The film that flopped but became a classic

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: The film that flopped but became a classic

Warm-up

Do you know what "box office" means?

Vocabulary Match

nominations •• fail
flop •• got
resilience •• fame
themes •• strength
popularity •• awards
earned •• ideas

Vocabulary Answers

nominationsawards
flopfail
resiliencestrength
themesideas
popularityfame
earnedgot

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

The Shawshank Redemption is a famous film today, but it was not always popular. When it first came out in 1994, it was a box office ________. Even though many people liked it and it got many Oscar ________, it only ________ about $16 million, which was less than its production cost.

However, over time, more people started to watch it at home and on TV. They told their friends about it, and its ________ grew.

Today, The Shawshank Redemption is seen as one of the best films ever made. It's about a man named Andy Dufresne, who is wrongly put in prison. He becomes friends with another prisoner named Red. The film is loved for its ________ of hope, ________, and friendship.

The Shawshank Redemption is a famous film today, but it was not always popular. When it first came out in 1994, it was a box office flop. Even though many people liked it and it got many Oscar nominations, it only earned about $16 million, which was less than its production cost.

However, over time, more people started to watch it at home and on TV. They told their friends about it, and its popularity grew.

Today, The Shawshank Redemption is seen as one of the best films ever made. It's about a man named Andy Dufresne, who is wrongly put in prison. He becomes friends with another prisoner named Red. The film is loved for its themes of hope, resilience, and friendship.

Quiz

  1. When did The Shawshank Redemption first come out?
  2. How much money did "The Shawshank Redemption" earn when it was first released?
  3. Who happened to Andy Dufresne?
  4. What are the main themes of the film?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. It first came out in 1994.
  2. It only earned about $16 million.
  3. He was wrongly put in prison.
  4. Hope, resilience, and friendship.

True or False

  1. The Shawshank Redemption is about a shark named Jaws. T F
  2. The film grew in popularity by word-of-mouth. T F
  3. The Shawshank Redemption is seen as one of the best films ever made. T F

True or False Answers

  1. False
  2. True
  3. True

Conversation

A:Have you seen The Shawshank Redemption?
B:No. What's it about?
A:It's about a man who killed his wife.
B:Oh no! Is it based on a true story?
A:No! It's from a book by Stephen King, and anyway, he was innocent.
B:Oh good, that's a relief. I'll see if I can rent it.

Discussion

  1. Have you ever watched a movie that was not popular at first but became popular later?
  2. What's one of your favorite films and why?
  3. Do you prefer watching films at home or in the cinema?
  4. What films, books or video games do you recommend?

Further Reading

https://screenrant.com/shawshank-redemption-movie-box-office-bomb-fail-reasons/

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