FILMCLUB Guide to Roald Dahl on Film Key Stage Target Curriculum Links KS1 KS2 Literacy Though his novels were written many years ago, Roald Dahl remains one of the world's most popular children's authors, his stories have been told and re-told from generation to generation, many of them adapted for the big screen with incredible results! To tie in with Roald Dahl Day on September 13th (which was the author s birthday), FILMCLUB has produced this Roald Dahl on Film primary resource highlighting seven adaptations of his books, with synopses, talking points, teachers notes and activities. Designed to engage pupils of all abilities, these range from comparing book and film to making storyboards, writing reviews and analysing characters. FILMCLUB has also teamed up with the National Association for the Teaching of English (NATE) to celebrate the author s work. NATE is the professional organisation for anyone involved in English education, dedicated to promoting excellence in the teaching of English. For further information visit http://www.nate.org.uk/ Running a film club in your school can enrich the curriculum, allow young people to experience cultures beyond their own, explore a wide variety of issues and stimulate their imaginations. After watching a film, students can comment during a post-screening discussion with their peers, before writing reviews on the FILMCLUB website (which has a real audience of other young people) where they can analyse the film and develop their independent critique while relating it to the original literary text. Above all, students and teachers can enjoy the shared experience of watching and discussing a film together. FILMCLUB is free for all state schools. To join or for information visit www.filmclub.org, email support@filmclub.org or call 0207 288 4520.
FILMCLUB Guide to Roald Dahl on Film Key Stage Target Curriculum Links KS1 KS2 Literacy The films included in this resource are: The BFG (1985, U) 5+, 87 mins Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971, U) 5+, 95 mins Danny, The Champion of the World (1989, U) 7+, 99 mins Fantastic Mr Fox (2009, PG) 7+, 87 mins James and the Giant Peach (1996, U) 5+, 79 mins Matilda (1996, PG) 5+, 98 mins The Witches (1989, PG) 9+, 87 mins
FILMCLUB Guide to Roald Dahl on Film The BFG (1985, U) 5+, 87 mins Enrichment Focus This film is based on the novel The BFG by Roald Dahl. This film Resource is aimed at aged 5 11. Suggested subjects for discussion are Roald Dahl, film adaptations and reading. What s this film about? Animated adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl story of a lonely young girl and her unlikely friendship with the Big Friendly Giant. Why this film? This animated adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl story tells of a lonely young girl and her unlikely friendship with the Big Friendly Giant (the BFG). Early one morning at the orphanage where she lives, Sophie catches a glimpse of the BFG doing something odd with a large trumpet over the children's beds soon, she discovers his mission is to harvest the childrens' dreams. Together, the pair embark on a quest to quash the mean-spirited giants responsible for nightmares, enlisting the help of the army along the way and even Her Majesty The Queen. What the critics think The BFG is a cool! When my teacher tried to read it to my class she couldn't read what he was saying because some of the words are made up but the person that does his voice is great at saying them. FILMCLUB Member Sophie, aged 10 A giant tale of imagination with a dark side. Common Sense Media
Before the film: Starter Activity Describe a dream that you have had. Why do you think we dream? After the film: Discussion Questions 1. How are the other giants shown to be evil compared to the Big Friendly Giant? 2. Why do you think the small creature was included in the film? 3. The film was made by using hand-drawn animation. Can you tell? How is it different from computer animation? 4. The film ends differently to the the book. Read the chapter titled The Author and explain how the two endings are different. Why do you think this is?. Next Steps Teacher Notes 1. The BFG wears clothes like a regular person and he speaks in full sentences even though he occasionally jumbles up his words. The other giants do not speak in full sentences and only wear loin cloths to show that they are not as advanced as the BFG who can read and write. 2. The creature that first appears in the BFG s room adds comedy to the film. He is important to the plot when Sophie is in danger because he shows her which way to escape. 3. Students may not be able to tell but they may pick up things such as the same pictures being used when the BFG runs to the sky at both the start and end of the film. The film was hand drawn in 2D by artists, painters and producers working together. Ask students to compare the style to a recent film and ask them which style they prefer. 