Mean Girls (2004)
Cady has been home-schooled for her first 16 years, so when she enters a public school for the first time, the movie introduces her (and us) to the complicated interactions of adolescent girls. She initially bonds with two social outcasts1), who devise a plan for Cady to infiltrate2) the Plastics3), a trio of popular girls led by Regina.
After she gains acceptance in the clique4), Cady begins to subtly undermine5) Regina by trying to make her gain weight and turning the other two Plastics against her—in essence6), the bullied becomes a bully. As she is more and more successful, Cady loses her sense of self and becomes a new version of the queen bee7). What started as a joke becomes real as she turns just as mean as Regina.
Mean Girls brings shades of gray8) to the typical bully/victim paradigm9). Everyone here is a player in an endless cycle of bullying and being bullied. When Cady gives in to the pettiness10) and vanity11) of the Plastics, the movie shows how intoxicating12) popularity can be, and how easy it is to switch from victim to bully, and back again.

About a Boy (2002)
Marcus, an eccentric13) 12-year-old boy has a complicated home life: his mother is depressed and he is eager to please her, adopting her odd style of dress and vegetarianism14). For this, he is frequently avoided and ridiculed by his classmates. Even the \"weirdo\" kids in his school don't want to associate with him.
When Marcus meets Will15), he begins to use Will's apartment as a sanctuary16) from the bullies who chase him after school. Will initially encourages Marcus to appear like the other kids, but when Will buys Marcus new sneakers17) to try to fit in, Marcus' classmates promptly steal them. Marcus is unique because he is somewhat defiant18) of his bullies. He knows, as Will suggests, that if he tried to blend19) in more, he might not be such an obvious target. But he is willing to take the abuse and isolation at school because of his overriding20) love for his mother. Such strength of character is remarkable, and it pays off: in the end, Marcus is able to gain friends and find happiness without having to change himself.
Toy Story 3 (2010)
A stuffed bear named Lotso seems a little warm and fuzzy21) for your typical bully, but don't be deceived—he is more threatening than the average toy. In Toy Story 3, he rules over a daycare center with an iron fist22) and an army of loyal minions23).
The movie finds our toys accidentally thrown out by Andy and his family. They wind up24) at Sunnyside Day Care, where their dreams of being played with every day are quickly dashed25) after they are abused by boisterous26) toddlers. As the tyrannical27) dictator28) of the daycare, Lotso has set up a system where newcomers are subjected29) to the toddler room, and veterans enjoy the comparatively lush30) company of the older children. At night, a group of security guards and cameras ensure that no one escapes this prison.
Though he is initially an unsympathetic character, the movie reveals that Lotso was once unintentionally abandoned by his owner, and when he found his way back home, he discovered that he had been replaced with an identical bear. Feeling hurt and betrayed, Lotso now believes that love doesn't exist, and wants to ensure that everyone around him is also miserable. Toy Story 3 shows that genuine connection with others can be an effective coping technique when dealing with the bullies ... be they stuffed animals, or humans.
Chicken Little (2005)
He's tiny, he's smart and he's afraid of a little debris31) falling on his head. Worse than that, he's the target of school bullies. Chicken Little32) and his motley33) crew of friends get made fun of, picked on34) and ridiculed all because they are different. They're also teased because Chicken Little thinks the sky is going to fall, of course. This doesn't help his case any and the whole town is criticizing him, which embarrasses his father.
Like many who are bullied, Chicken Little has a different appearance, and exhibits different behavior. This story is a reminder that different does not equal bad, and we should not be so quick to judge others.
Chicken Little is your basic movie about trying to fit in, but no matter what he does the situation gets worse.
Sky High (2005)
Sky High is a high school for superheroes. The Commander's35) son Will has officially started school, but has one problem: he has no superpowers. Because of that, he gets thrown into the crowd of \"Hero Support\". Being the Commander's son does not have its benefits. Warren Peace, the son of the man the Commander put in jail, is his archenemy36); two Sky High bullies pick on him and his friends; and a gym teacher treats them all like dirt37).
The main theme of Sky High is that you have to rise up to the challenge38) as you face many obstacles.
