Lessons On Movies.com
  Free Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on The Godfather

  GAMES:

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

The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by Albert S. Ruddy. The screenplay by Mario Puzo and Coppola was based on Puzo's 1969 novel of the same name. The film stars Marlon Brando and Al Pacino as the leaders of a powerful New York crime family. The story spans the years 1945 to 1955 and centers on the rise of Michael Corleone (Pacino) from a shy family outsider to a ruthless Mafia boss. It also reports the experiences of the Corleone family under the patriarch Vito Corleone (Brando). Everyone who sees it remembers the scene with the horse's head in the bed. The film cost $6.5 million and grossed $268,500,000 at the box office.

The Godfather is widely regarded as one of the greatest films in world cinema. It is also considered to be one of the most influential, especially in the gangster genre. It is ranked as the second greatest film in American cinema (behind Citizen Kane) by the American Film Institute, and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1990 for being "culturally significant." The film's success spawned two sequels: The Godfather Part II in 1974, and The Godfather Part III in 1990. It won three Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor (for Brando) and in the category Best Adapted Screenplay for Puzo and Coppola. The film was released in English and Sicilian. It has a running time of 175 minutes.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather

  TRAILER AND POSTER

THE GODFATHER 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).

THE GODFATHER 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.	epic	a.	category
2	spans	b.	heartless
3.	outsider	c.	thought of
4.	ruthless	d.	important
5.	grossed	e.	blockbuster
6.	regarded	f.	brought in
7.	genre	g.	stretches
8.	spawned	h.	stranger
9.	significant	i.	launched
10.	released	j.	generated

PHRASE MATCH

1.	based on Puzo's 1969 novel	a.	outsider
2	The story spans the	b.	English and Sicilian
3.	a shy family	c.	at the box office
4.	the scene with	d.	as one of the greatest
5.	grossed $268,500,000	e.	of the same name
6.	widely regarded	f.	two sequels
7.	the gangster	g.	years 1945 to 1955
8.	The film's success spawned	h.	time of 175 minutes
9.	The film was released in	i.	the horse's head
10.	It has a running	j.	genre

  LISTENING / READING GAP FILL

The Godfather is a 1972 American (1) __________________ directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by Albert S. Ruddy. The screenplay by Mario Puzo and Coppola was based on Puzo's 1969 (2) __________________ name. The film stars Marlon Brando and Al Pacino as the leaders of a powerful New York crime family. The story (3) __________________ 1945 to 1955 and centers on the rise of Michael Corleone (Pacino) from a shy family (4) _____________________ Mafia boss. It also reports the experiences of the Corleone family under the patriarch Vito Corleone (Brando). Everyone who sees it remembers (5) __________________ horse's head in the bed. The film cost $6.5 million and grossed $268,500,000 at the box office.

The Godfather is widely (6) __________________ of the greatest films in world cinema. It is also considered to be one of the most influential, especially in (7) __________________. It is ranked as the second greatest film in American cinema (behind Citizen Kane) by the American Film Institute, (8) __________________ preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1990 for being "culturally significant." The film's (9) _______________ sequels: The Godfather Part II in 1974, and The Godfather Part III in 1990. It won three Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor (for Brando) and in the category Best Adapted Screenplay for Puzo and Coppola. The film was released in English and Sicilian. It has a (10) __________________ 175 minutes.

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	eeicrdtd by Francis Ford Coppola
2.	The story nsaps the years 1945 to 1955
3.	a shy family esirdtou
4.	a usthlser Mafia boss
5.	the neces with the horse's head
6.	sseodgr $268,500,000
Paragraph 2
7.	widely rgeaddre
8.	one of the most linenlfauit
9.	culturally itafignnsic
10.	The film's success spawned two ssleuqe
11.	Best tpeddAa Screenplay
12.	It has a nguninr time of 175 minutes

  PUNCTUATE & PUT CAPITALS IN THE TEXT

the godfather is a 1972 american epic crime film directed by francis ford coppola and produced by albert s ruddy the screenplay by mario puzo and coppola was based on puzo's 1969 novel of the same name the film stars marlon brando and al pacino as the leaders of a powerful new york crime family the story spans the years 1945 to 1955 and centers on the rise of michael corleone (pacino) from a shy family outsider to a ruthless mafia boss it also reports the experiences of the corleone family under the patriarch vito corleone (brando) everyone who sees it remembers the scene with the horse's head in the bed the film cost $65 million and grossed $268500000 at the box office

the godfather is widely regarded as one of the greatest films in world cinema it is also considered to be one of the most influential especially in the gangster genre it is ranked as the second greatest film in american cinema (behind citizen kane) by the american film institute and was selected for preservation in the united states national film registry in 1990 for being "culturally significant" the film's success spawned two sequels the godfather part ii in 1974 and the godfather part iii in 1990 it won three oscars for best picture best actor (for brando) and in the category best adapted screenplay for puzo and coppola the film was released in english and sicilian it has a running time of 175 minutes