4. The film ends with Sophie going back to the BFG s home with him but in the book he lives in a special house next to the Queen s castle. Ask students why they think this was changed. The BFG is also revealed as the author of the book. Ask students why they think this was not included in the film. 1. Read the chapter titled Dream and create a storyboard for one of the other dreams that the BFG caught. 2. Create a flick book showing the BFG writing his book as described in the final chapter of the novel. 3. A live action version of this book is currently being produced. Write a letter to the director giving them tips and ideas about how to create a successful adaptation of The BFG. 4. Get your students voices heard by joining FILMCLUB and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org Related Resources Find out more about Roald Dahl Day with BFI Children's Programmer Justin Johnson and Katie Harris from the Roald Dahl museum. http://www.filmclub.org/behind-the-scenes/details/374/roald-dahl-day
FILMCLUB Guide to Roald Dahl on Film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971, U) 5+, 95 mins Enrichment Focus This film is based on the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. This Film Resource is aimed at students aged 5 11. Suggested subjects for discussion are Roald Dahl, film adaptations and reading. What s this film about? Visually peerless 1971 Roald Dahl adaptation about a little boy who wins a tour of the maddest sweet factory in the world! Why this film? The story of Charlie Bucket, a little boy with no money and a good heart, who dreams wistfully of being able to buy the candy that other children enjoy. Charlie enters into a magical world when he wins one of five 'Golden Tickets' to visit the mysterious chocolate factory owned by the eccentric Willy Wonka and run by his capable crew of Oompa- Loompas. Once behind the gates, a cast of characters join Charlie and Grandpa Joe on a journey to discover that a kind heart is a far finer possession than a sweet tooth. What the critics think It was funny, similar to the book and the actors were great at playing their characters. FILMCLUB Member Amreen, aged 11 An adaptation of Roald Dahl s charmingly eccentric novella (a Grimm-style moral tale) which has the true magic touch of fantasy. Time Out Online
Before the film: Starter Activity Describe a time when you won something? How did you feel? After the film: Discussion Questions 1. Do you think that Charlie deserved to find the Golden Ticket? Explain your answer. 2. What are your impressions of Willy Wonka? 3. If this film was not a musical, how would it change your enjoyment of it? Why do you think this is? 4. Watch the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005, PG) 7+, 115 mins. How does it compare to the 1971 version? Which do you prefer and why? Teacher Notes 1. Charlie is the child that is the most deserving of winning the golden ticket, because he is not spoiled and lives with his large family and they do not have much money. He is grateful for the visit to the factory unlike some of the other children who have been spoiled by their parents. He is very close to his Grandpa Joe, as shown in the chapter Grandpa Joe Takes A Chance, where they share a love of chocolate and interest in Mr Wonka. However Charlie is not perfect and he can act like any child such as when he bought the chocolate bars with a coin that he found in the street instead of taking the money back to his family to buy food for them all. 2. Willy Wonka is described by Grandpa Joe and when we first see him he pretends to have a limp before performing a forward roll, which shows that he is playful and a showman and an entertainer just like his confectionery. Read Chapter 14 Willy Wonka - how does he match up to the character in the film? Wonka is quite critical of the children and makes some unkind comments about them, which remind the viewer that he is an adult who is childlike. In Chapter 28, when Charlie is the last child left he is warm and loving towards him instantly, but in the film he only hugs Charlie after he has returned the gobstopper to him. 3. The songs help to understand the deeper thoughts and feelings of the characters. For example, his mother is not in the book much but in the film when she sings Cheer Up Charlie we can see that she loves him. The songs that the Oompa-Loompas sing sum up the lessons that the viewer should learn from the other children s situations. For example, Augustus Gloop should teach other children to not be greedy. 