《终极面试》影评

很感谢老师给我们提供了这么一部精彩的影片。这部片子很有内涵，对人性的剖析也比较深入。试问：在一个这样的狭小环境中，换了自己又会有怎么样的表现呢？

特别是对于我们，正在为找工作和参加各种面试忙的不可开交的这些人，就会有更深的体会了。而这不影片对于我自己，也有着一些启发。

一个公司招募员工有多样的方法，可以是直接的通过考试的形式，然后面试。经过多面试下来可以得到想要的人员。可是通过一个材料让应聘人员去设计一个方案，最好的人也可以留下。可以是采取无领导小组形式，电影里就是这样，只不过这有点过于严格，考官在那种考官能考到考场里面，应聘者看不到考官的玻璃后面，然后通过面试人员的发挥，最后选出想要的人，在无领导小组里面最好选择最先发言和最后发言。最先发言可以引导这个面试话题的走向，最后发言的是总结可以看出你的大局观能力。还有其他的方式等。

在竞争中当中，我们不能不折手段地去为了自己的胜利而去打击别人，甚至丧失自己的良心。要有良心的去面对自己要面对的困难，问心无愧的得到自己想要的工作。

在工作中，有耐心和仔细的品质很重要。而且要有过得硬的能力，能力是可以后天训练出来的，但是要有耐心和细心，这样可以锻炼想要的能力。对于找工作很有帮助。作为年轻人不仅要有上进的心，还有养成有耐

心、细心、良心等的良好品质，否则有再强的业务能力也没有用处。

最后，不得不说这是一部很不错的影片。 本文由收集整理

第二篇：影评考试

Unit 2 Dead Poets Society (1989) .................................................................................................... 1

Unit 3 Forrest Gump ........................................................................................................................ 6

Unit 4 Scent of a Woman (1992) .................................................................................................... 14

Unit 2 Dead Poets Society (1989)

Lead-in

An unconventional New England prep school teacher John Keating takes a definitely non-traditional approach to teaching his students. He inspires them with poetry and encourages them to think for themselves and to embrace life. This results in a group including Neil Perry and Todd Anderson to resume the Dead Poets Society, a secretive group originally founded by Keating to sing of life and poetry.

Characters

John Keating (Robin Williams): English teacher

Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard): student

Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke): student

Knox Overstreet (Josh Charles): student

Charlie Dalton (Gale Hansen): student

Richard Cameron (Dylan Kussman): student

Hr. Nolan (Norman Lloyd): headmaster

McAllister (Leon Pownall): teacher

Questions for Thoughts

Read these questions first before you watch the movie. They are designed to inspire your thinking in the viewing process, though you don't have to remember them all. Your group and classroom discussions may also be based on them.

1. Why do parents try to send their sons to the Welton Academy? What are the four pillars of the Academy?

2. Who is introduced at the school opening ceremony as a new teacher?

3. Why does Mr. Perry ask his son Neil Perry to drop some of the extracurricular activities? What tone does he use when talking to his son? Why?

4. What is the general classroom teaching at Welton like? Are the students attracted and stimulated by their teachers? Why or why not?

5. In Mr. Keating's first class, what teaching approach does he apply? What message does he try to convey to the boys? How do the boys like it?

6. How would the boys address Mr. Keating if they are more daring? What is the sentiment of Carpe Dine?

7. In his second class, which part of the literature textbook does Mr. Keating ask the boys to rip out? Why?

8. What is Dead Poets Society according to Mr. Keating?

9. How is Neil Perry stimulated and what is he going to do?

10. In Mr. Keating's next class, what does he intend to convey to the boys by standing on his desk?

11. On another day, why does Mr. Keating ask his boys to read aloud a famous line of a poe

m before they kick the soccer ball on the field?

12. One day in a courtyard, why does Mr. Keating ask the boys to walk differently? What does he say to them about the importance of their own stride?

13. How does the school authority respond to Mr. Keating's way of teaching? What does the school master suggest him to do? What is Mr. Keating's argument?

14. Todd is a quiet and shy boy. How does Mr. Keating stimulate him to contribute his own verse in the classroom?

15. Why is Neil so excited about being able to play a role in the play? Does he worry about his father's certain objection?

16. Why does Neil go to Mr. Keating's room the night before the play? What does Mr. Keating suggest Neil to do? Does Neil act on the teacher's suggestion? Why or why not?

17. Is Neil's performance a success? How is he welcomed and appreciated by the peer performers and the audience? How does his father feel instead? What does he say to Nell?

18. Why does Neil commit suicide? Who should be blamed, his father, Mr. Keating, the school, or Neil himself? Please comment on it.

19. What happens to Mr. Keating after the incident? Should the school authority put the blame on Mr. Keating? Why or why not?

20. How does Todd show his protest of Mr. Keating's dismissal? Do the other boys follow suit? What gives them the courage to do so?

21. What is the essence of Mr. Keating's teaching? Do the boys seize it?

Synopsis

The story is about the teaching process and how it influences students. It takes place at Welton Academy, an exclusive school dedicated to bleaching（漂白，使褪色） any sort of non-conformity out of its students and programming them to be successful, if unimaginative, social leaders. Willingly or not, students keep to the school norm until John Keating, a new English teacher, shows up. Mr. Keating challenges his students to question conservative views, think independently and make the best of their abilities. Soon, they are defying their parents and the school authorities and secretly reorganizing the Dead Poets Society of which Mr. Keating was one of the founders when he was an undergraduate at Welton. One student, Charlie Dalton, becomes more aware that he has the makings of a true rebel and poet. Another, the shy Todd Anderson, builds confidence and composes a poem in front of the class. A third, Knox Overstreet, finds his true love. And Neil Perry, who goes furthest of all, disobeys his father and tries out his dream of being an actor. As punishment, Neil's father plans to send his son to a military school and, in desperation, Neil commits suicide. The school authorities then put blame on Mr. Keating and fire him. The closing scene is touching when his students stand on their desks to protest his dismissal.

Viewing and practicing

Discussion Topics

Directions: Here are several topics for you to discuss about. Please choose some questions you are interested in and share your idea with your partner or group members.

1. How do you feel about the ending? Can you make any change or can Mr. Keating stay? Give your reasons.

2. What are the real reasons of Neil's tragedy?

3. The shy boy finally stands out to show his respect to his beloved teacher but the active boy has given up his life. Compare Todd Anderson and Neil Perry in different periods.

Written Work

Directions: Here are several writing assignments. Please choose one or two to write about and support your ideas with evidence from the film.

In an earlier script of Dead Poets Society

after Mr. Nolan has a talk with Keating, McAllister rejoins Keating．

Mcallister：I wouldn’t worry about the boys being too conformist(墨守陈规者)if l were you． Keating：Why is that?

Mcallister：Well，you yourself graduated from these hallowed halls，did you not?

Keating： Yes?

