Student’s worksheet · 2nde · A2+ → B11re · B1 → B2
Lady Bird (2017)
Greta Gerwig · official trailer · Can you find your place by leaving home?
Name:
Date:
Film title:
Director:
Talk and write about the characters and the film, never about your own private life.
1 General identification
1.1 Year of release:
Start with…
- « The film was released in… »
Start with…
- « The film was released in…, and it is set in… »
1.2 Country of origin:
☐ USA ☐ United Kingdom ☐ Other: ________
Start with…
- « It is a … film directed by… »
Start with…
- « It is a … film, made by a … director. »
1.3 Genre (tick one or two):
☐ Drama ☐ Comedy ☐ Sci-Fi ☐ Historical ☐ Thriller ☐ Social Realism ☐ Other: ________
Start with…
- « I think it is a … because the film shows… »
Start with…
- « It belongs to … : it shows… »
2 Plot & setting
2.1 Where and when does the story take place? Describe the place and the time.
Start with…
- « The film is set in… in… »
- « We can see… »
Start with…
- « The story is set in…, at a time when… »
- « The setting looks… because… »
2.2 Sum up the main conflict in 3 sentences.
• Introduction
Start with…
- « At the beginning, Lady Bird… because… »
Start with…
- « The film opens on Lady Bird, who… »
• Climax (turning point)
Start with…
- « Everything changes when… »
Start with…
- « The turning point is when…, so… »
• Resolution
Start with…
- « In the end, Lady Bird understands that… »
Start with…
- « Finally, Lady Bird realises that…, so… »
3 Character analysis
3.1 The protagonist (main hero): name, motivations and main flaws.
Start with…
- « The main character is Lady Bird, who… »
- « Lady Bird wants to… because… »
- « The main flaw is that… »
Start with…
- « Lady Bird is motivated by… »
- « However, the main weakness is…, which is why… »
3.2 The antagonist (the opposing force): who or what stops the protagonist?
Start with…
- « The opposing force is her own fears, who / which… »
Start with…
- « her own fears stands in the way because… »
- « But the real obstacle may also be… »
3.3 Cultural identity: how does the film show American values (college, leaving home, the East Coast dream, social class)?
Start with…
- « Lady Bird wants to go to college in… »
- « In America, many teenagers leave home to… »
Start with…
- « The East Coast represents… for Lady Bird. »
- « Money is a problem because… »
4 Cinematic techniques
Use the official trailer: choose one moment from the list below.
- ≈0:06 · mother and daughter in the car
- ≈0:26 · Lady Bird on a black background
- ≈0:34 · a street mural
- ≈1:06 · the Thrift Town shop
4.1 Camera angles & shots: describe one memorable moment. Is it a close-up (focus on emotion) or a wide shot (focus on the place)?
Start with…
- « At …, there is a … of… »
- « It shows that… »
Start with…
- « The director uses a … shot to… »
- « This angle makes … look… »
4.2 Soundtrack & lighting: how do the music or the colours make you feel in that moment?
Start with…
- « The music makes me feel… because… »
- « The light is…, so… »
Start with…
- « The music creates a … atmosphere. »
- « The lighting makes … look… »
5 Critical thinking & personal opinion
5.1 Thematic core: what message is the director trying to send to the audience?
Start with…
- « The message of the film is that… »
- « The director wants us to… »
Start with…
- « Greta Gerwig shows that… »
- « The film warns us that… »
5.2 The question of the film: « Can you find your place by leaving home? » Answer it now, after the study.
Start with…
- « My answer is… because… »
- « At first I thought…, now I think… »
Start with…
- « In my opinion,… For example, in the trailer… »
- « The film made me think again about… »
5.3 Your review · Star rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Write a paragraph (80 to 100 words).
Write a review (120 to 150 words) with two arguments and an example.
Start with…
- « I would recommend this film to… because… »
- « What I liked most was… »
- « However,… »
Start with…
- « I would (not) recommend this film because… »
- « The best moment of the trailer is… because… »
- « On the other hand,… »