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.
There’s nothing more annoying than knowing you’re right about something when everyone else thinks you’re wrong. It’s enough to drive you crazy.
That’s exactly what happens to Angelina Jolie’s character in the new thriller Changeling. Jolie plays Christine, a single mother whose son was kidnapped in 1928. Later, the police find the boy and return him to Christine. She insists that the boy isn’t her son, but nobody believes her. Listen to Marni tell Beren about the film.
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.
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Marni: Have you seen the Changeling by chance?
Beren: No, but I’ve seen a ton of previews.
Marni: It’s got a huge ad campaign, right?
Beren: Yes.
Marni: Yeah, I felt like I was inundated for ads for it when I was in New York. It was just everywhere. All over the subway. And I got totally excited about it, ‘cause it looked kinda scary and…
Beren: Totally.
Marni: And it’s just really not so great.
Beren: Really?
Marni: Unfortunately, yeah. I figured it’s kind of a period piece, an Oscar contender, perhaps because of the combination of Angelina Jolie and Clint Eastwood. But it’s just really melodramatic and just…Not very good. Like, do you know what the story is?
Beren: Yeah, totally. A kid gets kidnapped and…
Marni: Angelina Jolie, the main character, her child gets kidnapped, then gets returned to her, but it’s not her child. So she says. But everybody’s like, “You’re crazy, it’s your kid.” And so, it drives her insane, and she ends up in a, you know…
Beren: A mental institution.
Marni: Yes.
Beren: Where she often ends up in these Oscar...
Marni: In these Oscar performances. It’s like this winning combination. But it just…It wasn’t, I don’t know…
Beren: So, like, the story doesn’t gel? I know Clint Eastwood got some flack for Mystic River. It was a really good movie. Slightly heavy-handed, but…
Marni: I think it’s kinda interesting looking, visually…
Beren: He has a great eye.
Marni: He does have a great eye. And, you know, John Malkovich? Also in it. You know, good cast. But sometimes that just isn’t a winning combination.
Grammar Point
Go Super to learn "Passive Voice" from this lesson
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Discussion
Changeling got a lot of hype before it was released. There were tons of ads and previews for it, and some people believed it would be nominated for an Oscar. The film’s director, Clint Eastwood, and its star, Angelina Jolie, have both been nominated for Oscars in the past.
Marni saw the film and was disappointed. She found it a little melodramatic and heavy-handed. On the other hand, she liked the way the film looked. The sets and costumes were beautiful and it was a convincing period piece.
Do you like movies about history that take place in the past? What do you think it takes to make an award-winning film?
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