KATHERINE

US, 1975, 97 minutes, Colour.
Sissy Spacek, Art Carney, Henry Winkler, Julie Kavner, Jane Wyatt.
Directed by Jeremy Kagan.

Katherine is a vigorous telemovie of the mid-seventies, reflecting on the changes that took place in American society from the mid-sixties to 1970: the involvement in volunteers abroad and the enthusiasm of the post-Kennedy period, the disillusionment and fears, the greater involvement in Vietnam, the greater awareness of Third World injustices, American protest, campus revolutions, underground movements and terrorism.

By taking an ordinary young plain girl as its focus, the film shows with some credibility the transforming influences for right and wrong on young Americans during this period. There is a lot of information given about the times. and visualizing of the situations in the United States as well an in South America. Questions of conscience are raised. A lot of material has since been revealed, of course, about the complexities of this period and assessment is now much easier. It is also easier to lay blame.

Sissy Spacek is impressive in the central role. She made a number of films like Prime Cut, Badlands, Carrie, Three Women, in which her striking acting ability is to the fore. Henry Winkler, in this period of his Happy Days series and prior to his acting career, is the young hero. The direction is by Jeremy Paul Kagan, who was to move into feature film-making with 'Heroes' (with Henry Winkler) giving a similar but more gentle kind of reflection on the aftermath of the Vietnam War and The Big Fix with Richard Dreyfus, a private eye thriller, harking back with some longing to the stirring days of the sixties and commenting adversely on the seeming complacency of the seventies. Katherine is a very interesting reflection of American troubled times.

1. The overall impact of this telemovie? Interest, entertainment, message? For what audience was it made? The American home audience? Non-American? audiences? Why was the film made? Message, a look at the past, stirring up social awareness?

2. The qualities of the film an a telemovie? For U.S. viewing, tailored for home viewing, for commercials? A look at the sixties and seventies American history? A picture of American politics? American overseas policy. revolution? The effect of the sixties on young America, on the parent generation, on the politicians and administrators?

3. The impact of the stars in this kind of film? Did they make the characters and plot credible? Make this kind of film available for a wider audience?

4. The importance of the structure of the film: the style of the interviews at the beginning and end? The placing of the mission and the bombing within these interviews? The structure of building up Katherine's experience year by year? The focus on Katherine herself on the stool? The inter-cutting of all these elements for total dramatic impact? Retaining audience interest, involvement, emotional impact?

5. How effective was the collage of the years of the film's duration? For the creation of atmosphere? The visual impact of this kind of material? The tone, the speeches? What happened to the United States during these years?

6. The background of the Presidents of the United States, personalities, policies? The early sixties enthusiasm, the change of tone with the Vietnam War, South American involvement? Volunteers abroad and zest, the changing Third World patterns and revolution Vietnam and violence and death? The impact of protest, violence? The dividing of the nation in attitudes?

7. How well did the film show the build-up of tension during these years, the rapid rate of change, the factors of this change? How do audiences view the impact of these years now?

8. How well did the film introduce us to Katherine? Documentary tone and style, the indication of political attitudes, the confrontation of the interviewers and the audience? Katherine as the ordinary American girl, changing throughout this period of United States change?

9. Sissy Spacek and her interpretation of Katherine? her appearance, age, presence? The importance of the sense of mission and her determination? Seeing her sitting on the stool the elements of her character that were manifested here, her reminiscences? The importance of her letter, her loving attitudes? How credible a girl, a character? How good were her intentions? Her actions? How typical was she of the girls of her age at that time? How much was she a product of America in turmoil? Patriotic Americans and the changes that the sixties wrought in them?

10. How well did the film show her home, wealthy background, education?

1964: the presentation of American schools. Katherine's ordinary friends, her serious approach, teaching, South America and its importance in 1964, her parents and their attitude?

1965: Volunteers going abroad, zest and enthusiasm, teaching and a sense of mission, the Franciscan and his influence, the effect of all this involvement on Katherine? The authenticity of Latin America? The confrontation with the owners, violence, the bandits, persecution, Katherine's living amongst the people and experiencing this first hand, her change of sympathies, questions of money? Her going out to these people?

1966-7: the contrast with home, the changes in America, the movements, Bob and his involvement? The world of teaching, the library? Racial attitudes and dangers, confrontations of blacks and whites? Katherine's attitudes and involvement? Sharing, her involvement in the movements, the shift to protest?

1968: her visits and the apparent changes in her character, attitude? The significance of the pregnancy? The talks with her mother and father and their attitudes, content? Comparisons with her school friends? The world of 1968 and protest, Chicago prison? Consolidating her in her attitudes and beliefs? What were her beliefs by 1968?

1969-70: Guns, the development of the underground movements, Bob and her experience with him, the abortion and the effect on her, violent action, her last home, the sense of mission and the bomb? How had she changed in five years? What did she hope to achieve? what had she achieved?

11. The portrait of the American mother and father -the values that they stood for, their style as persons, Elizabeth. ordinary life and clothes and parties etc.? The portrait of well-to-do middle America? The relevance of this life style to that of Vietnam. South America, the underground and protest movements?

12. Bob as a character, the values that he stood for, a particular type? The involvement with Katherine? The significance of the break?

13. The reality of revolutions, South America, terrorism? Audience attitudes towards these issues an influencing the response to the film?

14. The significance of the final comments - adequate for the film and its issues, for audience response?

15. The portrait of the United States - its place in the modern world, its belief in itself, wealth, the haves and the have-nots American society and its structures? Questions of revolution and violence, tolerance? Systems needing change? How can systems, how should systems be changed?