NO PLACE LIKE HOME

US, 1989, 100 minutes, Colour.
Christine Lahti, Jeff Daniels, Scott Marlowe, Kathy Bates.
Directed by Lee Grant.

No Place Like Home is a particularly strong telemovie about families and homelessness in the United States in the late '80s. Frightening statistics are given at the end of the film.

The film was directed by Lee Grant, the actress who also directed such interesting films as Tell Me a Riddle, A Matter of Sex, Staying Together. The cast is particularly good, Christine Lahti in the central role and Jeff Daniels acting very seriously as her put-upon husband. The children are also very persuasive.

The film shows an ordinary while family, the mills closing down and the consequences of unemployment and retraining. It also highlights poverty, accidents, pride and families not going on Welfare. It also highlights the desperate need for accommodation and the possibilities for families staying together. The consequences for children, emotionally and the possibility of their being used by the unscrupulous for drug deals, is also highlighted.

A very useful film for seeing and discussing.

1. The dramatic impact of the film? Portrait of people, problems? Solutions or not?

2. The design of the film as a telemovie, for the wide audience? Strong and powerful? Persuasive and emotional?

3. The title, its ironies - especially in the American dream context? The experience of homes, refuges and shelters? The final information about family homelessness in the United States?

4. Audiences identifying with the Cooper family, white American family, out of work, retraining, children, suffering, continued blows? The credibility of the plot?
5. The introduction to the ordinary family, their name, Mike studying, preparing for the outing, children, the love in the family, going to the grandmother's birthday party? The comparison with Eddie and his family?

6. The burning of the apartment, the effect on each of them, sense of loss and grief? The incident with the cat? The family's reaction, Eddie and the question of insurance? Mike losing his tools? The possibility of Welfare and charity? Mike and his pride, not wanting to be a Welfare bum?

7. The importance of the family staying together: the bonds between them, in the car, travelling round, at Eddie's, the tensions there, staying in the tent and on the camp ground? The growing tensions? The possibilities of jobs, part-time or full-time? Having to manage, finance? Exasperation? Going to the refuge, hotel and a bit of privacy? The family continually tense, Mike drinking, permissions for David? His sense of letting his son down? Having to leave to find work? Zan and her holding the children together, their playing in the corridor, friends, the drug situation? The meal at the refuge, wandering the city, going to the burnt-out house? Waiting for the phone call? Finally together, the thugs outside and uniting them as a group? The importance of the theme of family?

8. Mike, his background, work in the mill for 12 years, marrying at 18, hopes for a life? Being laid off, studying and hopes? Qualifications? The relationship with Eddie, tensions? The anger at the burning house, the scarcity of jobs? Money, Zan asking him to face reality and his outburst? In the room, going to live with his brother, tensions at the table, the television, the children? Eddie and the gift of the tools and his fierce argument with him in David's presence? Alienating David? Making Zan tense? Getting work, prospects? Being laid off with the boss going to Florida? Living in the car for a week and its effect, in the tent? Going to the refuge and the family all together in the bed, going to the hotel? His strictness with David? The decision to leave, discussions with Zan? The phone calls? His return, the angers? His chasing the thugs? Reunited with his family - and determination for the future?

9. Christine Lahti as Zan? Strong woman, in herself, at ease with all, love for Mike? Support, work? The party and her discretion? The effect of the fire - especially the gift of the earrings? With each of the children, her patience, exasperation, asking Mike to face reality? In the car, in the tent? Together at the refuge? The desire for privacy and the hotel? Making friends with Prue? Michael and his decision to go? Her staying in bed, Prue getting her out of bed and onto the roof? Her not knowing about David and the drugs? Going to the school principal and her outburst about being called hotel rats? Frank and his sexual advances, the blackmail about the drugs? Getting the family and running, walking the streets, the meal without the ticket, breaking into Eddie's place and the police coming, at the bus station, washing the clothes, David accosted? Going to the burnt-out apartment block? Settling, getting some furniture? Mike's return - and the threat of the guards exposing her when she was waiting for the phone call? A future?

10. Tina as little, having to cope, crying and sad, love, clashes with David? The effect of the experience on her?

11. David and his age, experience, his love for his father? The effect of the fire, the cat incident? Feeling let down, hearing the fights? Wandering, refused permission, more and more alienated? Behaviour at school, the hotel rats? The corridors, friends, the drug deal and his disguising his name? Getting wilder, stabbing Frank with the scissors? Washing the windscreens? Anger and depression? Wandering with his mother, her fierce attack on him, his sadness? Mike and his return, the reconciliation? The effect of this experience on his life?

12. Eddie and his friendship, the clash, the party, not giving a lift home, the fire, the fight? The wife and her wanting to be nice, support? The grandmother and her support?

13. Frank and the officers at the refuge, the strictness of the rules, the sexual advance, the information about the drugs? Reporting families to Welfare?

14. Prue and her story, the beatings by her husband? Helping Zan? Getting her out of bed, the talk on the roof - and a future?

15. The sketch of the children, corridors, the drug-running, schools, prospects of Welfare?

16. An emotional experience, sharing the disasters, the tensions, having to draw on resources to cope? A document about homelessness?