THE PRINCE OF TIDES

US, 1991, 132 minutes, Colour.
Barbra Streisand, Nick Nolte, Kate Nelligan, Melinda Dillon, Blythe Danner, Jeroen Krabbe, Jason Gould.
Directed by Barbra Streisand.

The Prince of Tides is based on a novel by Pat Conroy. His previous novels were also filmed, Sounder in the 1970s, Conrack with Jon Voight, The Great Santini with Robert Duvall and Blythe Danner, The Lords of Discipline (echoing his years of military cadetship). He co-wrote the screenplay and he is well served by Barbra Streisand as producer, director and star.

Barbra Streisand had directed Yentl in 1984. She shows great accomplishment in making an attractive, Hollywood glossy, emotional film.

However, while Barbra Streisand stars as the psychiatrist, Susan Lowenstein, she does not take centre screen. Centre screen is taken by Nick Nolte, in an award-winning performance, as a man, timid in himself, who is full of rage. While trying to help Dr Lowenstein and the therapy of his twin sister, a poet who has attempted suicide, he comes to an understanding of himself.

The supporting cast includes Kate Nelligan in an Oscar-nominated performance as Nolte's mother. Melinda Dillon is the sister. Blythe Danner is the wife. Jeroen Krabbe appears as Dr Lowenstein's husband. Barbra Streisand's son, Jason Gould, also appears quite tellingly as her son.

The film creates the world of South Carolina and contrasts it with the world of New York. The film also highlights the need for coming to terms with personal pain, family secrets and the truth. Those not interested in psychiatry and therapy will not be moved by the film. Those who see the value in talking, a skilled person listening, the mutual help that is given by speaking out the truth and the possibility for catharsis and a growth to wholeness will enjoy the film considerably.

1.The popularity of the novel, Pat Conroy's work? The adaptation for the screen? The contribution of the novelist? Awards and nominations? A piece of '80s Americana and American memories?

2.The worlds of South Carolina and New York City, the striking presentation of both worlds, locations? Atmosphere? The musical score?

3.The title, Savannah's book of poetry, the dedication to Tom? The symbol of healing?

4.Audiences identifying with Tom, the introduction and his voice-over, his point of view? His memories, the portrait of the children, at home, with their mother, explorations, diving into the water and breathing? The portrait of the mother - and Tom's acknowledging the error about his mother?

5.Audiences and identification with characters and themes, the men identifying with Tom? Women identifying Leila, Savannah, Susan? Their experiences?

6.Tom, his age and experience, Nick Nolte's performance? The strong American male? The vulnerability? His relationship with Sally, the tensions? His being relaxed with his children? Out of work, the teacher, expected to do better, his self-image, his fears? The black humour about his mother and her arrival? Jokes and denial as defences? His mother's arrival, the fierce and angry arguments? A setting for the therapy of the film?

7.Savannah as a child, her place in the family, twin with Tom? The news of her attempted suicide? Leila bringing the news, her reaction, deciding that she couldn't go to help her daughter? Her fears and suppressing them? Her philosophy of life? Pressurising Tom to go? Leila and her poor background, her relationship with her husband? With the children? The home sequences? The stillborn child and her saying the children were to blame? Taking each into her room and her bed to tell them that they had the secret of her sole love? The disillusionment later? The arguments with her husband, the humiliation, giving him the dog food? The birthday party and lighting the candles, the husband refusing to look and Luke shooting the television? Her leaving, getting the money from the sale of the island? Marrying Reece? Luke's death and her being impervious? Savannah's suicide attempts? Her hardness and harshness? Transition to a world of high society - clothes, manner, her continued smoking?

8.Tom and the effect of the suicide attempt, the effect of his mother's presence, the blend of love and hate? The declaration of her secret love and his disillusionment? His memories of being weak, his father attacking him as being a girl, going into the kitchen to help his mother, his tears and his father forbidding him to cry? Building up strong defences, not crying, making jokes? His inability to talk with Sally? Going to New York, meeting Ed, the contrasting lifestyle? Wanting to help Savannah? The waiting room, smoking and agitated? The first meeting with Dr Lowenstein, his hostility, attack? His response to her questions, shouting? The arguments? Seeing Savannah and her state and his anger? Calming down, apologies? The eating the chilli with Susan in the street? His response to her ultimatum?

