Viewing Quiz

1. In which state is the film set?

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2. Why does George beat up Sam at the start?

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3. What does George give Sam for his birthday?

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4. What do the boys have planned for George?

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5. Why do Clyde and Sam change their minds about the plan?

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6. When Rocky tells Sam that George is just being nice because he wants something, what does Sam suggest George wants?

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7. Why did George beat Clyde up when they were at school together?

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8. How does George actually end up in the water?

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9. Why is Marty so adamant than they simply cannot tell the truth about George's death?

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10. What is George filming himself doing when we first see him?

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11. What is George's mother doing when we first see her?

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12. Why do Marty and Rocky go into the shop on their way to the river?

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13. What does Rocky dare Sam to do?

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14. What sort of sandwiches do they eat for lunch?

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15. Who made the sandwiches?

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16. Name three different types of wildlife they see on the river.

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17. Where are George and Millie when he tells her about George's bullying him?

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18. Whose car does Marty use to take them to the river?

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19. What does Sam hold against his bruises and scrapes?

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20. What does Marty say is all his mother needs on Saturdays?

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21. What does Marty tell Kile and Jasper they are going to do?

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22. What is the tattoo Kile has on his hip?

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23. What does Sam and Rocky's dad do?

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24. What does Marty wear around his neck?

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25. What do the boys use George's pocket knife to do?

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26. What does Millie use George's pocket knife for?

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27. What is the name of the school that Sam, George and Millie go to?

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28. What is on the sign outside George's house?

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29. What is Marty wearing on his head when he is shooting at the bottle?

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30. Why does Sam reject Rocky's first plan to cover George with honey and leave him out for the insects?

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Introduction

· First film by writer-director Jacob Aaron Estes

· shot on Super 16mm film and video – “If we had shot on 35mm I think it would have looked a bit better, but I like the way it looks. It's rightly humble and grainy and raw.”

· about bullying, a prank gone wrong, the loss of innocence and the dangers of ‘groupthink’.

· Estes drew considerably on his own life and experience in writing his screenplay

· He based all the characters on himself in one way or another. - ‘When I was a kid, I was desperate to fit in and I was willing to have heaps of abuse layered onto me in order to achieve that. This was a motor of the film, for George and Clyde particularly. I also took pleasure in abusing others as they abused me. It was give and take like that. This was a motor of the film for Marty and George particularly. The list goes on and on like that. On the bright side, when I was a kid I liked to have fun. I think really Rocky and the others see this plot as a playful prank, and they expect great fun.’

· Carly Schroeder, who plays Millie, says, ‘A lot of people want to try and hide that kids actually do these things; a lot of movies don't show that. Kids do smoke pot; kids do these things. This movie shows it's really going on; others try to hide it.’

· truthful portrayal of teenagers,

· makes you hate the bully, then get to know him enough to feel sorry for him, grow to dislike him again and yet still retain sympathy for him

· Facing a moral dilemma, they have only their own sense of right and wrong to depend on to make the right decision. They can go to the authorities, come clean and risk the consequences, or they can cover up their involvement and hope that no one ever finds out.

· But of course, as we all know, burying guilt never makes it go away, and the last act of the film depicts very movingly the various ways in which the characters are unable to bury their feelings as they buried the evidence of what they did.

Cast of Main Cahracters

Character: ________________

Three Adjectives: __________________ , ____________________, ___________________.

Character: ________________

Three Adjectives: __________________ , ____________________, ___________________.

Character: ________________

Three Adjectives: __________________ , ____________________, ___________________.

Character: ________________

Three Adjectives: __________________ , ____________________, ___________________.

Character: ________________

Three Adjectives: __________________ , ____________________, ___________________.

Character: ________________

Three Adjectives: __________________ , ____________________, ___________________.

Word Search

Hidden in the word search chart below you will find 22 adjectives (describing words).

The hidden words go along, up, down, at an angle and backwards. When you find a word, circle or highlight it on the chart, and write it under the name of the character that you feel it best describes. Several of the adjectives will suit more than one of the characters. Adjectives don't necessarily apply to the character all the time.

