1. Which subject are the students studying at the beginning of the fi lm? 2. What do the students say when the lesson in Joseph’s home country fi nishes? 3. Why do you think the teacher selects Seth Quinn to do the sum on the board? 4. How many goals does Joseph tell his father he scored in the last game? 5. Why do you think Christian Kelly does not punch Joseph? 6. How do the boys bond in the end?
7. If you were to show this fi lm to a group of First Years, what is the overall message you would hope that they would come away with?
Explore
1. Why do you think Christian Kelly makes an insulting remark to Joseph? 2. From whose perspective do we understand the story? 3. What technique does the director use to indicate that a flashback is taking place?
4. What differences do you notice between the education system in Ireland and the education system in Joseph’s home country?
5. Would you agree that there are moments of humour in this fi lm? Give reasons for your answer.
6. What is your impression of the Irish teacher in this fi lm? Do you think she could have handled the situation better? If so, what could she have done?
7. Choose two adjectives to describe Hazel, and explain your choices.
8. Which adjective listed below do you think best describes this fi lm? Give two reasons for your answer. Touching Thought-provoking Memorable
9. How is the theme of breaking barriers relevant to this fi lm? 10. What feelings were you left with at the end of this fi lm?
Create 1. Write a review of New Boy.
2. You have been asked to select a fi lm to show for an anti-bullying campaign. Give three reasons why you believe New Boy would be a good choice for this event.
3. Write a six-step survival guide for a fi rst day in a new school in the space provided on page 54 of your Portfolio.
