JONI

US, 1980, 105 minutes. Colour.
Joni Eareckson, Bert Remsen, Katherine de Hetre, Cooper Huckabee.
Directed by James F. Collier.

Joni Eareckson nicely introduces her film biography with warmth and inspirational purpose. The warmth carries this contemporary parable of a girl, injured at 17, enduring long hospitalisation and therapy, coming alive again (as an interesting painter, not to speak of actress, singer and evangelist) and, despite great disappointment in relationships, finding a new purpose in life, Christ and Bible focused. Produced and financed by the evangelising interests that filmed Corrie Ten Bosch's The Hiding Place (James Collier directed both films). Joni Eareckson is most convincing reliving her life and struggles on screen. The (not too frequent) moralising can be accepted better because of the impact of her personality. She herself is worth seeing.

1. An enjoyable and satisfying human story? Parable? Message film? The evangelisation background in production? The influence of Billy Graham - and the glimpse of him at the final rally? Could the film be described as religious? In what sense?

2. The impact of the film as a true story: the presentation of the facts, the credibility because of Joni performing her own part, reliving her life? The film based on her autobiography? The 13 years elapsing from the time of accident to the release of the film? The realities of the accident, her reaction to it, other people's reactions, hospitalisation, physiotherapy and rehabilitation, establishing a new life for herself? Her work as an evangeliser?

3. The portrait of Joni herself: the warmth of her initial message to the theatre audience? The fact that she was re-enacting her own life? The courage and honesty in re-enacting it? Her personality, charm and attractiveness, vitality? Her ability to cope, her failures in coping? The growth in self-acceptance, acceptance of the situation? Learning to relate and to experience disappointment? Being creative in a new kind of way? Learning to love? Growth in faith and courage? Her life being summed up by her singing the song at the end - its tone, lyrics, verve? The treatment of the story: as popular entertainment, as moralising and exhortatory, as a religious, story? The explicit references to Christianity, to Christ, to the Bible? The fundamentalist style of biblical interpretation? The characters mouthing the moralising passages - how persuasive? The story speaking for itself, Joni’s character speaking for itself? The sentiment because of the accident, hospital, rehabilitation? Joy, sorrow?

4. The credits and Joni's riding the horse - and the irony of what was to happen to her? The summer of '67 and the ordinariness of people at the beach? The suddenness of the accident? Its being irrevocable? The rescue, the hurry to the hospital? The replaying of the accident sequences in Joni’s memory? The reality of the accident. Jon’s initial reaction, her realisation of what had happened, apprehensions about the future? The friends and their hurrying to help? The family gathering at the hospital and their reactions - parents, sisters? Richard?

5. Audience response to the long hospital sequences? The vivid suggestions of the operation and what was required? The doctor and his analyses, his work? The permissions for the operation? Parents' reactions? Joni's? The film's power of drawing the audience in to experience Joni's suffering - the cutting of her hair, the turning around of her body to prevent bedsores, the testing of her sensibility in her limbs, her growing helplessness? Joni's realisation of what had happened - and the temptation to despair? The long passing of time, the boredom? The inability to use her arms - even to scratch herself?

6. Joni and her relationship with the doctor? The range of moods? His reaction, advice? Sympathetic nurses? The harsh nurse and turning Joni over? The suggestions of lack of feeling in hospital staff and audience anger at this?

7. Joni's fellow patients and their sharing her experience, their own disabilities? Such detail as the washing of hair, getting dressed? The enjoyment of ordinary things? The confinement to the room? Hospital? The importance of Joni’s black friend - and the hostile reaction of the nurse? The audience response to her getting her revenge?

8. The passing of time - and the atmosphere of the times from the television programmes-? The family visits? The family learning to cope? The build-up to taking Joni home for Christmas? Singing, tree, gifts? The relationship with Dick and Joni's dependence on him? His fidelity towards her? Her genuine love for him - and her feeling that she must let him go? Her writing the letter - and his arrival and reading it? His going?

9. The long time in Joni's building up her strength? The build-up to her being released? Her sister taking her home and protecting her? The details of Joni's life with her sister - her secluding herself? The build-up of physiotherapy - using her mouthing, especially for writing, painting? The various mechanisms for getting cutlery for eating etc.? Outings - the preparation for the wedding and the enjoyment of it? The encounters with Steve and discussing Scripture with him?

10. Joni's friendship with the various men as they moved into her life - the encounter with Steve, his background, preaching, working with her father? His explanation of the Scriptures and her response to this? Don and his presence at the wedding and his push? Her sister's hostility? The importance of the outing and taking her out of herself, the car ride, the encounter with the kids playing basketball? Don's scriptural emphasis? The bond between the two? Possibility of love - and a future? Don's reliance on prayer and his wanting Joni to be healed? The build-up to their presence in the church and his prayer for healing - and its failure? The bitterness of his disappointment and his abandoning Joni? The effect on her? His later coming and telling the truth, saying goodbye, the possibility of reconciliation?

11. Joni's skill as a painter, the variety of her styles? The exhibition - and the subjects of her paintings, joyous and sorrowful, her anguished self-portrait? The importance of the discussion with the Vietnam veteran about disabilities?

12. The passing years and her growing peace, learning how to live, sense of achievement? How was this gathered together in her speech at the rally? Her final song?

13. How satisfying and uplifting a film? In terms of entertainment, moral? Religious propaganda? The benefit of the example of a person making a success out of tragedy?