http://www.englishbaby.com/lessons/4814/movies/the_curious_case_of_benjamin_button Listen to streaming audio of this English lesson > Dialogue Marni Mason Marni: I just recently saw Benjamin Button. The curious case of. Mason: The curious case. You know, what I find to be a curious case is the many parallels between that and Forrest Gump. Marni: Well, written by the same writer. Mason: Oh. Well that would explain it. Marni: There you go. It had a very Forrest Gump meets Big Fish feel. Mason: Forrest Fish. Big Gump. Marni: Well, a beautiful film. I mean, visually stunning. And, just, a very sweet portrayal of this man, and his life. And the whole concept of aging in reverse…I find it very fascinating. Mason: Right. I kinda liked what they were able to do with the relationship between he and Cate Blanchett. And it’s like, you hear so many times in relationships that it’s bad timing and stuff like that. It was a really interesting way to kinda carry out that sorta thing. Marni: Yeah, absolutely. Well, the writer based it on the premise of that saying that “youth is wasted on the young.” So, he just toyed with that idea and wrote this script. Mason: So all of that said, I mean, I really enjoyed the film, but it didn’t really get me that much. I mean, I don’t really think it’s worth all the praise. Marni: Really? Thirteen Oscar nominations? Mason: No, I think that’s kinda ridiculous, I mean, I don’t know. What, did it do something to you? Marni: I cried. A lot. Mason: A lot? Like just, not just at the end? Marni: A lot. Discussion Mason and Marni both saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Mason thinks it has a lot of similarities to Forrest Gump. Marni points out that the same writer made both movies. Marni thought the movie was beautiful and interesting. The most interesting part for Mason was the relationship between Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt. They had bad timing in their relationship because for most of their lives, they weren’t the same age. Even though Mason liked the movie, he doesn’t understand why it’s gotten such rave reviews. He thinks 13 Oscar nominations is too much. But Marni disagrees. She was really moved by the film. Are you a fan of Brad Pitt? Can you think of other ways that being old is like being a child? Grammar Point Be Able To Mason says he likes what the filmmakers were able to do with the relationship between Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. To be able to do something means to have the ability to do it. Be able to is sometimes used in place of can or could. Instead of, “I can’t go,” you might say, “I am not able to go.” But unlike can and could, be able to is not a modal verb. Able is an adjective, meaning having the power or ability to do something. It always follows the verb “be.” So you can’t say “I able to come tonight.” You must say, “I am able to come tonight.” View more lessons with this grammar point: "Be able to" Ask Ebaby! English Questions about this lesson Vocab Quiz Take Quiz Quiz What do Benjamin Button and Forrest Gump have in common? They both star Brad Pitt. They're both about aging in reverse. They were written by the same person. When are Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt able to have a relationship in the movie? When they're both very young. When she is old and he is young. When they're both in their forties. How many Oscar nominations did the movie get? 2 10 13 23 What part of speech is "able"? modal verb regular verb adjective noun Which one is correct? I'm sorry I wasn't able to see you yesterday. I'm sorry I not able to see you yesterday. I'm sorry I'm not able to see you yesterday. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Today's English Lesson English Lessons The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Movies Feb 04 2009 Intro If you think about it, being really old is pretty similar to being really young…but it’s not as cute. You need the most help taking care of yourself, you have the hardest time moving, and your mind is weakest when you are a baby and when you are very elderly. In many ways, we leave this world in the same state in which we enter it. Brad Pitt’s latest movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, is about a character who is born an old man and ages in reverse. He gets younger and younger, until he becomes a newborn baby, and then he dies. Cate Blanchett plays his love interest, a woman who ages the normal way. Even though they love each other and are meant to be, they can only be together for a short time, when they both reach midlife and their ages finally match up. Benjamin Button was nominated for many awards. Marni loved it, but Mason isn’t sure he agrees with all the rave reviews . Listen to them talk about it. --

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