| IT'S
A WONDERFUL LIFE |
THE
MIRACLE
WORKER |
ARSENIC
AND OLD LACE |
When viewing movies, we study the characters and their objectives and obstacles thoroughly. I never just simply show a video without teaching something about the film, whether it is about the making of the movie, the history of the actors or directors, or character study. Director Frank Capra of "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Arsenic and Old Lace" is one of my favorite directors. Before viewing these movies, I discuss his background and expertise and some history about the movies themselves. Also, I frequently stop and start movies during their viewing to discuss anything from editing flaws to character motive.
Other movies we study are the original version of "Whatever Happened
to Baby Jane" starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford and "Singing in the
Rain" starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O'Connor.
"...Baby Jane" is an excellent source for studying protagonist and antagonist,
and "Singing in the Rain" is another excellent source in studying the history
of the movie industry as well as pantomime. Study guides for these
two movies will be available soon.
PART I
1. When the movie begins people are talking.
We hear voice-overs. What are they doing?
2. In what form are the angels Joseph, Franklin,
and Clarence 1st seen?
3. What reward is Clarence hoping for if he is able
to help George Bailey?
4. What kind of accident happens on the ice?
5. What part of George's body is infected after the
rescue? Which one?
6. Where does young George work?
7. Who are the two young ladies we meet in the drugstore?
8. What does Mary whisper into George's bad ear?
9. Why is Mr. Gower drunk?
10. Where does senior Bailey work?
11. What's tied on Uncle Billy's hand?
12. Who is in that tense office with George Bailey's father?
13. What does Mr. Gower do to George when he returns to
the drugstore?
14. What huge mistake had Mr. Gower made?
15. What promise does George make to Mr. Gower?
16. When we 1st see Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey he is
trying to buy something. What is it?
17. What is he charged for this purchase?
18. What are the names of the cop and the cabdriver?
19. Where is the dance being held and what is the occasion?
20. Who does George end up dancing with and what happens
to them at the dance?
PART II
1. What is George wearing after the dance on their
walk home?
2. What is Mary Hatch wearing?
3. How old is Mary?
4. What is the name of the old, run-down house?
5. Why does George throw a rock at the house?
6. What does George wish? What do you think
Mary wishes?
7. Where does Mary hide?
8. What news do Uncle Billy and Harry bring?
9. Who wants to buy the Building and Loan when Pop
Bailey dies?
10. What will George be giving up by staying with the business?
11. What does George do with his college savings?
12. What sport does Harry play at college?
13. Where is George thinking of going as he and Uncle Billy
wait for the train?
14. What surprise does Harry have for his family?
How does that change George's plans again?
15. Who urges George to go to Mary's house?
16. Why is Mary expecting George?
17. What song is Mary playing on the phonograph?
Why is that song special?
18. Why does George come back after storming out of the
house?
19. Who is on the phone for Mary? How does the film tell
us that Mary is NOT "his girl"?
20. What does Mary and George's sharing the phone lead
to? And what does that lead to?
PART III
1. Where are George and Mary going on their honeymoon?
2. How much money do they have?
3. What ruins the trip?
4. Who comes up with the money to save the Bailey
Building and Loan?
5. What does George call the last two dollars?
6. Where is George's new home?
7. Where is the Martini's new home located?
8. How much money does Potter offer George?
9. What new does Mary have for George when he returns
home?
10. What is never fixed in the Granule house?
11. Why didn't George join the army?
12. Who headed the draft board?
13. What did Harry do in the Navy? What honor did
he win?
14. Who is the stranger in the Building and Loan office?
15. How much money is Uncle Billy supposed to deposit?
16. Who has the money?
17. What is wrong with Zuzu when George returns home?
18. Where does George put the fallen flower petals?
19. At whom does George scream on the phone and blame for
Zuzu's illness?
20. To whom does George go for money?
21. What does Potter say to George that makes him consider
suicide?
PART IV
1. Who punches George in the bar?
2. Why does George jump into the river?
3. What does the weather change signify?
4. What is the name of the town now that George has
never been born?
5. What is the new name of the bar?
6. What is the significance of the cash register's
ringing the bell?
7. Who is the drunk who stumbles into the bar and
why did he spend 20 years in jail?
8. Who in town is being arrested?
9. What has happened to Ernie's life?
10. Whose tombstone does George see?
11. What has become of Mary?
12. Who is the 1st person George see when he begs Clarence
to let him live again?
13. How has the weather changed again?
14. How much money does Sam Wainwright say his office will
advance George?