《賤女孩》(2004年)
卡迪出生16年來一直都是在家接受教育,所以當她第一次進入一所公立學校時,這部電影便將她(和我們)帶入了青春期女孩之間錯綜復雜的糾葛之中。她起初和兩個被排除在社交圈以外的同學很親近,他們給卡迪設計了一個計劃,讓她打入一個名為“整形塑料人”的小圈子。這個小圈子由三個很受歡迎的女孩組成,為首的名叫雷吉娜。
卡迪在這個小圈子中獲得認可之后,便開始暗中算計雷吉娜,想方設法讓她變胖,還讓另外兩名成員與她反目——實質上,被欺凌者變成了欺凌者。隨著卡迪越來越受歡迎,她失去了自我,變成了新版的大姐大。開始的一句玩笑后來變成了現實,她變得和雷吉娜一樣壞。
《賤女孩》將不確定性引入了欺凌與被欺凌的典型模式之中,置身其中的每個人都是欺凌他人和被人欺凌這個無限循環中的一個游戲玩家。當卡迪屈服于“整形塑料人”的狹隘和虛榮時,這部電影就展示了名氣會多么容易讓人得意忘形,以及從受害者變成欺凌者再變回受害者是多么輕而易舉。
《關于一個男孩》(2002年)
12歲的古怪男孩馬庫斯有著復雜的家庭生活:他的媽媽精神抑郁,而他一心想要討她開心,于是接受了她奇怪的穿衣風格和素食習慣。為此,他常常被班上的同學們疏遠和嘲笑。甚至學校里的那些“怪”孩子也不想和他打交道。
當馬庫斯遇到威爾之后,他開始把威爾的公寓當成避難所,來躲避那些放學后追著欺負他的人。威爾一開始還鼓勵馬庫斯穿成其他孩子那樣,可當他給馬庫斯買了一雙新運動鞋好讓他與大家打成一片時,馬庫斯的同學卻立馬把新鞋給偷走了。馬庫斯與眾不同,因為他有些不把欺凌他的那些人放在眼里。他知道,正如威爾所建議的那樣,如果他更加努力地融入大家,也許他就不會成為這樣一個明顯的“靶子”。但是,他卻心甘情愿在學校里遭受欺凌和孤立,因為他對媽媽的愛勝過了一切。這樣的人格力量非常了不起,而且也得到了回報。最后,馬庫斯無須改變自己也可以贏得朋友,找到幸福。
《玩具總動員3》(2010年)
與你心目中典型的欺凌者形象相比,一只名叫勞蘇的毛絨玩具熊似乎有點可愛,但你不要被騙了——他可比一般的玩具更有威脅性。在《玩具總動員3》中,他是日托中心的老大,在那兒實行高壓統治,并擁有一大群忠心耿耿的下屬。
在電影中,玩具們被安迪和他的家人在不經意間給丟棄了。他們最終來到了桑尼賽德日托中心,在那里他們那每天都能有人跟自己玩的夢想很快便破滅了,因為那些精力旺盛的學步兒童對他們百般蹂躪。作為日托中心專橫的獨裁者,勞蘇已經建立起一個體系,新來的玩具被送到學步兒童的房間任其擺布,而資歷老的玩具則可以享受年齡稍大的孩子們相對舒適的陪伴。在晚上,還有一群保安和一組攝像機來確保沒有誰逃出這里。
盡管勞蘇起初是一個沒有同情心的角色,但電影中透露了他曾經被自己的主人在無意中丟棄,而當他設法回到家時,卻發現自己已被一只一模一樣的玩具熊取代了。勞蘇感到很受傷,覺得自己遭到了背叛,現在的他并不相信愛的存在,并想要確保身邊的所有人也都同樣悲慘。《玩具總動員3》告訴我們:與他人真誠相處可能會是與欺凌者打交道的一種有效的應對技巧,無論欺凌者是毛絨動物玩具還是人類。
《四眼天雞》(2005年)
它很小,很機靈,對掉在自己頭上的小碎片很害怕。更糟糕的是,它是學校里被欺凌的對象。四眼天雞和它那群雜七雜八的朋友們總是被取笑、刁難和戲弄,就因為它們與眾不同。當然,它們之所以被嘲笑還因為四眼天雞認為天將會塌下來。這個想法對它的處境毫無幫助,反而整個鎮上的動物都在指責它,這讓它的爸爸非常難堪。
就像很多被欺凌者一樣,四眼天雞從外表上就與眾不同,而且行為也異乎尋常。這個故事提醒我們,與眾不同并不等于品行不好,而且我們不應太快對他人做出評判。
《四眼天雞》是一部關于努力與大家融洽相處的必看電影,不過不管四眼天雞做了什么,情況總是變得越來越糟。
《超人高校》(2005年)
超人高校是一所為超級英雄開設的高中。指揮官的兒子威爾正式開始上學了,但卻有這樣一個問題:他沒有超能力。正因如此,他被扔進“英雄助手”的行列。做指揮官的兒子并沒有什么特殊待遇。他的頭號敵人是沃倫·皮斯,其父親被指揮官關進了監獄;超人高校的兩個小霸王常常捉弄他和他的朋友們;一位體育老師也完全不把他們當回事兒。
