Lessons On Movies.com
  Free Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on Much Ado About Nothing

  GAMES:

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

Much Ado About Nothing is a 2012 American independent romantic comedy written, produced, and directed by Joss Whedon. It is based on William Shakespeare's play of the same name. It was filmed in black and white at Whedon's home in California over a period of 12 days. The cast and crew were informed to keep the project a secret until production was finished. Whedon explained his initial interest in the project, saying: "I fixated on this notion that our ideas of romantic love are created for us by the society around us.…It's a very cynical, romantic text about love, and how we behave, and how we're expected to behave. It's a party, but there's something darker there as well."

Much Ado About Nothing has received generally positive reviews from critics, earning a 79% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. John DeFore of 'The Hollywood Reporter' said: "More than most adaptations, this is a film true to Shakespeare's practice of employing all means at hand to keep the crowd entertained". A.O. Scott of the 'New York Times' said the film was, "perhaps the liveliest and most purely delightful movie I have seen so far this year" and that it, "draws out the essential screwball nature of Shakespeare's comedy". He added: "Whedon's film crackles with a busy, slightly wayward energy that recalls the classic romantic sparring of the studio era."

Sources:
http://movies.nytimes.com/2013/06/07/movies/much-ado-about-nothing-directed-by-joss-whedon.html?_r=0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Much_Ado_About_Nothing_%282012_film%29

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING POSTER (Find a nice one from the Internet Movie Database (imbd.com).

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).

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING 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.	cast	a.	crazy
2	informed	b.	focused
3.	fixated	c.	overall
4.	notion	d.	available
5.	darker	e.	actors
6.	generally	f.	more sinful
7.	critics	g.	brings back memories
8.	at hand	h.	told
9.	screwball	i.	idea
10.	recalls	j.	reviewers

PHRASE MATCH

1.	Shakespeare's play	a.	reviews from critics
2	the cast	b.	crowd entertained
3.	informed to keep	c.	there as well
4.	how we're expected	d.	approval rating
5.	there's something darker	e.	the project a secret
6.	received generally positive	f.	of the same name
7.	79%	g.	of the studio era
8.	employing all means	h.	to behave
9.	keep the	i.	and crew
10.	the classic romantic sparring	j.	at hand

  LISTENING / READING GAP FILL

Much Ado About Nothing (1) ________________________ romantic comedy written, produced, and directed by Joss Whedon. It is based on William Shakespeare's play of the same name. (2) ________________________ at Whedon's home in California over a period of 12 days. The cast and crew were informed (3) ________________________ until production was finished. Whedon explained his initial interest in the project, saying: "I (4) ________________________ that our ideas of romantic love are created for us by the society around us.…It's a very (5) ________________________ love, and how we behave, and how we're expected to behave. It's a party, but there's (6) ________________________ well."

Much Ado About Nothing has (7) ________________________ reviews from critics, earning (8) ________________________ Rotten Tomatoes. John DeFore of 'The Hollywood Reporter' said: "(9) ________________________, this is a film true to Shakespeare's practice of employing all means at hand to keep the crowd entertained". A.O. Scott of the 'New York Times' said the film was, "(10) ________________________ most purely delightful movie I have seen so far this year" and that it, "draws out the (11) ________________________ of Shakespeare's comedy". He added: "Whedon's film crackles with a busy, slightly wayward energy that recalls the (12) ______________________ of the studio era."

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	a 2012 American ennpeddniet romantic comedy
2.	asedb on William Shakespeare's play
3.	crew were dmeornfi to keep the project a secret
4.	his ilitnia interest
5.	I fixated on this nnotoi
6.	a very lciycan, romantic text
Paragraph 2
7.	nyrgelale positive reviews
8.	a 79% aoaprplv rating
9.	most asatpnodait
10.	keep the crowd etainnetrde
11.	purely illdutfegh
12.	thylgsli wayward energy

  PUNCTUATE & PUT CAPITALS IN THE TEXT

much ado about nothing is a 2012 american independent romantic comedy written produced and directed by joss whedon it is based on william shakespeare's play of the same name it was filmed in black and white at whedon's home in california over a period of 12 days the cast and crew were informed to keep the project a secret until production was finished whedon explained his initial interest in the project saying "i fixated on this notion that our ideas of romantic love are created for us by the society around us…it's a very cynical romantic text about love and how we behave and how we're expected to behave it's a party but there's something darker there as well"

much ado about nothing has received generally positive reviews from critics earning a 79% approval rating on rotten tomatoes john defore of 'the hollywood reporter' said "more than most adaptations this is a film true to shakespeare's practice of employing all means at hand to keep the crowd entertained" ao scott of the 'new york times' said the film was "perhaps the liveliest and most purely delightful movie i have seen so far this year" and that it "draws out the essential screwball nature of shakespeare's comedy he added "whedon's film crackles with a busy slightly wayward energy that recalls the classic romantic sparring of the studio era"

