English, baby!

Changeling

Date: Nov 26 2008

Themes: Family, History

Grammar: Passive Voice

Go Super!

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.

Marni

Beren

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

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3

Go Super to Ask Ebaby! teachers your questions!

The iTEP^® test

Sponsored by

Schedule an iTEP^® test and take the official English Practice Test.
Take Now >

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?

Comments

1 through 20 of 35
Next >
1 2

Yogurt

Kazakhstan

This movie really dramatical with scene of horror I really enjoyed it. But I couldnt watch it at the second time!

Gipsy Girl

Mexico

It´s a good movie, I almost never watch movies where Angelina Jolie acts but actually this movie is great and Jolie made an excelent work!!!

twomoons

China

good movie i like

Kicky

Poland

hmm interesting plot but the actress Angelina Jolie is not a person I like to see on the screen so I guess I'm not gonna watch it

Nikzz

Pakistan

i like it

Nat_0224

Russian Federation

Come on, there’s more to this movie than just the melodramatic thing. It’s about a struggle, how one fights the system at the same time having this inner struggle of desperation vs. hope deep inside. And the question is, having won the case against the state, has she really won?..It’s a deep movie and Angelina’s acting is superb.

nad1a

Greece

what’s wrong with being too obvious?

nad1a

Greece

personally, i found the movie fascinating. it didn't have this traditional happy ending and maybe that's why most people didn't like it, but I guess that's how it's meant to be as it's based on a true story, complex and multifaceted.

in fact, it's not that she is driven insane by circumstances but it's the police that puts her into a mental institution, angered by her confrontation when she won't accept that the "fake boy" they brought to her is her son and goes on to publicly challenge the Police Department.

hasanmasoodi

Yemen

I like movies

minw

China

wow,it sounds this is the kind movie that i like!

Kate05

Russian Federation

It's an interesting lesson. Anjelina Jolie is a good actress! I love her! I like her film Taking Lives very much. I will see the film, before i make any comments about it. I'm gonna to see the premiere of Changeling in Moscow in January. I hope it's really good film.

Housam

Syrian Arab Republic

I adore Angelina Jolie and I trust her taste

even though I haven't seen the movie but I'm sure that's gonna be great just because it stars this adorable actress, she has never let me down in any previous film

that's why I love her, and I'm going to see this film as soon as possible

artist_ist_19

Turkey

hello come msn ok tenkyou

liushuixun

China

The moive is imprressive ,beause it has beautiful sene but hte plot is just so so.

danico_aliraqi

Jordan

I think its very nice and historical movie and anglina joli seemed in perfect style

Ruilong

China

I think i had better go to have a look,

kukuka

Ukraine

The first movie with Jolie starring i saw was "Jia". Since then i simply adore her.

Jennifer Shi

China

like Angelina Jolie.

venissa sun

China

Haven't seen this movie, but would like to see it. Haven't seen much good movies these time, it may help me kill sometime or give me another disappointment, i don't know.