Credit 10

6/19/2013

Epic is an upcoming 3D computer animated film loosely based on William Joyce's children book The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs. The movie tells the story of a young girl named Mary Katherine, who lives in a cabin in the woods with her father and dog. One day, while out searching for her father, Mary Katherine happens upon a group of glowing, falling leaves. She catches one of the leaves and is shrunken down. In her new minuscule state, she discovers a group of warriors, known as the Leafmen. Mary Katherine works with the Leafman as they fight the Boggans and their villainous leader Mandrake to save their miniature world and, in the process, saves the real world.

Epic features an all-star cast and will be released nationally on May 24. Students can get a sneak peek by watching the trailer, below. After viewing, have students complete the following exercises, designed to improve their writing and critical thinking skills.

8 Comments

Writing Prompt:

Mary Katherine, the main character in Epic, works with the Leafman to save their world, even though her father is missing. Have you ever put aside your own problems to help someone in need? Your example doesn’t have to be extreme. Think about instances in which you stopped worrying about a test to help a friend or even a time you worked to make someone feel better, even though you were unhappy yourself. Describe your sacrifice and how it made you feel to help someone else.

In Epic, the Leafmen are miniscule characters, smaller than people in the 'real world'. Why do you think the writer chose to 'shrink' these characters? Would the story be the same if the Leafmen were a 'normal' size?

Epic features a miniscule world where the residents depend on and defend the forest. Writers and filmmakers often try to create thought-provoking stories to help shine a light on a variety of important issues in our society. What message(s) do you think the filmmakers are trying to share with this story?