RIGHT TO KILL

US, 1985, 100 minutes, Colour.
Frederic Forrest, Christopher Collet, Justine Bateman, J.T.Walsh.
Directed by John Erman.

Right to Kill is a powerful telemovie, based on a real story. It focuses on a family who move to Wyoming. All seems well. However, the father is brutal, attacks investigators with charm on the surface, brutalising his family at home. He is persuasively played by Frederic Forest.

This has an effect on his children, the son ultimately turning against him and wanting to free the family by shooting the father dead. The son is played by Christopher Collett (Manhattan Project, First Born). The daughter is played by Justine Bateman (Family Ties, Satisfaction). There is a strong supporting cast portraying teachers, a lawyer, the police.

The film raises many questions about domestic violence, its causes, symptoms, the effects on those brutalised. It also highlights questions about the law and the protection of the victims. Direction is by John Erman, director of many telemovies and of the Bette Midler, Stella.

1. The impact of the telemovie? The family, the brutality, the violence? The law and its interpretation?

2. The Wyoming settings, Cheyenne, the City, the outskirts? The school? Audiences able to identify with the family, way of live, work, home, education? Musical Score?

3. The title: The correctness of killing? The having the right to take life? As applying to the film?

4. Based on a true story, audiences identifying with the realism? The characters and their handling of the situations? The interpretation by the law? The sentences on Richie and Deborah?

5. The focus on the family, the explanation of their background, moving from place to place? The father's work? The memories of the courtship, Maria's memories of her husband as a dashing young man, the courtship, the dance, the marriage? Her suffering during the marriage? Puerto Rican background, trying to please her husband, knowing her place, not wanting any fuss? The realisation that she had not stood up for her children? The focus on the father, his charm, the brutality underneath? His work and wanting to expose people? At home and his gung-ho attitudes, weapons, playing the game, being a man? His gift to his son of the rifle? Settling in, dominating, the rules, expectations? Discipline? His brutality and beating his wife? Demands on her for meals? Brutalising his son, making demands when they were working, persuasion to go out, clocking him in, forbidding him to go out? Teaching him to use the rifle? The intrusion on his daughter in the shower? his sanity? The brutality, Richie going to the police and the doctor, his smooth talking? Denials from Deborah and Maria? The final outing, the wedding anniversary, his angers, Maria calming him down? His being shot - and his not having a right to trial? Portrait, of a marriage?

6. The focus on the teenage children and their experience, their memories of the brutality hiding from their father, not knowing other ways? Deborah and her timidity, seeming to be on drugs? Making up alternate stories about her background? The friendship with the art teacher and her longings? The art teachers visit? Her behaviour at home, her father's intrusion into the shower? Her love for Ritchie, the present, support for him? Not able to tell the truth to the police? The build-up to the shooting, her holding the gun, the interrogation and her talking to the police?

7. Ritchie and his being a presentable young man, attractive in the school, going to the dance, learning from Deborah, charming the girlfriend, visiting her home? Dominated by his father? Life at home, the birthday party and the gift of the rifle? In the ranges and the shooting practice? Going out, being grounded? The desperation? The brutality towards their mother? The final decision, cold blooded shooting - and the basis for the decision? The arrest, the interrogation, wanting to see his mother? Her ignoring her children, condemning them? Her scrubbing away the blood? The reconciliation?

8. The teacher, sympathy, creativity, listening to Deborah, going to visit the home, the mother's refusal to admit there was anything wrong? Helping tier at the trial, giving her shelter?

9. The authorities in the school, welcoming the children to the school? The head of the rangers and his support? Taking Richie to the doctor, the brutality and the beating? Richie's reaction to his asking some of the students to care for him?

10. The police, sympathy, the tough arrest, the issue of teenagers turning against their parents? The judges decisions?

11. The sympathetic lawyer, at the funeral? His getting to understand the two, questions, the visit to their mother? His attempts at a defence? Special pleading for them?

12. The atmosphere of Wyoming, friends and neighbours? Ordinary homes - and the possibility of this kind of brutality?