THE FOUR SEASONS
US, 1981, 108 minutes, Colour.
Alan Alda, Carol Burnett, Len Cariou, Sandy Dennis, Rita Moreno, Jack Weston, Bess Armstrong, Elizabeth Alda,
Beatrice Alda.
Directed by Alan Alda.
The Four Seasons of Alan Alda's film are the spring, summer, autumn, winter of three modern American marriages - which would mirror fairly accurately the marriages of well-off upper middle-class people all around the world. Alda wrote and directed the film as well as starring in it - all with great style. He believes in marriage but knows that relationships need a lifetime's work and, at times, can be very fragile. He shows all this with a great deal of charm (especially since we see the couples only on holidays), with a great deal of humour (the audience can laugh a lot), but with a great deal of understanding, poking fun as well as being wise. Alda had previously written and starred in The Seduction of Joe Tynan, directed by Jerry Schatzberg,
1. The symbolism of the title? Its use in images for crises in life? Life's journey? The artistic presentations of the seasons? Vivaldi and the music being used throughout the film? Corresponding to the visuals of nature changing with the seasons? An appropriate and adequate setting for the themes?
2. The film in the tradition of American marital comedy? Presentation of marriage, sexual relationships? Humour, farcical situations? Comedy, irony, wisecracks? The wisdom communicated through comedy?
3. The film as the work of Alan Alda ? his contributions as writer, director, star? His perceptions and insight? His skill in using the cinema medium?
4. The style of the couples: affluence, middle America and upper income bracket? Male types, female types? The professional world, professional values? Consumers? The use of holidays for revealing them? Their places for holidaying? The holiday atmosphere - enabling audience to learn about the rest of their life? The point of focusing on the group as holiday-makers?
5. The impact of the seasons and the visuals (with the music)? The freshness of spring, the Caribbean summer, college in fall, the snowfields for winter? The effectiveness of the structure ? the contrivance of having the four seasons seeming to be of one year? The rapidity of crisis and change? Audiences making allowance for these conventions?
6. The atmosphere of the introduction: the car, the various couples getting in the car from their occupations, worries? Eating and the continued eating throughout the film? The pace of the comedy? The audience caught up in this pace for understanding the characters? Early introduction to their characteristics?
7. Spring: the couples together, their good-fellowship, the journey, the arrival, setting up the holiday, the men cooking the food, the jokes and laughter? The bond between Jack and his wife and Jack's explanation of their love for one another? Danny and his fussiness and focus on eating? Nick and Ann and their seeming happy relationship? Ann and her work and the discussion about her vegetable photos? (The impact of the actual photos?) The riding of the bikes, the sudden intimations of difficulty - Nick explaining his lack of love for Ann, Jack's over-serious reaction and trying to heal things, being hurt when he found he wasn't being confided in? The group in the boat and all going into the water - symbol of exuberance? The possibilities of future happiness? Change?
8. Summer: the transition and Ann's absence, the attractive young girl taking her place? The emphasis on Nick and the girl and their lovemaking ? the comedy about the sleeplessness, the sounds, the nude swims? The emphasis on the reaction of the others? The humour of the anchor accidents? Danny and his wife and their nude swim? Jack and his unwillingness to admit envy of Nick? The development of suspicions and jealousy - especially Danny and his irrational outbursts? The point about Ann's absence and the group taking it for granted. not wanting to ruffle the calm of the holidays?
9. Autumn: the visit to the college, the two girls and their reaction to their parents? Nick's daughter and her hostility? Jack's daughter and her bond with her mother, their friendly talks, worry about Nick's daughter? Ann's arrival at the hotel and the tense sequence about registering? Jack trying to handle the situation and comment honestly on it? Nick trying to cover up? The women and the realisation of their having abandoned Ann? Their coming to her side? Ann's explanation of herself and her success after separating from Nick? Defying his criticisms of her being lazy and self preoccupied (as the audience had seen her during spring?)? The meals and the clashes? The edginess? Danny and his telling Jack the truth about Nick and his affairs? Jack and his indignant reaction? Danny and the continuance of his paranoia? The brittleness of the autumn encounter?
10. Winter: their attempting to holiday once more together? The tensions between Jack and his wife and their bickering? The challenges to Jack's honesty and style of penetrating problems? The presentation of his hard self-defence? Nick and the emphasis on his age and the gap with the girl? Danny and his car and edge? The girl's reaction to them all and telling the truth about them? Her going off in the night, the search? The poetic justice and irony of Danny's car sinking into the ice after he was rescued? How well did the film by this stage characterise each of the characters, highlight their faults and how these faults harmed others? The possibility of resolution of the problem?
11. The film's comic presentation - funny sequences, lines, characterisations? The success of the film as a comedy? The insight into ordinary people and married life? The quality of marriage bonds. the challenges? The quality of love and lack of love? Changes, mid-life crises? Jealousy and envy especially in men for younger women? Women and the acceptance of middle age and trying to make their marriages work? An honest insight into marriage in the late 20th century?
