Yesterday was the last academic day of school. Next week is a mixture of spring musical stuff, field trip, and end-of-year party. It has (unsurprisingly) been extremely difficult to get any focused efforts from the students.
Since I had the seventh graders for three periods in a row, I wondered if I might be able to show a movie. In Literature class, I’ve just collected a book report assignment that required them to read a Newbery book of some kind. Not finding a way to show a Newbery book movie, I turned to another book movie: The Princess Bride.
It went over famously. The kids really liked it, and I had a wonderful time watching it myself. It truly is one of my favorites. It was difficult not to quote lines along with the movie.
As we were watching the scene where Vizzini and Westley are in a battle of wits to the death, I was enjoying Vizzini’s dizzying monologue, when suddenly a student turned to me and said: “He sounds just like you!”
Hahaha! I was absolutely, totally, and in all other ways delighted.
So I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you.
HA! That movie had just been shown on TV again on some channel or the other but I neglected to sit and watch it from start to finish – amazingly doubt I ever have – yet I truly get what your student said about you. (Love Wallace Shawn, too…) Now I simply must sit and watch the whole thing and I’m sure I’ll hear you in my head.
…speaking of which, Lilo and Stitch was also a big hit yesterday with our middlers. They were quiet in the right places, laughed at the right times (not that nervous annoying “I don’t get it and am uncomfortable so I default to laughter” laughing either) and sat through the whole thing without incident, actually applauding when it ended. I, of course, kept wondering if that’s the sort of music and dancing you have been enjoying lo these many months. Anywho, right after the early scene where big and little sisters fight and scream into their pillows, I stopped the DVD momentarily to ask “OK, let’s be honest, how many of us have ever seen this in our own houses?” and hands of at least half those present flew up. It resonated especially with the outliers, the misfits, the geeks, etc. Maybe that’s why I got verklempt in parts myself…
Hooray!!! I love The Princess Bride!! You could have gone completely Rocky Horror Picture Show and stood up beside the T.V. and acted it out. 🙂
You keep using your post title. I do not think it means what you think it means.
What no “Edward Scissor hands”? I had never seen the Princess Bride so Melissa brought it over for me to watch one evening. I know it has a kind of cult following, so I guess I need to watch it again and see why it is so beloved.
Inconceivable. Inconceivable that you’re students have gotten to know you so well in such a short time.