MOVIE REVIEW TEMPLATE

Note: DONT FORGET that movie titles are written within quotation marks!
HEADLINE: Inlu!e the title o" the movie #tr$ to use a %un!&
PARAGRAPH #1: Intro!ue the movie '$ statin( that $ouve )ust seen this
movie an! woul! like to (ive an o%inion a'out it* +ention a ou%le o"
!etails that mi(ht hel% the rea!er un!erstan! what t$%e o" movie $ou are
talkin( a'out*
PARAGRAPH #2: ,ummari-e the %lot #stor$&* .here an! when !i! it take
%lae/ .ho are the main haraters/ .hat is the stor$ a'out/ Remem'er0
!o NOT inlu!e s%oilers an! !o not tell how the stor$ en!s!
PARAGRAPH #3: Talk a'out the ators1atresses an! !isuss who !i! a
(oo! )o' an! who !i!nt*
PARAGRAPH #4: Talk a'out what $ou like! a'out the movie an! what
$ou !i!nt like* 2e sure to inlu!e s%ei"i !etails an! senes*
PARAGRAPH #5: .hat lessons !i! $ou learn "rom this stor$
#theme1moral&/ .hat !o $ou think others will learn "rom it/
PARAGRAPH #6: .hat (rou% o" %eo%le woul! like this movie/ .ho
woul! $ou reommen! it to/ .ho woul! $ou not reommen! it to/ .hats
the +344 ratin( o" the movie #G0 3G0 3G5670 R0 et8&/ .hat is $our "inal
wor! on the "ilm: Is it (oo! or 'a!/
RATING SYSTEM: Give the movie a sore* 9ou an !o (ra!es
#4020:0D0F; or 5&0 stars #<<< out o" <<<<<&0 num'ers #7 out o" =& or
somethin( totall$ ori(inal8 )ust !ont use thum's u% or thum's !own*
SHORT BIOGRAPHY: E>%lain who $ou are0 what $our shool level is
#"reshman0 )unior0 et*&0 $our )o' #i" $ou have one&0 s%orts $ou %la$ an!
interestin( thin(s $ou like to !o* Talk a'out $oursel" in the 7
r!
%erson0 that
is? %reten! someone else is writin( the 'io a'out $ou*
MOVIE REVIEW EXAMPLE
TIT@E: My Dog S!"# $!%% &'() yo* +!""!,g -o -&) -&)'-).
2$ :oo% :oo%er0 4*A*4* The ,mall Town :riti
Ever$one remem'ers their hil!hoo! !o(s an! the im%at the$ve ha! on
their li"e* 3erha%s one !o( in %artiular stiks out in $our min!8 a s%eial
!o( that was there "or $ou in the tou(hest or 'est $ears o" $our li"e* That is
what this sreen a!a%tation o" .illie +orris +$ Do( ,ki% onve$s in a
"un0 nostal(i an! heart'reakin( kin! o" wa$* +orris reounts the
auto'io(ra%hial memoir o" his hil!hoo! in 9a-oo :it$0 +ississi%%i an! the
"our5le((e! "rien! that aom%anie! him on his )ourne$ into manhoo!*
,et in the 'ak!ro% o" the war5torn worl! o" the 6BCDs0 $oun( .illie
#Frankie +uni-& is on the ver(e o" his ninth 'irth!a$* Eis onl$ real "rien!0
nei(h'or an! hi(h shool s%orts hero Dink Fenkins #@uke .ilson& (oes o""
an! "i(ht in ..II0 leavin( .illie "eelin( alone in the worl!* To li"t .illies
s%irits0 his mother #Diane @ane& !ei!es to !e"$ the wishes o" his stern "ather
#Aevin 2aon& an! 'u$ .illie a Fak Russell terrier %u%%$* The unusuall$
smart an! harismati !o( ,ki% quikl$ 'eomes a loal institution an!
hel%s .illie (ain res%et0 make "rien!s an! even win over his "irst (irl"rien!*
The $oun( +orris is outstan!in(l$ %la$e! '$ Frankie +uni-0 now a
househol! name !ue to his suess on TGs +alolm in the +i!!le* Eis
atin( is ver$ mature an! shows sha!es o" emotions ver$ e""etivel$* 2oth
Aevin 2aon an! Diane @ane !o !eent )o's o" %ortra$in( arin( an!
onerne! %arents* @uke .ilson e>ee!s his normal ome!$ 'oun!aries an!
