PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED

US, 1986, 104 minutes, Colour.
Kathleen Turner, Nicolas Cage, Barry Miller, Catherine Hicks, Joan Allen, Jim Carrey.
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Peggy Sue Got Married is a time travel story. It focuses on the mid-'80s, Peggy Sue, a middle-aged woman about to be divorced from her husband, goes to a school reunion and goes back in time to 1960. She has her 25 years of experience when she looks again at 1960, her family, school friends, her husband-to-be. While the idea is imaginative (and is reminiscent of the very successful Back to the Future), the treatment is rather thin, relying on the talent of Kathleen Turner as Peggy Sue. Nicholas Cage (Birdy, Racing with the Moon) seems miscast and strident as Charlie. There is a touch of nostalgia with Leon Ames and Maureen O'Sullivan as Peggy Sue's grandparents. Don Murray and Barbara Harris are her parents.

The film has a slight cop-out ending - did Peggy Sue really go back or did she dream?

Kathleen Turner received an Oscar nomination for her role. The film was directed by Francis Coppola. There is an attractive score and rather sweet theme by John Barry.

1. The popularity of time travel films in the '80s? The possibility of living one's life again with hindsight? Time travel blending with romance story?

2. The picture of the U.S. in 1985, the contrast with l960? Similarities, difference? The town, people? The attractive theme? The use of contemporary songs?

3. The song 'Peggy Sue Got Married', its use, giving rise to the screenplay, themes?

4. The piece of Americana, change in the U.S. in a quarter of a century: individuals, love and marriage, disillusionment?

5. The focus on Peggy Sue in 1985: age, experience, family, marriage break-up, money, success, failure? Peggy Sue's friends - success, relationships, drugs, gossip, prissy people remembering the past?

6. Peggy Sue at home, her relationship with her daughter, Charlie and his antics on the television ads, Peggy Sue's reaction? Going to the reunion? Wearing the 1960 dress? Her friends? Carol and Walter, drugs? Arthur and his wife? Dolores and her interviews?

7. The portrait of Richard, prim, his success? Relationship with Peggy Sue? His attitudes towards the others, looking down on them? The interview with Dolores? His being crowned king?

8. The crowning of Peggy Sue as Queen, her reaction, the song, her dress, the photos around the room, her memories of Michael? her collapse?

9. Peggy Sue in 1960: the effect of waking up, school, the infirmary, going to classes, discussions about American books, her friends and their youthfulness, her age and experience? The audience sharing the view of 1960 through 1985 eyes? Her mother at home, care for her? Her father? The new car? Her mother's warnings about sex? The clashes with her sister and her wanting to be friends? The home sequences? Grandparents and phone calls, premonitions of death? Her going to visit them? Her being able to tell them the truth? seeing them? Richard and his being looked down on, telling him the truth, helping him? Science and inventions? Her relationship with Charlie, his love for her, his singing, fighting, Coming into the bedroom, the arguments, Jealousy? Michael and the infatuation? The night with him? young love? His career as a writer? Carol and her friends? Dolores still obnoxious? Trying to act her age His joking and drinking? Trying to act young - the drum majorette practice etc.?

10. The sketch of her parents, 1960 parents, preoccupations, discipline, prim attitudes towards sexuality? Her grandparents and their pleasantness? _The lodge - and its being presented as rather silly in its ceremonies?

11. Charlie: in himself, music (in comparison with seeing him on television, turning up at the reunion), laughter, erratic, manner, expectations of the firm? Sadness, failing with his singing audition? Peggy Sue giving him the Beatles song? The comparisons with the Charlie of the past and the future? His being at her bedside, the reconciliation? Genuine love for each other?

12. Richard and his being a bookworm, science, looked down on, Peggy Sue and her help, his success? Michael and his athletics, nice, naive, self-preoccupied? His sending the novel with its dedication? The girlfriends and their behaviour in 1960, prospects of marriage, hopes of being together on the same street? How things turned out?

13. Peggy Sue waking up, love, the reconciliation? Her daughter?

14. The past - if only ... ? What would we do? what can we do?