  INSERT THE VOWELS

Th_ G_df_th_r _s _ 1972 _m_r_c_n _p_c cr_m_ f_lm d_r_ct_d by Fr_nc_s F_rd C_pp_l_ _nd pr_d_c_d by _lb_rt S. R_ddy. Th_ scr__npl_y by M_r__ P_z_ _nd C_pp_l_ w_s b_s_d _n P_z_'s 1969 n_v_l _f th_ s_m_ n_m_. Th_ f_lm st_rs M_rl_n Br_nd_ _nd _l P_c_n_ _s th_ l__d_rs _f _ p_w_rf_l N_w Y_rk cr_m_ f_m_ly. Th_ st_ry sp_ns th_ y__rs 1945 t_ 1955 _nd c_nt_rs _n th_ r_s_ _f M_ch__l C_rl__n_ (P_c_n_) fr_m _ shy f_m_ly __ts_d_r t_ _ r_thl_ss M_f__ b_ss. _t _ls_ r_p_rts th_ _xp_r__nc_s _f th_ C_rl__n_ f_m_ly _nd_r th_ p_tr__rch V_t_ C_rl__n_ (Br_nd_). _v_ry_n_ wh_ s__s _t r_m_mb_rs th_ sc_n_ w_th th_ h_rs_'s h__d _n th_ b_d. Th_ f_lm c_st $6.5 m_ll__n _nd gr_ss_d $268,500,000 _t th_ b_x _ff_c_.

Th_ G_df_th_r _s w_d_ly r_g_rd_d _s _n_ _f th_ gr__t_st f_lms _n w_rld c_n_m_. _t _s _ls_ c_ns_d_r_d t_ b_ _n_ _f th_ m_st _nfl__nt__l, _sp_c__lly _n th_ g_ngst_r g_nr_. _t _s r_nk_d _s th_ s_c_nd gr__t_st f_lm _n _m_r_c_n c_n_m_ (b_h_nd C_t_z_n K_n_) by th_ _m_r_c_n F_lm _nst_t_t_, _nd w_s s_l_ct_d f_r pr_s_rv_t__n _n th_ _n_t_d St_t_s N_t__n_l F_lm R_g_stry _n 1990 f_r b__ng "c_lt_r_lly s_gn_f_c_nt." Th_ f_lm's s_cc_ss sp_wn_d tw_ s_q__ls: Th_ G_df_th_r P_rt __ _n 1974, _nd Th_ G_df_th_r P_rt ___ _n 1990. _t w_n thr__ _sc_rs f_r B_st P_ct_r_, B_st _ct_r (f_r Br_nd_) _nd _n th_ c_t_g_ry B_st _d_pt_d Scr__npl_y f_r P_z_ _nd C_pp_l_. Th_ f_lm w_s r_l__s_d _n _ngl_sh _nd S_c_l__n. _t h_s _ r_nn_ng t_m_ _f 175 m_n_t_s.

  MARK THE SPACES

TheGodfatherisa1972AmericanepiccrimefilmdirectedbyFrancisFord
CoppolaandproducedbyAlbertS.Ruddy.ThescreenplaybyMarioPuzo
andCoppolawasbasedonPuzo's1969novelofthesamename.Thefilms
tarsMarlonBrandoandAlPacinoastheleadersofapowerfulNewYorkcri
mefamily.Thestoryspanstheyears1945to1955andcentersontherise
ofMichaelCorleone(Pacino)fromashyfamilyoutsidertoaruthlessMafia
boss.ItalsoreportstheexperiencesoftheCorleonefamilyunderthepatr
iarchVitoCorleone(Brando).Everyonewhoseesitremembersthescen
ewiththehorse'sheadinthebed.Thefilmcost$6.5millionandgrossed$
268,500,000attheboxoffice.TheGodfatheriswidelyregardedasoneof
thegreatestfilmsinworldcinema.Itisalsoconsideredtobeoneofthemo
stinfluential,especiallyinthegangstergenre.Itisrankedasthesecondg
reatestfilminAmericancinema(behindCitizenKane)bytheAmericanFi
lmInstitute,andwasselectedforpreservationintheUnitedStatesNatio
nalFilmRegistryin1990forbeing"culturallysignificant."Thefilm'ssucc
essspawnedtwosequels:TheGodfatherPartIIin1974,andTheGodfath
erPartIIIin1990.ItwonthreeOscarsforBestPicture,BestActor(forBran
do)andinthecategoryBestAdaptedScreenplayforPuzoandCoppola.T
hefilmwasreleasedinEnglishandSicilian.Ithasarunningtimeof175mi
nutes.

  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.	__________________________________________________________________

  THE GODFATHER SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about The Godfather 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 "The Godfather". Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about "The Godfather". 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. "THE GODFATHER" POSTER: Make a poster about "The Godfather". 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  "The Godfather". 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 "The Godfather". Share your findings with the class.

  ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	epic	a.	blockbuster
2	spans	b.	stretches
3.	outsider	c.	stranger
4.	ruthless	d.	heartless
5.	grossed	e.	brought in
6.	regarded	f.	thought of
7.	genre	g.	category
8.	spawned	h.	generated
9.	significant	i.	important
10.	released	j.	launched

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 ;-)