Lessons On Movies.com
  Free Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on American Beauty

  GAMES:

  • Fill-in-the-blank
  • Matching
  • Hangman
  • Flash cards
  • Sentence jumble
  • Missing words
  • No letters
  • Crossword puzzle

American Beauty is a 1999 American drama film directed by Sam Mendes. It stars Kevin Spacey as office worker Lester Burnham, who hates his job and boring routine. He has a midlife crisis when he becomes obsessed with his teenage daughter's best friend, Angela (Mena Suvari). Annette Bening co-stars as Lester's materialistic wife, Carolyn, and Thora Birch plays their insecure daughter, Jane. The film has been described by academics as a satire of American middle class ideas about beauty and personal satisfaction. Critics have focused on the film's explorations of romantic and paternal love, sexuality, beauty, materialism, alienation, freedom, and freeing oneself from sin.

American Beauty was positively received by critics and audiences alike. It was the best-reviewed American film of the year and grossed over $350 million worldwide. It won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (for Spacey), Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography. The years since have seen its critical regard wane. In 2005, Premiere named American Beauty as one of 20 "most overrated movies of all time". Mendes accepted the criticism, saying: "I thought some of it was entirely justified—it was a little overpraised at the time." The movie review site Rotten Tomatoes says: "American Beauty is a smart, provocative high point of late '90s mainstream Hollywood film."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Beauty_%28film%29 

  TRAILER AND POSTER

AMERICAN BEAUTY POSTER

1. SIX WORDS: Look at the poster and write down six words (more if you like) that you think of as you look at it. Share the words with your partner(s). Why did you choose them?

2. STORY: Talk about what you think the story of the movie is – the start, beginning, end, etc. Change partners and share stories.

3. CREDITS: Look at the credits on the poster (the actors, director, producer…) and talk about them with your partner(s).

4. MUST-SEE: Talk with your partner(s) about whether the poster and movie title are good and make you want to see the movie.

5. STARRING YOU: Imagine you are one of the stars of the movie. Talk about your role with your movie star partner(s).

AMERICAN BEAUTY TRAILER

1. RETELL: Watch the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

2. CHUNKS: Watch 10-to-15 second chunks of the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

3. QUIZ: Watch the trailer and write down some quiz questions for your partner(s). Watch a second time to find the answers to the questions.

4. VOCABULARY: Make a note of words in the trailer that you see or hear. Talk about them with your partner(s).

5. GOOD / BAD: Watch the trailer and write down why you think the film might be good or bad. Share your ideas with your partner(s).

  MATCHING

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	boring	a.	controversial
2	obsessed	b.	totally
3.	materialistic	c.	releasing
4.	insecure	d.	reviewers
5.	freeing	e.	earned
6.	critics	f.	mundane
7.	grossed	g.	unconfident
8.	wane	h.	preoccupied
9.	entirely	i.	fade
10.	provocative	j.	consumerist

PHRASE MATCH

1.	He has a midlife	a.	at the time
2	their insecure	b.	movies of all time
3.	a satire of American middle class	c.	romantic and paternal love
4.	the film's explorations of	d.	crisis
5.	freeing oneself	e.	critical regard wane
6.	positively received by critics	f.	ideas
7.	The years since have seen its	g.	daughter
8.	one of 20 most overrated	h.	high point
9.	it was a little overpraised	i.	from sin
10.	a smart, provocative	j.	and audiences alike

  LISTENING / READING GAP FILL

American Beauty is a 1999 American drama film directed by Sam Mendes. It stars Kevin Spacey as office worker Lester Burnham, who hates his (1) ________________________. He has a midlife crisis when he (2) ________________________ his teenage daughter's best friend, Angela (Mena Suvari). Annette Bening co-stars as Lester's materialistic wife, Carolyn, and Thora Birch plays (3) ________________________, Jane. The film has been described by (4) ________________________ of American middle class ideas about beauty and personal satisfaction. Critics have focused on the film's (5) ________________________ and paternal love, sexuality, beauty, materialism, alienation, freedom, and (6) ________________________.