Mcallister：So if you want to raise a confirmed atheist(无神论者)，give him a rigid religious upbringing(抚育，教养)．Works every time．

1. How do you think about Mr. McAllister’s opinion? Imagine what Mr. Keating will probably answer, and then try to write a short conversation (following this one) between Keating and McAllister．

2. What can you get from this movie

or from a certain character in it? Write a short essay on it．

Sentence Appreciation

Carpe diem. Seize the day. Gather ye rosebuds while ye may．

把握今天。有花堪折只须折。

I went to the woods because 1 wanted to live deliberately．I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of 1ife. (Henry David Thoreau)

我迁往林中，因为我想慎重地生活。 我想生活得充实，想吸吮生命中所有的精华。(梭罗) For me，sport is actually a chance for us to have other human beings push us to excel． 对我来说，运动实际上提供了一个机会，让其他人的追赶催我们奔向成功。

We’re not laughing at you，we’re laughing near you．我们不是一起在笑你，我们是在你边上一起笑。

Truth is like a blanket that always leaves your feet cold

it’11 never be enough．You kick at it．You push it，，stretch it，，beat it，，

it’11 never cover any of us．From the moment we enter crying to the moment we leave dying，it will just cover your face as you wail and cry and scream．

真理就像一条总盖不到脚的毯子。你拉它，拽它，可它永远不够长。你踢它，你打它，可它永不庇护任何人。从我们哭着来到这世界的那一刻，到我们死了离开这世界的那一刻，你痛哭，你大喊，你尖叫，它也只是盖住你的脸。

Two roads diverged in a wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. (Robert Frost)

两条路在林中岔开，而我， 我选择了那条人迹较少的，而这，注定了我的未来从此不同。 Sucking the marrow out of life doesn’t mean choking on the bone.

吮吸生命的精华不是让你被骨头噎死。

Movie Review

New Words

riveting fare：吸引人的事物

charismatic：a．魅力超凡的

vibrancy：n．活跃性，活

starchy：a．拘谨的

staid：a．严肃的

unorthodox a．非正统的

undeterred：a．未受阻的

daffodil n．水仙花

cliché n．陈词滥调

in unison一致地

blazer n．运动夹克

emblem n．徽章, 符号

bohemian a. 波希米亚的, 违反习俗的

resurrect v．复建

mantra n.咒语

on the rocks 触礁，毁灭

trite a. 陈腐的

one-liner n. 一句简短的话，俏皮话

scapegoat n. 替罪羊

expulsion n. 开除

defiance n. 反抗，蔑视

entrance v. 使狂喜，使着迷

revelation n. 新发现

idyllic a. 田园的，牧歌的

Carpe Diem. Seize the Day... Make Your Lives Extraordinary!

It's funny how in the middle of a song, book or movie, that one memorable line pops from the page or screen and makes you stop and think. On a cold and wet Sunday afternoon, an old school friend and I found ourselves in our nearest movie theatre. I don't remember what movie we had planned to see, but like all best laid plans, we were too late for our chosen one and found ourselves seated in another screen room with the Dead Poets Society opening credits rolling.

Initially, the thought of watching young, naive boys in a New England preparatory school in the 1950s was not exactly riveting fare for this mid-20s "sophisticate," but with a lap full of popcorn and a decent lemonade in my hand. I can easily be persuaded otherwise! I also loved Robin Williams and to this day, will happily watch anything this man cares to act in.

Robin Williams plays a wonderful, charismatic English teacher named John Keating with a passion for poetry. He has vibrancy for life, so lacking in the other starchy and staid teachers at Welton School. His unorthodox methods of teaching from ripping out the meaningless preface of Understanding Poetry to standing on his desk to illustrate how the world can look differently, does not endear him to the administrative body at the school. Undeterred , Keating attempts to instill in his boys a desire to live their lives to the fullest and on that first day at school, drags his boys out of the classroom into the hallway and shows them photos of past scholars who are "now fertilizing daffodils ." To emphasize the point, he brings them closer to the photos and whispers in their ears:

"Carpe Diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary."

Now before you sigh heavily, I know "Carpe Diem" is now a heavily quoted cliché, but back

in that movie theatre around Christmas in 1989, my friend and I turned to stare at each other in shock and amazement and said in unison: "Carpe Diem?!" We had spent five years together at a sprawling comprehensive school in London (high school for the uninformed) and worn navy blue blazers with this motto under our school emblem--we had never known (nor cared it) what "Carpe Diem" had meant. Wise crackers among us had thought it was "Carp Day" (our school was close by a fishing lake) or "Crap Day" as it was fondly called, but hey, at least we had known "Diem" meant "day!"

Carpe Diem--Seize the Day! It all began to make sense and the film continued to open my eyes to that earlier adolescent ignorance. Seizing opportunities, reaching out for the unknown, opening up oneself to new experiences--pity John Keating hadn't been teaching at my school way back then!

"Dead Poets Society" refers to a secret society that Keating himself had founded when he too attended Welton School. His students, fascinated with their bohemian English professor, decide to resurrect the society and reform the group. Keating urges his students to "suck out all the marrow of life." Gathering deep into the woods near the school, the secretive meetings provide the boys with a creative outlet, where they can express themselves, speak of passion and yes, read poetry:

I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.., to put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I came to die ,discover that I had not lived. (Henry David Thoreau)

As I sat watching the movie, "seize the day" was becoming a mantra in my head. I was in a transitional period in my life where indecision was becoming a daily battle in my life. I was in a demanding job I detested. I had returned home to my parents after a disastrous long-term relationship had foundered on the rocks2. I was clinging to the old and wary of the new. I was basically in an emotional "no-man's land" It sounds trite, but the movie Dead Poets Society and that line "Carpe Diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary" made me re-evaluate where my life was heading. My grandmother had died earlier that year and I missed her wisdom terribly. Here's another one-liner for you: "You have no tomorrow--only TODAY." Grandma Taylor! In other words, "Seize the Day." I don't think anyone, on their death bed, regrets the things they have done, rather the things they failed to try. Change is scary, but meek acceptance of a life less unordinary, is a greater thing to fear than change itself.

Well, the movie continued. Its emotion escalates to a tragic conclusion when one of the characters, unable to live his dream, commits suicide. Sadly, a scapegoat must be found and Keating is dismissed from his position. The boys fearing expulsion, sign a paper stating that the English professor had encouraged the sad and disillusioned boy to pursue his love of acting in direct rebellion against his parents. It's a sad ending but uplifting to know that Keating's students have embraced the wise words of their professor and show defiance by standing on their desks as he leaves the school.

I left the movie theatre totally entranced. I felt inspired and moved. My friend, still smiling at the revelation that finally we had translated the weird Latin motto "Carpe Diem" once and for all, returned to her life as normal. Me, on the other hand, resigned from my prestige job the following week. I decided I wanted to actually LIVE a life and to paraphrase Thoreau's words; I wanted to "live deliberately" and not when it came to the end of my life, realize I had been "dead" for years. A man, I had recently met, invited me to leave London and move to an idyllic cott

age by the sea in the wilds of Scotland and onto a path in life, which ultimately led me where I am today. More importantly, this willingness to embrace the unknown and accept change continues even today as my husband and I face another monumental change in our life--moving from a city we love and from friends we know due to a reluctantly accepted (and forced) job relocation. We wilt survive and we will grow from accepting our fate.

