WHAT'S SO BAD ABOUT FEELING GOOD

US, 1968, 94 minutes, Colour.
George Peppard, Mary Tyler Moore, Don Stroud, Susan St James, Dom deLuise, Thelma Ritter.
Directed by George Seaton.

What’s so Bad about Feeling Good is a nice bright title for a nice bright comedy.

George Peppard and Mary Tyler Moore are attractive characters and they represent American types of the late sixties. It was the era of the hippies and dropping out, the rebellion against the conventions of the rat race and society. This film gently satirises both the rat race and the drop outs. It is severer on the rat race.

It is one of those comedies that remind us of the philosophy of life, optimistic like the Frank Capra comedies with their social comments in the thirties and early forties. This film was written and directed by George Seaton a veteran film writer and director who has made such telling films as The Country Girl. The film was not popular in its time, but it now reflects a period and entertainingly so.

1. The joy of the film? Invitation to share its optimistic outlook? The summary of the title?

2. The style of the film, the look of the sixties, colour, Panavision, the atmosphere of New World, the background of psychedelic hippiedom? Ordinary business like New York, science and government?

3. Attractiveness of the stars? The importance of the music and songs? The lyrics of the theme song? Its place during the film?

4. The value of such fantasy on the premiss of .what if?’? The attitude of the film that this is not the fact in real life? What is the value of an audience indulging in such fantasy? influence for real life?

5. The importance of the opening, the typical rude New York day, the irony in the contrast of the dismal, alone world of the main characters? Keeping their distance?

6. Comment on the ugly aide of human life presented: the selfishness, rudeness, bitterness, lies, advertising, politics and political deals? Audience response to the film’s satirical and judgmental presentation?

7. How satisfying was the nice side of life: happiness, cleanliness, spontaneity and joy, alertness to living?

8. How valuable was the opening? The values underlying the optimism? The bourgeois kinds of assumptions about happiness in the modern world? Would everybody be satisfied about these basic values?

9. The importance of the toucan? In itself? Its colour, character and name, presence during various sequences? The almost humanising of the bird? The presentation of its effect on the Greek, the dialalogue in comic book style given to the bird? Its way of influence? A symbol of happiness, a humorous blue bird of happiness? The way it was chased, protected, seen almost as a criminal by the police? The elaborate humour of the fake pregnancy sequence? Its being caught and analysed? Audience happiness at its escape? A symbol of good to be done in the world?

10. The character of Pete: the type of dreariness and his change? His visit to the doctor? His influencing Liz? His pretence in being the pessimist? His confrontation of the advertising people? His participating and spreading
the happiness virus? The scene in the hospital with the fake pregnancy? What happened when the happiness began to wear off? His depression? The change into some kind of realistic hopefulness?

11. How attractive was the character of Liz? The satire in her participation in the depressed way of life? The humorous dialogue about being dismal? Not seeing the light of day? Her surprise at Pete’s transformation? Her being influenced by him and the affect on her? Her being changed by realistic happy environment? the basis of her love for Pete? Her humorous involvement in protecting the bird, in the hospital at the end?

12. The portrayal of the various friends of Peter and Liz? The satire on the cultural fads of the late sixties? The visualising of the change and the elaborate choreography of their song? Their infiltration of all the people of New York?

13. The personality of the mayor and his politics and decisions? Treating happiness as though it were radioactive fall-out? His interview on the television and his double-dealing?

14. The satire on the political intervention by J. Gardner Munroe? The satire on the character and the Washington type? His heavy handed treatment of the situation?

15. The film’s satire on scientific investigation? Surveillance by bugging the T.V, watching of Peter and Liz during the night?

16. The quality of characterisation, dialogue, home spun humorous American wisdom?