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Plot Summary

The movie was filmed and set in a small town in _______. When small and shy ________ (Rory Culkin) admits to his older brother _______ (Trevor Morgan) that the _______________, a _________ boy named ________ (Josh Peck) has hurt him, Rocky devises a plan to get __________ on George.

Rocky recruits his friends to assist him in his plan. Rocky's two friends are __________ (Ryan Kelley), a shy teenager who is constantly __________ because of his two _____________ by Marty (Scott Mechlowicz), the other friend. Marty is an angry and ________ young man, traumatized by his father's __________ years earlier.

The boys decide to take George on a ___________ for a manufactured ___________ party for Sam and to then get him to ___________ in a game of __________________, then make him run home _______________.

Sam invites his girlfriend ___________ (Carly Schroeder) along. He ___________________ her the plan that the group has agreed upon until they arrive near the river. Millie refuses to continue until Sam promises that ___________________________________, which Sam agrees to do. Sam tells his brother to stop, and ________ tells his friends what Sam has conveyed to him. Although __________ has no problem with it, Marty is very ___________to not go through with the plan. Throughout the trip, George attempts clumsily to fit in with the others by _______________, which the other members of the group do _________________. The group soon realizes that although George is annoying, he is very _____________ and does have the capacity to be ________________________.

On the boat, ___________ goes against the others by starting up a game of truth or dare, though the rest decide to go along. After _____________ shoots ___________ with a water gun in good fun, George makes a funny quip about Marty's father, not remembering that it is a sore subject. This sets Marty off, who tells George the whole plan and starts to ___________ him.

_____________ and humiliated, George launches into a tirade against _________________ on the boat, ending by crudely mocking Marty's __________________. Marty snaps and _______________, in attempt to stop the fight, ______________ pushes George off the boat. Unable to swim, George struggles to remain ___________ in the water. As the others regard the scene in __________, George accidentally hits his _________ with his _____________ and does not come to the surface. __________ dives into the water but is unable to find George. Minutes later, George appears ______________ in the _____________ water close to the shore. Rocky exhorts the others to help him bring George to _____________, where _________ gives him __________. The effort is in vain as George is dead and it is apparent that he cannot be revived.

The group is traumatized and in fear of being charged for ____________, so they dig a ___________and bury George. __________ plan is to explain that it was an accident but ____________ threatens them, gaining the complicity of both Clyde and the rest of the group. As they had already tricked George into not telling his mother where he was going, she wouldn't know of their involvement. Marty speaks to the only ___________ of George with the group, his brother and his brother's friend, and they agree to keep quiet.

Marty goes to tell the news to his friends, who have all gathered at Sam and ____________ house. They are willing to accept the _______________ as opposed to having the guilt of George's death hanging over their heads. ______________ refuses to turn himself in and feels betrayed by all of them. He storms out and convinces his brother to give him his ___________and ____________. The brother again agrees to the favor, albeit reluctantly. _____________ robs a ______________ with the gun and drives off, becoming a _____________. Meanwhile, the others go to George's house and _____________ to his mother.

(George, kind and caring, he will call the plan off, gay fathers, George, dyslexic, birthday, Rocky, violent , school bully , horror, not find amusing, boating trip, harassed, naked, everyone else, Millie, revenge, Rocky , ridicule, reluctant Sam , truth or dare, hole, Clyde, Oregon, Angered, suicide, Rocky, strip, does not tell, Clyde, telling jokes, lonely, Marty, afloat, dead father, CPR, gun, Marty, head, shore, Marty, video camera, witnesses, face down, accidentally, Rocky, consequences, shallow, police, Millie, murder, Clyde's, Marty, Rocky's, Marty, car, gas station, fugitive, mentality, confess.)The film ends with the __________ watching a tape George made of himself talking on his video camera about his dream of becoming a filmmaker so he can document his life in hopes that somebody can understand his ______________.

Conflict Task Sheet

The main element that drives any film story (or book) is conflict. Without it, there isn't much of a story.

