КіноКава: Steve (coming for tea)



Download a lesson "Steve (coming for tea)", script, interview with the director (pdf)

This short film features a cast of Colin Firth, Keira Knightley and Tom Mison. It is directed by Rupert Friend and has the rather lengthy synopsis, which goes something like this:

"Steve is a story about a man who came to tea"


Episode 1: The day before yesterday

1. Questions on the episode I.
  1. Why is the couple arguing?
  2. Who is Steve? Why has he visited the couple for the first time?

2. Match the words with their definitions.

 1. be through sth  a. to charge with the fault, offense, or crime
 2. shirk  b. to bring to a conclusion; settle finally or successfully
 3. patch  c. to make something fall into something drop by drop
 4. accuse sb of doing sth  d. a child, esp. an annoying, spoiled, or impolite child
 5. wrap sth up  e. to avoid work or neglect duty
 6. brat  f. a piece of cloth that you sew over a hole in clothes
 7. pushed  g. loss of water as a result of some damage
 8. leak  h. a person who installs and repairs pipes
 9. drip  i. short (of) or in need (of time, money, etc.)
 10. plumber  j. done or finished, especially successfully



Episode 2: Yesterday

1. Explain the meanings of the words and fill in the gaps with the correct ones.

reciprocation / faulty / gen up / sparks / courtesy / keep sb up / grab one's seat / treat / jack in / cease
  1. I know, let's all go to the pictures, my ..................
  2. And if the music .................. at three, then I get two hours sleep.
  3. He said he couldn't find anything .................. anywhere.
  4. It did not require .................., least of all from you….
  5. So which of you two bright .................. thought it would be a good idea to play your Hip-Hop music all night long last night?
  6. After lunch let's .................. whatever we had to do.
  7. Don't you just hate it when someone .................. you've had your eye on, you know, whether bus, or cinema, or whatever?
  8. I'm sorry if someone .................., but it wasn't us.
  9. Common .................. dictates a warning at least, if not an invitation, uhm?
  10. I really can't claim to be .................. on everything the kids are listening to nowadays.

Episode 3: Today

 1. chuckleheaded  
 2. willy-nilly  
 3. telly  
 4. fave  
 5. matey  









1. Questions on the episode II and III.
  1. What was the reason for Steve’s visit in the following episodes?
  2. How did the couple feel about Steve?

2. Watch the episode III again and fill in the gaps with words you hear.

And you'll make the tea. A whole pot, for the whole .................. (1). And you'll put out a nice plate of biscuits, chocolate biscuits. And we'll say: "Oh, I shouldn't!", and we'll all have one. I'll have four. Then I'll .................. (2) and I'll .................. (3) at my own greed.

Then we will all laugh, and there will be a momentary .................. (4), we will look out of the window and comment on the unusual .................. (5) for the time of year. You will .................. (6), and I'll say: "Go on then"! And then we will talk derogatorily about all our mutual friends in order to further .................. (7) the irrefutable .................. (8) of friendship that we had between us.

Before I go you we will make definite plans to see one another again, which we will only loosely .................. (9), but this will not matter, because we know that true friendship does not need to be recharged on a regular basis, but survives because of the strong foundation on which it is built. After I have gone, you will remark on a many good qualities that I have, and on what a good friend I am. And that you are of course .................. (10) that I'm living alone.

Put the kettle on!

3. Discussion.
  1. Who would you say is the central character in the movie?
  2. Describe the main characters.
  3. How is the Steve's behavior changing throughout the movie?