SEX, LIES AND VIDEOTAPE

US, 1989, 100 minutes, Colour.
James Spader, Peter Gallagher, Andie MacDowell?, Laura San Giacomo.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Sex, Lies and Videotape is a case study entertainment, strong and witty enough to win the Cannes Film Festival prizes for Best Film, Best Director for Steven Soderbergh and Best Actor for James Spader. (Spader had appeared in many films including Wall Street, Mannequin, Baby Boom.) It has the familiar '80s setting of the yuppy lawyer and his relationship with his nice, naive wife, conniving sister-in-law and somewhat way-out friend from school. Eyes are opened and truths are told.

It focuses on videotape as the communications means of the '80s from public events to private feelings. The moral growth of the characters is in the move from lies to truth.

Sex is the focus of the film, in the frank manner of the '80s (though verbal rather than visual). The film entertains by its perceptive drawing of its characters, especially Andie Mac Dowell (Greystoke) as the wife. Peter Gallagher is effective as the thoughtless husband.

1. The impact of the film? Its acclaim and prizes?

2. A piece of Americana of the '80s: The small American town, life and style?

3. The film as a case study: the style of investigation, exploration? The screenplay and the interviews, the interactions? The video influence?

4. The title: video as capturing reality (and the aura of the use of video for public events and private events)? Keeping video on file? Video communication - to whom? How? Filmed reality as artificial and real? The visual, action? Voice, interview and commentary? The role of video in the experience of each of the central characters?

5. The title: lies - moral integrity, truth as a measure of morality? Audience sharing in the lies of the characters? Each of the central characters and their attitudes towards the truth? Objective truth, subjective truth? Concealing, deceiving, compulsion to lie? Overcoming lying and the integrity of truth?

6. The title: sex - questions of gender, gender identity, mature sexuality, adult sexuality, the transition from immaturity to maturity, physical and psychological sexuality, ignorance and lack of ignorance, innocence, sophistication? The language of sexuality, behaviour? Relationships, marriage? Physical sexuality and cold relationships? Extramarital relationships, passion, using sexuality - and lies? Memories? The idealising of sexuality? Impotence and stimulation?

7. The psychological background of the film: Anne and her therapy, the role of the therapist? Listening, suggesting, enabling? Friends as therapists? Sex as therapy - truth and lies? The videos as therapy? Anne and her sister and their own tapings? Grahame and his using the tapes for his own therapy? John as listening, looking, learning?

8. Anne as the focus of the film, the ordinary woman, her talk, her fears and ignorance, her relationship with John, the love in the marriage, her life with him, his ambitions, her not focusing much on sexual relationships? Her anticipation of Grahame and her upset? His arrival, the awkwardness? Feeling at home with him, the bond, sharing with him? Finding the apartment and setting it up, visiting him, able to talk with him? Her discussions with her sister, frank talk with her? Enabling the sister to meet Grahame? Going to the bar where her sister worked, the man and his comments on the colour of his dress, the gift for their mother - like a tablecloth? The estrangement at times between the sisters? Her suspicions of John, trying to cope with his behaviour? The discussion about the earrings and finding them? The truth, the confrontation of John and of her sister? Her angers? Going to Grahame, wanting to talk, doing the tape? Talking, the effect? The effect of John listening to the tape - and the audience seeing the tape, and the real acting which became the tape? The effect of this experience on her? Her decision to leave, the confrontation of her sister? The finale and the bond with Grahame? Her future?

9. Grahame and audience expectations about him and his arrival, wanting to go to the toilet, on the trip down, the car? His bags, shyness, the meal? Different from John - appearance, clothes? The shared memories? His relationship, the dynamics of conversation between the three? His leaving his breakfast, talking with Anne, moving out to the apartment, settling in? Anne's visits, their talk? The effect on each? The tapes, her wondering about them? The discussions of his impotence? His explanation of himself, sexual experiences, being a compulsive liar, spending the years trying to get his life in order? Anne's sister and her arrival, doing the tape, her frankness, behaviour? John and his anger, coming to his apartment, the fight, bashing Grahame? Listening to the tape, discovering things about Anne? The effect on Grahame, his declaration of the truth? His being with Anne? A future?

10. Anne's sister and the comparisons between the two, the sexual relationship with John? The quality of the relationship, the phone calls, the meetings, in John's own house and their bed? Her moods? At work, the discussions, the gift for the mother? The frank talk with Anne and the difference between the two? Meeting Grahame, the tapes and her curiosity? Her talking, performing for the tape? Telling Anne? Her changing moods with John, put off by him? The realisation of what was happening in her life?

11. John as a typical yuppy, his lifestyle, talk, clothes (and comparisons with Grahame?), his office, his secretary, Anne's calls, her sister's calls? Going, the sexual encounters, his offhand and callous manner, his lies? Putting off the client - and the ultimate repercussions? Friendship with Grahame, his arrival, growing disdain? the memories of the past, the changes? Irritation? The apartment? Sex at home with Anne's sister? Excuses, insensitivity? His being exposed, leaving? Work and his failure? Trying to be smooth? The fight with Grahame, looking at the tape? What next?

12. The picture of the therapist, his office, working with Anne? His skills? John and his workplace, secretaries, the boss, clients? The bar and the customers? The joke about the tablecloth?

13. The women in the video cassettes, their frank talk about sex, the questionnaire? Their realisations about themselves?

14. The films skills in observation, interior lives, self-awareness, relationships? Growth towards integrity?