Now that you have selected the movie you want to review and watched it bearing in mind the evaluative criteria listed above, you are ready to begin writing your review.

1.Format
Your review should have a title page specifying the title of the movie you are reviewing, your name, the names of your instructor and class, your student ID number, and the date you are submitting the review. The title page should be followed by the body of the review, which should be about 750 words long – about three double-spaced pages using a 12-point font. If you cite any sources, the full citations should appear in a separate References section at the end. Use the standard Chicago citation style (see http://library.osu.edu/sites/guides/chicagogd.php).
2.Story, Dialogue, Action!
Movies tell stories, and so should your review. Dialogue and action bring stories to life, and you can increase your readers’ interest by quoting revealing snippets of dialogue and describing the action that takes place during important scenes. These narrative elements are especially effective when used in the introductory paragraphs because they help to engage the reader. Remember, though, that your job is not to tell the whole story of the movie but to focus on aspects of sociological relevance. Don’t let the movie’s narrative control you; use the movie to tell your sociological story.
3.Argument
The main body of your review – all but the introductory and concluding paragraphs – should develop your sociological argument. This is where you tell the reader about the sociological significance of the movie, applying one or more of the five criteria listed above. Roughly two-thirds of the review should be devoted to this purpose.
4.Summary
A summary paragraph should concisely state your main conclusion and leave the reader with something to think about after he or she finishes reading the review. You may provoke the reader by asking a telling question, identifying an intriguing paradox or mentioning an unresolved issue.
5.Keep it Real
Your review should be grammatical and you should always use correct spelling and punctuation. But beyond these obvious requirements, remember that it always pays to write in a straightforward way. Don’t use flowery prose. Employ sociological terms sparingly. Remember that a sentence is the shortest distance between two points. Avoid the passive voice (“John saw the car,” not “The car was seen by John”). Don’t use big words when small words will do as well. Use the spell-check and grammar-check features of your word processing program. Read and re-read your review. Then read it again. You can always improve it.

Online Resources
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times is probably the most popular movie reviewer in the United States – and deservedly so. Profoundly knowledgeable about the movies and their history, Ebert writes plainly, amusingly, and without airs. He often sees through superficialities, thereby discovering what others miss, and he has a good sociological eye. Visit http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage for his reviews.

The Internet Movie Database at http://us.imdb.com/search allows you to retrieve information on thousands of movies by conducting online searches for titles, actors, characters, and so forth. It’s an invaluable resource for tracking down information and drawing connections.

Nearly 50 movie reviews have appeared in the various editions of Sociology: Your Compass for a New World. They are available online at http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/brym/SocAtMovies.html.