A Few Films For All Holiday Moviegoers

 

What makes a film right for the holidays? It has to appeal to the whole family and moviegoers of all ages.

This year, three high-budget films meet the requirements. Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released widely last Friday. The political thriller¹, The Post, comes out this Friday. And the musical, The Greatest Showman, will be in theaters December 20th.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, is the latest in the series about the fight of the Resistance against the First Order. And this installment² is absorbing, even to those who do not follow Star Wars like a religion.

The visually powerful science fiction film includes massive sets and complex characters. And the story is unpredictable, although it does, of course, center on the battle of good against evil.

Actor Daisy Ridley again plays the part of Rey, a resistance member, who finds Luke Skywalker and uncovers the powers of the Jedi.

Actor Mark Hamill, who returns to the part of Luke Skywalker, praised the size and detail of the production.

"I've never been on a set that opulent in my life, plus 150 extras in exotic makeups³ and alien prosthetics."

This is the first Star Wars movie directed by Rian Johnson.

"I hope audiences come out of the theater wanting to run into their backyard, grab their Star Wars toys and start flying spaceships around. I hope it just feels like a great Star Wars movie, a fun Star Wars movie, that takes you back to being ten years old again."

From sci-fi...

"This is a devastating⁴ security breach⁵ that was leaked out of the Pentagon?"

...we turn to a real-life political story that shook America in the 1970s.

"If the government wins, the Washington Post will cease to exist. "

In The Post, director Steven Spielberg tells a story of bravery in journalism⁶. In the 1970s, The Washington Post newspaper published parts of top-secret government documents. The documents described the war in Vietnam as a lost cause. They also showed that the US government lied about the extent of its involvement in the war.

Tom Hanks plays Ben Bradlee, the famed Washington Post editor.

"The way they lied, those days have to be over."

Meryl Streep plays Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham, one of very few of women in leadership positions at the time.

"If you publish, we'll be at the Supreme⁷ Court next week." 

"Meaning? 

"We could all go to prison."

The Post is a highly entertaining, fast moving political drama that will appeal to fans of political thrillers⁸. But it should also interest people who see a link between the 1970s American political environment and the current one.

"What will happen if we don't publish? We will lose. The country will lose!"

If you consider movie musicals as the beating heart of the holidays, you are in for a treat. This year, actor Hugh Jackman takes center stage as The Greatest Showman.

"Ladies and Gents this is the moment you've been waiting for!"

The Michael Gracey film is based on the life of P.T. Barnum, founder⁹ of the Barnum and Bailey Circus, which he called "The Greatest Show on Earth."

Hugh Jackman plays the celebrated¹⁰ character as he rises to fame. He gathers people with unusual skills who live on the edges of society. Together, they create an extraordinary variety show.

Critics have not been able to review the film, yet. But, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association nominated it for two Golden Globes: best musical or comedy and best actor. The music writers of last year’s hit “La La Land” are also behind the songs in The Greatest Showman.

I’m Caty Weaver¹¹.

Words in This Story

thriller – n. a novel, movie, etc., that is very exciting : a story full of exciting action, mystery, adventure, or suspense¹²

character – n. a person who appears in a story, book, play, movie, or television show

opulent – adj. very comfortable and costly¹³

exotic – adj. very different, strange, or unusual

prosthetic – n. an artificial feature or piece of flexible material applied¹⁴ to a person's face or body to change their appearance temporarily

drama – n. a play, movie, television show, or radio show that is about a serious subject and is not meant to make the audience laugh

stage – n. a raised platform in a theater, auditorium¹⁵, etc., where the performers stand

variety – adj. a type of entertainment that has many short performances (such as dances, skits, and songs) which follow one another and that are not related — usually used before another noun

1 thriller   

n.惊险片，恐怖片

参考例句：

• He began by writing a thriller.That book sold a million copies.他是写惊险小说起家的。那本书卖了一百万册。
• I always take a thriller to read on the train.我乘火车时，总带一本惊险小说看。

2 installment   

n.(instalment)分期付款；(连载的)一期

参考例句：

• I shall soon pay the last installment of my debt.不久我将偿付我的最后一期债款。
• He likes to buy things on the installment plan.他喜欢用分期付款法购买货物。

3 makeups   

n.天性( makeup的名词复数 )；性格；气质；组成成分

参考例句：

4 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

5 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

6 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。

7 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

8 thrillers   

n.紧张刺激的故事( thriller的名词复数 )；戏剧；令人感到兴奋的事；（电影）惊悚片

参考例句：

• He has written seven thrillers, and clearly enjoys intellectual pursuits. 他已经写了7本惊悚小说，显然很喜欢这样的智力活动。 来自辞典例句
• Most Americans prefer to read fast-moving adventure stories that we call "thrillers". 大部分美国人喜欢看我们称之为"惊险小说"的情节多变的冒险故事。 来自辞典例句

9 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

10 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

11 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

12 suspense   

n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑

参考例句：

• The suspense was unbearable.这样提心吊胆的状况实在叫人受不了。
• The director used ingenious devices to keep the audience in suspense.导演用巧妙手法引起观众的悬念。

13 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

14 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

15 auditorium   

n.观众席，听众席；会堂，礼堂

参考例句：

• The teacher gathered all the pupils in the auditorium.老师把全体同学集合在礼堂内。
• The stage is thrust forward into the auditorium.舞台向前突出，伸入观众席。