Movie Review Guidelines PDF

March 2006 1
The SRV JOURNAL

74 Elm Street•Worcester, MA 01609 USA•508 752 3670•[email protected]
Basic guidelines on writing a movie review

for The SRV Journal
Some contributors to this journal have asked for advice on writing movie reviews. In response,
we put together the following basic elements, and we hope that you find them helpful. Not all of
the elements listed below may be applicable to all movies. These guidelines are meant to be
suggestions, they are not meant to be followed slavishly nor are they meant to be exhaustive. For
example, we would like a movie review to address the six general points described below, but not
all of the questions included in points three to five necessarily have to be discussed. There may
also be additional questions or points of interest which you might want to cover.
A format note: a movie review for this journal should run one to three pages (font Times New
Roman, size 12, single space; or roughly 500 to 1500 words) at most. Please contact the editor
with any other questions. Thank you.
1) Heading: Include information about the movie, such as:
Name of the movie being reviewed

Director
Country in which the movie was produced
Year it was produced
Runtime (if known)
Sample:
Schindler’s List
Directed by Steven Spielberg
USA, 1993, 195 minutes
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2) Reviewer information: Name and title (if any) of reviewer
Sample:
Reviewed by Ann Taylor

Professor, Holy Cross College, Worcester, MA (USA)
Reviewed by Tina Carpenter

Parent, Vancouver, BC (CANADA)
3) Background information about the movie, its director and main actors: Include
information that might be helpful for readers to know, such as:
What topic, theme or problem(s) does the movie address?

What type of movie is it (e.g., documentary, biography, comedy, drama, action, romance,
musical, etc.)?
Was it based on a book?
Who wrote it, directed it, and acted in it? What else have they done or been in? Are any of the
actors socially devalued people?
Who is the intended audience of this movie (e.g., children, teenagers, adults; human service
professionals, the general public)?
As relevant, what was the context (e.g., historic, political, societal) in which the movie was
produced and shown?
Has it won any awards?
Is it similar to another movie?
4) Description of the movie: Summarize the story told in the movie; or if it is a documentary,
the main information it tries to convey. Things you might include here are: time and place of the
story; main characters; basic plot of the movie; special features being used (e.g., music,
photography, interviews, etc.); the mood which the movie tries to convey; major points it tries to
make; is it appropriate for children; is there violence, foul language, and/or sex?
If you want people to watch the movie, make sure that you do not give away the ending,
or any other information that takes the tension or fun out of it.
This part of the movie review should not be evaluative, but as descriptive as possible, and
attempt to give readers a clear overview of what the movie is about.
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5) Evaluation of the movie: This is the section in which you should share your relevant
personal opinion(s) about the movie, but make sure they are distinguishable from your
description (point 4). Describe your criteria or perspective for judging the movie, then state your
evaluation of it. The following issues might be discussed here:
In what ways is the movie relevant to Social Role Valorization?

What are the movie’s major strengths and weaknesses?
Does the film reinforce or counter any negative stereotypes about devalued people?
What was the particular idea behind the movie, a key moment of the movie, an impressive
character in the movie, or any other feature of the movie that fascinated you?
Do you agree or disagree with the message the movie conveys?
Did the screenplay author, the director, and the actors do a good job?
How could the movie be improved?
Who would benefit from watching this movie?
What is the major lesson to learn from this movie?
How does it compare to, or distinguish itself from, similar movies?
How did the movie affect you?
Would you recommend seeing this film?
6) Conclusion: Tie together any issues raised in the review, and end with a concise comment on
the movie.

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March 2006 1

The SRV JOURNAL

Basic guidelines on writing a movie review

1) Heading: Include information about the movie, such as:

Name of the movie being reviewed

2) Reviewer information: Name and title (if any) of reviewer

Reviewed by Ann Taylor

Reviewed by Tina Carpenter

What topic, theme or problem(s) does the movie address?

In what ways is the movie relevant to Social Role Valorization?

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