Conflict is a problem or struggle in a story that triggers action, i.e. which causes things to happen.

It can be very obvious, like people fighting, or much less obvious, as when someone worries over what is the right thing to do. This second kind is called 'internal conflict'.

There are six basic types of conflict:

· Person against person: one character has a problem with one or more of the other characters.

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· Person against society: a character has a problem with some aspect of society: the school, the law, the accepted way of doing things, etc.

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· Person against self: a character has a problem deciding what to do in a particular situation, or is torn between two (or more) courses of action, or between right and wrong.

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· Person against Nature: a character has a problem with some natural occurrence: a snowstorm, an avalanche, the bitter cold, or any other element of nature.

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Person against Fate: a character has to battle what seem to be forces beyond human control. Whenever the problem seems to be a strange or unbelievable coincidence, fate can be considered the cause of the conflict. ____________________________________________________________________________

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· Person against machine: a character has to confront technology or other elements of human creation (as opposed to natural or divine creation).

The first few scenes of any film should show us the conflicts and problems the main character will face, and perhaps indicate or hint at what might cause more conflicts later.

1. Think about the first part of the film, up to when they leave on the river trip. What conflicts have been established so far?

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2. What other conflicts develop as the film continues? How are these conflicts resolved by the end of the film?

Set this out in two columns, one headed 'conflicts', the second headed 'resolution'.

Conflicts

Resolutions

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Close Reading Task 1

Scenes 1 – 9

Scene 1:

1. Explain briefly what happens in this scene?

2. Which characters are introduced? What is your immediate impression of each?

3. What incidental information have you gained – time, place etc.?

4. Comment on the way the scene has been filmed and edited, and on the use of sound.

Scene 2

5. To where has the scene shifted?

6. What do you notice about the way the two boys are sitting?

7. What impression is given of Rocky? What is suggested by the fact that Rocky is smoking?

8. What is added to our knowledge of Sam?

9. Does the room give any clues as to the background of these boys? What is their relationship like?

10. Any other aspects that you noticed?

Scene 3

11. What impression do we get of Millie?

12. What important question does Millie ask? How does Sam respond to it?

13. They both look at George. What is significant about the way he is shown here?

Scene 4

14. Two more characters are introduced. Who are they? What impression do we get of them?

15. What can you deduce about the relationship among these three boys?

16. What important information do we learn about George here?

Scenes 5 - 9

17. Why are the details of the plan not revealed until later?

18. We learn a great deal more about Marty in these scenes. What?

19. What is added to our knowledge of Sam?

20. We learn something significant about Clyde. What?

Close Reading Task 2

Scenes 10 – 25

1. What is revealed by the charming little scene of Millie in her room?

2. How do Millie’s questions work out in practice?

3. What does George’s room tell us about him?

4. What does the bumper sticker on the car suggest about Marty’s mother?

5. What is George like in the car? Are any of the personality traits shown in sc. 1 still in evidence?

6. What is the first indicator that some of the group are reconsidering the plan to humiliate George?

7. Are Kile and Jasper necessary to the plot of the film? Why?

8. Does Millie really get stung? How do you know?

9. Why does Millie want the plan called off?

10. Sam agrees immediately. Why?

11. Why is George so nasty to Clyde, when Clyde is so pleasant to him?

12. Why is George’s comment about the life jackets ironic?

13. George does not seem to understand what sort of behaviour is acceptable. Quote an example of his inappropriate behaviour.

14. There is an early signpost (indication) of the eventual rift between Marty and Rocky. Identify it.

15. The short scene on the bank when George remembers hitting Clyde is a good signpost for the tragedy to follow. What does it show about George?

Close Reading Task 3

Scenes 26 – 28

1. When Marty suggests the ‘truth or dare‘ game – clearly part of the original plan – Millie, Sam and Clyde protest. Rocky is silent. Why?

2. Why does Millie change her mind and tell Marty to start the game?

3. When Marty tells the truth about the trip, Sam confirms it and apologises, but George still hurls vicious abuse at them. Why does he react like this?

