VOA标准英语2012--Long-Lost Siblings Meet Up in 'People Like Us'

 

Long-Lost Siblings¹ Meet Up in 'People Like Us'

Sam is angry and reluctantly back home after learning his father has died. He's been estranged² from the family for years. Now, his struggle with the flood of memories is complicated by the one thing bequeathed to him; a bag of money intended for a sister he never knew existed.

The sister is Frankie, a single mother who also grew up with resentment³ toward her father.

"My last image of my dad are tail lights while he drove away to his other family," the character says in the film.

It's not easy, but through their combined memories, brother and sister begin to shed their anger and understand what their father really did for them.

Co-writer Kurtzman makes his directing debut⁴ with People Like Us. Known for scripting action and sci-fi films, like the recent movie version of Star Trek⁵, he based this drama on how he felt when he discovered his own father's second family.

"There was a lot of separating truth from fiction, and I would say there is a lot that is emotionally very autobiographical," Kurtzman says. "But, plot-wise, no."

Chris Pine, who stars as Sam, wondered whether audiences could connect with the story.

"I originally thought that maybe it is not all that relatable because who has got secret families?" Pine says. "Maybe it's a small percentage, but we come from fallible parents, who were kids once, who decided⁶ to have kids and had to learn how to be parents. In the learning process of becoming a parent and raising a kid, faults are made and damage is done. There is stuff we all have to deal with."

Elizabeth Banks co-stars as Frankie and finds it easy to understand the longing⁷ both characters share.

"We all want to know that our daddy loved us," Banks says. "At the end of this movie, we get an answer. I love that. I think it's why it is so cathartic⁸ for people who see the movie. I think we all have that insecurity."

In a movie season crammed⁹ with superhero action films, Kurtzman hopes there is room for his heartfelt story. "I really want to believe there is an audience that is starved for stories that are more about us and more about real life."

People Like Us was filmed on location in Los Angeles. The cast includes Michelle Pfeiffer as Sam's widowed mom and Olivia Wilde as his girlfriend trying to help him on this emotional journey. 

1 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

2 estranged   

adj.疏远的，分离的

参考例句：

• He became estranged from his family after the argument.那场争吵后他便与家人疏远了。
• The argument estranged him from his brother.争吵使他同他的兄弟之间的关系疏远了。

3 resentment   

n.怨愤，忿恨

参考例句：

• All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
• She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。

4 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

5 trek   

vi.作长途艰辛的旅行；n.长途艰苦的旅行

参考例句：

• We often go pony-trek in the summer.夏季我们经常骑马旅行。
• It took us the whole day to trek across the rocky terrain.我们花了一整天的时间艰难地穿过那片遍布岩石的地带。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 longing   

n.（for）渴望

参考例句：

• Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
• His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

8 cathartic   

adj.宣泄情绪的；n.泻剂

参考例句：

• His laughter was cathartic,an animal yelp that brought tears to his eyes.他哈哈大笑以宣泄情绪，声音如野兽般尖厉，眼泪都笑出来了。
• The drug had a cathartic effect.这药有导泻的作用。

9 crammed   

adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)

参考例句：

• He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。
• All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。