Смотри и учись! : язык современного англоязычного кино (функциональные аспекты). Watch and Learn!

Ю.С. Старостина
М.В. Черкунова

СМОТРИ И УЧИСЬ!

ЯЗЫК СОВРЕМЕННОГО АНГЛОЯЗЫЧНОГО
КИНО
Функциональные аспекты

WATCH AND LEARN!

Учебное пособие

2-е издание, стереотипное

Москва
Издательство «ФЛИНТА»

2019

УДК 811.111(075.8)
ББК 81.432.1я73
С77

Р е ц е н з е н т
канд. филол. наук, доц., зав. кафедрой теории и практики перевода
АНО ВО Самарский университет государственного управления
«Международный институт рынка» Л.В. Молчкова

Старостина Ю.С.
С77 
 
   Смотри и учись! : язык современного англоязычного кино 
(функ циональные аспекты). Watch and Learn!  [Электронный 
ресурс] : учеб. пособие / Ю.С. Старостина, М.В. Черкунова. — 
2-е изд., стер. — М. : ФЛИНТА, 2019. — 132  с.

ISBN 978-5-9765-3809-2

В учебном пособии предлагаются разнообразные лексические 
упражнения и дискуссионные вопросы по материалам восьми англо язычных кинофильмов по следующим тематическим областям: 
право и судопроизводство, политика, средства массовой информации, музыка, семейные и рабочие взаимоотношения и др. Работа с 
пособием предполагает сочетание самостоятельной и аудиторной 
деятельности студентов, направленной на развитие всех видов речевой деятельности — как перцептивных, так и продуктивных, а также помогает сформировать навыки аналитического и критического 
мышления.
Для студентов выпускного курса бакалавриата (направления «Зарубежная филология» и «Лингвистика»), студентов магистратуры 
(программа «Германские языки»), а также для всех изучающих английский язык на уровне С1+.
УДК 811.111(075.8)
ББК 81.432.1я73

ISBN 978-5-9765-3809-2 
© Старостина Ю.С., Черкунова М.В., 2018
© Издательство «ФЛИНТА», 2018

CONTENTS

August Rush (2007)  ..........................................................................................4

Driving Lessons (2006)  ...................................................................................15

Fracture (2007)  ................................................................................................26

King’s Speech (2010)  ......................................................................................42

Runaway Jury (2003)  ......................................................................................62

Thank You for Smoking (2006)  ......................................................................76

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)  ........................................................................89

The Iron Lady (2011)  ....................................................................................105

APPENDIX  1. How to Write a Synopsis  .....................................................127
APPENDIX  2. How to Write a Review  .......................................................129

AUGUST RUSH (2007)
✧

‘August Rush’ is a 2007 drama fi lm directed by Kirsten Sheridan 
and written by Paul Castro, Nick Castle, and James V. Hart, and 
produced by Richard Barton Lewis. It has been called an up-to-date 
reworking of the Oliver Twist story by Charles Dickens.

Extensive Viewing

I. Analyze the given synopsis, jot down its strong and weak points, 
produce your own synopsis of the fi lm (consult ‘How to Write a 
Synopsis’ section fi rst).

Estranged from his parents by circumstance and nudged toward 
a foster family, a young boy seeks out his long-lost folks and 
discovers prodigious musical talent in this family-oriented drama 
from ‘Disco Pigs’ director Kirsten Sheridan. In the aftermath of a 
passionate night together above New York’s Washington Square, a 
charismatic Irish guitarist named Louis (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) 
and a reserved cellist named Lyla (Keri Russell) are forced apart 
by fate. Despite the fact that they do not remain together, however, 
their fl eeting union has created something amazing that neither 
could have ever anticipated — a baby. Unfortunately, just after 
the child’s birth, the mother is misinformed that the infant has 
died. Cut to 11 years later, when the child, Evan, is living in a 
Gotham-area boys’ home and has developed an acute ability to 
listen to the sounds of the outside world — hoping against all 
hope that his biological mother and father will turn up to claim 
him, while those in charge try to encourage him to open himself 
up to the possibility of adoption. Unduly rejecting these bids, Evan 

runs away into the city. Out on the streets, the child falls into the 
clutches of a manipulative, untrustworthy street person named 
Wizard (Robin Williams), who renames Evan “August Rush” and 
opens the boy up to the depth and breadth of his own musical 
talent even as he smells the opportunity to grow rich off of the 
foundling. Meanwhile, Evan/August’s hope persists that he will be 
reunited with his folks, and Louis and Lyla, unable to forget their 
initial night of love, feel themselves being drawn back together by 
fate.

