ONLY WHEN I LAUGH
US, 1981, 114 minutes, Colour.
Marsha Mason, Kristy Mc Nicoll, James Coco, Joan Hackett, David Dukes.
Directed by Glenn Jordan.
Only When I Laugh is a Neil Simon comedy - with echoes of his brittle humorous films but with the underlying seriousness of Chapter Two and The Goodbye Girl. Marsha Mason is once again excellent in the central role and received an Oscar nomination (as she did for The Goodbye Girl and Chapter Two). She is very well supported by Kristy Mc Nicoll and James Coco and Joan Hackett in Oscar-nominated performances. The film is based on a Neil Simon stage failure The Gingerbread Lady. However, in the light of his plays and films of the '70s he has given it strength and given us a portrait of a temperamental star, her relationship with her daughter and a gallery of eccentric outsiders in society. There is an excellent blend of humour and sadness.
The film was directed by Glenn Jordan who directed many television movies including The Women's Room, In The Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan, Les Miserables. Neil Simon has given us a variety of 'odd couples' - this time he shows us mother and daughter to great effect.
1. The popularity of Neil Simon film? His comedy, serious undertones? His theatre background? His experience of New York
2. The New York world, types? The wry humour, insight into human nature? Insight through laughter? The irony of the title - laughter and pain? The title of the play within the film? Its reference to Georgia and her experience?
3. Marsha Mason as Georgia: her appearance, presence, acting and comic skills? The credibility to the part of Georgia: her life, acting career, marriage? Her drinking and her return home from the cure? Her having to face life again? The support of Toby and Jimmy? Her wanting to relate to Polly? The pressure of David? Making friends again with Polly? Her moving in? Her attempts to make their living together work? David's phone call, reading the play, accepting it? The counter-balance of this professional start with Polly and the problem of Adam and Heidi? Rehearsals, planning and preparation? The exhilaration of the shopping with Polly - and the collage of their going from shop to shop? Polly's arranging the date with the teacher and her coping with this? The build-up to the possibility of success but the strain telling on Georgia? Toby's lunch and her turning 40, the party and the discovery that her husband had left her? David revealing his friendship with Denise and Georgia's meeting Denise at the rehearsal? Her desperation and her phoning the doctor and her being put off? Jimmy and Toby supporting her? Her beginning to drink, to act up? Her going for the cigarettes and being picked up? Her being bashed? The clash with Toby, the clash with Polly? Her being asked to go to the dinner to meet Polly and her father and her feeling unable to? Her final decision to go? Her hopes? A rounded character portrayal? Georgia as a woman, actress? Her capacity for friendship, sensitivity, her low opinion of herself and being able to be put down? Her capacity for love and her hopes for a future with Polly?
4. Kristy McNicoll's presence as Polly? ordinary girl, pleased to see her mother cured, inviting her mother to the rehearsal of their concert, her plans to move in? The humour of the odd couple together e. g. her mess at breakfast? Going to play tennis with her father? Friendship with Adam? Rehearsing the song for Toby's party? Adam and the party? The tension? The build-up to the clash between Polly and her mother? Their arguing and the reasons given for the fight? Polly's asking for love? The martinis, the talk., the disappointment? Polly threatening her mother with leaving but persuading her not to give up? The final dinner and Georgia's coming?
5. The sketch of Jimmy: the out of work actor. his later getting a job but being sacked? His fuss, friendship with Georgia, getting the groceries, welcoming her home? Theatrical language and style? Enjoying gossip? The theme of homosexuality and the sympathetic way that Jimmy was portrayed? The dinner and leaving Georgia alone? The friendship with Toby? The 40th. birthday and their trying to support Toby? The party and its failure? Reacting to Georgia's drinking? Taking her home? Discussions about Polly's going and his support of her? Georgia breaking out against him but his continued support? A sketch of friendship?
6. Toby and her glamour, her concern about her beauty, style? Her welcoming Georgia and being concerned about her drinking? The dinner and her turning 40? Her suspicions of her husband? Preparations for the party? Its collapsing? Georgia's drinking? Trying to get Georgia to cope for Polly? Worrying about her during the night? Their fight and the mutual telling-off? The truths told about each other - comparisons, patronising etc.? The fight and reconciliation?
7. David - theatre type, successful playwright, the memories of his living with Georgia, his date and phone call getting her to read the play, the rehearsals and Georgia reliving her past, the effect on her? His introducing Denise? Her collapse? His being sorry?
8. Adam and his friendship with Polly? The party sequence?
9. The men in the bar, Georgia being picked up, being bashed? Her need for relationships? Her needs seen in the light of her marriage, her living with David, her loneliness?
10. The film's insight into women: women and their sensibilities, mother and daughter relationships, bonds, antagonisms? Building on relationships despite the pain? Heidi?
11. The theme of alcoholism and addiction - Georgia and her low self-opinion, her drinking, the failure of the marriage, her failure as a mother? The break-up of the relationship with David? The importance of the monologue during the credits and the insight into Georgia? Her giving up, tasting and giving in? Her going down and being bashed? Helpers and their effectiveness and ineffectiveness for alcoholics? The pathos of Georgia desperately ringing the doctor?
12. The irony of the title and the film's blend of laughter and pain?