Just one day, just one line, just one life pretty amazing how we can change our lives in a moment! We can be extraordinary if we so desire, we can live our lives to the fullest and we can "seize the day."

Comprehension questions

1. Why was "seize the day" becoming a mantra in the author's mind?

2. What was the one-liner put forth by the author's grandmother? What does it mean? What is the author's opinion on change?

3. What change did the author make after being inspired and moved by the movie?

4. How does the author's willingness to embrace the unknown and accept change continue?

Unit 3 Forrest Gump

Pre-viewing questions

Discuss with your neighbor and give answers to the following questions on the details of the movie.

Q1. How did Forrest get his name?

Q2. Why does Jenny pray to be a bird?

Q3. Why does Jenny tell Forrest not to be brave in the war?

Q4. How is Jenny's life experience different from that of Forrest's? How do various social problems affect Jenny's life but not Forrest's?

Q5. Give some examples in the movie that reflect the anti-war movement picture in the U. S. Q6. Why do you think Forrest and Bubba can become good friends?

Q7. How does Lieutenant Dan make peace with God?

Q8. Why does Jenny run away again from Forrest after staying together with him at his home in Alabama for some time?

Q9. Why does Jenny seem to hate her father's house so much?

Q10. How does Forest get the idea of running? Does it mean anything to the society? Q11. Why is Forrest so nervous when he knows he has a son?

Four or Five students form a group and discuss the following open questions. Then summarize your opinions and appoint one student to report to the whole class.

Q1. Do you like Forrest Gump, the film? Why? And do you like Forrest Gump, the person? Q2. How do you understand the following quotations:

a. "Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you're gonna get."

b. "Stupid is as stupid does."

Q3. How do you understand the roles of the two women--Mrs. Gump and Jenny-in Forrest's life?

Q4. How do you understand the love between Forrest and Jenny? Do you think Jenny really loves Forrest or not? Why does she want to marry Forrest?

Q5. Do you think everyone has his own destiny or we're all just floating around accidentally on a breeze?

Q6. The movie begins with a feather flying in the air and ends with it, too. What does this suggest?

Q7. Give a comment on Tom Hank's performance as Forrest Gump.

Product Details

Released by: Paramount Pictures (1994)

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Cast: Forrest Gump Tom Hanks

Jenny Robin Wright

Mrs. Gump Sally Field

Screenplay: Eric Roth based on the novel by Winston Groom

Music: Alan Silestri

Awards: 13 nominations and finally won 6 in the 67th Oscar Awards:

Best Movie, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Best

Visual Effect and Best Film Editing

Background & the Movie

About Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks

Height: 5 ' 1 1'

Hobbies: Surfing, golf, hockey

Thomas J. Hanks was born on July 9, 1956 in Concord, California. Hanks spent much of his childhood moving about with his father, an itinerant(巡回的, 流动的) cook, and continually attempting to cope with constantly changing schools, religions, and stepmothers. Hanks says that by the time he turned 10, he already had "three mothers, five grammar schools and 10 houses"; nevertheless, he hates it when the news media say he came from a broken home, because he feels he and his family are still close.

After settling in Oakland, California, he began performing in high school plays. He continued acting while attending Cal State (California State University), Sacramento, and dropped out at age 20 to pursue acting.

In 1989, Tom Hanks won a Golden Globe Award, the Los Angeles Film Critics Award and earned his first Oscar nomination for his endearing role of a little boy in a man's body in Penny Marshall's Big.

Tom Hanks received two Best Actor Academy Awards in 1994 and 1995. He became the first actor in over 50 years to win consecutive (连续的) Best Actor Academy Awards when he captured his second Oscar for his unforgettable performance in the title role in Robert Zemeckis' Forrest Gump. His work in the film also brought him a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild honor. The year prior, Hanks was honored with his first Oscar (as well as another Golden Globe Award) for Best Actor for his moving portrayal of AIDS-stricken lawyer Andrew Beckett in Jonathan Demme's Philadelphia.

He won his fourth nomination for his leading role of a WWII platoon captain leading a squadron in search of a missing soldier in Steven Spielberg's epic drama, Saving Private Ryan. He

earned another Golden Globe nomination for his work opposite Meg Ryan in the romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle; directed by Nora Ephron, and reunited with both Ryan and Ephron for the romantic comedy You've Got Mail. Hanks received widespread critical and audience acclaim for his work as astronaut Jim Lovell in the Academy Award-nominated space epic Apollo 13.

His other film works include: The Green Mile (1999), Cast Away (2000), Road to Perdition (2002), Catch Me If You Can (2002), The Lady-killers (2003) and Terminal (2004).

Synopsis

Forrest Gump is born with a lower IQ and the muscle problem. He has three important forces in his life: his mum (whose words become his life principles), Jenny (his only friend in his childhood) and God. When little Forrest is escaping from some school bullies, miracle happens that his leg brace falls apart and he can run like the wind. For his running ability, he enters the university and becomes a football star, later a war hero. Since he never thinks much, he just finishes the things he has to do and succeed, such as, he starts the shrimp business only for his promise to Bubba and finally becomes a millionaire. Forrest takes life as an uncertain journey and enjoys it like taking chocolates of different tastes. The film chronicles（叙述）his accidental experiences with some of the most important people and events in America from the late 1950's through the 1970's including a meeting with Elvis Presley, JFK, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Vietnam War, etc. He runs into the US history and gets out of it with his special ways, providing us a totally different angle to watch the world.

Words for the following excerpts

accidental-like 偶然的

desegregate v．废除种族隔离

applause n．掌声

dictatorship n． 专制

approvingly a．赞许地

discriminate v. 歧视

assassination n．暗杀

enforce n. 强制

barbecue n. 烧烤

euphemism n. 委婉语

beatnik v. 垮掉的一代的成员

bulldoze v．用推土机铲平

fable n．寓言

celebrity n．名人

federal troops 联邦政府军

contract v．染病

FNG n. Fucking New Guy (美俚)黑鬼

coon n．黑鬼

crane down (摄影机)降下来

footage n. 电影片段

crooked a. 弯曲的，不诚实的

gear n. 装备

denounce v．谴责

get a load of (俚)瞧一眼

get stuck卡住

outfit n. 全套服装

GI n．government issue美国兵 (尤指二战期间的步兵)

peas and carrots 亲密无间 platoon n． [军] 排

predetermined a．预先设定的

give sb．a big hand 为某人热烈鼓掌 progressive a. 先进的

go off 燃放（烟花）

proposal n. 求婚

zillionaire n. 金钱不计其数的人 pull away 离开

grab v. 抓

recollect v. 回忆

grease v. (军俚)射击

retarded a．弱智的

grunt n. (军俚)大兵

retread v. 更换轮胎

gutter grate排水沟井盖

scandal n. 丑闻

hang on等一下

show-and-tell n．美国课堂上的 展示活动

hump v．急速前进，

impairment n．损害

integrate v. 取消种族隔离 sign up报名入学

jabber on 急速而不清楚地说，闲聊 sniper n． 狙击手

jerk n. (俚)傻瓜

spook n．幽灵

lieutenant n． (美)上尉

stiffly a．僵硬地

luscious a.性感的

stinging a． 粘的

make no sense没道理

synopsis 故事梗概

Mekong n. 湄公河

miracle n. 奇迹

tripwire n． 地雷的引线

nap n．打盹

tuck in收进去

OD green olive drab green 橄榄绿

unwarranted a．未经授权的

Discussion Topics

Directions: Here are several topics for you to discuss about. Please choose the one that you are interested in and share your ideas with your partner or group members.