4. Why is it ironic that he reacts like this?

5. Explain the sequence of events that ends with George in the river?

6. What does each of them do after they realise George is in trouble?

7. After they fail to resuscitate George, the group splits, with only Clyde staying beside the body. How does this reflect their reactions to what has happened?

8. Why does Marty accept so much responsibility for what happened?

9. The debate over what to do becomes a confrontation between Clyde and Marty. Why do Rocky, Sam and Millie not participate? Why does Rocky not support Clyde at this point?

Close Reading Task 4

Scenes 31 – 48

1. Why do they cut their fingers?

2. Why is it ironic that Millie says cutting themselves is not safe?

3. Why does Millie stab the snail?

4. The split between Marty and Rocky is already wider. How is this illustrated?

5. How is the impact of all this emphasised on the journey home – both in the boat and in the car?

6. Why does Millie look at herself in the mirror?

7. Sam says to Millie, "You know, when we graduate high school and go to college and become doctors and lawyers and all that... What do you think it'd be like?" Explain in your words what he means.

8. Why do the other four decide to tell the truth?

9. Why does Marty not accept this and go along with them? What is different about him?

10. Holding up the drugstore seems a rather extreme response to the situation. Why does the film have Marty do this?

Close Reading a Scene

When you watch the film again, you will need to look much more closely and analytically. The purpose is to identify and understand the techniques that film-makers use to manipulate audience responses. As you watch each scene or sequence, look for the following, and make notes of what you see. Not all questions will need to be answered for every sequence.

Plot/narrative

· What does the scene contribute to the way the story is being told?

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· If time has passed, how do you know?

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· Would it matter if the scene had been left out? Why/why not?

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· ‘Drama is conflict.’ Is there conflict in this scene? Between whom? Is it resolved or will it lead to more conflict further on?

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Setting

· Where is the scene set? Is this a new setting or one seen before?

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· If new, do you know where it is? How?

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· Are there any significant details that may prove important?

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· Are any details included to provide local colour i.e. to make the setting realistic and convincing?

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· What time of day is it? How do you know? Is that significant?

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· What is the weather like? Is that significant?

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· Has the director used contrast, colour? How?

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· Is there anything in the setting that affects the characters?

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· Is there anything about the setting that provokes a response in you? What kind of response?

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Characters

· Are there new characters in this scene, or only ones we have met already?

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· If new, who are they? How is their identity established?

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· Do we learn anything new about the characters? What? And how?

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· Look at the costumes. What do they tell us about the characters, the situation?

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· Contrast is an important technique in characterisation. Are any characters contrasted? How? To what effect?

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Film Language

Camera Shots

SHOT/ANGLE

EXAMPLE

WHY IS IT USED?

WA / ES / ELS

WIDE ANGLE

SETTING

To set the scene (let us know where we are). Contains a lot of landscape and helps establish location and likely atmosphere/context. Often used at the beginning of a film or scene. Landscape when shown like this becomes symbolic or thematic.

LS

LONG SHOT

ACTION

This shot contains a fair amount of background, however figures are slightly more recognisable. This shot is often used for action (e.g. when we watch sport on TV). It allows us to see a big picture and mass movement.

FS

FULL SHOT

ACTION

This shot does not contain the whole height of any figure in the frame (if two figures it s called a two-shot etc). Again this shot is primarily used for action and allows the audience to be more personally involved. Here it links the character to his/her physical setting/context.

MS

MID SHOT

DIALOGUE

The figures in this shot are seen from the waist up. Often characters talk in these shots as this what we would personally regard as a comfortable speaking distance (like watching the news).

CU

CLOSE UP

CHARACTER

A close up gives us almost complete focus on an object or a person’s face. This shot enables directors/actors to portray the emotions of characters and create atmosphere and feeling.

ECU

EXTREME CLOSE UP

SYMBOLS/DETAILS

This shot is often used to highlight important symbols in a film. If the focus is a character we will see only part of the person e.g. their eyes or hands.

