Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
Watching movies is a lot of fun. It’s even better when you find an actor you really like. John just watched State and Main and discovered who his favorite actor is.
Listen to him explain.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
|
|
John: Did you ever see the movie State and Main?
Tanis: No! Did you just see that? I’ve been wanting to see that forever!
John: I had never even heard of it until a couple of friends recommended it last weekend.
Tanis: Oh really? So then did you rent it?
John: Uh huh. I watched it on Saturday night.
Tanis: Oh I’m so jealous! So was it funny?
John: It was really good.
Tanis: I heard they had a great cast.
John: It’s all about this major motion picture that’s being filmed in a small town out on the
east coast of America.Tanis: Uh huh.
John: And, ah, it’s the interaction between the big Hollywood producers and actors and the small town folk there.
Tanis: Are the people in there just completely back woods or are they…
John: I wouldn’t say they’re back woods, they’re just small town U.S.A. type people.
Tanis: And they’re suspicious of the the movie people?
John: Yeah. Some people are excited about it and some people are saying, you know, they don’t want any change to their town or anything, so there’s all these things they have to do like getting permits to film in the streets and…
Tanis: Right.
John: Just the interaction between the, the California people and these small town people is really funny.
Tanis: Oh, I would love to see that.
John: And the cast is awesome!
Tanis: Well who’s in it?
John: Well, my favorite actor: Phillip Seymour Hoffman. You know that guy?
Tanis: Oh yeah. He was in The Talented Mr. Ripley right?
John: Yeah he always plays like a supporting role but he’s really really good.
Tanis: Oh, I think that guy is fabulous.
John: And then there’s Alec Baldwin and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Tanis: I don’t really like Alec Baldwin that much.
John: I don’t either. He’s, he’s kinda cheesy, but he plays a cheesy guy in this film, so it works perfectly.
Tanis: Oh cool, well, ah, I’ll have to go get it right away! (Laughs)
Tanis: Oh cool, well, ah, I’ll have to go get it right away! (Laughs)
Quizzes
Lesson MP3
The iTEP® test
-
Sponsored by
Discussion
John obviously enjoyed State and Main. He really enjoyed watching Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
Hoffman is an extremely talented actor. He can play so many different roles and completely change his appearance in each of them. I really liked his role in the movie Magnolia in which he played a caring nurse to Tom Cruise’s character’s father.
One of Hoffman’s first roles was in Scent of a Woman with Chris O’Donnell. He played a preppie school kid who I absolutely hated. He was a real jerk.
In addition to Phillip Seymour Hoffman, State and Main has a great cast of actors, such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Alec Baldwin, William H. Macy, Julia Stiles, and Rebecca Pidgeon. It almost seems likes a Woody Allen film.
Who is your favorite actor or actress? Which of their movies do you like the best? Tell us about it on the Movie Madness board. I’d love to talk about it with you.
Until next week,
Nedra
Comments
Share this lesson:
Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:
More English Lessons
Learn English
- English Lessons
- English Grammar
- Vocab
- Ebaby! TV
- Celebrity English Lessons
- Teacher Talk
- Find English Schools
- iTEP English Test for Admissions
- Learn Real English
To inquire about partnerships or content licensing, please contact us.