Saturday, 18 September 2021 19:06

Nuts






NUTS

US, 1987, 110 minutes, Colour.
Barbra Streisand, Richard Dreyfuss, Maureen Stapleton, Eli Wallach, Karl Malden, Robert Webber.
Directed by Martin Ritt.

Nuts is a very entertaining film. It is a Barbra Streisand vehicle. Not only does she star, she is producer and composer of. the musical score. Barbra Streisand has appeared in a number of 'feminist films' over the years. her strong personality comes through and gives conviction to tier belief in feminist issues. This is quite strong in such films as Up The Sandbox and Yentl. It is particularly strong here and makes some valuable statements for the '80s.

She plays a callgirl arrested for manslaughter but judged unfit to stand trial. She demands the court's recognition that she is not nuts. Richard Dreyfuss plays a lawyer from Legal Aid. He gives, a very good performance and is able to stand up against Barbra Streisand. The film is based on a play by Tom Topor (with screenwriters Darryl Ponicsan (Last Detail, Cinderella Liberty) and Alvin Sargent.(Julia, Love and Pain). Basically it is a courtroom drama and there is an ensemble cast who work well together, each one getting a substantial part: Maureen Stapleton and Karl Malden as the parents, Eli Wallach as the psychiatrist, Robert Webber as the prosecutor, James Whitmore as the judge.

The film was directed by Martin Ritt, a director very much concerned with social issues in his entertainments over the years (ranging from Edge of the City, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, Hud, Hombre).

The film is worth seeing for Barbra Streisand's strong presence, performance, convictions.

1. The title and its evocative sound, issues of sanity and society, the law?

2. A Barbra Streisand vehicle? The range of her contributions to the film?

3. The screenplay based on a play: courtroom drama, confined acting arena, strong dialogue, character interactions? The outside sequences in the prison, the flashbacks? The musical score?

4. The quality of the ensemble playing and the opportunities for performances by the cast?

5. Themes of law, statutes, protecting of citizens, citizens' rights, sanity, trials, criteria for sanity, expertise, exercises of power? The film as a challenge to conventions? Appearances and reality? The inner character and behaviour? Manners and moral worth?

6. Barbra Streisand's presence, appearance and strength as Claudia: seeing her in the prison cells, summoned to court, in the court, her lawyer and her family, her hostile reaction to them, audience puzzle? The flashbacks beginning to suggest her affluent life as a call girl? The later insertion of the evening with Alan, the meal, going home, the sexual encounter, his turning bitter, his molestation and her killing him? The lawyer and his stance, her physical attack on him and breaking his nose? His quitting? The judge getting Aaron to work as a legal aide? Her parents and their stating that they 1oved her? The interviews with Dr. Morrison? Her hostility to wards him? The initial clash with Aaron, verbal fencing with him, his breaking down some barriers? His visits to her? Her anger at his going to her apartment to get the clothes? Her going into court, her behaviour in court, interjections, danger of contempt? Her own frustration? Taunting Dr. Morrison? Not wanting Aaron to interrogate her mother, tapping the glass? Her hostility towards Arthur, the build-up, the revelation of the truth, her giving the information about his molesting her, her breakdown? Her being drugged and Aaron's visit? her taking the stand and wanting to? Her wiliness in answering the questions? Her capacity for definitions and understanding of the law? her interrogation by MacMillan? Her explanation of what it was to be a hooker and what it was like? Her speech about respectability, responsibility, morals? The background to her growing up, her parents' divorce and her father abandoning her, her mother marrying Arthur, his looking after her, her becoming his lover. her not resisting him? Her memories of her mother? The ten-year marriage, her not wanting to be pregnant because she didn't believe in childhood? The divorce? The challenge to Dr. Morrison and his not relenting? The question about trust of those in the court and her trusting only the guard who did not want to hurt her? Aaron's summing-up speech? Her reconciliation with her mother while waiting for the verdict? Her interactions with the judge? The verdict, the reasons? Her affirmation? Her finally walking in the streets, and looking at the man talking to himself who was nuts? Sanity, family, trauma, hurt, expose, having to cope, freedom? The postscript about her trial?

7. Aaron and his work as a legal aide, the hassle in the court, observing Claudia, being given the case, having to make a move, his taking Claudia's side? The visit and her hostility, talk about his family and children? Her constantly referring to 'the Mrs.'? His going to her apartment, looking through it, the clothes, the photos? Taking the pin up and the later conversation? His apology about taking her dress? In the court, hindered, trying to placate the judge, trying to understand her? The interactions with MacMillan? His probing of Dr. Morrison and his psychological stances? His going to interrogate the mother and her forbidding it? Talking with Arthur, understanding what had happened? Precipitating the clash? His abuse of Dr. Morrison for drugging Claudia? The interrogation in the morning, the applauding of Claudia? His final summing up? His being good at his job?

8. Dr. Morrison and his authority, thirty years a psychiatrist. his Dower? His running of the institution, his attitude towards people's attitudes, his Spanish speaking assistant with his limitations? The clash with Aaron in the cafeteria? Jargon, stances, stubbornness? The interrogation by MacMillan? His anger and arguing with the judge? His inability to listen? The ironic postscript about his future career?

9. Mac Millan, tough, handling the situation, the questions in court, the rules, asking Claudia about her life as a hooker and its impact on him?

10. The initial glimpse of her parents, nice. a loving couple, their stating their love for their daughter, her making them repeat it after her? The puzzle about her anger and hostility? Rose and her memories, the neglect of her daughter? Not knowing what was going on? Ultimately weeping and asking forgiveness? The reconciliation? Arthur as the good man, his statements about his bringing up Claudia, not spanking her, the emerging that he touched her, bathed her, his ethos about money rewards for what was successful? Paying her, the sexual relationship? The repercussions on Claudia's life? The link made with her becoming a call girl? The surface American family and underneath the surface?

11. Themes of incest, taboo, experience, trauma (and the flashbacks)? Claudia's regret that she didn't say no but only wanted to be loved by her stepfather?

12. The judge, his interested attentiveness to the case, administering the hearing, his patience, impatience, allowing Claudia to make her speech, his verdict and the reasons given?

13. The sequence in the hospital, Claudia being interviewed by the psychiatrist, her persuasiveness and Aaron asking her to testify and the irony that she was a patient?

14. Alan and his suave manner, Claudia's routine as a call girl, looking him over, the meal, to the apartment, his growing brutality, his death? The world of the affluent prostitute?

15. Strong drama? Humour? Character portraits? moral themes?