4. In the 2005 version, Mike Teevee is obsessed with computer games rather than TV and Violet is a champion at many things, not just chewing gum. The two Willy Wonkas are very different, as the 1971 version is childlike but has a cruel edge and the 2005 version has more of a backstory, with his dentist father and is like a child in an adult body. The special effects in the 1971 version have aged badly and the CGI used in the 2005 version help to transform the chocolate factory into a magical wonderland with a realistic chocolate river. Next Steps 1. In a group, write a song for Charlie to sing at the end of the film that sums up everything that he has been through and how he feels to have won. Perform it for your class. 2. Make a storyboard explaining what happened to Augustus Gloop after he is sucked into the pipe. 3. Read Chapter 1 of Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. Create a trailer for a modern film adaptation of the book (part of the chapter appears at the end of the 2005 film). 4. Get your students voices heard by joining FILMCLUB and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org
FILMCLUB Guide to Roald Dahl on Film Danny, The Champion of the World (1989, U) 7+, 99 mins Enrichment Focus This film is based on Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl. This Film Resource is aimed at students aged 7 11. Suggested subjects for discussion are Roald Dahl, film adaptations and reading. What s this film about? A father and son live happily together until their home is threatened by a local businessman. Why this film? Nine year-old Danny lives with his dad in a caravan at the back of the petrol station they run, where his father also works fixing cars. The pair live a contented life - which greatly aggravates a local businessman named Victor Hazell, who wants the land the petrol station is sited on, and tries every trick in the book to force them out of their home. So when Danny and his dad hear that Hazell is planning a shooting party to hunt the pheasants in his private wood, they hatch a scheme which will leave the mean-spirited bigwig very red-faced! This is a well-made and highly enjoyable version of the rightly much-loved children's' book by Roald Dahl. What the critics think All the boys in my class have read the book and they said the book was more interesting. FILMCLUB Member Aoife, aged 9 I enjoy this film, even though it's pretty old, because I am really fond of Roald Dahl's book, and I enjoyed the movie even more. FILMCLUB Member Gabriel, aged 9
Before the film: Starter Activity Can you think of a time when you had a good idea? What was it and how did it help you or somebody else? Teacher Notes After the film: Discussion Questions 1. Why was the visit from the welfare included at the start of the film? 2. How was the scene where Danny was driving the car (40:51-44:37) made more exciting? 3. What changes have been made to the original story? Why do you think this is? 4. Do you think that it was right for Danny and his father to catch the pheasants? Next Steps 1. The visit allows the viewer to have a look around the caravan and garage where Danny and his father live and work. It also explains why it is just Danny and his father. Read Chapter 1 The Filling-Station and ask students how it is similar and different to the film (the chapter is written in the first person and in the film Danny is not the narrator). 2. The music in this scene builds up with repeating melodies from the string section and a repeating, almost military drum beat. Diegetic sound (within the world of the film) is also used to heighten tension as we hear the bell and screeching tyres of the police car increasing in volume and becoming louder as the chase continues.!the camera cuts between Danny driving and the police car chasing him to make it more even more dramatic. 3. Near the start of the film, Danny s father frees a rabbit from a leg trap. This was added to show that he believes in treating animals humanely. Danny goes to school after staying up late preparing the raisins and then gets a detention from his teacher for falling asleep in class. This adds tension because Danny might miss going to the woods with his father. The viewer is aware that Danny s father is friends with the doctor and the policeman from the start of the film and the ending is changed and is not as exciting as in the book. 4. Young people may feel that it was right for them to catch pheasants because they are poor. Others might disagree because they are stealing the pheasants from somebody else s land. Ask them their thoughts on creatures being caught for sport. 1. Create a flip book explaining how to catch a pheasant using The Horse Hair Stopper or The Paper Hat. Use Quentin Blake s illustrations to help you. 2. Watch the shooting party scene again and pay close attention to Victor Hazell s actions and expressions. Write a voiceover script for that scene explaining his thoughts and feelings. 3. Watch The BFG (1985, U) 5+, 87 mins and compare the description of the giant by Danny s father to Chapter 2 The Big Friendly Giant. 4. Get your students voices heard by joining FILMCLUB and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org
