TADPOLE

US, 2002, 78 minutes, Colour.
Erin Stanford, Sigourney Weaver, John Ritter, Bebe Neuwirth, Robert Iler.
Directed by Gary Winick.

Tadpole is a brief but effective portrait of a fifteen-year-old and his infatuation with his stepmother. A very intelligent young man, he comes home for Thanksgiving and wants to declare his love for his stepmother. However, he also encounters his stepmother’s best friend who provides a sexual alternative – some confusion but a greater clarity in the young man’s mind.

The treatment is not sensationalist – at the level of a PG13. However, in its detailed look at the young man, it works on the level of a teenage comedy. But with the strength of the performances of Sigourney Weaver and Bebe Neuwirth, the film is also sophisticated entertainment for adults.

Aaron Stanford (Winter Solstice, Spartan, the X- Men series) is very good as the teenager who seems very sure on the surface but still is immature, especially in his sexual infatuation.

The film was directed by Gary Winnick who also made Thirteen Going On Thirty and the much more ambitious project, the remake of Charlotte’s Web with Dakota Fanning and the voice of Julia Roberts and a strong group of character actors as the voices of the animals at the farm.

1. A short story, the brief running time?

2. The title, the focus on Oscar, his nickname of Tadpole, his growing up and being in a transient stage?

3. The New York locations, the apartments, the streets, universities, Central Park? The train rides? The musical score, the range of songs? The use of Charles Aznavour's "She", especially with Oscar's dreams about Eve?
4. The credibility of the plot: the clever and intelligent 15-year-old, his reading Voltaire, able to speak French perfectly, his being quick on the uptake? His seeing himself as superior to others? Yet his emotional immaturity, his infatuation with his stepmother, his disdain of the girls at college? The nature of his infatuation, his behaviour at the Thanksgiving celebration, the drinking in the bar, going with Diane, the chiropractic technique, the sexual encounter? His being befuddled by Eve's scarf? Waking up? The lengths he went to keep the secret? His going to Eve, the revelation of the truth, his making it known to Eve? The aftermath and his seeing it as a phase in his life?

5. The portrait of Oscar: Aaron Stanford's screen presence and performance, making his character credible? On the train, reading Voltaire, his disdain of the girl? His reliance on Charlie? At home, his wanting to see his stepmother, the celebratory party, the academics? His father forcing him to escort the girl, giving her the money for the taxi? Drinking in the bar, talking to the man and saying that he was forty, his wallet being stolen by the singer? Looking in the windows, meeting Diane, going back with her, the coffee, discussing chiropractic, her massaging his back? Eve's scarf, his being drunk, the sexual encounter? The morning after, meeting Phil, the misunderstandings? Diane promising to keep it a secret? At home, deceiving his father, making lunch for Eve, doing the shopping with his father, going to see Eve, the discussion about the heart as a physical organ and a machine, as a symbol for love? His going to the restaurant to see Diane and her friends, their seductive manner, his being persuaded to talk about Voltaire, the philosophical discussion, their giving him their phone numbers? The pressure on Diane to keep quiet? Hearing about Elvis and Eve's infatuation, the sideburns, the hairs of the dog? Eve catching him putting on the sideburns? At the Thanksgiving dinner, the young girl from college and her father being there, his awkwardness in trying to resolve the situation, saying they wanted no wine, forbidding Diane to drink? Her going to the ladies' room, their kissing, his father seeing it in the mirror? Diane telling the truth and the aftermath? His loneliness, wandering the streets, coming in, Eve making him the sandwich, their discussion, her realising the truth, the wash-up, the kiss? His father coming in? Talking with Charlie, telling him the truth and Charlie working it out? Charlie wary with his own mother coming in and attracted by Oscar? His going back to college, his going to see his mother at Christmas? Meeting the girl in the train, helping her with her luggage, listening to the quote from Voltaire - his having left the book on the garden seat? His seeing the infatuation as a passing phase?

6. Stanley and Eve, his second marriage, her being the stepmother? His neglecting her in the toast? His being and academic, love of literature, loving his son but not understanding him well, Oscar explaining to his father as they walked to the restaurant how he should learn to listen, for the silences or for the shrill screams? Stanley and his observation of his son, trying to work out the truth? Going shopping? The dinner, seeing the kiss in the mirror? His tolerance? Sending his son for Christmas to his mother in France? Eve, her science background, love for Stanley, going to work, the discussion about her research and the heart? Her puzzlement at the behaviour at dinner? Her reaction to the truth? Diane explaining to Oscar that Eve said she had a void in her life? Her reaction to Oscar and the truth, the kiss at the wash-up? Her talking to him and saying that she loved his father? The passing phase?

7. Diane, friend, coming on strongly, the sexual encounter, the morning after, with her girlfriends? The girlfriends and their chatter and being seductive? Her promising not to talk unless she drank, her reaction to Oscar's control, the kiss, telling the truth? Her discussions with Eve and suggesting that she would have done the same had she been in her position?

8. The girl on the train, attracted towards Oscar, reading Voltaire? Charlie and his focus on sex, listening to Oscar, a sounding-board, working things out?

9. The academic world in which the family lived, the academics at the party, their discussions? The restaurant and the staff? Phil and his being a friend of Diane?

10. Central Park, Oscar watching Eve as she listened to the singer? His imagination - and the background singing of "She"? The adolescent romantic infatuation?

11. The captions and the quotations as forming chapters of the episodes, vignettes illustrating the captions?