When reading Shakespeare’s plays, students always struggle with the language and understanding the plot. One of my go-to ways to ensure students understand what is happening is to show movies based on the plot. When teaching Romeo and Juliet, there are several adaptations of it. However, these are some of my favorites that students are interested in – and also are sometimes surprised these movies are based on Romeo and Juliet.
Make sure to check the age rating for the movies, as I know that districts and schools have different policies. Our policy is that we can show PG-13 and R with parent permission. But I definitely stay away from R-rated movies for my freshmen and sophomore classes!
**This post contains affiliate links, where if you make a purchase through the links, I receive compensation, at no extra cost to you. To learn more about this, please read my Privacy and Disclosure Policy Page.**
One of my Favorite Ways to Use Movies in the Classroom
When I’m showing a film in class that is based on a text that we’ve read, I always have an assignment that goes with it. Albeit, it’s a fairly easy assignment. I ask students to compare the text to the film with asking these three questions:
- What things are the same?
- What things are different?
- Why were those changes made?
This can be as basic as having students complete a Venn diagram, or even creating a fill-in-the-blank that highlights the comparisons you want them to notice.
1. Romeo + Juliet [PG-13]
This version is the “Leonardo diCaprio” version. It is a more modern version, where they use guns instead of swords. But they still use the Shakespearan language, so it’s a nice way to show the actions with the language!
2. Gnomeo and Juliet [G]
My freshmen ALWAYS request Gnomeo and Juliet. This is the current “Romeo and Juliet” movie that students seem to know, recognize, and enjoy. If you want one that is cute and fun, this is a great option to choose.
3. Warm Bodies [PG-13]
This is my personal favorite to show, as it is a movie based on Romeo and Juliet, with zombies!
For Warm Bodies, I have a worksheet that is available in my TPT Store if you’re interested! It’s a fill-in-the-blank version that shows the original information of Romeo and Juliet and how the movie makes changes.
4. West Side Story [PG-13]
This is a classic Romeo and Juliet based movie. Plus it’s a musical, so your students that are in theater or music classes will be extra into this version! There are two main versions – one from 2021 and 1961.
5. Lion King II: Simba’s Pride [G]
While the sequel to the Lion King is fine, it does play off of the Romeo and Juliet plot. If you’re looking for an animated movie based on Romeo and Juliet, this is a great option to use.
6. Bring It On: In It to Win It [PG-13]
Bring It On has fun connections to West Side Story, so of course, it is also a Romeo and Juliet based movie. But with competitive cheerleading to drive the plot!
If you’re looking for more movies based on Romeo and Juliet, check out this post from Good Movie Finder that provides a few more options!
1 Comment
love this post on romeo based movies, I have seen them all but still great suggestions