FELICIA'S JOURNEY

UK/Canada, 1999, 111 minutes, Colour.
Bob Hoskins, Elaine Cassidy, Peter Mc Donald, Gerard Mc Sorley, Arsinee Khanjian.
Directed by Atom Egoyan.

Felicia’s Journey is a psychological study, set in England, based on a novel by William Trevor. It was written and directed by Armenian-Canadian? writer-director Atom Egoyan. Egoyan had made a number of very interesting and successful films in his native Canada including Family Viewing. In the 1990s he became an internationally-known director with such films as The Sweet Hereafter. He also made Ararat, going back into the history of the Turkish massacre of the Armenians in the early 20th century as well as the crime thriller Where the Truth Lies.

This is a film about a young girl from Ireland, searching England for her boyfriend. Bob Hoskins plays a caterer who is also a serial killer who tries to help the young girl. His other obsession is looking at the tapes of a cooking program with the chef played by Arsinne Khanjian, Atom Egoyan’s wife, who appears in a number of his films. There is a strong British and Irish supporting cast.

The film is sometimes elliptical, difficult to follow, with incidents not seemingly followed up clearly. On the other hand, the film also has a number of flashbacks to explain the characters and their motivations.

It is interesting to see the interplay between Bob Hoskins as the killer and Elaine Cassidy as the young Irish girl, Felicia.

1.The impact of the film? Humanity, good and evil, innocence and evil? Death and new life? The work of Atom Egoyan? The adaptation of William Trevor's novel?

2.The Birmingham settings, the factories, the streets and homes? The contrast with the isolation of Ireland? The perspectives of a Canadian director?

3.The musical score, the range of songs, "Heart of a Child", "Special Angel" and the way they were used? The transition to more suspenseful music and the revelation about Joe? The final use of "The Heart of a Child" and Joe's death?

4.The introduction to Joe and the film: pleasant, the camera roving around his room, the attention to detail? His work as a cook and a supervisor, tasting the meals, not liking them, praising them? His cooking at home, his mother on the television and following her recipes? His skill as a cook? People's devotion to him at work? Genial, quiet, well-mannered? The chance encounter with Felicia, kindly offering her advice? His shopping at the market, meeting her again? The audience wanting her to go with him and him to help her - and the later irony?

5.Felicia and the flashbacks: in herself, in her family, her relationship with her stern father, his harsh and censorious attitudes, anti-British? The great-grandmother, speaking Gaelic, Felicia's getting her money? The relationship with Johnny, his promises, the lovemaking, her pregnancy? Telling it to her father and his denunciation of her as a whore? Going to see Mrs Lysaght? Mrs Lysaght ignoring her and burning her letters? Being disowned, going to England to search for Johnny? His not giving her his address?

6.Felicia's arrival in Bristol, bewilderment, the passport control and her not having documents? Asking people and their being very polite? The bed and breakfast? The opportunities to find Johnny? The search in the factories?

7.Joe and his offering to take Felicia to the distant town? Her hesitation, acceptance? The trip? His talking about Ada and confiding in her? Ada's illness? When did the audience notice the change in their perceptions of Joe? The television programs, discovering they were videos, his presence in the videos, his memories, taking Felicia's money and remembering the money from the past, his mother and her attacks and his making a mess, his being fat? The memory of going to the films, watching Charles Laughton and Rita Hayworth and her dance as Salome? John the Baptist's head on a dish? His making up the story about Ada? The lies and his going to visit Ada? His revulsion at eating liver? The revelation about the mother and son relationship?

8.The video film of the girls in the passenger seats, the collage of their individual personalities, of their range of stories? Joe and his loneliness? His decision to help Felicia, her becoming his victim? His ingenuity in finding Johnny, phoning, going to the army barracks, seeing him? Taking Felicia to the bar and the irony of Johnny being there? Her not seeing him?

9.Felicia and her meeting with the fundamentalist woman, her eloquent presentation of her ideas, the picture-postcard cutout of Paradise? The kindness, Felicia depending on her, a meal and accommodation? The shock of finding the money gone, her fear, confusion, being attacked because of her accusations of stealing? The visit to Joe by the woman, her giving him the same speech, wanting his reaction, knowing who he was, asking for accommodation for the millennium rally? The impact on him, wanting to get rid of the woman, in the garden, his going on his knees, confessing that he stole the money, that he was lonely? The woman seeing him as a good Samaritan and then escaping? The decision after the confession to let Felicia live?

10.The issue of the abortion, Ireland, Felicia's religious attitudes, not wanting to kill her child? Joe and his persuasiveness, saying Ada would agree? The reasons, it being his treat at the hospital? His inability to kill her when she was pregnant? At the hospital? The pills? The irony of his ringing for all the flowers and Felicia offering to pray for Ada?

11.His drugging Felicia, her struggle down the stairs, the confrontation? His letting her live?

12.Audience expectations of his hanging himself? The dramatic style in which this was filmed? The song 'The Heart of a Child' (the refrain from the opening credits)? The long pause after his death?

13.The aftermath, Felicia and her voice-over, her knowing what had happened to the women, her attitude towards Joe, her respect for life? Joe and his death and giving her life? The themes of death and life?

14.The basic plot - conventional and familiar yet given strong life by Bob Hoskins' performance, Elaine Cassidy's? The strength of the dramatising of the familiar, the humane, ethical and religious overtones?