A 2000-2500 word paper that carefully follows MLA documentation guidelines (including double spacing), the Research Project will be your evaluation of a movie
based on a book and will include research involving four–six critiques of the movie, as well as your careful reading of the book. Essentially, you will compare the
movie to the book, examining such things as plot or setting changes, character interpretation, radical character changes (i.e. characters’ ages, characters introduced
or deleted), overall mood or atmosphere, etc. You might also work into your analysis any factual information (history, politics, economy of time) you feel appropriate.
Additionally, you might want to consider musical score, cinematography and costume design.
The real task will be working critical reviews of the movie into your writing. Most likely you will use them either to support your evaluation of the movie, or you
will argue against a critic’s opinion—with evidence, of course, to support your point. Because I won’t accept a paper that does not bring in sufficient critical movie
reviews, you should begin this part of the project soon. The best places to begin (with the exception of a real library, of course) are websites for Roger Ebert (from
the Chicago Suntimes), Entertainment Magazine, TNT’s Rough Cuts, washingtonpost.com, AMC Filmcritic.com, New York Times Review ( http://movies.nytimes.com) and
mrshowbiz.go.com. Hopefully, we will add to this online resource list.
Working with Lord of the Flies