  INSERT THE VOWELS

M_ch _d__b__t N_th_ng _s _ 2012 _m_r_c_n _nd_p_nd_nt r_m_nt_c c_m_dy wr_tt_n, pr_d_c_d, _nd d_r_ct_d by J_ss Wh_d_n. _t _s b_s_d _n W_ll__m Sh_k_sp__r_'s pl_y _f th_ s_m_ n_m_. _t w_s f_lm_d _n bl_ck _nd wh_t_ _t Wh_d_n's h_m_ _n C_l_f_rn__ _v_r _ p_r__d _f 12 d_ys. Th_ c_st _nd cr_w w_r_ _nf_rm_d t_ k__p th_ pr_j_ct _ s_cr_t _nt_l pr_d_ct__n w_s f_n_sh_d. Wh_d_n _xpl__n_d h_s _n_t__l _nt_r_st _n th_ pr_j_ct, s_y_ng: "_ f_x_t_d _n th_s n_t__n th_t __r _d__s _f r_m_nt_c l_v_ _r_ cr__t_d f_r _s by th_ s_c__ty _r__nd _s.…_t's _ v_ry cyn_c_l, r_m_nt_c t_xt _b__t l_v_, _nd h_w w_ b_h_v_, _nd h_w w_'r_ _xp_ct_d t_ b_h_v_. _t's _ p_rty, b_t th_r_'s s_m_th_ng d_rk_r th_r_ _s w_ll."

M_ch _d__b__t N_th_ng h_s r_c__v_d g_n_r_lly p_s_t_v_ r_v__ws fr_m cr_t_cs, __rn_ng _ 79% _ppr_v_l r_t_ng _n R_tt_n T_m_t__s. J_hn D_F_r_ _f 'Th_ H_llyw__d R_p_rt_r' s__d: "M_r_ th_n m_st _d_pt_t__ns, th_s _s _ f_lm tr__ t_ Sh_k_sp__r_'s pr_ct_c_ _f _mpl_y_ng _ll m__ns _t h_nd t_ k__p th_ cr_wd _nt_rt__n_d". _._. Sc_tt _f th_ 'N_w Y_rk T_m_s' s__d th_ f_lm w_s, "p_rh_ps th_ l_v_l__st _nd m_st p_r_ly d_l_ghtf_l m_v__ _ h_v_ s__n s_ f_r th_s y__r" _nd th_t _t, "dr_ws __t th_ _ss_nt__l scr_wb_ll n_t_r_ _f Sh_k_sp__r_'s c_m_dy". H_ _dd_d: "Wh_d_n's f_lm cr_ckl_s w_th _ b_sy, sl_ghtly w_yw_rd _n_rgy th_t r_c_lls th_ cl_ss_c r_m_nt_c sp_rr_ng _f th_ st_d__ _r_."

  MARK THE SPACES

MuchAdoAboutNothingisa2012Americanindependentromanticcome
dywritten,produced,anddirectedbyJossWhedon.ItisbasedonWilliam
Shakespeare'splayofthesamename.Itwasfilmedinblackandwhiteat
Whedon'shomeinCaliforniaoveraperiodof12days.Thecastandcreww
ereinformedtokeeptheprojectasecretuntilproductionwasfinished.W
hedonexplainedhisinitialinterestintheproject,saying:"Ifixatedonthis
notionthatourideasofromanticlovearecreatedforusbythesocietyaro
undus.…It'saverycynical,romantictextaboutlove,andhowwebehave
,andhowwe'reexpectedtobehave.It'saparty,butthere'ssomethingda
rkerthereaswell."

MuchAdoAboutNothinghasreceivedgenerallypositivereviewsfromcri
tics,earninga79%approvalratingonRottenTomatoes.JohnDeForeof'
TheHollywoodReporter'said:"Morethanmostadaptations,thisisafilm
truetoShakespeare'spracticeofemployingallmeansathandtokeepthe
crowdentertained".A.O.Scottofthe'NewYorkTimes'saidthefilmwas,"
perhapstheliveliestandmostpurelydelightfulmovieIhaveseensofarth
isyear"andthatit,"drawsouttheessentialscrewballnatureofShakespe
are'scomedy".Headded:"Whedon'sfilmcrackleswithabusy,slightlywa
ywardenergythatrecallstheclassicromanticsparringofthestudioera."

  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.	__________________________________________________________________

  MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about Much Ado About Nothing 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 "Much Ado About Nothing". Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about "Much Ado About Nothing". 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. "MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING" POSTER: Make a poster about "Much Ado About Nothing". 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  "Much Ado About Nothing". 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 "Much Ado About Nothing". Share your findings with the class.

  ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	cast	a.	actors
2	informed	b.	told
3.	fixated	c.	focused
4.	notion	d.	idea
5.	darker	e.	more sinful
6.	generally	f.	overall
7.	critics	g.	reviewers
8.	at hand	h.	available
9.	screwball	i.	crazy
10.	recalls	j.	brings back memories

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 ;-)