NO SMALL AFFAIR
US, 1984, 102 minutes, Colour.
Demi Moore, Jon Cryer, George Wendt, Tim Robbins.
Directed by Jerry Schatzberg.
No Small Affair is a pleasing serious comedy about an adolescent and his infatuation with a 24-year-old singer.
It came in the wake of a large wave of youth-oriented films, Porky's and its imitators, which had school settings and were generally crass and crude. There was a reaction with such films as John Hughes' The Breakfast Club, Rob Reiner's A Sure Thing. These films focused more sensitively on deeper feelings and the rites of passage.
The stars, unknown at the time, work very well together. The film is attractively made by Jerry Schatzberg, a fashion photographer who has made several arresting or interesting films as Puzzle of a Downfall Child, Scarecrow, The Seduction of Joe Tynan.
1. The popularity of youth-oriented films in the '80s? The reaction against crassness and crudity? Genuine feeling, sentiment? The problems of youth, rites of passage?
2. The use of city locations, the contemporary atmosphere, apartments, school, nightclubs, airports? The background of the director as fashion photographer? The musical background, the range of songs and performance?
3. The credibility of the plot - the teenager and his lifestyle, interests, photography? The infatuation with the girl in her 20s? His following her, promoting her nightclub career? The episode with the taxi signs? Relationship?
4. The portrait of Charles: age, schooling, shy, relationship with the other boys, his photography and his preoccupation with it, the collages of his taking photos - and, in the schoolroom? His going to the wharf, the humour of the set-ups and his trying to take the attractive model? His being accident-prone and awkward? His relationship with his mother, her standards, ways of bringing him up? His various uncles? His relationship to his Mother's boyfriend and his attempts at being a stepfather to him? Private rebellion? His own room and his privacy, the photos? His technical knowledge? The contrast with Leonard? Leonard, his girlfriends, the announcement of the engagement, the preparation for the marriage? His search for the poster girl, the multiple portrait in his room? Finding her? The nightclub, his awkwardness, Leonard and the arrest? His getting everyone to go to the performance and making her a success? His romantic vision of her? The idyllic friendship? The photos? His decision to go to the taxi manager, giving all his savings? His being hurt at( her reaction? The reconciliation? The right together? His farewelling her at the airport? The impact of the friendship and the relationship on his life?
5. Themes of rites of passage: emotion, affection, sexuality? Romantic vision and chivalry?
6. The portrait of Laura: on the wharf, the arguments with her boyfriend, her disappearance from Charles' life, his discovering her, her work in the nightclub, her singing style, success, her being sacked, the wrangles with the boss and his sexual proposals, her rejection of them? The friendship with Charles, his niceness, bringing the people to her
performance, her response? Her hopes? The taxi and her reaction to the telephone calls, her trying to find Charles, anger with him, reaction? The visit to the taxi manager, the discovery of the truth? Her amazement, the reconciliation? The night with him? Her leaving? Her future?
7. The sketch of Charles' mother, her lifestyle, boyfriends, home life, talking to Charles, standards, double standards? Leonard? The wedding?
8. Leonard and his lifestyle, the contrast with Charles? The girlfriend? The outing, the parties, the nightclub, the arrest? The wedding?
9. The background of the nightclub, the performances, Laura's success, the crowds, the record companies?
10. The humour and the reality of the taxi episode? As a symbol of Charles' devotion? The reality of the reaction for Laura?
11. An attractive bitters-sweet comedy?