15. What does the sheriff do with the warrant?
16. Who contacted Sam Wainwright?
17. Harry left New York in a hurry to get to Bedford Falls.
What did he leave?
18. What was Harry's toast to George?
19. Who signed the book that George finds on top of all
the money? What does it say?
20. What is the final song of the movie?
OVERVIEW
1. What was George's main objective in life?
2. List as many obstacles as you can recall.
3. Name the protagonist and the antagonist.
4. Did George have any character flaws? If
yes, name them.
5. Were character flaws the cause of life not going
the way George wanted it to or was it fate?
1. What caused the baby's illness?
2. What does Helen want for her doll?
3. What does Annie do to let Helen know she is on
the steps?
4. How many operations has Annie had?
5. What does Annie give Helen?
6. How does Annie get out of her room?
7. Where did Helen hide the key? What did she
eventually do with it?
8. What does Helen's mother do to calm her down after
she stabs Annie?
9. How does Helen's family react to her eating off
of their plates?
10. Who wins the battle of "face slapping"?
11. After approximately 5 hours, what has Helen learned to do?
12. What does "give her notice" mean?
13. What word did Helen say at the age of six months?
14. To what does Annie get the Kellers to agree?
15. How long does the Captain give her?
16. What is Helen's sign for "mother"?
17. Who are Annie's nightmares about?
18. How long has Annie's brother been dead?
19. How do you know that Helen misses her mother?
20. What does Annie withhold from Helen to get Helen to dress?
21. Why won't Annie allow Helen's parents to be with her?
22. What does Helen do in her sleep?
23. What does Helen try to teach the dog?
24. At the end of the two weeks, what does Annie ask of the Kellers?
25. Why won't they allow it?
26. Is Annie telling the truth when she tells the Captain, "...I
don't even love her."?
27. Why does Annie take Helen's plate away from her during her
homecoming dinner?
28. What does Annie say she "expects" Helen to do?
29. What does the key symbolize?
30. What does Helen do to Annie for the first time while they
are sitting on the porch at the end of the movie?
31. Why is that important?
OVERVIEW
1. Identify the protagonist and antagonist.
2. What is Annie's objective?
3. List her obstacles.
4. List Annie's character flaws.
5. Who is the "Miracle Worker"?
Most people think this movie is about Helen Keller. However, the story is really about Annie Sullivan's life and internal and external struggles. The screenplay is only part of the original play. The original play, written for the stage, points more toward Annie and her personal struggles.
PART I
1. Watch the opening credits and determine what day
of the year it is. (m,d)
2. Identify the symbols of death there are in Part
I. List them as you see them.
3. What is the root word of Mortimer and what does
it mean?
4. Who does Mortimer marry? What does her father
do?
5. Who does Teddy think he is?
6. What does Aunt Abby tell Teddy to go to Panama
for?
7. Where are Elaine and Mortimer going on their honeymoon?
8. Whose picture does Aunt Abby find? What
did he to to worms?
9. What's in the window-seat?
10. Up to this point, Mortimer's objective was to go on
his honeymoon. What changes his objective?
11. Who does Mortimer think killed the man in the window-seat?
12. How did Hoskin's die? Who killed him?
13. How many people are buried in the basement?
14. What are Mortimer and Elaine's opposing objectives?
15. What could Mortimer do that would remedy that?
PART II
1. Insanity seems to run in the Brewster family.
How many insane people are there so far?
2. What does Mortimer's future hold in regard to
his sanity?
3. What kind of wine do the aunts serve with poison
in it?
4. What does Mortimer make his aunts promise before
he leaves?
5. Whose hat does Mortimer almost walk out the door
wearing?
6. Boris Karloff played a monster in a popular movie.
Name the movie Aunt Martha refers to.
7. What does Jonathan and the doctor have in the
rumble seat of their car?
8. Whys shouldn't the judge tell Abby and Martha
he's lonely?
9. Where does Dr. Einstein put Spinalzo?
10. Why are the aunts dressed in black dresses and veils?
11. Aunt Abby will murder old men, but she won't "stoop
to telling a _____."
12. Why does Mortimer want Officer O'Hara to stay?
13. What does O'Hara do in his spare time?
14. What stops Jonathan and the doctor from drinking the
poison when they are about to toast Mortimer?
15. Is Mortimer destined to go insane like the rest
of his family? Why or why not?
OVERVIEW
1. List all the "character" roles.
2. List all the "straight" roles.
3. How did Frank Capra's expertise in the use of light and shadow
enhance this movie?
To the teacher: It's important to know what the current events
were during the time period of this movie. Many allusions are made
to the World Series, presidencies, and the movie "Frankenstein".