《超人高校》的主題是,在重重困難面前,你必須直面挑戰。
1.outcast [?a?tkɑ?st] n. 被拋棄的人;被排斥的人
2.infiltrate [??nf?ltre?t] vt. 滲透,潛入(某組織)
3.the Plastics: “整形塑料人”。這是片中由三位嬌嬌女所組成的一個小團體,雷吉娜是她們當中的大姐大。她們都有著顯赫的家世,不但身材很棒,打扮也頗為時尚。不過,她們雖然看起來光鮮亮麗,實際上卻非常膚淺。
4.clique [kli?k] n. 小圈子;小集團
5.undermine [??nd??ma?n] vt. 逐漸損害(削弱);暗中破壞
6.in essence: 本質上,實質上
7.queen bee: 大姐大,指在校園或其他群體、圈子里很受歡迎或很有地位的女性。
8.shades of gray: 不確定性;灰色區域
9.paradigm [?p?r?da?m] n. 典范;范例
10.pettiness [?petin?s] n. 狹隘;小心眼
11.vanity [?v?n?ti] n. 虛榮(心);自負;自大
12.intoxicating [?n?t?ks?ke?t??] adj. 令人陶醉的;使人得意忘形的
13.eccentric [?k?sentr?k] adj. 古怪的;與眾不同的
14.vegetarianism [?ved???te?ri?n?z?m] n. 素食主義
15.Will: 影片的男主角威爾。他是一名38歲的單身漢,但卻絲毫沒有成家的想法,只想一直過著無拘無束的自由生活。一次偶然的經歷讓他發現與單身媽媽交往是一種不錯的選擇,于是他便參加了單身家長聯誼會,并與一位名叫蘇茜(Susie)的單身媽媽結識。兩人第一次約會時,蘇茜把朋友12歲的兒子馬庫斯也一起帶來了,威爾與馬庫斯之間的故事就此展開。
16.sanctuary [?s??kt?u?ri] n. 庇護所;避難所
17.sneaker [?sni?k?(r)] n. 膠底帆布鞋
18.defiant [d??fa??nt] adj. 藐視的,蔑視的
19.blend [blend] vi. 融合;協調
20.overriding [???v??ra?d??] adj. 壓倒一切的;首要的
21.warm and fuzzy: 讓人感覺溫暖愉悅的
22.rule ... with an iron fist: 對……實行嚴酷的高壓統治
23.minion [?m?ni?n] n. (工作無關緊要、服從別人命令的)下屬;仆從
24.wind up: 以……告終
25.dash [d??] vt. 使破滅;使受挫
26.boisterous [?b??st?r?s] adj. 愛吵鬧的;活蹦亂跳的;精力旺盛的
27.tyrannical [t??r?n?kl] adj. 暴君似的;專橫的;殘暴的
28.dictator [d?k?te?t?(r)] n. 獨裁者;專橫霸道的人
29.subject [?s?bd??kt] vt. 使順從;使隸屬
30.lush [l??] adj. 使感官愉快的
31.debris [?debri?] n. 碎片
32.Chicken Little: 影片的主角四眼天雞。它個頭很小,膽子也很小,還戴著一副滑稽可笑的大眼鏡。影片的開頭,它拉響了學校的鈴鐺,告訴大家天要塌下來了,而且有一小塊碎片掉在了自己的頭上,并宣稱這將會帶來巨大的災難,使整個小鎮都陷入了恐慌之中。
33.motley [?m?tli] adj. 混雜的;形形色色的;雜七雜八的
34.pick on: 請參見P5注釋5
35.the Commander: 指揮官。在電影中,他是當今世界上最知名的超級英雄之一,也是威爾的父親,力大無窮且刀槍不入。
36.archenemy [?ɑ?t??en?mi] n. 頭號大敵;主要敵人
37.treat sb. like dirt: 瞧不起某人;視某人如草芥;不把某人當人看
38.rise to the challenge: 接受挑戰;贏得挑戰