THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN GEORGIA

US, 1981, 107 minutes, Colour.
Dennis Quaid, Kristy Mc Nichol, Mark Hamill.
Directed by Ronald F. Maxwell.

The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia is based on the popular song by Bobby Russell, sung by Tanya Tucker. It is a piece of very localised Americana, country and western music, the hills and Southern communities. It is the old story of singing ambition, love, hate, violence. The film was directed by Ronald F. Maxwell, who directed the star Kristy Mc Nicoll in Little Darlings. The film is the singing debut of Kristy Mc Nicoll and Dennis Quaid. Don Stroud portrays yet another villain. Mark Hamill has a genial role as the policeman. Arlen Dean Snyder is very good as the owner of the bar. There is a lot of twanging and a lot of country and western songs from a wide variety of artists. The film moves through its action in a leisurely but genial way.

1. An interesting and entertaining piece of Americana? The portrayal of Georgia? Country and western background? The southern states? A story of ordinary human beings caught up in ambitions and clash?

2. The colour photography, the backgrounds of the South? The open countryside, the towns, the bars? The staging of the songs? The special effects - especially for the final confrontation and the driverless car in the distant field? The range of country and western songs, artists? Their insertion into the film? Their leads and their songs?

3. The screenplay elaborating the title of a song? The pathos in the title? As illustrated in the film? The conventions of the youngsters moving to Nashville and to success? Life in the small American town? Talent and tryouts? Promotion? Emotional entanglement? The heavy bully? The genial policeman? The violent confrontation? Conventional material ? how well done?

4. The focus on song-writing and song-playing in the United States. Nashville as a goal? The hard work getting there? The skill of the youngsters in composing and playing their songs? The need for tryouts in the small towns? The responses of the audiences? The need for promotion and advertising? Travis and his desires, ambitions ? but failure? Amanda and her drive and success? The importance of the country and western world for America?

5. Travis as a person? His reliance on Amanda? His skill in composing and singing? The tryouts in the town? Ted Hawkins and the audition? The riot? Travis leaving the town in a hurry after the riot? Amanda following him and trying to support him? Travis and the clash with Seth Ames and the paying of the fine? His work as a barman? Friendship with Andy Webb? The attraction to Melody? The clash with Seth? The possibility of success but Travis ' deciding to remain with Melody and forget Nashville? Amanda's success? The confrontation after the night with Melody? Seth and the gun battle? The isolated and lonely car journeying through the field? The doom of the would-be American hero and the significance of the title?

6. The contrast with Amanda and her qualities for success? The strength of Kristy McNicoll's performance? Being the agent for Travis? Arranging all his performances? The hope for executives to see the act? The audition, the riot, Amanda pursuing Travis in the truck? Her being stopped by Conrad? His attraction towards her and her reliance on him? Their falling in love? Her being busy about Travis' career, worried about his attachment to melody, the confrontations with Seth? Her energy in assembling the band despite her exasperation? Her being a hit with the show? The death of Travis? Her leaving, being stopped again by Conrad and his taking off his uniform on the road? His joining her on the road to Nashville? success?

7. Seth Ames as the typical Southern bully? His role as Deputy in the town? His influence over people? Antagonism with Andy Webb? Treating Melody as his possession? The confrontations with Travis? The final confrontation and violent shoot-out? His death?

8. The contrast with Conrad? the pleasant young Trooper, attraction towards Amanda, falling in love? His values and principles? Stripping off his uniform and going with Amanda to share her success?

9. Andy Webb and his warmth, helping the two, his bar, violence, auditions? His easygoing wisdom? Melody as the Southern girl and her belonging to Seth? Falling in love with Travis, spending the night with him? The occasion of violence and deaths?

10. The range of people in the small town, at the bar, at the auditions, executives, Ted Hawkins? The atmosphere of the South?

11. A pleasing piece of Americana - ambition and hopes, nostalgia, violence and failure?