9.Barbra Streisand as Susan Lowenstein: her screen presence, manner, her professional know-how, meeting Tom, her shrewdness, the questions, processing him? Her responses and listening? To the hospital, handling his outbursts? The eating of the chilli, the ultimatum? Sharing his secrets, offering the coffee, the confrontations, his angers? Her growing in awareness? Meeting him at the party, laughing at his dancing, walking the street, explaining her husband and her marriage, taking him to meet her son - and Bernard's hostile reaction? Her embarrassment? Her tension, the unhappy marriage, her own defences? Her wanting Tom to help with the training at football? Her arriving with the sandwiches and being rejected by Bernard? Listening to Tom's arguments, the meal and the ordering in French? Her encouragement, weeping with him? Helping him to be free, a saviour for him?

10.Tom's reaction to Sally's affair, the phone calls to the children, returning home for the birthday party with the gifts, remembering? Going to the party, remembering his father's reaction to the candles on the birthday cake? Going to see Reece and his mother? Reece's slapping his face and demanding that it be secret? Visiting Reece and his mother in the present, the discussion with his mother and telling her that he would reveal the secrets? In New York, admiration for Harold? Doing the New York things, the jogging sequences, his list of things to do? Chats with Ed, Ed and his party, the dancing? Seeing Susan, walking with her, learning about her marriage, the clash with Bernard? Meeting with Bernard for the football training, his being insulted, taking a firm stand? Bernard's return, the collage of the training and its effect on each? Giving away the cigarettes? Susan's delight, Harold's anger about his son? Going to Grand Central with Bernard, his admiration for Bernard's violin-playing?

11.The portrait of the family: children at play, love for their mother, diving fully clothed into the water (and the repetition of this scene for their graduation)? Growing up, Luke and his toughness, standing up to his father, shooting the television set, going to Vietnam and returning a hero, his protest about the land, his blowing up installations, his being shot? His being a hero to Tom - and Tom being able to see him as an ordinary human being? Savannah, poetry, drifting away, going to New York, the Jewish identity, writing the Jewish novel - and Tom discovering the accounts, the book in the shop? His anger with Susan in not telling him about these episodes in Savannah's life?

12.The portrait of their father, the worker, his dreams, homes, the home movie and Tom and Susan watching it? The cruelty in the moods, the humiliations? The dog food, watching TV, at the table? Yet the contrast with Tom taking his daughters to see their grandfather, working on the shrimp boat? An ordinary human being? His forbidding his son to cry - Tom trying to communicate to him as an adult on the boat, his deflecting the conversation about sports results? Tom learning to love him as a human being?

13.The telling of the secret, Tom and the revelation, the brutality? The suggestions and glimpses of the prisoners, their coming into the house, the rape and the violence? Tom's block about himself and Susan getting him to talk about it? The effect of the experience on each? Luke arriving home, shooting the prisoners? Leila stabbing the prisoner? Her businesslike attitude, cleaning everything up, disposing of the bodies? Their not to tell their father? A secret not to be communicated? The effect on Savannah, her suicide attempt? As a child, later? The catharsis for Tom in telling this story?

14.The portrait of Sally, her work as a doctor, relationship with Tom, wanting to foster it, the tensions, her affair and telling him, the mixed motivation, even to hurting him? Her trying to talk with him? The phone calls, not wanting him to return? The birthday party, the tenderness, speaking frankly, the walks on the beach? Her angers? Her invitation to the bedroom? The birthday celebration? Her joy at his return? The final phone call?

16.Harold as a celebrity, his appearance, playing? Susan's story and her marriage? His relationship with Bernard, turning him into a pianist? His appearance in the park and humiliation of his son, humiliation of Tom? The invitation to the party, his performance, verbally attacking Tom, playing `Dixie'? Tom's reaction, threatening to throw the Stradivarius away, Harold's apologies? The verbal insults, Susan and her reaction at the table, especially for the woman having the affair with her husband? The background of parties and guests?

17.Tom taking Susan away? Their love for each other, the affair, the tenderness? Going to the countryside, talking frankly, the process of healing? No future? The phone call, Tom and his remembering his dreams - and the slow dance in the Rainbow Room? Having it to themselves - for their farewell? His leaving, seeing her on the street? The final voice-over, his driving home and his comments about himself, his life, his reconciliation with the women in his life? With Savannah? And his prayer of thanks to Susan Lowenstein?

18.Savannah, the background of her childhood, the rape, suicide attempt? The quality of her poetry? Writing the children's story and pretending to be a Jewish survivor? The preoccupation with the Holocaust? In hospital, the therapy, Tom's tenderness, her recovery, her concern about him? Their walks together? The farewell?

19.Ed, the friend, the New York gay scene, parties? His help for Tom? Friendship with Susan?

20.Themes of psychiatry, therapy? In the American context? Human needs, secret, abuse, pain? Adult men and women trying to cope? The importance of weeping? Tom's weeping sequence with Susan? The freedom of the truth? Wholeness?

21.The film as particularly American - but its impact for wider audiences?