FILMCLUB Guide to Roald Dahl on Film Fantastic Mr Fox (2009, PG) 7+, 87 mins Enrichment Focus This film is based on the book Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl. This Film Resource is aimed at students aged 7 11. Suggested subjects for discussion are Roald Dahl, film adaptations and reading. What s this film about? Stop-motion animated version of Roald Dahl's woodland tale that combines a beautiful old-fashioned aesthetic with Wes Anderson's trademark dialogue. Why this film? Mr Fox, who is cunning but sometimes a bit too clever for his own good, is one of Roald Dahl's greatest creations. Here he is brought to life with the help of some great oldfashioned looking stop-motion animation and the smooth voice of George Clooney. These work perfectly together to the tell the tale of Mr Fox and his battle against a group of bullying farmers. Eccentric director Wes Anderson (who made Rushmore) has made a film that looks unique, has a great soundtrack and works on lots of levels. What the critics think I preferred the film to the book because I could see what was happening in colour. Although when you read a book you have to use your imagination. FILMCLUB Member Ruby, aged 8 Solid for adults, potentially captivating for little people, enjoyable on every level. Laremy Legal, Film.com
Before the film: Starter Activity What are you fantastic at? How did you develop your skill? Teacher Notes After the film: Discussion Questions 1. The book is only 82 pages long - why is the film so different? 2. Why doesn t Ash like his cousin Kristofferson? How does their relationship change during the film? 3. What makes each of the characters as fantastic as Mr Fox? 4. What do you think is the meaning behind the wolf scene? Next Steps 1. The film is much more detailed and develops the characters and their their relationships to one another. 2. Ash does not like his cousin because even though he is younger he is taller and more athletic than Ash, which is why Mr Fox takes him out on a raid. He is also jealous of his cousin because the other kits at school and their Whackbat coach like Kristofferson but they all think that Ash is weird. Ash finally understands that his cousin is very upset about his father s illness and Ash tries to save his cousin when he is captured by Bloggs. 3. Mr Fox is adventurous and brave; Mrs Fox is courageous and supports Mr Fox; Ash shows that he is fearless when he distracts the farmers; Kristofferson is calm and athletic; Mole can see in the dark; Rabbit is fast and Badger is a demolition expert. 4. The wolf is the only animal not wearing clothes in the film. This shows that he is truly wild. When Mr Fox finally sees the wolf his phobia of them disappears because he realises that all animals need to embrace their wild side as he did and the others did in order to be free of the farmers. When they salute each other it shows that they respect one another, even though they have different lifestyles. At the end Mr Fox is no longer afraid of wolves and is comfortable being himself. 1. Create your own stop motion animation with your favourite character from the film. 2. Write the dialogue for a script between Ash and Kristofferson. How has their relationship changed since the events in the film? 3. Watch the webcast with the cinematographer of the film, Tristan Oliver http://www.filmclub.org/behind-the-scenes/details/338/tristan-oliver 4. Get your students voices heard by joining FILMCLUB and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org
FILMCLUB Guide to Roald Dahl on Film James and the Giant Peach (1996, U) 5+, 79 mins Enrichment Focus This film is based on the book James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. The Film Resource is aimed at ages 7 11 but is also suitable for use with ages 5+. Suggested subjects for discussion are Roald Dahl, film adaptations and reading. What s this film about? Stuck with his evil aunts, James creates a magical, enormous peach. Befriending the charming insects inside, he attempts an escape. Why this film? Young orphan James (whose parents were eaten by a rhinoceros) escapes from his hated aunts in a huge magic peach that is the home to a group of human-sized and eccentric creatures including a centipede and a glow-worm. This extraordinary turn of events then inspires an even more remarkable adventure that takes the giant fruit on an epic trip across the Atlantic Ocean. What the critics think The strange world of Roald Dahl's book is perfectly rendered using the painstaking craft of stop-motion animation. I just love it - it s a family favourite. FILMCLUB Member Harris, aged 9 It most beautifully captures the book's free-floating, fantastic sense of adventure and wonder. Time Out Online
