Film synopsis: "Nikki and the Dolphins"
1. A film synopsis.
Read this synopsis of a film.
THE
MIRACLE WORKER
Directed
by Arthur Penn (1962)
The film tells the true story of a young girl, Helen Keller (played by Patty Duke), who has been unable to see, hear, or speak since she caught scarlet fever at the age of nineteen months. Her inability to communicate has left her frustrated and violent. Her parents are unable to help her.
In desperation, they seek help from the Perkins Institute, who send them partially-sighted Annie Sullivan to help. Annie (played by Anne Bancroft) tries to treat Helen as normally as possible, but soon finds herself battling the girl's resistance. Through persistence and love, Annie breaks through Helen's walls of silence and teaches her to communicate. A key scene in the film is when Annie breaks Helen's resistance, enabling her to say her first word: "Water". This happens when...
4. Write.
First read the article about Nikki and the dolphins and then prepare a brief synopsis of a projected film treatment of the story. Your synopsis should be between 150 and 200 words.
Check spelling, grammar and organisation of your synopsis carefully.
Dolphins Help Mute Boy to Speak
In what sounds like the scenario for a Hollywood film, an eight-year-old boy has spoken his first words after swimming with dolphins.
Starved
of oxygen at birth, Nikki Brice, from Somerset, England, has always
had the physical ability to speak but he has never learned to use
it. Having tried various speech
therapists with no success, the boy's family
raised £10,500 to take him to the Human Dolphin Therapy
Centre in Miami, Florida. Within
days of being at the centre, where youngsters
swim with the mammals, he had uttered
his first few halting
words.
"We hadn't been there long when Nikki was told to get out of the water at the end of a dolphin swimming session and he stood very quietly at the side of the tank," said his mother, Tabitha.
"I think he thought he wouldn't be allowed to swim with the dolphins again because he suddenly pointed at the water and said: "In".
"We all just stood there in shock because it was so unexpected, but once we got over it we quickly told him that he could go in again and he soon cheered up."
Nikki is now being coached how to use his vocal cords and is picking up other new words, like "please".
Scientists are still undecided as to why dolphins have a healing effect on people suffering from depression or learning difficulties. Some believe the underwater sounds that dolphins make may play a part. Meanwhile Mrs Brice is overjoyed by the progress Nikki has made. She said: "There is something magical that happens between children and dolphins, something that I don't think we will ever fully understand."