Mister Biscuits — Tom Levinge, 2018
John has been left miserable after breaking up with his girlfriend. When his friend goes away on a trip, he agrees to look after her house and her beloved pet. This seemingly simple task becomes more interesting – and much funnier – when he meets Mister Biscuits. Can he heal John’s broken heart?
An adorable and hilarious look at the love and joy our pets can bring into our lives and finding hope and friendship in unexpected places.
Classroom Activities
Print All- Critical
- Cultural
- Creative
- Clip Details
Critical
- Watch the film from the start until 01:03. How does the filmmaker build up the mystery of Mister Biscuits?
- Freeze-frame the film at 01:02. What do you notice about the costumes? Why do you think this choice has been made?
- This is a film where editing plays a huge part in creating the comedy. Can you identify any moments where certain cuts have been used to make a sequence funny? (For example, setting up a question in one shot then jump-cutting to the answer.)
- Watch the film from 04:27 to 05:43. What are all the different techniques used here to show the growing bond between John and Mister Biscuits? (Look at camerawork, editing, sound, lighting, colour…)
- Freeze frame at 04:21 and then at 06:02 – what’s the clear difference here? What does it reveal about their relationship?
- How does the final scene between John and Mister Biscuits show the end of their relationship?
Cultural
- What films, TV shows, books etc. can you think of that feature dogs as an important element of the plot? How are they presented (heroic, troublesome, loving…)? Do dogs tend to have the same kind of representation in these different stories?
- Why do you think people love dogs so much? What benefits do they bring to our lives?
- What is your favourite animal? Why? Does it reveal something about your personality? In what ways? If not, what animal does represent you and why?
- Some cultures view the consumption of dog meat as part of their traditional or day-to-day cuisine, while other cultures consider consumption of dog meat a taboo. It was estimated in 2014 that worldwide, 27 million dogs are eaten each year by humans. Do you think this is acceptable? Why (not)? Debate each side of the argument.
Creative
WRITE
- Write a short story or poem about how Mister Biscuits has viewed this whole situation. What does he think about John?
- Write a story about an unusual friendship.
- Write a personal essay about your experience with a pet or another animal.
FILMMAKING
- Make a film about someone taking care of an unusual pet.
- Imagine yourselves as various common house pets. Make a film of talking heads where each pet talks about their feelings, habits and owners. What would a cat say? A rabbit? A hamster?
DRAW
- What are the most important needs of a dog? Draw a poster that could be used to advise pet owners of these.
DRAMA
- Practice moving like a dog or another typical pet. Team up with a partner who can act the part of the pet’s owner.
Clip Details
| Year of Production | 2018 |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy |
| Curriculum Areas | Health and Wellbeing, Literacy and English, Religious and Moral Education |
| Director | Tom Levinge |
| Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
| Medium / Content | Live Action, Fiction, Colour, Sound |
| Themes | Feelings, Relationships, Loss / Memories, Identity / Self, Intolerance / Misconceptions |
| Clip Length | 07:43 |
| Clip Length | 07:43 |
| Age Group | S1-S3, S4-S6 |
