[Talk] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
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Dialogue
Marni
Mason
Marni: I just recently saw Benjamin Button. The curious case of.
Mason: The curious case. You know, what I find to be a curious
case is the many parallels between that and Forrest Gump.
Marni: Well, written by the same writer.
Mason: Oh. Well that would explain it.
Marni: There you go. It had a very Forrest Gump meets Big Fish
feel.
Mason: Forrest Fish. Big Gump.
Marni: Well, a beautiful film. I mean, visually stunning. And,
just, a very sweet portrayal of this man, and his life. And the
whole concept of aging in reverse…I find it very fascinating.
Mason: Right. I kinda liked what they were able to do with the
relationship between he and Cate Blanchett. And it’s like, you
hear so many times in relationships that it’s bad timing and
stuff like that. It was a really interesting way to kinda carry
out that sorta thing.
Marni: Yeah, absolutely. Well, the writer based it on the premise
of that saying that “youth is wasted on the young.” So, he just
toyed with that idea and wrote this script.
Mason: So all of that said, I mean, I really enjoyed the film,
but it didn’t really get me that much. I mean, I don’t really
think it’s worth all the praise.
Marni: Really? Thirteen Oscar nominations?
Mason: No, I think that’s kinda ridiculous, I mean, I don’t
know. What, did it do something to you?
Marni: I cried. A lot.
Mason: A lot? Like just, not just at the end?
Marni: A lot.
Discussion
Mason and Marni both saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Mason thinks it has a lot of similarities to Forrest Gump. Marni
points out that the same writer made both movies.
Marni thought the movie was beautiful and interesting. The most
interesting part for Mason was the relationship between Cate
Blanchett and Brad Pitt. They had bad timing in their relationship
because for most of their lives, they weren’t the same age.
Even though Mason liked the movie, he doesn’t understand why
it’s gotten such rave reviews. He thinks 13 Oscar nominations is
too much. But Marni disagrees. She was really moved by the film.
Are you a fan of Brad Pitt? Can you think of other ways that being
old is like being a child?
Grammar Point
Be Able To
Mason says he likes what the filmmakers were able to do with the
relationship between Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.
To be able to do something means to have the ability to do it. Be
able to is sometimes used in place of can or could. Instead of,
“I can’t go,” you might say, “I am not able to go.”
But unlike can and could, be able to is not a modal verb. Able is
an adjective, meaning having the power or ability to do something.
It always follows the verb “be.” So you can’t say “I able to
come tonight.” You must say, “I am able to come tonight.”
View more lessons with this grammar point: "Be able to"
Ask Ebaby! English Questions about this lesson
Vocab Quiz
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Quiz
What do Benjamin Button and Forrest Gump have in common?
They both star Brad Pitt.
They're both about aging in reverse.
They were written by the same person.
When are Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt able to have a relationship
in the movie?
When they're both very young.
When she is old and he is young.
When they're both in their forties.
How many Oscar nominations did the movie get?
2
10
13
23
What part of speech is "able"?
modal verb
regular verb
adjective
noun
Which one is correct?
I'm sorry I wasn't able to see you yesterday.
I'm sorry I not able to see you yesterday.
I'm sorry I'm not able to see you yesterday.
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Today's English Lesson
English Lessons
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Movies
Feb 04 2009
Intro
If you think about it, being really old is pretty similar to being
really young…but it’s not as cute. You need the most help taking
care of yourself, you have the hardest time moving, and your mind
is weakest when you are a baby and when you are very elderly. In
many ways, we leave this world in the same state in which we enter
it.
Brad Pitt’s latest movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, is
about a character who is born an old man and ages in reverse. He
gets younger and younger, until he becomes a newborn baby, and
then he dies. Cate Blanchett plays his love interest, a woman who
ages the normal way. Even though they love each other and are
meant to be, they can only be together for a short time, when they
both reach midlife and their ages finally match up.
Benjamin Button was nominated for many awards. Marni loved it, but
Mason isn’t sure he agrees with all the rave reviews . Listen to
them talk about it.
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◆ From: 118.166.2.150
※ 編輯: hisunshine 來自: 118.166.2.150 (02/04 12:18)