peter: It’s about this woman whose life completely falls apart. In the beginning, she gets fired from her job. Then she can’t pay her rent. __________________.
Jennifer: Wow, that sounds really depressing.
Peter: Yeah, but it gets better. She has to live in her car because she doesn’t have a place to stay. Meanwhile, someone is looking for her. __________________.
Jennifer: Who is this person?
Peter: It’s an editor from a publishing company. A few years earlier, she had written a book and sent it to a publisher, but she had never heard anything back.
Jennifer: OK, this is starting to sound more interesting.
Peter: Eventually, the editor finds her and offers her a book deal!
Jennifer: Wow, that’s great!
Peter: Yeah, it was a little corny, but it was heartwarming.
Answers
Jennifer: So, how was the movie you saw last night? Did you like it?.
Peter: It started out kind of slow, but by the end, I was really into it.
Jennifer: What was it about?
Peter: It’s about this woman whose life completely falls apart. In the beginning, she gets fired from her job. Then she can’t pay her rent. So, she gets kicked out of her apartment.
Jennifer: Wow, that sounds really depressing.
Peter: Yeah, but it gets better. She has to live in her car because she doesn’t have a place to stay. Meanwhile, someone is looking for her. He can't find her, though, because she doesn't have an address.
Jennifer: Who is this person?
Peter: It’s an editor from a publishing company. A few years earlier, she had written a book and sent it to a publisher, but she had never heard anything back.
Jennifer: OK, this is starting to sound more interesting.
Peter: Eventually, the editor finds her and offers her a book deal!
Jennifer: Wow, that’s great!
Peter: Yeah, it was a little corny, but it was heartwarming.
Part 3
Language Booster
Notice the ways we relate the plot of movies and describe reactions to movies.
Relating the plot of movies
- It’s about this woman (whose life completely falls apart).
- In the beginning, (she gets fired from her job).
- It starts out in (New York City).
Describing reactions to movies
- It started out kind of slow, but by the end, I was really into it.
- It was really heartwarming/gripping/exciting.
Describe the beginning of a movie to your teacher.
Example
A: I thought the movie was a real nail-biter. It's about this man who is being chased by spies.
B: Wow, that sounds exciting!
A: Yeah, it was. It starts out in New York City.
Part 4
Pronunciation
Listen to the movie descriptions. Notice the places where the speaker pauses for a moment.
A: It starts out in New York City. [pause] The man is walking alone [pause] on a quiet street [pause] when suddenly [pause] he hears a scream!
B: Then what happens?
Ask and tell your teacher about the beginning of a movie, like you did in the Language Booster section, part B above. This time, pay attention to places where you can pause for a moment.
Example Answer
A: It starts out when a young man is going to get married. [pause] We find out his parents are divorced.
B: That sounds interesting. [pause] What happened next?
Part 5
Speak with confidence
Think of a movie that you remember well.
Write notes about the main events of the movie
Movie title: _______________________________________________________________
It’s about _______________________________________________________________
In the beginning, __________________________________________________________
Later on, _______________________________________________________________
Eventually, _______________________________________________________________
Finally, _______________________________________________________________
Sample answer
A: It’s a movie about four people around the world who produce almost no trash.
B: Really? That doesn’t sound very interesting.
A: In the beginning, it was slow, but by the end, it was really inspiring. These four people spend a lot of time recycling and making the world a better place to live.
C: But for 90 minutes, they just talk…?