1. Someone says, "Forrest becomes representative of the baby boomer generation having walked through life blindly." How do you think of this comment?

2. What are the similarities between Forrest and Lt. Dan? And between Forrest and Bubba?

3. Analyze the different life ideals of Forrest, Lt. Dan and Jenny.

4. Forrest is so lucky in the movie that he gets the money, the fame and many other things before he really realizes that. But we can hardly feel jealous about it, why?

Sentence Appreciation

Mommy always said: There's an awful lot you could tell about a person by their shoes．Where they’re going．Where they’ve been．

妈妈总是说：你能从人的鞋子上了解到他们的许多信息：他们正去往哪里，他们到过哪里。 There is only so much fortune a man really needs—and the rest is for showin’of.一个人真正需要的财富就那么点儿，其余的都是拿来炫耀而已。

Life is like a box of chocolates，Forrest．You never know what you’re gonna get． l生活就像一盒巧克力，Forrest，你永远也不知道你会拿到哪一颗。

Stupid is as stupid does．蠢人做蠢事。

Death is just one part of life，something we’re all destined to do.

死亡是生命的一部分，是我们注定要做的事。

General understanding

The world will never be the same once you've seen it through the eyes of Forrest Gump. The film tells a genuine and moving story about an amazing character with such an open eye and optimistic attitude that you're willing to overlook how much it simplifies complex phenomena just because it makes you feel so good. It is a simple life story of a Simple man, but at the same time a comprehensive picture of everything, from family relations to love and friendship, patriotism, politics, war, religion, economics, social culture, racial issues, technology, AIDS, and death and destiny.

The narrative in Forrest Gump is epic in scope and circular in structure with a feather flying gently in the sky, taking Forrest from the backward Alabama where he grew up in a boarding house run by his wise and loving Momma, through college where he gets a degree "after only five years of playing football," to the battlefields of Vietnam where he becomes a war hero, around the world as an international ping-pong champion, to the Mississippi coast where he becomes a shrimp boat captain, across the United States as he becomes a running legend, and then back to Alabama. Through this journey, Forrest witnesses lots of historic events of his country and meets lots of celebrated figures of his time, among whom are the early Elvis Presley, John Lennon and several presidents of the States.

Forrest's journey through American history is juxtaposed2 against the journey taken by his childhood sweetheart, Jenny, a beautiful and intelligent girl who was abused as a child by her alcoholic father and then takes a road populated by frustrations, drugs, and discontent. Jenny's and Forrest's paths constantly cross throughout the years, yet their journeys are separate a

nd distinct. Through the counterculture in the 1960s and eventually the cocaine-fueled disco scene of the1970s, Jenny is the lost soul who never finds her bearings in a changing society. In the end, she is faithful to her childhood friend Forrest, whose sincerity, kindness and loyalty she would find in no other person.

Besides Jenny, three other characters of momma, Bubba, and Lt. Dan figure the most in Forrest's life. It is his momma who has taught him to be proud of himself, to try hard, and to be a man of honor. It is his momma who gives him the most important directions in his life. It is his momma who actually helps him fulfill the American Dream: isn't it great that even a dolt, as long as he's kind and loving, can make it in the fantastic USA? Forrest is, in his own words, "not a smart man," but he has something much more important: fundamental human decency. He always does the right thing because he's a decent person who genuinely cares about other people before himself.

Destiny is another concept Forrest Gump explores, without ever really resolving what it is. Forrest's Vietnam buddy Bubba, grievously injured, wonders "Why'd this have to happen?" Dan, raging to Forrest, who rescued him from certain death, cries, "I had a destiny. I was supposed to die in the field with honor." Even Forrest eventually asks his mother, "What's my destiny, Momma?"

Still, at the heart of Forrest Gump are a lot of strong performances. Tom Hanks plays Forrest as a friendly sort who you can appreciate, rather than pity, for his innocence because it makes him more of a good person than others with full mental capability. Gary Sinise's Lt. Dan provides some emotional shift. Mykleti Williamson's short but important role as Bubba, who is similar to Forrest, is perfect in its simplicity.

Words :

1. epic a. 英雄的, 壮丽的, 大规模的

2. juxtapose v. 使并置, 使并列

3. counterculture n. 反传统［主流］文化（60和70年代在美国青少年中盛行的一种思潮

4. dolt n. 傻瓜, 笨蛋

Reading reviews

Forrest Gump (1)

by James Berardinelli--selected from

Ever find the grind of life getting you down? Is the day-to-day struggle threatening to drag you under? If so, there is a movie out there that can replenish your energy and refresh your outlook. Passionate and magical, Forrest Gump is a tonic for the weary spirit. For those who feel that being set adrift in a season of action movies is like wandering into a desert, the oasis lies ahead.

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A trio of assets lift Forrest Gump above the average "lifestory" drama: its optimism, freshness, and emotional honesty. Though the movie does not seek to reduce every member of the audience to tears, it has moments whose power comes from their simplicity. Equally as important is laughter, and Forrest Gump has moments of humor strewn throughout.

During the 60s and 70s, no topic more inflamed the turbulent national consciousness than that of Vietnam and those who were sent overseas to fight. Forrest, as might be expected, has a singular viewpoint on his time spent there: "We took long walks and were always looking f

or this guy named Charlie." In this observation can be found the essence of the title character's nature.

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Through the miracle of visual effects, Forrest meets his fair share of famous people- George Wallace, Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and John Lennon. While mixing the real footage of these notables with new images featuring Hanks is not a seamless process, the result is nevertheless effective.

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Forrest Gump has several messages, some of which are less obvious than others. The most frequently recurring theme is an admonition9 not to give up on life. Why surrender when you don't know what lies ahead? By contrasting Forrest's life with the lives of those around him, and by showing how the passage of time brings solace to even the most embittered hearts, the movie underlines this point.

Tom Hanks won last year's Academy Award for Philadelphia, but his performance here is more impressive. The Alabama accent may seem a little awkward at first, but it doesn't take long for the acting to dwarf the twang. Hanks has no difficulty creating a totally human character who is free of guile and deceit, and barely able to comprehend a concept like evil. Robin Wright gives the best performance of her career, surpassing what she accomplished in The Playboys. The real scene-stealer, however, is Gary Sinise. A renowned director and theatrical actor, Sinise is probably best known to film-goers for his portrayal of George in 1992's Of Mice and Men (which he also directed). In this movie, his Lieutenant Dan Taylor is riveting. The passion and pain he brings to the middle portions of Forrest Gump hold together some of the film's weaker moments.

