Video lesson

Welcome

Hi everyone! I’m glad you’re here. Today, we’re watching a scene from The Life List. It’s about a young woman named Alexandra whose mother has passed away - and she’s about to find out what she’s inherited. Things get emotional, awkward, and even a little funny. Let’s watch and learn.

Learn new words and phrases

At a later date – Not now! She has to wait. How fun. (Not.)

beloved – This just means “loved very much.” Her mom loved her dearly.

inheritance – That’s what someone leaves you after they die—money, a house, maybe even… a cat. In Alexandra’s case, it sounds mysterious.

asterisk – That little star symbol (*) you see in writing. It usually means “look at the footnote” or “there’s more to this.” Like a secret P.S.

privately – Not in front of everyone. Just for Alexandra. Ooh, secrets!

doing wills and dying - She’s being sarcastic. She doesn’t mean he’s been dying—that would be weird. She means he’s working with wills and people who are dying.

wills – A legal paper that says who gets your stuff after you die.

Thurgood Marshall – A famous, very serious U.S. Supreme Court judge. Alexandra is totally joking here. She’s being dramatic. This young lawyer is clearly not Thurgood Marshall.

take away - means remove, or take something that belongs to me. This is getting spicy. Alexandra’s mad and kind of making jokes. A bit of sarcasm again.

concern - a worried or nervous feeling about something, or something that makes you feel worried.

disinherit – That means to take someone out of your will. You leave them nothing. Cold, right? But the lawyer says Alexandra’s mom didn’t do that. So… what’s going on?

the thing is – we say this when we’re about to explain something important or give a reason. Like saying, “Here’s the truth” or “This is the real reason.”

Oh wow. This part’s really emotional. Curl up – to lie down in a cozy little ball, like a cat. She just wanted to feel close to her mom again. And all she wanted was… her mom’s bed. Not the money. Not the jewelry. Just something to feel her again. That’s touching.

pretend means to behave as if something is true when you know that it is not.

something else in mind – She had a different plan. Maybe a surprise? A mission? An adventure? Let’s see…

Wait, a DVD?! We’re back in the early 2000s, people! But yes – her mom left her a message on a DVD. (Very retro.)

butter churn – That’s a funny, old-fashioned joke. It’s a wooden thing people used to make butter a hundred years ago. Basically, she’s saying: “I don’t have old stuff like that!” She’s being sarcastic. Again.

start to make sense. It’s a mystery! There’s something in the envelope. Something personal from her mom.

So, what do you think Alexandra’s mom left her on that DVD? Maybe it’s something more meaningful than money. Don’t forget to practice some of the phrases we learned. See you next lesson.

Check yourself: try to watch full scene without subtitles

👉 Watch the second part of the lesson: 👇
Intermediate English | Learn with Movie Scene: Relationship Talk (The Life List Part 2)

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