TABLE FOR FIVE

US, 1983, 116 minutes, Colour.
Jon Voight, Richard Crenna, Marie- Christine Barrault, Millie Perkins, Roxana Zal.
Directed by Robert Lieberman.

Table for Five is a very emotional film. It focuses on John Voight as a divorced father who wants to take his three children on a cruise. He feels he is capable of looking after them. However, there is the complication that his ex-wife, Marie- Christine Barrault, and her new husband played sympathetically by Richard Crenna, also can take care of the children and love them. There are a number of speeches in the film about the nature of family, family relationships – as well as dramatising the clashes between parents and between children and parents.

The screenplay was written by David Seltzer, writer and director of Punchline as well as the more emotional Lucas. However, Seltzer is best known as having written the screenplay for The Omen.

The film was directed by Robert Liebermann whose work was mainly in television, although he made a number of feature films including All I Want for Christmas. (Kevin Costner can be glimpsed in a small supporting role – before he embarked on a very successful career.)

1. The popularity of this kind of family film, family love? The ingredients of the tearjerker and the soap opera? Their perennial appeal? A good example of '80s sentiment?

2. The film as a star vehicle for Jon Voight? His presence? Style? Characterisation? The colour photography, the background of the United States, Italy, Africa? Israeli locations? The atmosphere of each of the countries visited? Life on cruise ships? Travelogue ingredients for the background to sentiment? Musical score?

3. The credibility of the plot and the situations? Easy for audiences to identify with or not? Authenticity, realism? Situations and characters larger than life? Credible behaviour? The fact of the children going on such a trip with their father? Affluence?

4. Insights into family love, friendship, the nature of the family and family bonds, marriage and divorce, remarriage, responsibilities, commitment, choices and their consequences, success and failure, change? The traditional presentation of marriage? The need to cope with new situations, especially remarriage?

5. The establishing of the family: the house, the kids, Truman- Paul, Tildy, Trung? Kathleen as the devoted mother? Mitch as the concerned stepfather? Details of the family e.g. the dog? The flurry of packing? The marital situation and audience attitudes towards J.P.?

6. J.P. and the contrast with his leaving home in California, leaving the family to take care of it? The plane trip, his friendly discussion and showing the photo, his professional status as a golfer and being unknown? The arrival, encountering Truman- Paul in the toilet? Meeting the family together? Audience expectations for conflict and tension?

7. The tensions in discussion about going to Egypt? Kathleen reminding J.P. of the failure of the marriage? The focus on the children, arrangements and agreements, the hope for positive friendship? The money question ? and J.P's lies? The ship, the cabins and the moving around? The farewells and the irony that they would not see their mother again?

8. The table for five: the children jealous of J.P. and his attention to the Swedish girl? The old man and his loneliness and his not being invited to the table and their later being asked to leave? The kids' inability to talk with each other? The awkwardness with J.P.? The clash in the cabins, Trung and the video games, Truman-Paul? and his nightmares, his reading disability and humiliation? The kids not wanting J.P. to go out? Their resenting his flirting, following him? The details of shipboard enjoyment ? swimming, meals etc.? The tensions with Trung's stealing? The impression made on Marle and her judgment of the relationships?

9. Marie and the exercise with J.P., talking together, discussing situations, comparisons of fathers and divorces? Friendship, support, the night together, and the irony of the cutting to the children ringing home? Marie and her work, her understanding? Her help, the Egyptian tour and being present when the bad news was broken? J.P's final discussion with her and following her advice?

10. The tension and the breaks between the family? The children apologising? The consequence of the phone call with the rain at home? The decision to be friends, re-introductions? Success? Naples and the enjoyment of the visit to Rome?

11. The phone call, the impact on J.P. with the news of Kathleen's death? The flashbacks showing the rain and the accident? His reaction and decision not to tell the children? Athens and their going on the tour with Mandy (and misbehaving)? The discussion with Mitch and asking for time? Egypt and the tour with Marie and his telling the children? The importance of the discussions with Mitchell? The film's stating the claim of each man on the children? Kathleen's letter supporting Mitchell? The need for time for each man?

12. The effectiveness of the sequence when J.P. told his children of the death? The background of the Sphinx, the tour of the pyramid, the comments about death and immortality? The grief of the children, Tildy's ability to cope?

13. Tunis, Trung's running off and the chase through the city, the declarations of love?

14. J.P. checking with Marie about claiming the children? Encountering Mitch in Genoa? Each man putting his case? with credibility? J.P's claims and Mitch bowing to him? Concern for the children?

15. The reactions of the children? Their love for their father? Their love for Mitchell? Would J.P. succeed?

16. A satisfying ending? An experience of sentiment and emotion? Of understanding people and contemporary marital situations?