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Ultimately, however, any gripes about Forrest Gump are minor. This is a marvelous motion picture -- a mint julep on a hot summer's afternoon.

Words:

1. grind n. 苦力，苦差：费力的任务、日常工作或学习

2. replenish v. 鼓舞, 补充

3. tonic n. 滋补品, 强壮剂, 兴奋剂 鼓励, 鼓舞

4. adrift a. 漂浮的

5. oasis n. (沙漠中)绿洲,舒适的地方

6. trio n. 三人[物]为一组;【音】三重奏[唱

7. strew v. 散播, 点缀

8. footage n. 连续镜头

9. admonition n. 警告

10. solace n. 安慰

11. twang n. 砰的一声

12. guile n. 狡诈, 诡计

13. riveting a. 使人目不转睛的, 吸引人的,

14. gripe n. 抱怨

15. mint julep n. <美> 薄荷朱利酒(白兰地加冰块,砂糖及薄荷所调成的饮料)

Forrest Gump (2)

by Roger Ebert-selected from W

I've never met anyone like Forrest Gump in a movie before, and for that matter I've never seen a movie quite like Forrest Gump. Any attempt to describe him will risk making the movie seem more conventional than it is, but let me try. It's a comedy, I guess. Or maybe a drama. Or a dream.

The screenplay by Eric Roth has the complexity of modem fiction, not the formulas of modern movies. Its hero, played by Tom Hanks, is a thoroughly decent man with an IQ of 75, who manages between the 1950s and the 1980s to become involved in every major event in American history. And he survives them all with only honesty and niceness as his shields.

It could be argued that with his IQ of 75 Forrest does not quite understand everything that happens to him. Not so. He understands everything he needs to know, and the rest, the movie suggests, is just surplus. He even understands everything that's important about love, although Jenny, the girl he falls in love with in grade school~ and never falls out of love with, tells him, "Forrest, you don't know what love is."

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The director, Robert Zemeckis, is experienced with the magic that special effects can do (his credits include the Back to the Future movies and Who Framed Roger Rabbit), and here he uses computerized visual legerdemain to place Gump in historic situations with actual people. Forrest stands next to the schoolhouse door with George Wallace; he teaches Elvis how to swivel his hips; he visits the White House three times; he's on the Dick Cavett show with John Lennon, and in a sequence that will have you rubbing your eyes with its realism; he addresses a Vietnam-era peace rally on the Mall in Washington. Special effects are also used in creating the character of Forrest's Vietnam friend Lt. Dan, who quite convincingly loses his legs. And the biggest laugh in the movie comes after Nixon inquires where Forrest is staying in Washington, and then recommends the Watergate.

As Forrest's life becomes a guided tour of straight-arrow5 America, Jenny goes on a parallel tour of the counterculture. She's into psychedelics6 and flower power, antiwar rallies and drugs and needles. Eventually it becomes clear that between them Forrest and Jenny have covered all of the landmarks of our recent cultural history, and the accommodations they arrive at in the end is like a dream of reconciliation for our society. What a magical movie.

Words:

1. grade school: n. <美>小学

2. legerdemain n. 戏法, 骗术, 诡辩

3. swivel v. 旋转

4. rally n. 重整旗鼓, 给予新力量, (使)恢复健康

5. straight-arrow a. 规矩正直的, 诚实坦率的

6. psychedelic n. 迷幻剂

7. flower power n. 权力归花儿：20世纪60年代和70年代嬉皮士（尤指佩花嬉皮士）间兴起的表达反文化或反传统信仰和观点的运动

8. accommodation n. 迁就融合

9. reconciliation n. 和解, 调和

Understanding

Do you remember who says these lines and when? Guess the meaning of the italic expressio

ns in each line, Remember them and practice using them.

1) Those must be comfortable shoes. I bet you could walk all day in shoes like that and not feel a thing.

2) From that day on, we was always together. Jenny and me was like peas and carrots.

3) Now for some reason, I fit in the army like one of them round pegs.

4) Look, it's pretty basic here. You stick with me and learn from the guys who've been in country a while, you'll be all right.

5) We can just work it together, split everything right down the middle. Man, I'm telling you, 50-50.

6) Bubba was my best good friend. And even I know that ain't something you can find just around the corner.

7) For some reason, Ping-Pong came very natural to me.

8) I played Ping-Pong even when I didn't have anyone to play Ping-Pong with. The hospital's people said it made me look like a duck in water--whatever that means.

9) I was supposed to die in the field with honor! That was my destiny, and you...cheated me out of it!

10) They gave you, an imbecile, a moron who goes on television and makes a fool out of himself in front of the whole damn country, the Congressional Medal of Honor.

11) Yes, sir. A promise is a promise, Lieutenant Dan.

12) Oh! What are you, stupid or something? What's your problem?

13) ...but Mama said it was just a little white lie, so it wasn't hurting nobody.

14) And, of course, I paid my respect to Bubba himself.

15) I told you if you were ever a shrimp boat captain, that I'd be your first mate. Well, here I am. I'm a man of my word.

16) Boy, I heard some whoppers in my time, but that tops them all. Ha ha ha ha!

17) He never actually said so, but I think he made his peace with God.

18) Death is just a part of life. Something we're all destined to do.

19) Well...I happen to believe you make your own destiny. You have to do the best with what God gave you,

20) And one day, out of the blue clear sky, I got a letter from Jenny.

Unit 4 Scent of a Woman (1992)

Lead-in

Hoping to earn extra money over the Thanksgiving weekend, a prep school student, Charlie Simms, works as a weekend companion to a blind, hard-drinking ex-army colonel, Frank Slade. The innocent and reserved Simms is immediately thrown off guard by Slade's bullying personality. But more surprises are in store for Charlie when Slade starts for a wild weekend in New York City that will change the lives of both men forever.

Characters

Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade (AI Pacino)艾尔·帕西诺: retired colonel

Charlie Simms(Chris O'Donnell): Baird High School student

Mr. Trask (James Rebhorn): Baird headmaster

Donna (Gabrielle Anwar): young girl

George Willis, Jr. (Philip S. Hoffman): Baird High School student

Harry Havemeyer (Nicholas Sadler): Baird High School student

Trent Potter (Todd Louiso): Baird High School student

Jimmy Jameson (Matt Smith): Baird High School student

Mrs. Hunsaker (June Squibb): Chair of Student Disciplinary Committee

Questions for Thoughts

Read these questions first before you watch the movie. They are designed to inspire your thinking in the viewing process, though you don't have to remember them all. Your group and classroom discussions may also be based on them.

1. Who is Charlie Simms? Which school does he attend and what family is he from?

2. What is Charlie going to do during this Thanksgiving weekend? Why?

3. What are his rich schoolmates George, Harry and Larry going to do during the holiday?

4. How does the interview go at Mrs. Rossi's house? Why doesn't Charlie have an easy feeling while the job is so easy?

5. What do Charlie and George witness one night when they come out of the library?

6. What happens to Headmaster Trask and his new Jaguar the next morning?

7. Why are George and Charlie asked by the headmaster to go to his office?

8. Why does Mr. Trask ask George to leave first and keep Charlie for a private talk? In what tone and what way does Mr. Trask talk to Charlie? What dilemma does Charlie seem to face?

