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Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire

Date: Feb 25 2009

Themes: Romance

Grammar: Count and Noncount Nouns

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Wouldn’t you love to suddenly become rich and famous? Wouldn’t most people love that? Rags to riches stories tend to be incredibly popular, because so many of us fantasize about our lives changing overnight. From classic fairy tales like Cinderella to modern films like Pretty Woman and Pursuit of Happyness, tales of people who rise from poverty to wealth have been inspiring audiences for centuries.

The new movie Slumdog Millionaire is no exception. It tells the story of a young man from the slums of Mumbai who becomes a contestant on an Indian game show and wins the top prize. Nobody expected him to win because he isn’t well-educated, so he gets arrested for cheating. As the police question him, he shares the story of his life with them and reveals how it’s possible that he knew all the right answers.

Marni thinks Slumdog Millionaire is an inspiring and beautiful film, but Amanda doesn’t want to see it. Listen to them talk about it.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Marni

Amanda

Amanda

Marni:  Have you seen Slumdog Millionaire?

Amanda:  I have not.

Marni:  Oh! You’ve got to go. It’s fantastic.

Amanda:  I’m not really into those independent films, I don’t know…

Marni:  Oh please!

Amanda:  Thinking, little action…

Marni:  There’s a lot of action, actually.

Amanda:  Really?

Marni:  I’d heard about this film ‘cause I’m a fan of the director, Danny Boyle.

Amanda:  Never heard of him.

Marni:  Really?

Amanda:  Yeah.

Marni:  Trainspotting? 28 Days Later?

Amanda:  OK, OK, yes. I’ve seen both of those.

Marni:  Anyhow, I was intrigued, but then I heard the

premise was like, guy who goes on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and I was like, how do they make a film about that?

Amanda:  So it’s about a game show?

Marni:  It is, but it’s about so much more. It’s really a portrayal of these children growing up in the slums of India, and what their lives are like, and like how certain things come to be, where he ends up being on this game show. And how life-changing that could be. It’s a total rags-to-riches story.

Amanda:  OK, so it follows the life of the contestant, right?

Marni:  Follows the life of the contestant and his brother and their friend… And it’s just tragic throughout, but it’s also interspersed with all these beautiful shots of India. And it’s very…

Amanda:  I’m assuming happy ending, wins the game show?

Marni:  Against the odds, yeah.

Amanda:  Nice. I’ll check it out.

Marni:  You definitely should.

 

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Discussion

Marni recently saw the movie Slumdog Millionaire. She strongly recommends that Amanda go see it. But Amanda is skeptical at first because she usually doesn’t like independent films. Indie films are often thought to be slower, more intelligent, but less exciting than major Hollywood films.

Yet even though Slumdog Millionaire is considered an independent film, Marni says it has a lot of action in it and is very exciting to watch. At first she wasn’t sure she would be interested in the plot about a young man who goes on an Indian game show. But she soon found out that the movie is actually about kids growing up in the slums of India. When one of the kids gets to be a contestant on a game show, his life changes and he goes from rags to riches. Marni thinks the film is sad, beautiful and inspiring. Amanda decides to go see it.

Do you think rags to riches stories are inspiring or unrealistic? If you won a lot of money on a game show, how would it change your life?

 

Comments

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kukuka

kukuka

Ukraine

watching the movie killed all my intentions to visit India one day. And guess the brightest scene

02:37 PM Feb 25 2009 |

mandark

mandark

Cuba

That films is great film for guys

02:34 PM Feb 25 2009 |

SÉRGIO

SÉRGIO

Brazil

cool!

02:15 PM Feb 25 2009 |

SÉRGIO

SÉRGIO

Brazil

If i had won too much money i would have just been very very happy! :)

02:13 PM Feb 25 2009 |

sachinpt

sachinpt

India

Well,the movie is ok.but i wont say its an excellent film.there are numerous other good indian films too.but as somebody said it caught the world wide attention,especially the oscars only because it was directed by an american.the greatest ever indian musician "AR RAHMAN"was rewarded with 2 oscars this time.he was not recognized by the world for these days,just because he's an indian.there exists a lot of persons with excellent talents ,,not only in india but in other parts of the world who were not rewarded unfortunately.well atlast "slumdog millionaire" brought red roses to india.