Camera Angle

ANGLE

EXAMPLE

WHY IS IT USED?

OVER SHOULDER SHOT

DIALOGUE

Usually used when characters are in discussion. Allows the audience to get more of a feel for what character might be saying or hearing. It helps us to feel more involved in the dialogue. Reverse Angle Shot – alternate over the shoulder shot, shows viewpoint of the speaker and then the reaction of the listener.

POINT OF VIEW SHOT

INVOLVEMENT

Sometimes called a subjective shot, this allows the audience to see the action from the point of view of a character. We feel personally involved.

HA

HIGH ANGLE

ISOLATION

This angle is from high looking down but not directly above. The main effect is to make the object look small and lacking in power. It suggests vulnerability of a character or in this case the isolation that Joe Galloway feels as simply an ‘observer’ in this war.

LA

LOW ANGLE

POWER AND STATUS

The camera is low and looking up at a figure. The main effect is to make the figure look large and powerful, suggesting dominance or status.

EYE LEVEL

REALITY

This is the shot that occurs when the camera is level with the object or figure. It is the angle that is most like a normal eye-view of the scene and tends to suggest a real life effect.

Camera Movement

Movement Name

Effect

Tracking (Dolly Shot)

The camera physically moves to follow the action.

Physically moving the camera with the subject reveals details of the background and shows where the action is taking place. Hand held tracking gives movement a jumpy feeling and is also done to give a feeling of realism.

Crane Shot

Taken from a mechanical device called a crane – carries the camera and operator in any direction.

Gives a smooth swooping look to a shot.

Aerial Shot

Filmed from a plane or helicopter.

Can be used as an establishing (extreme long shot) or to show a journey.

Pan Shot

The camera moves from one side horizontally to the other from a fixed point.

Reveals a view slowly – imitates the view as seen by a character turning his/her head.

Tilt Shot

The camera moves up or down vertically from a fixed position.

Reveals a view slowly - to imitate someone looking up or down.

Zoom Shot

A zoom lens moves the shot closer to, or further away from the subject in a smooth action.

Focuses attention on something particular in a shot. Creates a sense of movement.

Editing (the process of putting a film into its final form)

Editing Techniques

Use and Effect

Cut

The most common transition from one shot to the next.

We see one shot and suddenly we are seeing a different shot.

Fade out /Fade in

The screen goes dark or fades out before the next shot fades in and the details of the next shot become visible.

A fade is a strong break in the film – often ides between different scenes to show time passing. Can also be used to show a character has lost or regained consciousness.

Dissolve

One shot comes up, as another goes down.

Often used to show a change in location or to show things happening simultaneously. It can also show time passing or aspects of character.

Wavy Screen

The screen waves as the image dissolves

Sometimes used to indicate a dream, a flashback or loss of consciousness.

Light and Colour

Light and colour can be used to create atmosphere in a film and are part of many genres’ codes (e.g. horror films make use of dark lighting to create effects)

Scene

A scene is comprised of a series of shots in the same location, dealing with the same character or events.

Sequence

Sequence is comprised of a series of scenes on related topics, character and/or time.

Visual and Verbal Features /Techniques

Visual Features

Verbal Visual

Camera Techniques: ShotWide Angle

Long Shot

Full Shot

Mid Shot

Close Up

Extreme Close UpCamera Techniques: Angle

Over The Shoulder shot

Point of View shot

High Angle

Low Angle

Eye Level

Camera Techniques: Movement

Tracking shot

Crane shot

Aerial shot

Pan shot

Tilt shot

Zoom shot

Dialogue

Props

Sound Effects

Costume

Music

Special Effects

Use of Silence

Lighting

Voice over

Colour

Use of Settings or Location

Themes

The consequences of bullying

The power of friendship

The result of peer-pressure

Coming of Age (Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition.)

Facing the consequences of your actions and how people deal with it.

The effect of a weak family structure on young people

Character Notes

Sam / Rory Culkin

· vulnerable, inquisitive; small for his age, bright, articulate, sensitive

· since he has been told before, according to George, to leave his camera alone, then not very sensible to interfere with it.

