FOUR FRIENDS

US, 1981, 115 minutes, Colour.
Craig Wasson, Jodie Thelen, Michael Huddleston, Jim Metzler, Elizabeth Lawrence, Miklos Simon, Reed Birney, Julia Murray, Lois Smith, James Leo Herlihy.
Directed by Arthur Penn.

Four Friends is a very moving film written by Steve Tesich (the also moving Breaking Away about young Americans) and directed by veteran Arthur Penn. Penn had been a strong stage and television director and moved into films with The Left Handed Gun in 1957 starring Paul Newman. His other films of the 60s show his range: The Miracle Worker, Mickey One, Bonnie and Clyde, Little Big Man. Penn spent a lot of his time working on Broadway rather than in cinema. This film is something of an exception.

It is the story of a young Yugoslav boy who arrives in America, trying to relate to his father. As he grows up and faces the 1960s, he is bonded with four friends, two young men and, especially, a young woman who wants to be a free spirit, Georgia.

Craig Wasson did not appear as a star in many films (Body Double) but gives a very fine performance here, a sensitive man, coping with the impact of the 60s and 70s. Jodi Thelen is vibrant as Georgia. The rest of the cast is little-known – but very effective, making this a very insightful exploration of America in a difficult post-war period.

1. An enjoyable film? A piece of Americana? Memory and re-assessing of the 60s? The focus on a particular group, their perennial questions? The impact of the film for Americans, migrants, the age group presented, the social class presented? How universal the characters and themes?

2. The work of Arthur Penn and his career? His sensitivity with this film? The writing of Steve Tesich and his insight and compassion? This film at the beginning of the 80s reflecting on the earlier decades, assessing them, interpreting the 80s through memory?

3. The background of Gary, Indiana? Indiana and Illinois, East Chicago, the steel works, Pennsylvania? Homes, suburbs, streets, school? The contrast with the university, New York City? The contrasts of the 40s, the 50s and the enormous changes of the 60s? The film's creation of atmosphere and period?

4. The screenplay and the viewpoint of Danilo and his life? His life being the focus, everything from his viewpoint? the validity of his limited viewpoint,. the allusions to wider issues as they touched him only? The omissions of so much that happened during the 60s? yet the suggestion of so much? The period, its meaning and issues seen through a person rather than headlines?

5. The film as an illustration of the American dream in the second half of the 20th. century? The aftermath of World War Two? The 40s and the European migrants, the new wave of migrants? What kind of America, what kind of dream and fulfilment? The ugliness of the steel world, the hard work, the loyalties and the contrast with Europe? Stability and then disruptive change? Confusion and the desire for harmony? The perennial themes illustrated by these decades of American history? The ending at the beginning of the 70s? did the 70s actually fulfil the hopes of the end of the film? The prospect for the 80s? The pros and cons of the period of change and confusion? The film drawing on audience attitudes and experience?

6. The device of the characters commenting at various points? Adding to Danilo’s point of view? Helping the audience assess the situation?

7. The contribution of the music: the wide range of contemporary songs and their use, background, dance, themes? The constant use of Dvorjak's New World Symphony? For delight, for a refrain, as used in Danilo's fight with the policeman? The use of the American anthem?

8. The background of the European migrants, the Yugoslavs and their heritage, the different world of Europe and the contrasting world of Indiana and Illinois? The family and their arrival after the war and visiting home again at the end of the 60s and boasting about their son? The glimpse of the groups in Pennsylvania and the steel towns, the folk dance, music, folklore, the orthodox church? The contribution of the post-war migrants to the America of the 60s and 70s?

9. The strength of Craig Wasson's performance of Danilo, his experience and change over the 60s, ageing etc.? The glimpse of him and his arrival at the opening, Gary, Indiana, his mother and the meeting with his father, respect but no smile? The drive home and its solemnity, his flute playing? The boy watching his father work at the steel mills? The mother and her quiet presence yet her strong presence (brought out at the marriage sequence, at the end in her pride in her son)? The strong presence of his father, his being shamed by Danilo's outburst against the steel representative, his trying to provoke him to fight at the table, his not giving his blessing to the marriage, his spurning his son's desire to avoid hard work, his own hard life., his silent observations at the wedding, his getting old? Danilo and his appeal to him at the end. the memory of the separation and pain. disappointment in each other, his provoking him to laugh? His father's laugh coming so late in the relationship? The mother's laugh and joy? The important insights into family background, relationships, pressures and needs?

10. The device of the neighbour and her comments on the boys and their infatuation with Georgia? The irony of her death and the burial by David?

11. The cinematic style of the early part of the film: smooth, the seeming bland scenes of adolescence, high school? The adolescent scenes, the beach party - yet the hints of change and disruption to come? The change of cinematic style with the presentation of the '60s: university life, the peak with optimism about the Kennedy period culminating in the wedding and the sudden disruption by violence and assassination? The changing in editing after this, the episodic nature of the screenplay, the central characters and their wandering, their confusion? The harmony coming with the final sequences? The style echoing the feel of the period?

12. The introduction to the boys: their watching Danilo's father at work, the transition to their playing music in the street with delight, the neighbour's comments about their love for Georgia? The bonds between them, their dreams, their hopes? Georgia as focus with her vivacity? The themes of Isadora Duncan and her subjective manipulating everything for her purpose? Her exhibitionist playing in the orchestra? The car ride? Her making a decision about her virginity and the offer to Danilo? Her supporting Danilo at the meeting for careers? The picnic and her giving herself to Tom? The tension on the return from the picnic? The loss of innocence and things never the same again? Georgia as the initial focus for understanding the boys, friendship and love?