Before the film: Starter Activity What makes you scared? What can you do to help somebody get over their fears? After the film: Discussion Questions 1. Do you think that mixing live action and animation works in this film? Should the film be in one or the other? Which would you prefer? 2. Read Chapter 12 of James and the Giant Peach. How are the creatures different from the book to the film? 3. What was James afraid of in the film? How did he overcome his fear? 4. In the book, James two aunts are killed by the rolling peach at the start. How and why has this been changed in the film? Next Steps Teacher Notes 1. The beginning of the film is filmed in live action but James s journey in the peach is in stop-animation. Ask students why they think only this part is. 2. The Centipede is funny but less brash in the book than in the film and he has an American accent, which is not mentioned in the book. The Earthworm and Grasshopper are very similar to how they are in the book. 3. James was scared of the rhinoceros that had killed his parents. He overcame his fear at the end when he stood up to the rhinoceros, which was going to kill his new friends. 4. In the film the aunts reappear in James dream and on the pirate ship, before confronting him at the Empire State Building. They are in the film because it adds more drama to have them chasing him and they get their just desserts when James tells the New Yorkers about how badly they treated him before they got arrested. 1. Create a storyboard for what happened to the aunts while James was in the peach. How did they get to New York? 2. Read James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl 3. Create a stop-motion animation featuring a peach. What adventures can it go on? 4. Get your students voices heard by joining FILMCLUB and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org
FILMCLUB Guide to Roald Dahl on Film Matilda (1996, PG) 5+, 98 mins Enrichment Focus This film is based on the book Matilda by Roald Dahl. This Film Resource is aimed at students aged 5 11. Suggested subjects for discussion are Roald Dahl, film adaptations and reading. What s this film about? Adaptation of the popular Roald Dahl book about a girl with special powers who's at a school with a bullying headmistress. Why this film? This fantastic adaptation of Dahl's book faithfully captures his unique storytelling voice and spirit. At the fearsome Crunchem Hall School, Matilda makes a friend of the kind Miss Honey, and an enemy of the bullying headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. But Matilda isn't one to give in to bullies and after all, what are special powers for if not to teach someone a lesson? What the critics think Now that I have seen the film I think it has changed my instincts about the book so I probably will be able to read it now. FILMCLUB Member Kacey, aged 10 Matilda doesn't condescend to children, it doesn t sentimentalize, and as a result it feels heartfelt and sincere. It's funny, too. Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times Online
Before the film If you could have one special power what would it be? How would you use your powers? After the film: Discussion Questions 1. How was Matilda treated as an outsider by her own family? 2. How does the building and decoration of Trunchem Hall show what the school is like? 3. Why does Matilda develop her powers? What would you do if you had them? 4. Why do you think that the scenes in Miss Trunchbull s house were added to the film when they are not in the book? Next Steps Teacher Notes 1. Matilda is an outsider in her family because she looks different to the others and she prefers to read rather than watch TV. In the book Matilda looks like her father in Quentin Blake s illustrations. She is bullied by everyone in her family including her brother (this does not happen in the book) and nobody looks after her even when she is very young. When the family is at the table Matilda is in a shot by herself and her family are altogether in one shot. In the book Roald Dahl does not call them Mummy and Daddy but rather the father and the mother which shows that he is aware that they are not loving towards Matilda. 