%ulls o"" the !is(rae! town hero with sur%risin( e""etiveness* Eowever
its the !o( that steals the show8 or shoul! I sa$ !o(s* +oose #E!!ie
"rom TGs Frasier& an! his son En-o %la$ the ol!er an! $oun(er ,ki%
res%etivel$* @ook "or them in more movies0 ommerials an! TG shows to
ome* I (uarantee $oull see them*
Aevin 2aon an! Diane @anes haraters were stron(0 'ut !i!nt (et enou(h
sreen time to "ull$ !evelo%* .illies "rien!shi% with a $oun( 'lak 'o$ was
never (iven a hane to !evelo% either0 %ro'a'l$ in an e""ort '$ the
"ilmmakers to avoi! "ousin( on the se(re(ation issues o" the time %erio!*
The issue is a!!resse!0 'ut I "eel that the 4"rian54merian haraters
shoul! have ha! 'i((er0 more su'stantial %arts* 4lso0 I !i!nt (et the whole
su'%lot with the evil moonshine !ealers an! wh$ the$ tormente! little .illie
an! ,ki%* It seeme! like a "itional %art that was sla%%e! on to ause more
on"lit* Des%ite these o')etions0 the entire %ro!ution was shot so
e""etivel$ that it seeme! that it (enuinel$ onve$e! "eelin( o" (rowin( u%
in rural +ississi%%i* The attention to !etail an! the aura$ o" the time
%erio! are %henomenal* I "elt om%letel$ immerse! in this worl! an! "elt the
"ull e""et o" this movin( stor$* Even the southern aents were muh 'etter
than avera(e*
The messa(e o" this "ilm is ver$ lear an! invokes %lent$ o" nostal(ia to
an$one who an i!enti"$ (rowin( u% in a rural town* Its a'out %assin( into
a!ulthoo!0 remem'erin( ol! "rien!s lon( (one0 an! the !esire to remem'er
or relive ha%%$ moments in our lives that ma$ 'e "a!in( "rom our memor$*
+orris is ertainl$ a master at %reservin( his own memories '$ writin( it
!own "or others to en)o$* I trul$ 'elieve that this stor$ is his (i"t0 not onl$ to
the %eo%le o" +ississi%%i0 'ut to all who want to remem'er their %ast0 an!
the "rien!s the$ le"t 'ehin!*
This movie is 3G0 a ratin( whih mi(ht run o"" some o" the ol!er row!0 'ut
its trul$ a movie "or ever$one* +ost "ilms (eare! "or hil!ren these !a$s
!e%en! on lame0 %o%5ulture re"erenes an! (as5%assin( )okes in a
%atroni-in( attem%t to entertain the $oun(er masses* This movie rises a'ove
all o" that to 'eome one o" the most watha'le non5Disne$ "ilm "or hil!ren
sine 6BB7s ,earhin( "or 2o''$ Fisher* 9our !ate mi(ht resist (oin(0
'ut tr$ to talk them into it* The$ wont re(ret it an! neither will $ou*
,ale o" 65=:
4 /
Coop Cooper is an independently syndicated film critic, living in Los Angeles. He is
originally from Clarksdale, Mississippi and a Southerner at heart. He graduated from
Southern Methodist University with a .!.A in Cinema, and received his Masters in
Screenwriting from the American !ilm "nstitute in Hollywood. #ou can read his past
reviews at http$%%www.thesmalltowncritic.com%.