12:21 PM Feb 25 2009 |

meditarranean

Turkey

ı ı havent seen it yet but ı wanted to watch it too much. ı think it is a good film like everbodies.

12:16 PM Feb 25 2009 |

Athan

Athan

China

First of all I haven't seen this movie,although I've heard of it,it's a famous movie with a lot of Oscar nominees.I like the rag to riches stories,they give the poor people a lot of inspiring.If I've won a game show and become a millionare,it does change my life,I can do a lot of things I can't do now or in the past.I can put more plans to spend the money,it's so fantastic.

11:45 AM Feb 25 2009 |

uaeladybird

Tanzania, United Republic Of

"A brother wins .. A brother dies"

11:16 AM Feb 25 2009 |

melamela

Ethiopia

I haven't got time to see this film but I will especially after i have seen and heard all this comment about it. i must see and judge comparing to what I have heard so far.

10:32 AM Feb 25 2009 |

hameedwali

hameedwali

Pakistan

The moves is a fantatstic and the scienes showed in this pic the same hapening every day in the third world countires especialy in subcontinent.that is a brielient effort from the director although the actors and many people in india rise slogans against tis move but this is a good sign that our eliet class and leaders enjoying mercedes mecdonald and the people living in slums and the lower calss they are searching their food from the dump heap.Actually the director chanted on the faces of our leaders.

10:28 AM Feb 25 2009 |

sinam

sinam

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i saw this movie.

but i

10:08 AM Feb 25 2009 |

sinam

sinam

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i saw this movie.

but

10:08 AM Feb 25 2009 |

AnneLeePrincess

China

I like the movie,but actually hate the ending of that fantastic dancing sence.Yell

09:54 AM Feb 25 2009 |

Rayko

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

I agree with you sherryeio.

08:44 AM Feb 25 2009 |

susanluo

susanluo

China

this movie is not fresh enough,I've seen many movies just like this.

08:13 AM Feb 25 2009 |

sherryleio

sherryleio

China

I saw this Indian movie two week ago. Well, to be honest, this movie is actually not so good at other great indian movies I have watched, and why it is popular? one reason is it is an American director who did this and the plot was made to cater to the taste of the Americans, one Hollywood movie with settings in India.

Maybe others do not like my comments, but each country has its own culture and sometimes it is not so easy to be understood by foreigners. So it does not mean much for foreigner how to see a movie. I am a chinese, and I totally know the fact that the KUNGFU movie hits in the USA are actually not so great as the KUNGFU movies inside China. If the director wants to sell his movie to foreigners, he must add something to please the foreigner audiences for box office. So I was kinda disappointed after I watched SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, especially the last dance scence, it sucks.

Just my personal views, ;-) I do not want to irritate the fans of this movie. Sorry, Huh.

See you in the cinema.

07:23 AM Feb 25 2009 |

Zeerak

Zeerak

Australia

I might not agree with you on this stage. I believe that an attempt may fail sometime but not failling in making an attempt. Slumdog Millionaire not based on true story, but the massege that it delivers is very helpful for people who thinks they can not change their lives. We can change our lives if we try to change ourselves.

Anyway, I love this movie, it shines the path which is dark.

07:18 AM Feb 25 2009 |

__Amjad__

Yemen

Life is abundance. Everyone should learn how to acheive abundance in every area of his life. 

Be Happy, Live in Joy Smile

07:05 AM Feb 25 2009 |

nad1a

nad1a

Greece

i haven’t yet seen it, but a friend of mine really insists that I do, so it’s first on my list

06:46 AM Feb 25 2009 |

echofang333

Taiwan

the movie is awesome,and the director is totally blows me away.

anyhow,people will learned something after they walked out of the theater.

That's the point!

06:45 AM Feb 25 2009 |

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