English, baby!

A Serious Man

Date: Nov 25 2009

Themes: Work

Grammar: Adverbs

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Intro

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There’s an expression in English, “When it rains, it pours.” This means that when something happens that hasn’t occurred in a long time, it happens in large amounts. For instance, say someone didn’t get a date for a whole year, and then he suddenly had dates with five different beautiful women in one week. “When it rains,” he might say, “it pours.”

“When it rains, it pours” could also be the slogan for the new movie A Serious Man. Unfortunately for the main character, Larry, it doesn’t pour beautiful women in his life. It pours bad luck.

Everything seems to be going fine for Larry, until all at once his wife tells him she’s leaving, his brother gets arrested, and his job becomes threatened. Find out why Devan and Beren are excited to go see this dark comedy about a man who experiences a flood of misfortune.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Beren

Devan

Beren: So, are you into the Coen brothers at all?

Devan: They’re those type of directors that I don’t even have to know what the movie’s about, I’ll just go see it knowing that they made it, ‘cause I know it’s gonna be good.

Beren: They do a lot of black comedy. I mean, that’s basically all they do. Did you see Burn After Reading? That’s the Coen brothers, right?

Devan: It is. I didn’t see that one. But I’m planning on going and seeing that new one, A Serious Man.

Beren: Oh, I saw the trailer, but I’m not really sure exactly what it’s about. But it’s another one of their…a take on a classic story, right?

Devan: Yeah. It’s based on the story of Job. And it’s basically about this guy in the Midwest in the 1960s and all of these bad things keep happening to him. Like he’s just got this unlucky streak. And it’s kind of about what’s your breaking point. It’s definitely one of those dark comedies you’d expect from them, but it’s more personal this time, it seems like.

Beren: Huh.

Devan: But it’s definitely another one of their movies that’s based on a different story.

Beren: Like O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Devan: Exactly.

Beren: That take on The Odyssey?

Devan: Exactly.

Grammar Point

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Discussion

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Devan is a huge fan of the Coen brothers, two siblings who make movies together. She enjoys the black humor of movies like Fargo and The Big Lebowski so much that she’ll go see anything the Coen brothers make, even if she doesn’t know what it’s about. Although she missed the brothers’ last film, Burn After Reading, she’s looking forward to their new movie, A Serious Man.

A Serious Man is a take on the Old Testament story of Job, who suffers many trials that make him question the existence of God. But like most Coen brothers movies, A Serious Man isn’t entirely serious. It raises interesting questions about life, but it also includes a lot of dark humor.

How do you cope when bad things happen in your life? Have you ever had the experience that “when it rains, it pours”?

Comments

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Staisy

Russian Federation

I’ ve seen this movie, it is about a man, who experiences a flood of misfortune in life. But the main problem is at his unability to be happy and to see good things around. This movie is very depressing and with a grim ending. The expression “when it rains, it pours” is very suitable here, to describe situation like this.

KittyZhou

China

When it rains ,it pours ,I just wanna say why the lucky one is always me.

alexcai

China

I think i'm a optimist guy.when it rains,it pours,i always look at the bright side and think i'd be getting better soon after that!

andrespretty2

Colombia

When bad things happen in my life I need that my family and my friends light a fire under me, and in this way i could cope the unlucky steak.

Yes, i had this experience, where i was a long time without girlfriend, but also it was an era where I got many girls.

giveft

Senegal

Hi Love,
I am a beautiful young and charming girl looking for real love and protection,I have gone through your profile,and am very happy to contact you for us to know ourselves.You know that distance, age and indeed color cannot stop true love.Please,I would appreciate if you send Email to my private Email box:( )So that i can send my pictures and more information about my self to you.
Lala.

nuna2300

Thailand

“When it rains, it pours" hope it is a good side of life.Good luck is pours, it rains,too.

Marcelolic

Brazil

Certainly Unluck streak happens,It is that moment of the year where everything is going bad…But I have a recipe for it away from me,I always think positively! Because the more you think negatively you will attract more negative things to you ;)

s id

Saudi Arabia

Every one has good and bad time.

we should be patient at bad time and pray

from God . the old say no pain no gain

s id

Saudi Arabia

Every one has good and bad time.

we should be patient at bad time and pray

from God . the old says no pain no gain

what we did wrong .

s id

Saudi Arabia

Every one has good and bad time.

we should be patient at bad time and pray

from God . the old says no pain no gain

what we did wrong .

dungilove

Viet Nam

Thanks!

vincent1981

China

Hi, when i come across some bad things, i alway say to myself , maybe how to deal with some bad things is an important experience of my life.maybe this is a gift that God give. Just like the old saying,Misfortune may be an actual blessing.

iwori

Japan

I try not to be patient when bad things happen. I don't hesitate to cry, get angry, be depressed if I feel so and I forgive green me.

We have to go up when we touch the bottom once.

Life is tough!

thanhhung8420042003

Viet Nam

hello everybody! I am a new member,I am very glad when I talk to you.

cheers! best wishes for you!

Elle shing

China

oh_{~What a poor man}

I remember watching a movie about a girl born with luck suddenly convert her luck to a man, that was a really awful experience for that girl. Because she lose her great highly paid job,her palatial house and her social status. But after this"when it rains,it pours"situation, she find her true love at the end.lol which is still good,:)

nguyenhuynh

Viet Nam

Well, When bad things happen to me, I usually think about it in many different way, try to see it in other way to make it easily and forget about it. You know, when something you don't expect happened to you, you always have 2 choice: You angry and waste your time on something you can't change or you might say " It happened any way, forget it". What is your choice?