Lessons On Movies.com
  Free Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on Spirited Away

  GAMES:

  • Fill-in-the-blank
  • Matching
  • Hangman
  • Flash cards
  • Sentence jumble
  • Missing words
  • No letters
  • Crossword puzzle

Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy-adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film tells the story of Chihiro Ogino, a moody ten-year-old girl who, while moving to a new neighborhood, becomes trapped in an alternate reality that is inhabited by spirits and monsters. After her parents are transformed into pigs by the witch Yubaba, Chihiro takes a job working in Yubaba's bathhouse to find a way to free herself and her parents and escape back to the human world. Miyazaki wrote the script after he decided the film would be based on his friend's ten-year-old daughter, who came to visit his house each summer.

Production of Spirited Away began in 2000. Pixar director John Lasseter, a fan of Miyazaki, was approached by Walt Disney Pictures to supervise an English-language translation for the film's North American release. When released, Spirited Away became the most successful film in Japanese history, grossing over $274 million worldwide. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times said the film is the "product of a fierce and fearless imagination whose creations are unlike any[thing a person has] seen before". It won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards and is among the top ten on the British Film Institute's list of the 50 films you should see by the age of 14.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirited_away

  TRAILER AND POSTER

SPIRITED AWAY POSTER

1. SIX WORDS: Look at the poster and write down six words (more if you like) that you think of as you look at it. Share the words with your partner(s). Why did you choose them?

2. STORY: Talk about what you think the story of the movie is – the start, beginning, end, etc. Change partners and share stories.

3. CREDITS: Look at the credits on the poster (the actors, director, producer…) and talk about them with your partner(s).

4. MUST-SEE: Talk with your partner(s) about whether the poster and movie title are good and make you want to see the movie.

5. STARRING YOU: Imagine you are one of the stars of the movie. Talk about your role with your movie star partner(s).

SPIRITED AWAY TRAILER

1. RETELL: Watch the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

2. CHUNKS: Watch 10-to-15 second chunks of the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

3. QUIZ: Watch the trailer and write down some quiz questions for your partner(s). Watch a second time to find the answers to the questions.

4. VOCABULARY: Make a note of words in the trailer that you see or hear. Talk about them with your partner(s).

5. GOOD / BAD: Watch the trailer and write down why you think the film might be good or bad. Share your ideas with your partner(s).

  MATCHING

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	fantasy	a.	oversee
2	moody	b.	included in
3.	alternate	c.	text
4.	spirits	d.	sulky
5.	script	e.	earning
6.	fan	f.	make-believe
7.	supervise	g.	powerful
8.	grossing	h.	different
9.	fierce	i.	admirer
10.	among	j.	ghosts

PHRASE MATCH

1.	a 2001 Japanese animated	a.	ten-year-old
2	a moody	b.	of Miyazaki
3.	trapped in an alternate	c.	fearless imagination
4.	her parents are transformed	d.	reality
5.	escape back	e.	fantasy
6.	a fan	f.	into pigs
7.	the film's North American	g.	by the age of 14
8.	the product of a fierce and	h.	has seen before
9.	unlike anything a person	i.	to the human world
10.	50 films you should see	j.	release

  LISTENING / READING GAP FILL

Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese (1) ______________________ film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The (2) ______________________ Chihiro Ogino, a moody ten-year-old girl who, while moving to a new neighborhood, becomes trapped (3) ______________________ that is inhabited by spirits and monsters. After her parents are transformed into pigs by the witch Yubaba, Chihiro takes a job working in Yubaba's bathhouse to (4) ______________________ herself and her parents (5) ______________________ the human world. Miyazaki wrote the script after he decided the film (6) ______________________ friend's ten-year-old daughter, who came to visit his house each summer.

Production of Spirited Away began in 2000. Pixar director John Lasseter, a fan of Miyazaki, (7) ______________________ Walt Disney Pictures to supervise an English-language translation for the film's North American release. When released, Spirited Away became the most successful film in Japanese history, grossing over (8) ______________________. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times said the film is the "(9) _____________________ and fearless imagination whose (10) ______________________ any[thing a person has] seen before". It won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the (11) ______________________ and is among the top ten on the British Film Institute's list of the 50 films (12) ______________________ age of 14.

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	a 2001 Japanese deiaanmt fantasy-adventure film
2.	a oyomd ten-year-old girl
3.	trapped in an alternate liyaret
4.	inhabited by tpsiirs and monsters
5.	her parents are eotrsrafdnm into pigs
6.	eceasp back to the human world
Paragraph 2
7.	Pixar trceidro John Lasseter
8.	sepesrivu an English-language translation
9.	nigorgss over $274 million
10.	the "product of a fierce and esfslrae imagination"
11.	elkiun anything a person has seen before
12.	gmnoa the top ten

