2015夏天上映电影指南

AS IT IS 2015-07-05 Summer 2015 Brings Movies for Toddlers to Teens 2015夏天上映电影指南

We have a question for the many children out of school for summer break: are you bored yet?  Boredom usually sets in just after the first week without classes, homework and school bells.

Our answer? You can always go to the movies. Today, we tell you about some of the films that might be just right for the young.

'Inside Out'

Animation¹ is as popular as ever this summer. We can start with what appears to be already one of the most successful movies of 2015. The Disney Pixar film “Inside Out” was released June 19. It has sold close to $300 million dollars of tickets since then.

“Inside Out” makes talking characters of human emotions. They belong to a girl named Riley, who has moved with her family to a new place. Joy, fear, sadness and other feelings are always at work in Riley’s mind and on display for movie viewers.

Critics widely praised “Inside Out.” New York Times movie critic A.O. Scott calls it a “delight…charming and funny.” He also writes, approvingly, that the movie “is a defense² of sorrow,” a feeling that helps us all connect and care for each other.

'Minions³'

Another animated⁴ movie sure to be a big hit is a spin-off from the “Despicable Me” series. The new movie “Minions” features the little yellow creatures who served the evil character Gru in “Despicable Me.”

The new movie tells their story. It starts years before they meet Dru. They have accidentally killed off all their past evil leaders. A search for a new one takes them to New York City and Florida and even overseas.

Actor John Hamm is one of the voices in the animated movie. He jokingly explained to Jon Stewart of the “The Daily Show,” why kids are not the only people who like Minions. “I think the reason they’re appealing to adults is ‘cause they look like capsules, they look like pills.” He then said he was going to get into trouble with filmmaker Universal studio for what he said.

'Paper Towns'

Maybe you think you are too old for animation. If so, there is also a highly anticipated young adult film opening. “Paper Towns” is a movie based on a John Green novel. John Green is also the author of “The Fault in Our Stars,” a hugely popular 2012 book that became a hugely popular film last year.

“Paper Towns” deals with some of the same themes as “The Fault in Our Stars” -- friendship, disappointment and loyalty⁵, to name a few. The two movies also share an actor -- Nat Wolff. He played the blind cancer patient Isaac in the earlier film.

In “Paper Towns,” Wolff is the lead actor, along with actor-supermodel Cara Delvenigne. They play longtime neighbors who were friends as young children but belong to different social groups in high school. But, they remain emotionally close, and when one of them disappears, the other starts a search.

John Green describes the film as “a great movie about friendship.” Moviegoers are not expected to leave the theater crying as they may have after seeing “The Fault in Our Stars.” The new film is said to have more humor and mystery, and less tragic⁶ romance⁷.

'Ricki and the Flash'

The summer movie season will come to an end with a movie that both teens and adults might enjoy. “Ricki and the Flash” comes out August 7. The film stars Meryl Streep as a rock and roll musician who left her family to follow her professional dreams. Ricki returns to lend motherly support when her daughter faces a difficult time. Ricki also tries to repair relations with her other adult children, as well as her former husband.

Meryl Streep has already proven she can sing in past movies, including “Mamma Mia” and “Postcards from the Edge.” Her musical skills are on display again in “Ricki and the Flash.”

Streep’s parenting is also on display. The daughter in distress⁸ in “Ricki” is played by Maggie Gummer, Meryl Streep’s real-life adult child.

Words in This Story

bore – v. to make (someone) tired and annoyed by being uninteresting or too much the same

animation – n. a way of making a movie by using a series of drawings, computer graphics⁹, or photographs of objects (such as puppets or models) that are slightly different from one another and that when viewed quickly one after another create the appearance of movement

anticipate – v. to expect or look ahead to (something) with pleasure 

distress – n. unhappiness or pain: suffering that affects the mind or body

1 animation   

n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作

参考例句：

• They are full of animation as they talked about their childhood.当他们谈及童年的往事时都非常兴奋。
• The animation of China made a great progress.中国的卡通片制作取得很大发展。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 minions   

n.奴颜婢膝的仆从( minion的名词复数 )；走狗；宠儿；受人崇拜者

参考例句：

• She delegated the job to one of her minions. 她把这份工作委派给她的一个手下。 来自辞典例句
• I have been a slave to the vicious-those whom I served were his minions. 我当过那帮坏人的奴隶，我伺候的都是他的爪牙。 来自辞典例句

4 animated   

adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的

参考例句：

• His observations gave rise to an animated and lively discussion.他的言论引起了一场气氛热烈而活跃的讨论。
• We had an animated discussion over current events last evening.昨天晚上我们热烈地讨论时事。

5 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

6 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

7 romance   

n.恋爱关系，浪漫气氛，爱情小说，传奇

参考例句：

• She wrote a romance about an artist's life in Tokyo.她写了一个关于一位艺术家在东京生活的浪漫故事。
• They tried to rekindle the flames of romance.他们试图重燃爱火。

8 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

9 graphics   

n.制图法，制图学；图形显示

参考例句：

• You've leveraged your graphics experience into the video area.你们把图形设计业务的经验运用到录像业务中去。
• Improved graphics took computer games into a new era.经改进的制图技术将电脑游戏带进了一个新时代。