FOXES

US, 1980, 106 minutes, Colour.
Jodie Foster, Cherie Currie, Scott Baio, Marilyn Kagan, Kandice Stroh, Sally Kellerman, Randy Quaid, Lois Smith, Adam Faith.
Directed by Adrian Lyne.

Foxes is a contemporary example of a social hypo-realism. The situation and characters are probably all authentic - it is just that collecting them into one film over heightens the material and, in this case, gives it both a moralising and despairing tone. Four adolescent girls in Los Angeles have home, relationships, drug problems. They cope, they don't. The film fills in the modern urban confusion ? rock concerts, police, parties, brawls, cars, drink and drugs. Marital breakdown, mental breakdown. The cast, led by Jodie Foster as the leader of the girls and Sally Kellerman as her fortyish loving, confused, unreliable mother, is generally very good. For those who like their cinema parables grim.

1. The meaning of the title, its tone, reference to teenagers? Focus on Los Angeles: problems, despair, hope? How perceptive a view of teenagers growing up? The sensitivity to problems and grim outlook?

2. Los Angeles as environment: sounds - radio, the streets, the traffic, talk, music, songs, language? Visual - suburban homes, schools, pop concerts, police stations, shops, slums, the ugly areas of Hollywood, advertising, industry, the beauty of the surroundings? So much of the action taking place at night?

3. The perspective of the film: accurate observation, the creation of atmosphere, characters, situations? Deploring the ugliness? Wondering at possibilities and solutions? Regrets? The strengths and weaknesses of the teenagers, American society? Puberty Blues?

4. The focus on the four girls in themselves. as a group, helping one another or not, their adventures, changing, growing? The background of the city, families? Grief and hope?

5. How accurate a portrait of teenagers? How exaggerated? The girls as symbolic of teenagers with growing pains and problems? The title and the symbol of the fox, enticing, cunning, trapping? Sexual undertones? Jeanne's talk about pain, people not feeling pain? Her final reflections on death and immortality?

6. Jodie Foster's presence as Jeanne? Her role in the film as centre? Her influence on the other girls, the adults? The girls at the home, her taking charge, her relationship with her mother, the situation with the truck keys and the driving, Jeanne as the decision-maker? Her involvement with the girls yet her detachment and ability to see things sensibly? Her concern about Annie? The school authorities questioning her about Annie? Jeanne as an adolescent girl, her having to act like an adult? The behaviour of schoolgirls, the seeking after glamour, the boy-talk? Her performance at the concert and smart-talking Deirdre's escort away? Her encounter with her mother and Sam? Her talk with her father, the vision of happiness with him, the intensity of her hugging him? Her relationship with the boys - her patronising attitude towards Brad, the later outing with him and his throwing his shoes away, the picnic and their reflections? Her friendship with Madge and listening to Madge's mother and worry about virginity etc.? The visit to Annie’s home to get her clothes, the encounter with her mother. the clashes with her father? Her humorous attitude towards Deirdre and her flirting? Her ability to relate to each of them? The moving into Jay's house? The formal party and her being the hostess? Trying to cope with the disaster and the fight? With the police? Her mother's reaction and her outburst against her mother, defending her friends and their way of life? The quiet outing with Brad? Her comments and insight onto pain, people trying to avoid it, sympathy? The search for Annie, rescuing her in Hollywood', the violence of the men in the area, walking Annie to get her over the drugs, shouting at her in order to make her come to her senses, the chase and her search and so missing Annie when she phoned? Her grief at Annie's death? Her presence at Madge's marriage? Taking the flowers to the grave? Her final reflections about Annie and immortality? Her relationship with everyone, sensitive, wisecracking, alert? Her love for her mother at the end? Her need for her father? Her wise actions and remarks e.g. to the teacher talking about the dolls as babies, taking the flowers to the grave? A well-rounded character, credible character?

7. Annie and her place within the group? The difficulty of waking her up, her being at home with the girls? Her fear of her father and his brutal chasing her? Her mother and her apathy? Her enjoyment of shopping at the supermarket and tricking the ogling man? Her ability to go off and leave the group? Her talking about an idealised father? Her needing to be rescued? The concert and Brad's attention to her? Her response to his invitation to spend the night together? Her growing desperation, drugs, the company she kept? Brad and Jeanne walking her? Her hopes? The pursuit by the group? Her final refusing of drugs and the possibilities for a future? The ugliness of her death? Brad's desperate sadness at her death? Why was Annie so desperate background, experiences, parents, friendship, addictive personality, needs? Death wish?

8. Madge and her glasses, her being comfortable in the group, dates, talking about Jay and the night she spent with him. the antagonism with her sister and the children having the party, with her mother, her virginity? Her dressing up to go to meet Jay? The talk with Jay and their living together ? and the phone call to tell this to Jeanne? The party, her dismay at the smashing of the house? The confrontation with Jay and his forgiving her? The exuberance of the wedding? How credible a type was Jay ? his work, wealth, his respect for Madge, loving her? The age difference? The reaction to his house being destroyed ? his anger, forgiveness? The marriage?

9. Deirdre and her glamour, her attracting Greg at the supermarket, the pretences in her phone calls, her comeuppance when her boyfriend had heft already for the concert, her behaviour at the concert and relying on Jeanne? Her anger at having to shop for the girls? Her glamour at the party with. the cigarette and holder? Her shock at the destruction? Her grief at Annie's death, the ending and her future?

10. The picture of teenagers and their style - home background, relationship with parents, parents' limitations, affluence, ambitions and lack of ambitions? Drugs, drinking, glamour, sex, fights? Boy/girl relationships? The background of boys in the film - the nice boys, the rough types in Los Angeles? Dates, arguments, adolescent kissing? Permissiveness? Greg and his response to Deirdre? Brad and his propositioning the girls? The humorous irony of the formal meal together?

11. The destructiveness of many teenagers as symbolised in Annie? The situations, the angers, the fighting? The destruction of Jay's home as a symbol of energy gone berserk?

12. The background of school, the talk about the classes, the prostitute girl and the remark about her being in flower arrangement classes, Yoga, mothercraft and the washing of the dolls? Truancy, study? Jeanne's mother and her later study?

13. Recreation, dressing up, shopping, wandering, taunting the boys, music, concerts?

14. The background of brittle marriages? Sexual relationships, virginity? Jeanne's father and his girlfriend? Mary and Sam? The romantic yearnings of the girls in this background?

15. Mary and her inability to really care for Jeanne, self-preoccupation, figure and age? Her attack on the teenagers and Jeanne's outburst? Their final reconciliation?

16. The quality of the insights into city life, American society, pressures and challenges? Jeanne as showing the possibilities of being alive, sharing love and pain? The growing and learning by experience?