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Down With Love

Date: Jul 30 2003

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

time period

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

In Down With Love, Barbara Novak (Renée Zellweger) hits 1962 New York City with her new book, “Down With Love.” The book is a feminist manifesto saying “no” to love and “yes” to career, empowerment, and sex. As Barbara’s book becomes a best-seller, she becomes the target of Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor), who is the most famous journalist in the city. Catcher is determined to take her down.
Miguel recently saw Down With Love. Listen in to his conversation with Beth to hear what he thinks about it.

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.

Miguel

Beth

Miguel: Hey Beth, I got a movie recommendation for you.

Beth: What’s that?

Miguel: Don’t go see Down With Love.

Beth: Really? I thought the previews looked really cute. You didn’t like it I take it?

Miguel: Well, I thought the previews looked cute too, and that’s what it was. It was just too cute for two hours and I was, like, gonna throw up.

Beth: Oh no. What about, like, some of the cool, uh, costumes and set design. I heard that that was unique.

Miguel: Yeah – that part of it was actually good, but that can’t carry a movie for the whole time, you know. They just kept on saying the same thing over and over and over. It was just so lame.

Beth: Well I’m trying to find something redeeming about it, because I still want to go see it. So…

Miguel: Well…

Beth: Anything good?

Miguel: Um, well, I guess the characters are pretty good for like, you know, the first half-hour. So, if you just go for the first half-hour and then, like, get a phone call and leave, or something, then it will be perfect.

Beth: Well maybe I’ll get it on video so I can watch the first half-hour, then stop.

Miguel: Perfect idea.

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Discussion

Much like Miguel, I didn’t like Down With Love. I thought it was quite boring. It started off well, but after a while I was just wishing it would be over. I thought both Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor did a great job of acting, but the script just wasn’t good enough to make the movie interesting.
If you want to see a good movie that takes place in a similar time period, but is much, much better, check out Far From Heaven.
See you at the movies!
Anna