· is adamant that George not be hurt but has had enough of being the victim

· wiser than the older boys, he realises Millie is right - the prank is a mistake and attempts to call it off

· gains considerably in maturity during this day; by the end, he chooses to trust his own judgement rather than his older brother's; he is the first to make the choice to do the right thing

· is wise enough to realise the effect of this day's events on them, to wonder how as professional adults, they would be able to live with it

Rocky/ Trevor Morgan

· pleasant, friendly, very likable, about 17; doesn't swear much

· reflective, thoughtful (the message via the ceiling). Says he is smarter than George.

· Smoking implies a false maturity, i.e. he thinks it shows maturity but it really suggests the opposite.

· sensible – tells Jasper to grow up; twice accepts Sam's better judgement

· guilt and loyalty to Marty make him confused and keep him silent when Clyde confronts Marty over what to do, but his conscience and common sense assert themselves later

George / Josh Peck

· at the start: big, overweight, clumsy, solitary, abusive, hot-tempered, physically inept

· on closer acquaintance, seen to be less evil than a socially maladroit, learning-disabled loner desperate for the attentions of his newfound 'friends'; his aggression masks a deep loneliness

· in the car is pleasant, friendly, tries hard to please. He also talks too much – tends to dominate.

· Once he feels he has been accepted, he lapses into what he takes to be good-natured bantering but is in fact insensitive insults. When told off for this, he's genuinely surprised, hurt and sincere in his momentary regret.

· Can be polite and has been well brought up – brings a present for Sam - but not attuned to the nuances of teenage life, so his conversation sounds odd to the others. Does not see that Marty is taking the mickey out of him all the time, that his 'friendliness' is not to be trusted.

· spoiled, is obviously from more money than the others – Marty asks about his pocket money

· middle class – refers to Marty as 'white trash', a phrase he is no doubt parroting from his mother

· has been taught to take care in cars and on the water – the only one who comments on the risk they're taking with a drinking driver, and by setting out on a boat without life jackets – except he knows the theory and ignores it in practice.

· has been held back at school because of a 'learning disability' which includes dyslexia, so he is a few years older than Sam and apparently a year younger than Clyde and Rocky.

· He is not very bright – a sharper kid would have been suspicious of an invitation like this out of the blue, especially accompanied by a caveat not to tell anyone – but he is not stupid either. He has an uncanny knack for the weak spots in his antagonists.

· There does seem to be something missing. He seems unable to behave normally the way the other kids do. His lack of social skills may be the result of his solitary life – or his loneliness may be the result of his lack of social skills. May be borderline Asperger's – would explain his poor social skills, his inability to reason, his obsessiveness, the sense that everything he says and does is slightly off key, slightly abnormal

· He is incapable of listening and reasoning things out, of accepting an apology – in fact, the apology and the information that they liked him enough to call the plan off is quite a compliment but George can't see past his hurt feelings. He is truly hurt to find out that the friendship he thought he had found was a cheat, while at the same time is unable to appreciate how his own remarks and verbal abuse hurt others. Lashes out viciously and angrily – knows no other way of response.

· The strange disappearing spiral design he films symbolises his self-absorbed and closed-in world. "This is my private world," he tells the camera, with a frightening lack of understanding of what he is revealing.

Marty / Scott Mechlowicz

· the alpha male – has the natural capacity for leadership and considerable charm under his swaggering postures; inhabits a macho world in which 'manhood' is the issue

· aggressively physical - punches Rocky and it hurts; teases Clyde. All 'good fun' but there is a great deal of the bully in him – his macho banter is very close to abuse, is a kind of bullying even when he thinks it is good-natured

· enjoys the idea of humiliating George; seems to take equal pleasure in humiliating Clyde, supposedly his friend.

· enjoys the idea that George spent his allowance on a present for Sam; Sam and Clyde are embarrassed.

· is surprisingly perceptive about George, understanding that George's neediness will make him eager to accept the invitation, and yet not perceptive enough to understand where that neediness comes from.