  PUNCTUATE & PUT CAPITALS IN THE TEXT

spirited away is a 2001 japanese animated fantasy-adventure film written and directed by hayao miyazaki and produced by studio ghibli the film tells the story of chihiro ogino a moody ten-year-old girl who while moving to a new neighborhood becomes trapped in an alternate reality that is inhabited by spirits and monsters after her parents are transformed into pigs by the witch yubaba chihiro takes a job working in yubaba's bathhouse to find a way to free herself and her parents and escape back to the human world miyazaki wrote the script after he decided the film would be based on his friend's ten-year-old daughter who came to visit his house each summer

production of spirited away began in 2000 pixar director john lasseter a fan of miyazaki was approached by walt disney pictures to supervise an english-language translation for the film's north american release when released spirited away became the most successful film in japanese history grossing over $274 million worldwide kenneth turan of the los angeles times said the film is the "product of a fierce and fearless imagination whose creations are unlike any[thing a person has] seen before" it won the oscar for best animated feature at the 75th academy awards and is among the top ten on the british film institute's list of the 50 films you should see by the age of 14

  INSERT THE VOWELS

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Pr_d_ct__n _f Sp_r_t_d _w_y b_g_n _n 2000. P_x_r d_r_ct_r J_hn L_ss_t_r, _ f_n _f M_y_z_k_, w_s _ppr__ch_d by W_lt D_sn_y P_ct_r_s t_ s_p_rv_s_ _n _ngl_sh-l_ng__g_ tr_nsl_t__n f_r th_ f_lm's N_rth _m_r_c_n r_l__s_. Wh_n r_l__s_d, Sp_r_t_d _w_y b_c_m_ th_ m_st s_cc_ssf_l f_lm _n J_p_n_s_ h_st_ry, gr_ss_ng _v_r $274 m_ll__n w_rldw_d_. K_nn_th T_r_n _f th_ L_s _ng_l_s T_m_s s__d th_ f_lm _s th_ "pr_d_ct _f _ f__rc_ _nd f__rl_ss _m_g_n_t__n wh_s_ cr__t__ns _r_ _nl_k_ _ny[th_ng _ p_rs_n h_s] s__n b_f_r_". _t w_n th_ _sc_r f_r B_st _n_m_t_d F__t_r_ _t th_ 75th _c_d_my _w_rds _nd _s _m_ng th_ t_p t_n _n th_ Br_t_sh F_lm _nst_t_t_'s l_st _f th_ 50 f_lms y__ sh__ld s__ by th_ _g_ _f 14.

  MARK THE SPACES

SpiritedAwayisa2001Japaneseanimatedfantasyadventurefilmwritte
nanddirectedbyHayaoMiyazakiandproducedbyStudioGhibli.Thefilm
tellsthestoryofChihiroOgino,amoodytenyearoldgirlwho,whilemovin
gtoanewneighborhood,becomestrappedinanalternaterealitythatisin
habitedbyspiritsandmonsters.Afterherparentsaretransformedintopi
gsbythewitchYubaba,ChihirotakesajobworkinginYubaba'sbathhous
etofindawaytofreeherselfandherparentsandescapebacktothehuma
nworld.Miyazakiwrotethescriptafterhedecidedthefilmwouldbebased
onhisfriend'stenyearolddaughter,whocametovisithishouseeachsum
mer.ProductionofSpiritedAwaybeganin2000.PixardirectorJohnLass
eter,afanofMiyazaki,wasapproachedbyWaltDisneyPicturestosuperv
iseanEnglishlanguagetranslationforthefilm'sNorthAmericanrelease.
Whenreleased,SpiritedAwaybecamethemostsuccessfulfilminJapan
esehistory,grossingover$274millionworldwide.KennethTuranofthe
LosAngelesTimessaidthefilmisthe"productofafierceandfearlessimag
inationwhosecreationsareunlikeany[thingapersonhas]seenbefore".
ItwontheOscarforBestAnimatedFeatureatthe75thAcademyAwardsa
ndisamongthetoptenontheBritishFilmInstitute'slistofthe50filmsyou
shouldseebytheageof14.

  DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

  SPIRITED AWAY SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about Spirited Away in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	Student 1 __________	Student 2 __________	Student 3 __________
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.

• Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

  WRITING

Write your own movie review. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other's work.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

  HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about "Spirited Away". Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about "Spirited Away". What are (did) critics and moviegoers saying (say) about it? How good were the actors' performances? What was good and bad about the movie? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. "SPIRITED AWAY" POSTER: Make a poster about "Spirited Away". Make sure you put tag lines, audience and critics' reviews, why people should see it, etc.  Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.

5. MY PREQUEL / SEQUEL: Make your own prequel or sequel for  "Spirited Away". Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

6. CHARACTER STORY: Choose one of the characters from the movie. Imagine you are that character. Write your story about what you did in the movie. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

7. ONLINE SHARING: Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, Twitter stream, or any other social media tool to get opinions on "Spirited Away". Share your findings with the class.

  ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	fantasy	a.	make-believe
2	moody	b.	sulky
3.	alternate	c.	different
4.	spirits	d.	ghosts
5.	script	e.	text
6.	fan	f.	admirer
7.	supervise	g.	oversee
8.	grossing	h.	earning
9.	fierce	i.	powerful
10.	among	j.	included in

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Please check for yourself by looking at the movie review article at the top of the page.
(It's good for your English ;-)