13. Georgia and her vivacity, the lively American girl? Her moving in and out of the film and of Danilo's life? Her experience at school, hopes about being a dancer, sexuality, giving herself to Tom, her pregnancy? Her not farewelling Danilo? Watching him on the TV quiz and the poem that he write and all that it meant to her? The flamboyant wedding and her red dress, her pregnancy, not marrying Tom. using David? The birth and her lively participation in it - and its being filmed? Her visit to the university when Danilo was looking for her? The sexual encounter with Louis? Her presence at Danilo's wedding and the joyful playing of the music? The glimpse of her at the hospital? Danilo encountering her in New York and her filming? Her moving more into the 'hippie' scene, the subcultures e.g. the gay scene, the drug scene? The directing of the spectacle and the car accident? Danilo’s coming to her but her rejecting him? Her going to find him, spending the night and then leaving? Her return with Isidor? Her love for her son? The fight with Danilo in the street and the reconciliation? The peaceful ending? How real a character, how symbolic a character? What did she represent as regards America, American women?

14. Danilo and his life during the 60s? The importance of his background and his hopes, his music, study? His love for Georgia and his rejection of her sexual advance and its consequences? Disappointing her, himself? His parents and their pressure on career? The importance of his social attitudes e.g. the beach party and his watching Georgia and Tom, the racial clash and his taking sides and fighting? His later encounter with the bus of protesting negroes and their invitation for him to follow - a turning point - what if he had followed and his life had changed? The fight with the whites - later resumed with the fight with the while policeman at the end? The transition from happy days to the seriousness of life? The symbol of his trunk and taking it with him wherever he went and the final burning of it?

15. The experience of the university? The importance of the friendship with Louis and the long discussions about science, Louis' looking at the moon? The promise to remember him during the first moon walk and the way this was dramatised (with Tom's Vietnamese children in the room)? Louis' preoccupation with sex and the discussions with Danilo? Danilo's hesitation and not following things through? The friendship with Adrienne and going out with her? His proposing to her on the rebound from Georgia? The importance of challenging Mr. Carnahan for Adrienne? Louis' enjoying this? His suspicions of Mr. Carnahan? His refusing to fight him at the table (and the parallel with his own father's challenging him to fight)? His returning to claim Adrienne after a year? His father giving him no blessing? His seeing Carnahan pursue his daughter on the night before the wedding? The symbol of his nicking himself shaving? The atmosphere of happiness with the wedding, the glamour, affluence, stylish atmosphere suddenly changed by Carnahan's outburst and the eruption of the shooting?

16. The shooting and Danilo's life being shattered? The hospital experience? The return to the home and the encounter with Mrs. Carnahan, the news of Louis' death - even to the date? His confronting her in her triple bereavement? The fragmentary aspects of his life as he dropped out? Taxi driving and his lack of attention, vagrancy and hoboes stealing his drink, seeing Georgia in the streets and visiting her and her rejection of him, the decision to go to work in the mines and the steel works, the Pennsylvania experience? The change of leisurely pace with the encounter with the Russians, the attractive girl, the outings, the dancing, the religious atmosphere with the orthodox church in the background, the arrival of Georgia and his encounter with her, his decision to leave?

17. His being reunited with his friends? The fight in the bar? The importance of his letting out his pent-up anger? The support of Tom and David? Tom and his Vietnamese wife and children, the moon walk and his memory of Louis? The exasperation with Georgia and the final reconciliation? The burning of the trunk? His reconciliation with his parents? seeing them off on the trip? Making his father laugh? The job teaching and his future? His arrival at early middle age, the nature of his experience, the life before him? Georgia, her son, his work?

18. The character of Tom: the nice boy, the friend, the sexual relationship with Georgia. his not marrying her, his going into the army, his surviving Vietnam, his Vietnamese wife and children - the lighter side of the Vietnamese experience and America's debt to the Vietnamese?

19. David and his size, the car, the pressures of his father, his decision to marry Georgia, his separation from her, his mortician's work, remarriage and happiness? The ordinary citizen who follows in tradition?

20. The contrast with Louis: sharing the room with Danilo, the talk about science and the moon, the discovery of his disability, his wealth, his talk about his family, his preoccupation with sex, the encounter with Georgia? The presence at their marriage? His sister, family outings? His reaction to his parents? The dinner and the proposal? The wedding and the information given to the audience and Danilo of his death?

21. The picture of the Carnahans: the wealthy self-made family, their wealth and style, the dinner sequence and the aggressiveness of the father and his taunting Danilo with his manhood and wanting him to fight? His wife's patience and her reaction? His pursuit of Adrienne? The suggestions of the incestuous relationship? His brooding at the wedding and the child watching him? His sudden proposing of the toast? The volatile assassination? The atmosphere of the '60s? The bereavement of his wife?

22. The 50s and its style, education. work. the edge of rebellion, the beach parties, civil rights in the offing?

23. The contrast with the 60s, the happy days of the Kennedys and the sudden eruption of assassination? Rebellion, civil rights, dropping out, subcultures?

24. The mid-60s and the aftermath of assassination, America seething and erupting, the background of war, the hippie movement, psychedelia, irresponsibility, tragedy and death? The intermission of people's lives and the need to pick up pieces?

25. The moving forward into the 70s, the experience of the 60s and people having to settle down? The hopefulness of the ending? Did the 70s justify the hopefulness of the film's ending? The 60s seen in the light of the lived 70s and the beginning of the 80s?