CAST

Freddie Highmore
...
Evan Taylor / August Rush
Keri Russell
...
Lyla Novacek
Jonathan Rhys Meyers
...
Louis Connelly
Robin Williams
...
Maxwell “Wizard” Wallace
Terrence Howard
...
Counselor Richard Jeffries
William Sadler
...
Thomas Novacek
Jamia Simone Nash
...
Hope
Leon G. Thomas 
...
Arthur

II. Think and answer the questions:

1. What is the very fi rst episode of the fi lm? Describe it. Can 
you predict the general tone of the fi lm? Its style? Its main idea?
2. What is Evan’s life like in the orphanage? Why doesn’t 
Evan want to leave his fi rst home? What does he think about his 
parents?
3. How does Evan meet Mr. Jeffries? What part does Counselor 
play in Evan’s life?
4. Why does Evan decide to escape? How does he manage to 
reach the city?
5. What are Evan’s fi rst impressions of the city? What exactly 
does he pay attention to?

6. What do we get to know about Lyla and Louis, their families, 
their professional backgrounds, and their love story? How does it 
happen that their child gets lost?
7. What are the boy’s feelings when he gets lost in the city? 
How is his mood refl ected?
8. How can you describe the place where Wizard and the 
‘music lovers’ live? What is the atmosphere?
9. How does Wizard defi ne music? Jot his defi nition down. Do 
you agree with it? What can you say about Wizard’s knowledge of 
music?
10. How does Evan’s new name appear? Why? What is Wizard’s 
attitude to the boy and to his gift?
11. Why do both Lyla and Louis quit their highly successful 
musical careers? How are their lives going without music? What 
triggers each of them to start playing again?
12. What is Lyla’s reaction to the news from her father?
13. What do you get to know about ‘Juilliard School of 
Music’ and its traditions? What other musical schools of universal 
acknowledgment do you know (make an Internet search if 
necessary)?
14. Why do both Lyla and Louis decide to return to music? Do 
they succeed in their new musical efforts?
15. Which sounds does August include into his rhapsody? How 
does this piece of music appear?
16. What makes August leave the rehearsal? How does Wizard 
manage to convince him? Do you agree with the idea that music 
can’t be learnt from books?
17. What can you say about August’s attitude to Wizard?
18. Why does August fi nally decide to leave Wizard forever? 
What is Wizard’s reaction?
19. What makes Lyla stop leaving the concert after her 
performance?
20. Describe the climax of the fi lm. Which emotions do the 
characters experience? What are your emotions?
21. Does August achieve his main aim?

22. Can you predict the future for the characters of the fi lm?
23. Which musical instruments can be seen (and heard) in the 
fi lm? Jot down the situations where you see them.
24. What classical pieces of music are mentioned in the fi lm? 
What musical genres can be heard?
25. Explain the following expressions:
— to listen to music
— to hear music
— to follow music.

Intensive Viewing

III. Listen and try to catch where the following words and 
collocations are used in the fi lm; jot their context down and memorize 
them:

● 
to knock smth. out of smb.

● 
to sit up straight

● 
to get away

● 
front row, center

● 
to talk back

● 
to be placed with a family

● 
Department of Child Service

● 
to walk smb. home

● 
Don’t you dare!

● 
What’s the point in doing smth.?

● 
to have a busy day ahead of smb.

● 
donations

● 
a real-estate tycoon

● 
a real piece of work

● 
to take family money

● 
While the cat’s away... (the mice can play)

● 
a harmonic connection

● 
to be top of the class

● 
to have eyes in the back of one’s head

● 
to be arranged by nature

● 
parental consent for the release for adoption

● 
to re-establish contact with smb.

● 
to be pretty quick to forget about smb.

