Jack and the Cockoo-Clock Heart: Making Difficult Decisions

This is a beautiful, magical and dramatic story of a mother who has to make a very difficult decision in life - giving her baby to be raised by someone wealthier, because she does not have the means to nurture him. It is a French animated movie spoken in English I loved it.

I. Work in pairs:

1. Have you ever had to make a difficult decision in your life? What made you decide what to do? Can you talk about it?

2. Have you ever made a wrong choice? Talk about it?

3. What would you do in the situations below? Explain your choices.

• You are offered a fantastic professional opportunity, but you would have to be two years and a half away from your husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend? There will not be any chances to see each other, just by using mobile devices (skype, facebook, etc). What would you do?
• You  have two children. A four year-old boy and a three-year old girl. A criminal tells you to sacrifice one of your children or both of them die. He won't choose; you have to do it. If you don't choose one of them, both of them die. You cannot sacrifice yourself to save both of them. If you do it, both of them die. What would you do? Who would you choose to survive?
• You saw your best friend's lover kissing another person. Your best friend loves her partner and is nine-month pregnant. You don't know how involved your friend's lover is with that stranger. Would you tell him/her what you saw?
• You receive the news that the person you love most will die in two months. This situation can't be changed. He/she has a lot of plans for the future and is very happy with her life, her accomplishments and expectations for the future. However, he/she is not in a hurry and is planning things slowly. What would you do? Warn him and make him enjoy life immediately, risking fostering depression and desperation? Would you let him/her waste his time and opportunities to enjoy the time that is left for him/her without worries?

II. Here are six questions one should ask himself before making a difficult choice. Answer the questions, connecting them with each of the four situations above:

Inspired by http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/7-questions-you-should-ask-yourself-when-faced-with-tough-decision-life.html

1. If I don’t do this now, will I regret it?

2. What am I afraid of?

3. What does my heart say?

4. Who am I really doing this for?

5. Will I like myself after this decision?

6. Can I cope with the consequences of my decision?

III. Watch the movie segment and answer the questions in exercise II. How would she probably answer those questions?

IV. What would you do if you were in her shoes? How would you answer those questions in exercise II if you were in her position?

POWERPOINT SLIDES 

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - JACK AND THE CUCKOO-CLOCK HEART