American Beauty was positively (7) _______________________ audiences alike. It was the best-reviewed American film of the year (8) ________________________ million worldwide. It won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (for Spacey), Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography. The years since have seen (9) ________________________. In 2005, Premiere named American Beauty as one of 20 "most overrated movies of all time". Mendes accepted the criticism, saying: "I thought some of it (10) ________________________ — it was a little (11) ________________________." The movie review site Rotten Tomatoes says: "American Beauty is a smart, provocative (12) ________________________ mainstream Hollywood film."

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	sedobess with his teenage daughter's best friend
2.	Annette Bening co-stars as Lester's ttrlecisiiama wife
3.	their irceuens daughter
4.	a raeist of American middle class ideas
5.	the film's lstiorneaxop of romantic and paternal love
6.	einfger oneself from sin
Paragraph 2
7.	American Beauty was ovyseiilpt received by critics
8.	rsdsoeg over $350 million worldwide
9.	Best Original aepyreclSn
10.	one of 20 most oeetadvrr movies of all time
11.	it was a little vdoaesripre at the time
12.	a smart, evocrtopiav high point of late '90s

  PUNCTUATE & PUT CAPITALS IN THE TEXT

american beauty is a 1999 american drama film directed by sam mendes it stars kevin spacey as office worker lester burnham who hates his job and boring routine he has a midlife crisis when he becomes obsessed with his teenage daughter's best friend angela (mena suvari) annette bening co-stars as lester's materialistic wife carolyn and thora birch plays their insecure daughter jane the film has been described by academics as a satire of american middle class ideas about beauty and personal satisfaction critics have focused on the film's explorations of romantic and paternal love sexuality beauty materialism alienation freedom and freeing oneself from sin

american beauty was positively received by critics and audiences alike it was the best-reviewed american film of the year and grossed over $350 million worldwide it won oscars for best picture best director best actor (for spacey) best original screenplay and best cinematography the years since have seen its critical regard wane in 2005 premiere named american beauty as one of 20 "most overrated movies of all time" mendes accepted the criticism saying "i thought some of it was entirely justified—it was a little overpraised at the time" the movie review site rotten tomatoes says "american beauty is a smart provocative high point of late '90s mainstream hollywood film"

  INSERT THE VOWELS

_m_r_c_n B___ty _s _ 1999 _m_r_c_n dr_m_ f_lm d_r_ct_d by S_m M_nd_s. _t st_rs K_v_n Sp_c_y _s _ff_c_ w_rk_r L_st_r B_rnh_m, wh_ h_t_s h_s j_b _nd b_r_ng r__t_n_. H_ h_s _ m_dl_f_ cr_s_s wh_n h_ b_c_m_s _bs_ss_d w_th h_s t__n_g_ d__ght_r's b_st fr__nd, _ng_l_ (M_n_ S_v_r_). _nn_tt_ B_n_ng c_-st_rs _s L_st_r's m_t_r__l_st_c w_f_, C_r_lyn, _nd Th_r_ B_rch pl_ys th__r _ns_c_r_ d__ght_r, J_n_. Th_ f_lm h_s b__n d_scr_b_d by _c_d_m_cs _s _ s_t_r_ _f _m_r_c_n m_ddl_ cl_ss _d__s _b__t b___ty _nd p_rs_n_l s_t_sf_ct__n. Cr_t_cs h_v_ f_c_s_d _n th_ f_lm's _xpl_r_t__ns _f r_m_nt_c _nd p_t_rn_l l_v_, s_x__l_ty, b___ty, m_t_r__l_sm, _l__n_t__n, fr__d_m, _nd fr___ng _n_s_lf fr_m s_n.