9. Who is Lieut. Colonel Frank Slade? Why does he want to go to New York during the Thanks-giving holiday?

10. On the airplane, how does Charlie get to know that the Colonel loves women?

11. Why is this trip to New York the start of Charlie's education according to the Colonel?

12. How does the Colonel notice that Charlie is deeply troubled? How does he help Charlie analyze the situation?

13. In the restaurant, what plan does the Colonel mention he has made in New York and what does he intend to do after that?

14. How is the relationship between Colonel Slade and his big brother's family? What does the family reunion turn into? How does the bitter feeling affect Colonel Slade?

15. What does the Colonel suggest Charlie to do to solve the school problem? What does he say about the two kinds of people in this world?

16. On the next morning, what does the Colonel do in his room that scares Charlie? What struggle is he going through?

17. Why is the Colonel so depressed on Sunday, the last day of the tour? What idea does Charlie accidentally suggest that excites him and cheers him up? Why?

18. What kind of a driver is the Colonel and how does he enjoy driving the red Ferrari on the street?

19. How does the sad fact that he is not going to drive affect him? Is the Colonel determined to die? Why?

20. In the struggle of getting the gun from the Colonel, what reasons does Charlie give to him not to die? What other compliments does Charlie pay to the Colonel about his unique personal attractions?

21. What fate is waiting for Charlie on the meeting of Joint Student-Faculty Discipline Committ

ee on that Monday morning?

22. How does the headmaster react to the Colonel's appearing at the meeting? How does the Colonel introduce himself?

23. How is Charlie facing the fire and what is the personal quality of Charlie that supports him to face the fire? How is George hiding in his big daddy's pocket?

24. How does the Colonel defend Charlie? How does the audience react to the Colonel's brilliant speech? How does the Colonel's speech save Charlie from punishment?

25. What do women mean to the Colonel?

26. What does the title of the movie "Scent of a Woman" imply?

Plot Summary

The story of Scent of a Woman is very easy to comprehend. Charlie, a poor, young yet promising student who wins himself a place in Baird for his excellent performance rather than family wealth, is caught up in a dilemma as to whether to betray his classmates by telling the truth of their trick to Mr. Trask, or to be expelled from the school, all depending on whether to inform his fellow students or not. This is just the Crossroad in his life and a harsh battle for a young man to struggle. In order to make some money for the trip to go back home on Christmas, he takes the part-time job to "baby-sit" Frank Slade, the blind retired veteran who, being desperate about his meaningless life, is planning to end his life right after a luxurious and crazy visit to New York. Thus the two, young and old, begin their trip to New York, to struggle, to pursue the true meaning of life, an experience glowing with wit and philosophy. They talk, they drink, they rent a limousine, and they take a suite at the Waldorf. They go to a hotel ballroom, where Charlie notices a beautiful young woman, and the Colonel engages her in conversation and talks her into doing the tango with him. "If you're tangled up, just tango on. This is the most quotable sentence by the colonel to the beautiful lady, and to all the audience. Later, when he thinks that he has brought all his affairs to a close and is ready to take leave by committing suicide, Charlie makes the most of the sentence to persuade him into giving up his suicide plan. Touched by Charlie's integrity, Frank regains his long lost hopes, targets and meaning of life. The young and the old develop a kind of fresh friendship beyond their wide age gap. At last, Frank turns up at the school meeting unexpectedly and helps convince the School Committee that Charlie deserves no punishment at all. It's true that the colonel does have some special ability to judge a woman' appearance and quality merely by the perfume she wears, and there is the passionate Tango, but the film involves nothing more about woman than that. In fact, it can be called as "Scent of a True Man" .

Relative Knowledge

Tango

Tango is a music genre and its associated dance forms. It's one of the most fascinating of all dances in America. Its origins are said to be in Spain or Argentina. Firstly it was a solo dance performed by the woman. When it was done by one or two couples walking together using castanets later, it was considered immoral with its flirting music. The dance spread throughout Europe in the 1900's and in1921 Rudolph Valentino made it a hit in New York. Today there are many tango dance styles, including Argentina Tango, Finnish Tango, Ballroom Tango (American and international styles) and so forth. Our film involves a kind of ballroom tango in whic

h the music is so touching and the performers do it so passionately that it greatly helps to clarify the theme of the movie.

genre: n. 类 castanets: n. 用硬木制成的响板 flirt: v. 卖弄风骚，调情

Detailed Analysis

1. Emotional handicap in the modern society

Frank Slade is a typical victim of emotional handicap. As a retired Army Colonel, he doesn't get the promotion to a general as he deserves, that being the main reason of his desperation; having lost sight, he closed an important window to the outer world, doing noting but literally sitting there nursing his self pity and indulging himself in drinking and bad words as a way out. But that only intensified his pains. Feeling not being needed, he becomes incorrigible. He doesn't hold conversations exactly. He simply sizes up whoever that is in front of him and ejaculates an opinion, the words spewing out in a drawled semi-shout. Hence it makes him very difficult for people, even his relatives to communicate with. They all keep a certain distance from him. The children play some tricks on him. His nephew even shows scorn for his existence and arrival to their home. For one who is blind yet highlights his esteem need, this is too much to bear. His loneliness and desperation are reinforced to such a level that he can endure it no longer. For him, the whole world offers no warmth and the life is empty and meaningless to live. The jammed emotions, ambitions and the deep desperation lead to his suicide plan. How things would be like if his niece and her family and other family members could be as thoughtful and understanding as Charlie be? Why all his friends are in absence? Where are they during Frank's rainy day? Of course Frank himself is responsible for the handicap because of his dirty words and bad temper, but just as the saying "It takes two to tango". His relatives and friends can never be said as being totally free of responsibility. Thus the emotional handicap is revealed in a somewhat extreme way, and becomes an increasingly intensified obstacle of communication among modern human beings. The ways the film suggests to conquer this difficulty are friendship, integrity, and love, just as what Charlie has shown. Communication, as the film reveals, is a two way operation. Why not open our hearts to offer love and friendship and embrace a warmer and better world?

restrain: v. 抑制，控制 ejaculate: v. 突然说出 drawl: n. v. 懒洋洋的说话（态度）

2. True meaning of life

Almost all American citizens are greatly affected by the deep-rooted and long- lasting "American Dream", which encourages a huge variety of people, black or white, poor or rich, man or woman, to pursue success out of one's hard working and the proper handling of opportunities. The most important points that they should go to great lengths to seek are money and power, which are highly admired and treasured as the measure of one's success. For many, money and power serve as terminal targets of all their life, judged by which, so, Frank's life can be said as a complete defeat in his late years. Though promising when young, he missed many opportunities for promotion, just for his habitual utterance of bad words and excessive drinking. Therefore, he is far away from success for his lack of self discipline. Even worse, he lost his sight just because of his own stupidity. Not being able to take care of himself, feeling unneeded, having lost ambitions and meaning of life, he thought himself, is a nuisance to all. How can a proud and ambitious man tolerate such a sharp contradiction between his dream and reality? It's not difficult for us to imagine how hard a life he must be living before Charlie appears. The social environment offers him no way to tackle his problem. His blindness keeps himself

in dark both physically and mentally. He decides to endure it no longer and end his meaningless life. Charlie is also caught up in a dilemma between a bright future in Harvard and his principle of not betraying his friends to buy his future. For the two men, the most difficult choice and decision concerning their life and fate is confronting them. Life is full of obstacles, dilemma, battles, and struggles. One's feelings of life, in fact, are usually decided by his attitudes towards it. Besides being successful, there are many other things that are, or even more valuable, with love being the most competitive candidate. Not everybody can become Bill Gates, but everybody has his place in the society and does his share to others to earn himself respects. Whether to be successful or not should not be decided only by his money or power, but also by the progress he accomplishes, the potential he develops, the commitments he makes to others. Life's true meaning consists in one's struggle to the higher and better. That is what they both learn in the course of their crazy and luxurious journey, as well as the core of the theme in the movie.

