RAT RACE

[maikuu]

[fal1986]

First of all, i [I] really enjoyed this movie and i want to thank you mike for showing it to us,it became one of my favourite comedies.As for the characters,i really enjoyed most of them because they were such a unique group of actors who played their roles excelently.But, i liked THE BEAN more because he is an expert comedian, his role as the stupid italian guy was very funny, i liked the scene when he and the van driver were chasing the human heart especially when he threw it to the dog, it was helarious. [sp]

I also liked the scene when the man along with his wife and kids drove accidently with Hitler's car to the stage and started to act like Hitler infront of the Americn audience,that was really really funny.Also,i have to mention the scene when the two stupid guys were hanging with a cow by a rope on the hot air ballon, this was funny too. This movie is awsome!

Teacher's Note: This essay demonstrates how difficult it is to choose one character (according to the prompt) when there are so many incredible characters and so many funny moments in this story. I'm really glad the author enjoyed Rat Race. It is my pleasure to share it. Thanks for posting!
--mike www.MoviesGrowEnglish.com

[Edouard]

Hi
I really enjoyed this movie ! It was the 1st (time) I saw it.
Like fal1986 said, it is really difficult to choose one of these characters, because all of them are really funny.
So I will say that the character Whoopi Goldberg played, Vera Baker, is my favorite character. Vera is crazy as hell during all the movie. She has got a crazy complicity with her "new" daughter Winnie Van Exel (as Lanai Chapman). Their meeting with the woman who sells some squirrels is awesome. They decline the proposition and ask for directions she tells them. Then they follow her directions and get to a part of nowhere. Their car falls like an avalanche; along the way they see signs saying :
" YOU SHOULD HAVE BUY A SQUIRRELS !"

Teacher's Note: This author follows the prompt to the letter, which is usually a good idea. I like how he focuses on one character and offers a good example of a funny moment. For me, the defining moment for the mother-daughter is when they steal the land jet and end up on the loony bus. Yet somehow they rejoin the Rat Race in Silver City. Hilarious!! (BTW YOU SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT A SQUIRREL) Thanks for posting.
--mike http://www.MoviesGrowEnglish.com

[Claire]

First, I have to say I have been enjoying American comedies more after I watched this movie. It is really funny, and it can always attract audience’s attention.
In addition, I burst out laughing when I saw the scene [in which] Enrico Pollini fell asleep both in the beginning and in the end of the race. Moreover, it was particularly funny when Pollini suddenly realized he might be killed by the van driver, so he distracted the van driver’s attention and jump into a train quickly.
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is an excellent actor so that I laughed every time when I saw Pollini in this movie.
Finally,I have been very impressed [was very impressed {all-at-once, not-repititious action}] by this movie and thanks for introducing it to me.

Claire

Teacher's Note: I like how this author effectively uses connectors and transition words to logically tie all the clauses together. This makes for a stronger position. The verb "impress" (if I'm not mistaken) is seldom used in the perfect tense unless the action is repititious. This is a funny thing about the perfect tense. Much of the use depends on the meaning of the verb. It all reminds me of my college days when we discussed the "Projection Principle" defined by Noam Chomsky as something like "word use controlled by word meaning," an interesting concept. Thanks for posting.
--mike http://www.MoviesGrowEnglish.com

[whygub]

Hello
Like other friends, I did enjoy watching “Rat Race”; it’s the first time in class that we got to watch a non-serious movie, so I really had a good time. I also have the same problem like my classmates that I can’t pick one favorite character. It is not because I like more than just one, but I really don’t have any idea which character I really like. In the other hand, no one could truly impress me in the movie. Though all of them are very funny and have their unique character, also they seem to always do something funny that we don’t expect them to, but there is no special character that I want to follow; no one could make me want to cheer for. The feeling I had while I was watching the movie was I wanted to know who would get the money. I had curiosity but not sympathy, and curiosity made we wanted [want {causative}] to come to the next class to watch the ending, but I didn’t have sympathy toward any characters to make me feel that I want him or her to get the money.

I strongly agree that this movie is good for entertainment and has sub-meaning like Mike said, it might be the writer’s reasons that don’t want us, actually it might be only me, to appreciate anyone. The director and writer might just want to satirize our society, and they did a good job. And one last thing I got from watching “rat race” was the ending is very optimistic, and I appreciate it.

WhY

Teacher's note: Holy-Moly . . . One of the number one goals of any screenwriter or director is to get the audience to cheer for, have sympathy for the hero(s). Liking the main character(s) is perhaps the most important reason to like the movie. Yet, this author freely discloses that she has no sympathy for any particular character, and yet she likes the movie!

So what gives? Is Rat Race a guilty pleasure like chocolate mousse? Did the creators of this movie make a huge goof? If I'm not mistaken, Rat Race is not one of the most highly rated films among critics, yet darn . . . it's so much fun to watch. Maybe it's because we love to hate the characters, or maybe we don't want to admit we share their greed for cold cash.

