The document provides a checklist for students to use when drafting an essay reviewing a movie. It includes prompts to ensure the essay has a clear thesis, addresses disagreeing viewpoints, analyzes specific aspects of the movie using examples, properly cites outside sources, follows formatting guidelines regarding italics, title information, and verb tense when discussing the movie's content and reviews.

1. Rough Draft Checklist for Essay #1
Organization and Focus of Essay:
 Does your essay have a clear thesis statement? Is it clear to the reader what your
opinion of the movie is?
 Do you address the objections of two other reviewers who disagree with you?
Content of Essay:
 Are you specific in your critique? Do you examine specific aspects of the movie
such as: acting, dialogue, plot, music, special effects, directing, etc.? [NOTE: You
should NOT attempt to discuss all areas, but do look at a few of the more
important ones. Do not just say, “The movie was bad.” Explain why.]
 Do you use examples from the movie to back up your claims?
Using your outside sources:
 Do you place quotation marks around phrases/words that you directly copied
from the review?
 Do you refer to the critic (According to Roger Ebert…OR Roger Ebert believes
that…) in the text of your essay so that the reader knows whose opinion you are
quoting or summarizing?
 Do you include a works cited page? Is the works cited page formatted correctly?
Formatting:
 Did you place the title of your movie in italics? On the Waterfront
 Did you include this basic information - - either at the beginning of the essay or at
the end of the essay - - in a separate list, perhaps placed inside of a text box:
Title of film; director; year released
Main Actors:
Major awards won - - if any.
The amount of stars you have given the film: * * * *
Verb Tense Note:
When writing about the content of a review or when writing about the action in a
movie, use the present tense. For example,
In his review, Roger Ebert says that On the Waterfront is “one of the
greatest movies of all times.” Ebert points out that the Marlon Brando gives
perhaps his greatest performance in this film.
When the movie opens, Terry Malloy is a failed ex-boxer who lacks
direction in his life. He admires his older brother Charley who has an education.
By the end of the movie, Terry finds a purpose in life, which is to stand up to the
unfair practices of the mob-controlled union.