3. True friendship

It's universally acknowledged that we human beings need not only love from spouse and family but also companionship and friendship from friends to make our life worthwhile, meaningful and comfortable. In Scent of a Woman, there are two kinds of friendships, the differences between which are quite notable. First, the friendship between Charlie and his classmates. They share the same age and are educated in the same school. Or in short they have the common things and similarity which are essential to the establishment of friendship. But it's all too apparent that his classmates do not really value Charlie's sincerity, yet Charlie risks his future to keep secret of their trick because "he won't sell anybody to buy his own future". Many people wonder wither it worth or not or believe it "unfair". But as to Charlie and many other people, friendship is a state of mind, is giving, is the peace of mind, regardless of the results or fruit. Second, the friendship between Charlie and the Colonel. They rarely have anything in uniform, age or status. They do not enjoy a good beginning, but they develop mutual under- standing during their "rainy day" in life. Charlie saves Slade's life by persuading him into abandoning his suicide plan and refreshes him with an optimistic view to- wards life. Slade turns up unexpectedly just in time to save the younger one's future with his reason and eloquence. Together they begin their new life. So which of the above two is true friendship? I think it's self-evident to all.

rainy day: 困难时期

Viewing and practicing

Discussion Topics

Directions: Here are several topics for you to discuss about. Please choose the one that you are interested in and share your idea with your partner or group members.

1. The film is undoubtedly an inspiring one, but you may feel sad somewhere when watching it. Please tell which part of the movie makes you most upset, and exchange your ideas with your classmates.

2. The lieutenant colonel is obviously a man of variable characters: self-pitying, mean, angry and sarcastic. And it seems that he has always been lonely, but never been lonelier than now. Please comment on this.

3. The lieutenant colonel doesn't know if Charlie's silence is right or wrong. Are you sure about it? If you were in such a position, what would you do?

4. The colonel is so abrasive at first that we can hardly stand him, and only gradually do we begin to understand how he works and why he isn't as miserable as he seems. Share your understanding of the colonel with your classmates.

5. There is something so touching with the colonel. All of his life, he confides to Charlie, he has dreamed of waking up beside a good and beautiful woman. Combine your understanding of it and discuss it further with your classmates.

Written Work

1. Describe Colonel Frank Slade or Charlie.

2. Write a summary of this movie.

Sentence Appreciation

1. I know exactly where your body is．What I'm looking for is some indication of a brain．Too much football without a helmet?…

我知道你身体的确切位置，我要看看是不是有迹象说明你有大脑。是不是踢足球太多，又不戴头盔的结果?……

2. It’s a great day for singing a song and it’s a great day for moving along．It’s a great day for morning to night and it’s a great day for everybody’s plight．

这是个唱歌的好日子，也是个到处走走的好日子。从早到晚都是好时光，让每个人忘记困境的好时光。

3. If you make a mistake，you get all tangled up．Just tango on．

如果出了错，乱了步子，绊倒了，只管接着往下跳。

4. Some people live a lifetime in a minute．有人一分钟里就度过了一生。

5. Did you ever have the feeling that you wanted to go

and still you had the feeling that you wanted to stay…

你有没有过这种感觉，想要离开，心里又渴望留下?

6. Well, gentlemen，when the shit hits the fan, some guys run and some guys stay． 先生们，当事情快暴露时，有些人逃跑了，有些人却留了下来。

7. If 1 were the man 1 was five years ago I'd take a flame thrower to this place．

如果我还是五年前的那个男人，就会带上一个手榴弹到这儿来!

8. There is nothing like the sight of an amputated spirit．There is no prosthesis for that． 没有什么可以和今天看到一个灵魂被支解相提并论，因为这是无可挽回的!

9. Well when the bough breaks, the cradle will fall, and it has fallen here，it has fallen! 如果支架倒了，摇篮就会倾覆。而在这儿，这个摇篮倒了，的确倒了。

10.I don’t know if Charlie’s silence today is right or wrong

，my friends；，I’m not a judge or jury. But I do know this, he won’t sell anybody out to buy his future! And thatis called integrity. That’s called courage．Now that’s the stuff leaders should be made of. 我不知道今天查理保持沉默是不是正确，我不是法官，也不是陪审员，但是我可以告诉你们，他不会出卖任何人来换取他的前程。而这个——我的朋友们——就叫正直，就叫勇气，就是一名领袖所必须具备的东西。

Movie Review

A film Review by Eric Walker

Martin Brest first hit the big time as the director of Beverly Hills Cop, the movie that epitomized the Hollywood formula of "good cop vs. evil drug dealer." Every bit of the movie was predi，

ctable; if it wasn't for Eddie Murphy's winning performance; it would have been a piece of garbage.

Brest scored again with Midnight Run, another Hollywood formula film-but once again the project was saved by winning performances from its lead stars, Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin. We watched the movie for these characters, not for the chase-and-crash scenes, and as a result it delivered handsomely.

And now we have Scent of a Woman, which once again looks like a Hollywood formula product: an innocent college student is whisked off to New York City for a weekend of thrills by the gentleman he's supposed to be caring for. What's more, there's a subplot involving "honor" and "loyalty" and "betrayal" -- something milked shamelessly by this holiday season's other politically correct "feel-good" movie, A Few Good Men.

On paper, it looks like your standard Hollywood "buddy" movie. But when one of those buddies is played by Al Pacino, you know that something good is going to happen.

Pacino has been on a roll lately, after spending most of the eighties in near-seclusion. He's come back with a vengeance, and this year we've already seen him as the sleazy real estate broker Ricky Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross. Now he plays a bitter, blind war veteran in a performance that raises Scent of a Woman above the level of today's inoffensive schmaltz and makes it a truly enjoyable experience.

The setup is pure Hollywood: Chris O'Donnell plays Charlie Simms, a meek, shy, poor college student who happens to witness a practical joke played on the school's dean by a group of trouble-making pupils. What's more, he's been offered an ultimatum: either he squeals on the perpetrators and gives names, or he'll be expelled. (The dean is an idiot, of course; the First Rule of Hollywood college movies states that the principal must have the IQ and morals of a dung heap.)