_m_r_c_n B___ty w_s p_s_t_v_ly r_c__v_d by cr_t_cs _nd __d__nc_s _l_k_. _t w_s th_ b_st-r_v__w_d _m_r_c_n f_lm _f th_ y__r _nd gr_ss_d _v_r $350 m_ll__n w_rldw_d_. _t w_n _sc_rs f_r B_st P_ct_r_, B_st D_r_ct_r, B_st _ct_r (f_r Sp_c_y), B_st _r_g_n_l Scr__npl_y _nd B_st C_n_m_t_gr_phy. Th_ y__rs s_nc_ h_v_ s__n _ts cr_t_c_l r_g_rd w_n_. _n 2005, Pr_m__r_ n_m_d _m_r_c_n B___ty _s _n_ _f 20 "m_st _v_rr_t_d m_v__s _f _ll t_m_". M_nd_s _cc_pt_d th_ cr_t_c_sm, s_y_ng: "_ th__ght s_m_ _f _t w_s _nt_r_ly j_st_f__d—_t w_s _ l_ttl_ _v_rpr__s_d _t th_ t_m_." Th_ m_v__ r_v__w s_t_ R_tt_n T_m_t__s s_ys: "_m_r_c_n B___ty _s _ sm_rt, pr_v_c_t_v_ h_gh p__nt _f l_t_ '90s m__nstr__m H_llyw__d f_lm."

  MARK THE SPACES

AmericanBeautyisa1999AmericandramafilmdirectedbySamMendes
.ItstarsKevinSpaceyasofficeworkerLesterBurnham,whohateshisjob
andboringroutine.Hehasamidlifecrisiswhenhebecomesobsessedwit
hhisteenagedaughter'sbestfriend,Angela(MenaSuvari).AnnetteBen
ingcostarsasLester'smaterialisticwife,Carolyn,andThoraBirchplayst
heirinsecuredaughter,Jane.Thefilmhasbeendescribedbyacademics
asasatireofAmericanmiddleclassideasaboutbeautyandpersonalsatis
faction.Criticshavefocusedonthefilm'sexplorationsofromanticandpa
ternallove,sexuality,beauty,materialism,alienation,freedom,andfre
eingoneselffromsin.AmericanBeautywaspositivelyreceivedbycritics
andaudiencesalike.ItwasthebestreviewedAmericanfilmoftheyearan
dgrossedover$350millionworldwide.ItwonOscarsforBestPicture,Be
stDirector,BestActor(forSpacey),BestOriginalScreenplayandBestCi
nematography.Theyearssincehaveseenitscriticalregardwane.In200
5,PremierenamedAmericanBeautyasoneof20"mostoverratedmovie
sofalltime".Mendesacceptedthecriticism,saying:"Ithoughtsomeofit
wasentirelyjustifieditwasalittleoverpraisedatthetime."Themovierev
iewsiteRottenTomatoessays:"AmericanBeautyisasmart,provocativ
ehighpointoflate'90smainstreamHollywoodfilm."

  DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

  AMERICAN BEAUTY SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about American Beauty in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	Student 1 __________	Student 2 __________	Student 3 __________
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.

• Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

  WRITING

Write your own movie review. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other's work.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

  HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about "American Beauty". Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about "American Beauty". What are (did) critics and moviegoers saying (say) about it? How good were the actors' performances? What was good and bad about the movie? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. "AMERICAN BEAUTY" POSTER: Make a poster about "American Beauty". Make sure you put tag lines, audience and critics' reviews, why people should see it, etc.  Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.

5. MY PREQUEL / SEQUEL: Make your own prequel or sequel for  "American Beauty". Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

6. CHARACTER STORY: Choose one of the characters from the movie. Imagine you are that character. Write your story about what you did in the movie. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

7. ONLINE SHARING: Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, Twitter stream, or any other social media tool to get opinions on "American Beauty". Share your findings with the class.

  ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	boring	a.	mundane
2	obsessed	b.	preoccupied
3.	materialistic	c.	consumerist
4.	insecure	d.	unconfident
5.	freeing	e.	releasing
6.	critics	f.	reviewers
7.	grossed	g.	earned
8.	wane	h.	fade
9.	entirely	i.	totally
10.	provocative	j.	controversial

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Please check for yourself by looking at the movie review article at the top of the page.
(It's good for your English ;-)