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Movie Review: New York Minute
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Twins don’t let detours stand in their way
Your family is working like crazy to plan a surprise party for Dad. You’ve secretly sent out invitations, and your kids planned to take him to a matinee while the guests arrive. But come party day, Dad says he doesn’t feel like seeing a movie. And your daughter thinks he accidentally spotted the party hats. You all scramble to come up with Plan B so the party will go off without a hitch.
The film New York Minute can help your kids see how to creatively work around obstacles to accomplish their goals. And our activity, “Roadblock Roll,” brings the lesson to life.
In their first feature film, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen play suburban twins Jane and Roxy Ryan, who couldn’t be more different. On this particular day, Jane (Ashley Olsen), a neurotic scholar, is on her way to make an important speech as a finalist for a full scholarship to Oxford University.
Roxy (Mary-Kate Olsen), a wild child, forges a sick note so she can go to a music video shoot, where she hopes to persuade music producers to listen to her band’s demo CD.
The girls’ plans start to stray when a music pirater places a computer chip in Roxy’s bag. A man looking for the chip kidnaps the girls. Together, Jane and Roxy must escape-wading through sewers, braving ledges of skyscrapers, and dodging a hypervigilant truant officer-in order to make their dreams come true.
Family Activity: Roadblock Roll
Help your kids learn to roll with life’s punches by playing “Roadblock Roll.”
Share!
Consider Jane and Roxy’s goals in the movie-Jane needed to give a speech, and Roxy wanted to go to the music video shoot. Ask your kids what obstacles got in the characters’ way and how the girls dealt with their misfortunes.
How did Jane and Roxy deal with their “wrong turns”-from squabbling to improvising the scholarship speech? In the end, how did the barriers Jane and Roxy ran into help them grow closer?
As a family, think of the times you’ve had a great plan, but obstacles got in your way. How did you deal with the roadblocks so that you still accomplished your goal? Think of some of the great experiences you’ve had that you would have missed if not for the bumps along the way.
Play!
Materials needed:
- One bowl of ice cream for each player
- A cube-shaped cardboard box for each player, to be the “dice”
- Non-patterned wrapping paper
- Permanent marker
The goal of this game is to get to the ice cream before it melts. Players cross the room by using jumbo dice to make their moves.
Wrap each box with wrapping paper. Using the permanent marker, write a roadblock on each side of the dice-obstacles that would make it tough to move forward. For example, “You’re stuck in mud. Move in slow motion for 15 seconds,” “Animal Crossing! Crabwalk sideways 10 steps,” “Yield! Tiptoe two steps,” and “Landslide! Skip backward twice, and forward once.”
Have the players stand on one side of the room and place the bowls of ice cream on the other side. Decide which person is the dice roller. Roll the die for the first player. Whatever roadblock comes up, that player must obey the directions. The dice roller then rolls the other die for the second player. Continue taking turns until everyone reaches the ice cream.
Point out that the easiest way to get to the ice cream is to simply walk across the room. But sometimes, although your goals might seem easy, obstacles can pop up. In the end, you can reach your final destination if you learn to steer your wrong turns in the right direction.
E-mail your comments or ideas to filmfun@cinematters.com!
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