Now, Charlie has to raise some money for his Christmas trip back home, so he takes what looks like an easy job: care for an elderly war veteran over the Thanksgiving weekend. The woman offering the job tells him " it's the easiest $ 300 you'll ever make," but after Charlie meets the fellow, he admits "I don't get an easy feeling. "

Here's where we meet Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade.

This is, of course, Pacino's movie: he takes command the second he appears on-screen, controlling the lives of everyone around him. Slade is a complex man, who blinded himself by accident when he drank too much one day and played with a hand grenade; now he tosses down Jack Daniels as if they were water, never getting drunk. He screams at everyone and wants to sit alone in the dark, hurting everyone around him because he feels that it's the only way to survive without admitting how much he's hurting inside.

But the Colonel has a special plan for this particular weekend: as soon as the folks leave the driveway on their Thanksgiving trip, he practically drags Charlie onto a first-class jet, and the two are off to New York City. Slade wants only to feel the touch of a woman's arm for one last time but his plan for this weekend is destined to end in tragedy.

Now, in the hands of most other actors, this would be a typical Hollywood "odd couple learns to trust each other and each is changed by the experience" movie. But Pacino turns Slade into a real human being, able to tell a woman's brand of perfume just by taking a sniff, and keeping the whole world on its toes when he enters the scene. He's a world-wise man, able to live by his wits. He figures out immediately that Charlie has a dilemma of his own; the advice he

offers is to take what you can, and forget the other people. That's the code he's lived by all his life, because the world is a tough place.

One of the film's best moments occurs when he and Charlie drop in on his brother uninvited for Thanksgiving dinner. Slade walks in the door and announces his presence with a roar, and his brother sitting upstairs immediately recognizes his voice with a start; it's obvious that he's been putting up with Slade all of his life. When the Colonel sweeps a shy young girl off her feet at a fancy New York restaurant, we feel the magic in the air. He can make things happen-but because he's blind, he feels useless and wasted. (The movie doesn't go out of its way to present Pacino as a blind man; it's done naturally in a fashion that doesn't force his disability on us. This is one of the film's strengths: it doesn't hit us over the head with the story, until the very end. )

Chris O'Donnell had his hands full keeping up with Pacino, one of the greatest actors of our time. It would have been easy for him to be overwhelmed by Slade's character, especially since most of the script calls for him to be quiet and meek. But he holds his own, as he sees the Colonel's time rapidly running out. The old soldier is becoming distraught and careless about himself, and Charlie knows that he has to teach him to love life once again. But because his character is developed so well, we believe him as he asserts himself and does what he can to help the Colonel. Charlie's not as simple as he looks, and the Colonel's desperate grasps for attention bring out the best in him, even as he's changing the old man for good.

But after all this buildup, it's a disappointment when the movie's climax has Slade giving a corn-ball speech in Charlie's defense, trying like so many other movies to capture the magic of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. After two and a half hours of wonderful character development, to wrap everything up neatly in typical Hollywood fashion is nothing less than a cop-out. Even Pacino descends into overacting here, and the film ends with your typical "I've been through a crisis, but now my life is perfect" note that we get all too often from Hollywood films. If the rest of the movie wasn't so good, this would be irritating.

However, Pacino must have realized what a waste this final scene is, however, because he caps it off with a one-liner that I won't reveal, saving the movie from descending into pure kitsch the way a Few Good Men did.

The movie is a full two hours and forty minutes long, though there are very few moments that don't contribute to the story. I certainly wasn't bored, and yet I had the feeling that the story could have been shortened by as much as an hour. Brest tried screening shorter versions of the film to preview audiences, and they were confused or disappointed with the results, so the movie was released at full length. The problem lies with the screenplay's pacing: it's leisurely paced when it should be rushing forward at breakneck speed. Scent of a Woman is an enjoyable experience, but it could have been a truly great motion picture if it picked up the tempo in the way Jonathan Demme's Something Wild did.

Despite its length, however, you won't be looking at your watch when you see this movie. Brest may be a Hollywood director at heart, but he cares about his characters, and because he does, we do. Scent of a Woman is a movie you won't regret seeing, thanks to a great performance by Al Pacino that you'll remember for a long time.

Integrity

The word integrity comes from the same Latin root as integer and implies a wholeness of person. Just as we would talk about a whole number, so also we can talk about a whole person w

ho is undivided. A person of integrity is living rightly, not divided, nor being a different person in different circumstances. Integrity means to be who you are. Being true to one's self, one's values, beliefs, and standards is essential when it comes to spiritual success. Everywhere around us people and situations are pulling at us to forget our priorities and fall back into old unwanted, unsatisfying and unproductive ways. That is why it is difficult to make the changes we would like. If we are to be, do and have what is important to us, we must be strong and courageous and therefore hold our own integrity in any and all circumstances. We conduct ourselves and raise our children to be men and women of integrity. We do our best to live up to the following value statement: I am honest with myself and I live by my principles no matter what. I am strict in my personal honesty in that I am forthright, genuine and sincere in my dealings with others.

"A man's word is his bond"

"Trust me," "you can trust me;" how often do we say or hear these phrases? If we expect others to treat us this way then we must each be worthy. When someone does not trust us we are offended, but are we trustworthy?

Do we lie on our taxes or accept responsibility to pay our fair share? If we see someone drop some money on the ground, do we keep it or return it? If we get too much change from a cashier, do we keep it or return it? Do we lie about our children's ages at the movies, races, ball games, etc. or pay our fair share? In negotiating, do we lie or do we present our side in an objective truthful manner? When we are stopped by a policeman in traffic, do we "take our licks" or do we lie?

"Do Americans do the right thing?"

To do the right thing sums up Integrity. Whether or not someone knows or is watching us, can we be trusted to "do the right thing?" There is a voice or conscience within us that we can either listen to or ignore. As we examine integrity, I would like to talk about its opposite: corruption, as manifested in the American life. We claim to be a nation that demands integrity, but do we really? We say we want politicians to be honest, but really don't expect them to be; perhaps because often we aren't as honest as we should be. We say that we are a nation of laws, but often we break some of those same laws--like speed limits and jaywalking--and try to justify our actions.

The testimony of integrity calls us to wholeness; it is the whole of life open to Truth. Integrity is a demanding discipline. We are challenged by cultural values and pressures to conform. Integrity requires that we be fully responsible for our actions. Living with integrity requires living a life of reflection, living in consistency with our beliefs and testimonies, and doing so regardless of personal consequences. No least, it calls for a single standard of truth. Allowing others to determine what we think, feel, say and do means that we shall become as they are. "To thine own self be true," is a must if we are to be all that we are capable of becoming. Once we can see how we are swayed this way and that by the desires, words and actions of others, we can begin to make progress. Then an inner resolve to be true to one's self, goals, ethics and principles needs to be made.

jaywalking n. 走路不遵守交通规则

to thine own self be true 做真实的自己

Comprehension questions

1. What is the definition of integrity? What is its origin?

2. What are some of the occasions where people are likely to forget their integrity?

3. What are the requirements for integrity?