· His mother is clearly dysfunctional as a parent: Valium, the car sticker; has unresolved conflicts over his father's suicide unexpected vulnerability, genuine hurt, but like George responds with violence

· Is himself the victim of his brother's bullying. Whereas Clyde reacts to being bullied by being more empathetic to others, Marty's reaction is to turn violently on those weaker than he is. He uses physical force against both Clyde and Rocky.

· He drinks, and smokes both cigarettes and marijuana, and annoys both Clyde and Rocky by thrusting it at other people.

· takes great pleasure in George's hurt; will not listen to reason; refuses to abandon the plan: 'I'm a man who likes to go through with his plans."

· comes from a different social class – indicated by his home, his mother's car sticker, his brother's gun, that he doesn't go to school, that he smokes, drinks and takes drugs. He is 'trailer trash' (George calls him 'white trash', clearly repeating what he has heard his mother say) and has perhaps had brushes with the law in the past. He finds it easy to hold up the drugstore – something Clyde or Rocky simply could not do. He certainly does not expect to be treated as the innocent participant in an accident.

· has no awareness of the possible damage an avoidance of truth and responsibility might have on him: 'Out of sight, out of mind'. Does not really think things through. Is this a result of less intelligence than the others – Millie later corrects his vocabulary; even George calls him 'bonehead' - or simply a mindset that says avoid responsibility and stay way from police and authorities?

Millie / Carly Schroeder

· sweet, delightfully naïve at the start

· sensible and sensitive – the plan is 'mean' and she wants no part of it

· assertive – tells George to keep his camera to himself; delivers an ultimatum to Sam

· has a strong sense of her own identity; confident, self-assured, capable

· pleasant and sympathetic to George, even when he is being obnoxious

· becomes progressively more annoyed by George as the afternoon goes on – he is abusive and rather sleazy where she is concerned

· shattered by the death of George – takes her anger out on a snail. Is this in character?

· Carly was 11 years old at the start of shooting

Clyde / Ryan Kelley

· a gentle and unassuming boy. He is not enthusiastic about getting revenge on George, although of the three older boys, he is the only one who seems to have been a victim.

· shy, sensitive, morally straight, more mature than the others

· does not smoke; drinks little; seldom swears

· has a great appreciation of the natural world – comments on the rive, the fresh air, etc

· although having gay dads means he is teased, he is not ashamed of them; George complains that he talks about them too much.

· initially reluctant to seek revenge and is one of the first to change his mind about George

· tries to stand up to Marty but lacks the physical strength and so backs down

· is never comfortable with Marty's plan; his arguments are reasonable and sensible

Quotation Test

· Identify the speaker of each of the following, and explain its context.

1. People's feelings always end up hurt when we play this game.

2. You know, when we graduate high school, and become doctors and lawyers and all that kind of stuff... what do you think it would be like?

3. Well, if you don't know what to think, then you probably shouldn't be making decisions.

4. We can never be forgiven for what we did.

5. You know, if we hurt him, we'd be just as bad as him.

6. You always got to go with the best idea you've got. Otherwise, you're just left lying around - not knowing what to do.

7. If we bury the body, it's going to look like we did it on purpose.

8. Whoever didn't bring life jackets on a boat trip is a moron.

9. The only reason he's being nice to us is because he sees this as an opportunity to get something.

10. I'm a man who likes to follow through with his plans.

11. You have to trust me on this one, Sam.

12. He was saying terrible things. Things that shouldn't have been said.

13. Fat boy's going to get what he's got coming.

14. Then you have me steering the Titanic across the river with a bunch of munchkins who are totally sober and bringing me down

15. If you could snap your fingers right now and he would drop dead in his tracks, would you do it?

16. So we need to hurt him without really hurting him.

17. So that's it? We're just going to pretend like we're all innocent.

18. Do we want to give Georgie Porgie a little taste of his own medicine? Be some good, clean fun, don't you think?

19. I had no idea the guy was going to turn out so nice.

20. Look, this was a prank that went wrong. We come completely clean.

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