Download Literature to Film

Literature to Film
“Supertoys Last All Summer Long” to AI
Answer the following questions after reading the short story.
1. Plot out the short story’s chart using the model given to you in class.
2. What did you feel the main theme of the short story was? Remember, theme is more than just an
idea – what did the author want us to learn or take away from reading this?
3. Create a movie treatment (a paragraph or so summary of what the movie and its script are about)
for the film. Keep in mind the film is 2.5 hours long and the short story is about 4 pages – there
is going to be a lot of additions. Be creative.
Answer the following after the film.
1. Does the opening scene in the conference room give you a sense of connection to the story?
Why or why not?
2. What did you feel about the addition of the subplot with Martin? How does it change the nature
of the story?
3. What were your impressions of David? Are his mannerisms, interactions with other characters,
etc. how you pictured them?
4. What did you think about Teddy? Is he how you pictured him from the short story?
5. Why the allusion to Pinocchio?
6. You can tell in the movie about where the short story left off. Do you feel the next few chapters
of the film (the pool scene and the scene in the countryside) go along with the nature of the
story? Why or why not?
7. After hearing the fill-in from the section we do not watch – do you feel that stays with the same
theme, conflict, and feeling? Why or why not?
8. What do you think about the ending? Is that how you pictured it? What do you think drifted too
far from the short story?
Take the following and develop it into an organized essay.
-What were the major themes of the short story “Supertoys Last All Summer Long?” How does
Aldiss show and develop these themes? What were the main themes of the film version
Artificial Intelligence? How did the screenwriter/director/cast show and develop these themes?
-Are the themes from the short story the same as the film? Why or why not?
Be sure to make reference to at least one specific moment from both the short story as
well as the film version.