A PIANO FOR MRS CIMINO

US, 1982, 92 minutes, Colour.
Bette Davis, Penny Fuller, Christopher Guest, George Hearn, Keenan Wynn.
Directed by George Schaefer.

A Piano for Mrs Cimino offers a tour de force performance by an ageing Bette Davis. She portrays a woman judged senile by her family and the courts. However, aided by challenges at the old people's home and by her granddaughter, she comes alive and takes charge of her own life. The film is an interesting portrayal of senior citizens, the treatment of the aged, the respect for old people and their individuality.

There is a good supporting performance by Keenan Wynn as an old friend of Mrs Cimino.

The film was directed by George Schaeffer, a director of stage and screen whose films include Generation, The Bunker.

1. An appealing film? Audience interest in aged people, their treatment?

2. The telemovie style of the film - for the home audience? The treatment of serious themes made acceptable for a wide audience at home?

3. Audience presuppositions about growing old, the treatment of the elderly, questions of senility, the care of the aged, responsibilities, the role of the law, ethics, humanity?

4. The strength of Bette Davis' performance as Mrs. Cimino? Her age, screen presence and style? The opening with Mrs Cimino as senile, her eyesight, her being taken screaming from her home, the hospital, withdrawn? Believing that she was in Argentina? Her having to be tied up? The family and their discussions, the advice, the court hearing and her losing it? The decision that she go to a home? Mrs Polanski and the regime at the home, the pressure on Mrs. Cimino to come alive: meals, classes, remembering names? Her excuses for not participating? Her growing friendship with the other people in the home? Talking with them? Questioning? Her love for Karen, Karen's visits and the bond between the two? Her sons and their wives and their decisions about their mother? Her improving? The confrontation with Mrs Nash? Her playing the piano? Her coming alive - and the old people graduating and leaving the home? Getting the news about the selling of her house? Her decisions, Karen's help, the visit to the lawyer? His sympathetic hearing? Her clash with the administrator? her winning her case? her freedom, the conman in the park and persuading her to withdraw her money? Meeting Barney again and the bond between them? Her wanting to be in charge of her own affairs? The hearing, the lawyer's attacks and using her experience, especially with the conman, against her? The winning of the case? Her meal with her family and leaving them? Her return to Barney? The significance of her life, achievement? Questions of family and love? her love for her husband and the traumatic experience of his death? her withdrawing, being challenged, coming alive? Her final declarations and choices?

5. Mrs Polanski and the home, her ideas, the classes, people using their memory, standards, graduations as people were able to return to the world? The pressure against her? her leaving and failing? The contrast with the well-subsidised homes where the people were vegetables? The change with Mrs Cimino's return - the house being run by the book? The indictment of society and its treatment of the aged?

6. The sons and their lives, their wives, busyness, regrets, visits, arranging the hearing? Selling their mother's house? Her final rejection of them?

7. Karen and her love for her grandmother, alertness, helping? The visits, telling her the truth about the house? her being vindicated?

8. Mr. Leech and the caricature of the financial administrator: trust, money, harshness, mismanagement, helping his family gain wealth at others' expense?

9. The sketch of the elderly people in the home - serious and humorous: the vegetarian, the old man waiting for his son? The invitees and the game about who should be invited, the comments about John Travolta indicating who was with it or not? The importance of keeping old people in touch with the world?

10. The portrait of Barney, happy memories, the bond between the two, hopes? The lawyer using the relationship between Barney and Mrs Cimino against her?

11. The sequence with the conman, his smooth talk, the robbery, Mrs Cimino going to the bank - but saved by the manager?

12. The portrait of the courts, the strength of the judicial system, the harshness in treatment of witnesses? The wisdom of the judge in helping Mrs Cimino?

13. Themes of society, the aged, dignity and support?