FUN WITH DICK AND JANE

US, 1976, 100 minutes, Colour.
George Segal, Jane Fonda.
Directed by Ted Kotcheff.

Fun With Dick And Jane has plenty of laughs in this domestic comedy, mostly on the surface in brittle dialogue and some hilarious robberies. However, beneath the surface is a great deal of satire on the current economic crisis, unemployment and the plight of the 'nouveau poor'. By the end, there is post-Watergate satire, especially in the final funny blackmailing robbery and its postscript.

Not surprising then to find Jane Fonda (always the good comedienne) in this kind of film along with George Segal. Director Ted Kotcheff (Wake in Fright, Duddy Kravitz) keeps pace brisk with a nice eye for social detail. John Dehner as Jane's father does a perfect 'life isn't easy' sermon.

1. The tone of the title, its meaning? The treatment of a serious theme, domestic comedy with a very light touch? The overall comic impact? Parody and satire?

2. The importance of the credits in setting the tone, the introduction to Dick and Jane and the overtones of the American fairytale, its use at the end after the ironic Nixonian Watergate kind of comment? The atmosphere of fairytale of modern middle-class Americans, the fantasy world? The musical commentary, especially during the robberies etc.? How real was this world? How was the audience meant to suspend judgement, moral judgement?

3. The importance of the middle-class setting, Dick and Jane's big house, loans and debts. the importance of money, the lack of capital, the building up of comforts and appearances? How well was this illustrated in the beginning, and then with the various losses e.g. the lawn and the plants, Jane's saving face, the man with the megaphone trying to recuperate things etc.? The neighbours? What attitude was taken towards modern middle-class Americans living beyond their means?

4. The importance of the 70s and the atmosphere of recession, how well did the film explore this situation and its repercussions on ordinary citizens, even Dick and Jane? Presenting the various facts of unemployment, benefits? The variety of attitudes that people take towards this kind of recession after the prosperity of the 60s? How wise was the exploration of a current social situation via fantasy and comedy?

5. The irony on Dick's occupation, the fact that he could go happily in the morning and be sacked? The fact that it was a progressive area that he was working in? The irony of moon achievement and the need then for retrenching? The irony of the administrators and the later questioning of slush funds, senate hearings, public lies? Dick's involvement and happiness in this kind of world and his qualifications for it? His skills as a professional in being employed in this kind of atmosphere?

6. How important were the presuppositions of American light domestic comedy for the impact of this film? The initial presentation of the house, Billy and his growing up, the domestic scenes of waking up, the husband on his happy way to work, the impact of being sacked within this framework?

7. Comment on the presentation of the money difficulties, Dick's lack of business acumen, Jane's ability and her taking over? The question of mortgages, debts, keeping up face by lavish entertaining, the neighbours, the reclaiming of various properties?

8. How humorous was the comedy of living beyond means? The irony of what they decided to give up? The lack of electricity, hunger?

9. How well-delineated were Dick and Jane as characters? The modern American male, the modern American female? Billy as the typical American middle-class child? How were they caricatured? The details of their dialogue, situations, interplay? Male/female relationships? The presentation of family?

10. The presentation of the unemployment situation, the anguish for those involved, the strictness of the law, the satire? The interviews for benefits? Dick's ridiculing the transvestite and the reaction of the clerk? The food coupons and the investigation when they were eating happily? The hungry investigator? The irony of Dick's taking the role in the opera and the clerk and his losing benefits? The queues, people's reactions, the filling out of details? People's not expecting well-dressed middle-class people to be on the dole? The satire on Dick's association with the migrants and being arrested for being an illegal immigrant?

11. The importance of the sequence where Jane is at her parents? Their affluence, their strict attitude, the lectures that they gave, the father ignoring the human element and looking at poverty as a challenge? His superciliousness towards his daughter? The irony of her mother nodding agreement all the time? The exasperation of Jane? The father's analysis of why she came etc.? How successful a sequence of comedy? The point behind it?

12. The decision for the first robbery, the build-up and Dick's clothes? The gun? The stealing of the car and the humour of this, Dick's failure and his buying various things? The ironic fact that they were successful? The impact of this and the irony of middle-class people having to rob to pay their debts? Echoes of the Depression and satire on this?

13. The comedy of the further robberies, the brevity, eg. applause when robbing the telephone company, the man at the record shop, the man at the hamburger store, the black robbery which didn't come off? Comment on the choices of places robbed and the social comment?

14. The symbol of success with the ironic party where Dick and Jane entertained with their ill-gotten gains? The fact that they could pay all their debts by robbery?

15. The preparations for the final big robbery, even after Jane had decided to go straight? The simplicity of their strategy? The irony of their using their boss and his slush fund? The parody of the Watergate burglary? The points being nude politically and socially? The humour of the robbery itself with the black attendants having the party, Dick robbing the safe, Jane escaping with the money? The irony that they were able to escape because of the boss’s improper advances towards Jane, for the fact that they couldn't confess to the police? A suitable ending for this kind of film?

16. The significance of the final comment and Dick from the middle-class with his illegal money going to the top and becoming president? The irony of 'Dick' Nixon?

17. The value of this kind of comedy, the incidental detail, the quality of the dialogue, George Segal's naive innocence and Jane Fonda's boldness? A valuable film of the 70s, even with the light touch?