STILL BREATHING

US, 1996, 106 minutes, Colour.
Brendan Fraser, Joanna Going, Anne Magnusson, Angus McFadyen?, Michael McKean?, Celeste Holm.
Directed by James Robinson.

Still Breathing is a very romantic love story. It is about ideals, feeling that there is someone in the world who is to be one's special partner, finding that person and living happily ever after. Its dialogue comments on ideals not being fulfilled, people being disappointed - but it ends with great hope. (After the final credits there is a 30-second comment about movies and real life.)

Brendan Fraser is an eccentric street performer from San Antonio, Texas, whose father and grandfather had a gift for imagining the ideal woman and finding her. He has the same experience and travels to Los Angeles where he finds Joanna Gowing, a disillusioned woman who acts as an attractive decoy for rich men to buy paintings from a gallery run by her friends. The action takes place over a few days, she meets Brendan Fraser by accident, he attracts her, takes her to San Antonio, she hears the wise remarks of his grandmother (played with zest by Celeste Holm) but feels that she cannot live up to his expectations. She makes the remark that even if he believes in her, she is not worth believing in.

The film is sometimes twee, sometimes a touch cynical, always romantic. Brendan Fraser was emerging as a star at this stage and was soon to make George of the Jungle and then the two Mummy films as well as Bedazzled.

1. Entertaining love story? Ideals and perfection? Reality? Movies and life?

2. The title and the reference to people still breathing, at least that they are still alive? The theme as applied to Roz, to Fletcher?

3. The San Antonio locations, the plaza, the Alamo, homes? The contrast with sophisticated Los Angeles, the streets and suburbs, cafes and galleries? The musical score, the range of songs? The musical performances by the group in the plaza (including Lou Rawls) and the classical pieces?

4. The structure of the film: the introduction to Roz, the introduction to Fletcher, the parallels, his connecting with her, her dreams about her wounded knee as a child and its being kissed better? The contrast between the idealist and the cynic? Fletcher and his collages, cutouts, the composite picture of his ideal woman, thinking he had to go to China, Formosa - and the irony of arriving on the bus and seeing the Formosa restaurant? The contrast with Roz, pursuit in the street, the fight, the man firing at her, his being run over, her kicking the gun away, taking the money, drinks all round, then ringing the police?

5. Fletcher and his background, the puppets, the music, talking with his grandmother, playing music with her by the river? The decent young man, his quest to find the ideal woman? The contrast with Roz, seeing her in action with Tomas, the flirting, the speech about the gallery and abstract art, his buying the picture, her performance and pretending she was sick and frightening him off? Her plan to meet the wealthy Texan? Her relationship with Elaine, the gallery, friendship? With Philip?

6. The encounter in the Formosa, Fletcher and the real Texan and his going to make a call? Roz coming in, flirting, staying with Fletcher? Their shared experiences - and her finding him different? The night and the dream about the wounded knee? His phoning her, his meeting her at the cafe? Phil and his cynicism and Fletcher's answer?

7. Fletcher and his time with Roz, her coming on strongly, seductively? His speech about waiting, the image of the best chocolate in the world and not gobbling it up, but savouring it? His surprising her, taking her to San Antonio, the house, his grandmother's room, his sleeping on the table, his taking her out and the puppet with the sick girl, the response of the parents to Roz? His going to the street playing and her discovering the truth? The people at the party, looking at her with curiosity? The long talk with Ida, her finally deciding to go back to California?

8. Fletcher and his friends, the explanation about music, Cameron and his clunkiness?

9. Ida, her memories of her husband, her son, Fletcher? Supporting him, playing music with him? A genial woman? Her discussions with Roz?

10. Roz and her return, disillusionment, the mark and his offering to take her to Hawaii, her running away, back to San Antonio, sketching the sleeping Fletcher, the two floating down the river - of life?