● 
a precious gift

● 
to be on one’s own

● 
a bass player

● 
a lead singer

● 
E, G, B, D on the lines, F, A, C, E in between

● 
musical class

● 
prodigy

● 
to check in

● 
to push oneself too hard

● 
to keep going

● 
scale evolution

● 
a diminished fi fth

● 
key change

● 
horns, oboes, strings

● 
allegro staccato

● 
The New York Philharmonic Orchestra

● 
a rhapsody in C major

● 
a guest cellist

● 
to interrupt a rehearsal

● 
to learn smth. the hard way

● 
not to miss smth. for the world (I wouldn’t miss it for the 
world.)

● 
to personify the mystery of music

IV. Reproduce the situations where the following remarks are 
made:

1. — All you have to do is open yourself up. All you have to do 
is — listen.

2. — Sometimes the world tries to knock it out of you. But 
I believe in music... The way that some people believe in fairy tales.

3. — It’s a great sound, isn’t it?
— What are you doing?
— Listening.

4. — Louis! Do you remember what dad used to say about 
princesses, huh? They’re always looking for their prince... and you 
ain’t no prince, brother!
— How would YOU know?...

5. — Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
— No, I’m thinking something else.

6. — Who’s Wizard?
— He’s a real piece of work, that’s what he is.

7. — The chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

8. — You got to love music more than you love food. More 
than life. More than yourself.

9. — It’s invisible, but you feel it.

10. — I mean, a baby. That baby, he could have hurt you. 
I wasn’t gonna let that happen, Lyla. I made a choice for us.

11. — Do you have children, Mr. Jeffries?
— I did.
— Then you know.

12. — How long do you think you’ll be staying?
— As long as it takes.

13. — You remember how you said Mozart was a musical pod?
— Prodigy.
— Yeah, well, I’ve got one of those and he’s living under my bed!

14. — He’s a mystery. I thought he was an angel. There is no 
record of an August Rush anywhere.

15. — How do you do it? How does music come to you?
— I just hear it.

16. — Wait a moment, we’ve been teaching him here.
— What can you do? Fill his head with classical theory and 
rules? You can’t learn music from books! It’s out there!

17. — You never quit on your music. No matter what happens. 
Cuz anytime something bad happens to you, that’s the one place you 
can escape to and just let it go.

18. — Music has always fascinated us in the way that it 
communicates. Without words. Without pictures.

19. — The music is all around us. All you have to do is — 
listen.

Post-viewing

V. Every character in the fi lm is a person of talent, but their gifts 
lie in different spheres. Which ones? Prepare character sketches of the 
following personages:

— August Rush
— Lyla Novacek
— Louis Connelly
— Wizard (Maxwell Wallace)
— Richard Jeffries.

VI. Discuss the role of music in our life. What does music 
mean to you? Is it a form of communication? Self-expression? 
Consolation? Has the fi lm made you ponder upon music which is all 
around?

VII. Read the following reviews. Does your impression of the fi lm 
coincide with that of the reviewers? What do you think about the cast? 
Express your own opinion of the fi lm in the form of a review.

Review I (by Brandon Fibbs)
More fable than fi lm, there is no earthly reason why “August 
Rush” should work. But it does.

“August Rush” is about a love triangle. Twelve years ago, on 
a rooftop overlooking New York City’s Washington Square Park, 
Louis Connelly (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), a charismatic young Irish 
guitarist, and Lyla Novacek (Keri Russell), a sheltered cellist, shared 
a magical evening beneath a full moon.

But their romance was torn apart before it had a chance to 
begin, leaving, in its wake, two destitute young people who gave 
up on their music and an orphan child, the only hint of their 
enchanted union, who Lyla is led to believe died stillborn in a car 
accident.

Now, years later, the child they don’t even know exists is 
performing on the streets of Manhattan, cared for by the mysterious 
Wizard (Robin Williams) who dubs the boy August Rush (Freddie 
Highmore). A musical prodigy who can hear music in the random, 
dissonant sounds of everyday life, August is convinced he can use 
his remarkable musical talent to reunite himself with the parents he 
has never known.

Preposterous from beginning to end, for “August Rush” to 
work, you have to accept it for what it is — a fairy tale wrapped 
in contemporary clothing. Do not try to apply the laws of logic and 
realism to this fi lm or you will only come away frustrated. “August 
Rush” is an enchanted fable, and only by accepting it on those terms 
will it be successful.