I don't know, but this author raises a very interesting point about Rat Race. Thanks much for expressing a contrarian p.o.v.!
--mike http://www.MoviesGrowEnglish.com

[omarnafisi]

Hello, Nick Schaffer who’s played Breckin Meyer is my favorite character because he changes from an uptight man who doesn’t have a lot of fun to a guy who’s spontaneous and fun. Nick Schaffer at the airport throws the locker key into the trashcan giving up on the ‘Rat Race’ shortly after doing so he heard [time shift?] news of all planes being canceled which made him reconsider. Especially after meeting Tracey Faucet (who is played by Amy Smart), and discovering that she is a helicopter pilot. He planned his agenda to go get the money due to the fact that helicopters fly on a different system than planes do which lead to him to think about how the money can be his guaranteed.

Omar Alnafisi

Teacher's Note: You choose wisely, my friend. Of all the characters in Rat Race, Nick may be the only one who has what movie makers call "character arc". This really means change, usually for the better, and it is exactly what Nick Schaffer does in this story. In fact, part of his arc returns to where it seems to be at the beginning of the story. This happens when he gives away all his money. BTW please be careful with time shift. I would stick with present simple tense. Thanks for posting.
--mike www.MoviesGrowEnglish.com

[yumiota]

I really enjoyed this move same as other students. This movie was descrived about [This movie described] human endless desire.
Everybody was ruled by it. Sadly, money always try [tries] to control the people but one person was not so crazy about money.
it was Mr,Enrico Pollini. He seemed to be interested in money but not so serious like other people.
That’s way I like him. Mr,Enrico Pollini is my favorite character.
If he were not in this movie, this movie became full of greed.
This movie is still comedy and makes us laugh because of him!

I love this movie. Thank you very much mic to show this movie to us!!

Yumi

Teacher's Note: I've watched Rat Race a number of times and never noticed what you just pointed out about Enrico being the only character who doesn't lust for money like the others do. Great observation! Here's my question: Who has the greatest lust for money in this story? That's a hard question to answer, but my choice is Duane (Seth Green). Why do I think so? Thanks for posting.
--mike http://www.MoviesGrowEnglish.com

[Salim.el]

Hello everyone ,

First, I really enjoyed watching that movie, very entertaining .
If I have to choose one best actor performance, I'll definitely go for Rowan Sebastian Atkinson's performance. He was, he is, and will be funny. He has his own facial expressions, sounds, that makes him hilarious !
Second, my favorite scene is the almost last one, when they are at the charity concert, and that they "have" to give all their money to poor people, all the money that they've fighting for.
Very honorable ending.
Teacher's Note: Indeed, "The Bean," as I shall always know Mr. Atkinson, is amazingly funny in a a sympathetic way. BTW, did you see him at the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in London. Man, he was funny. Thanks for posting.
--mike www.MoviesGrowEnglish.com

[Tactics]

Hi,

I like Tracy Faucet very much, especially the scene [in which] she is flying and find her boyfriend cheating on her. She got really get angry and punish[ed] him by ruinning their date. She thoroughly chaced him by helicopter. It was so exciting because she flew so low that the helicopter almost crushed the car he was driving. I thought that a grudge of a woman was scary. She looks pretty beautiful, but when she go [went] after him, her face looked like a devil. I realised that it is better not to make women angry. Every woman can become an ogre, so do not let them ugly and keep them beautiful.

Takuto

Teacher's Note: Finally, someone chooses the beautiful but deadly Tracy. Amy Smart is a talented young actress who we'd like to see more of. Anyone see her in Butterfly Effect? This author does a good job of contrasting the "cute" side of Tracy Faucet with her dangerous side. Nice job, and thanks for posting.
--mike www.MoviesGrowEnglish.com

[Boonchai]

My favorite character is Tracy Faucet (Amy Smart) because she acted very well in my opinion. Tarcy['s] character was a woman who was a helicopter driver [pilot]. Tracy was going to meet her boyfriend, after she had met Nick Schaffer who was in rat race. Tracy found that her boyfriend stayed with another girl, so it made her freaked [freak] out. She drove helicopter to hunt her boyfriend. This situation made Nick Schaffer felt [feel] uncomfortable, but after the hunting, she decided to race in the rat race for money. The best scene in Rat Race movie for me is when Tracy Faucet hunted her exboyfriend because the actors acted very funny in this scene; also, Tracy Faucet was freaked out.

Teacher's Note: This author narrates the situation where Tracy sees her ex with another woman. Ouch!! There is an interesting grammar point here that gives pain to many an ESL student.

This is the causative verb, which is really two verbs, the cause verb and the result verb. The cause verb carries the time, while the result verb remains base form. Consider this example: The pilot made/is making/will make the helicopter go left (base form). It even follows this rule in passive voice: The helicopter was made/is being made/ will be made to go left. Overall, a fine mini-essay. Thanks for posting and sharing your favorite character.
--mike http://www.MoviesGrowEnglish.com