2. The school building is dark and drab but Miss Honey s classroom is bright and colourful and is a safe haven for Matilda and her classmates. When Matilda and Lavender speak to Hortensia she describes The Chokey and the horrible headmistress Miss Trunchbull in the chapter The Trunchbull Hortensia is a bit of a bully to the younger girls but in the film she is nice to them. 3. In the film Matilda blows up the TV by accident when her father makes her angry by forcing her to watch it with her family. However in the book she first uses her powers in the chapter called the First miracle when she tips the glass with the newt in it onto Miss Trunchbull, because she was angry at being accused of something that she did not do. In the book Matilda was able to show her powers to Miss Honey even when she was not angry, but in the film she could not. It takes her 6 days to practise her telekinesis powers in the chapter The Practice before The Third Miracle happens. In the film Matilda practices her powers in her house when nobody is in and then on the FBI agents that are watching her father. 4. These scenes are very dramatic and allow Miss Trunchbull to show just how wicked she can be. They also allow Matilda and Miss Honey to form a partnership and know each other outside of the school environment. 1. Create a voiceover of the thoughts and feelings of Matilda, Miss Trunchbull and Miss Honey in the scene where Matilda gets her revenge (from 1:20:00-1:24:49). 2. What do you think Miss Trunchbull will do next? 3. With a group decide on the storyline for Matilda 2. What could happen that will cause Matilda to use her powers again? Explain your ideas to the rest of your class. 4. Get your students voices heard by joining FILMCLUB and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org
FILMCLUB Guide to Roald Dahl on Film The Witches (1989, PG) 9+, 87 mins Enrichment Focus This film is based on the book The Witches by Roald Dahl. This Film Resource is aimed at students aged 9 11. Suggested subjects for discussion are Roald Dahl, film adaptations and reading. What s this film about? A brilliantly creepy Roald Dahl adaptation about a 9 year old orphan who has a run in with some witches during a holiday with his grandmother. Why this film? Based on the popular children's book by Roald Dahl. Orphaned Luke is looked after by his grandmother, who tells him stories about witches - the most important detail being that they hate children. He thinks they're just fairy tales, until they go to a hotel on holiday and stumble across a witches' convention. Luke uncovers their wicked plot, but they've got a few tricks up their sleeve, including turning him into a mouse. Will he be able to stop them? What the critics think First an amazing book by Roald Dahl and now a major motion picture, a real adrenalin rush a real heart pumping heart stopper FILMCLUB Member Caoimh-Ella, aged 11 Deliciously cruel to children, Roeg remains true to Dahl's underlying sense of real horror. Ian Nathan, Empire Magazine Online
Before the film: Starter Activity If you could change into an animal, what would you choose? What positives and negatives would there be for you as that animal? After the film: Discussion Questions 1. How is the Grand High Witch shown to be scary? 2. The film uses a combination of puppets and real mice. Why do you think this is? 3. Why does Miss Irvine, The Grand High Witch s secretary, quit her job? Do you believe that she is truly a good witch? 4. Read It s Off to Work We Go from the book. How is the ending different to the ending of the film? Which do you prefer and why? Teacher Notes 1. When we first see her she is wearing black but the other witches wear colourful dresses. This makes her stand out and seem powerful. Her accent and attitude make her very scary. 2. The real mice are used to make it realistic and the puppets have to be used because animals would not be able to do exactly what the director wanted. Ask students which they prefer and why. 3. She quits her job because she is treated badly by thegrand High Witch. She is also not allowed to go to the banquet. Ask students about how her appearance is different to the Grand High Witch; she dresses in white dresses to show that she is the complete opposite to the Grand High Witch. At the end, her hands are like a normal person and she is still able to do magic, so this shows that she is a good witch. 4. At the end of the book Luke is still a mouse and he and his grandmother will probably live for the same number of years. In the film, Miss Irvine turns him back into a boy. Ask students about the advantages and problems of Luke being a mouse or a boy when they go hunting for witches in the USA. Next Steps 1. Create Luke s voiceover during the Grand High Witch s speech (00:29:00-00:36:40). What is he thinking and feeling? 2. Watch the webcast with animal wrangler Trevor Smith http://www.filmclub.org/behind-the-scenes/details/301/trevor-smith-animal-wrangler 3. In a group, decide on the storyline for The Witches 2. Will Luke and his Grandmother get rid of all the witches in America? Pitch your ideas to your teacher who will decide which film they would like to watch. 4. Get your students voices heard by joining FILMCLUB and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org