IRONWEED

US, 1987, 135 minutes, Colour.
Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, Tom Waits, Carroll Baker, Diane Venora, Michael O'Keefe, Margaret Whitton, Nathan Lane, Fred Gwynne, Ted Levine, Frank Whaley.
Directed by Hector Babenco.

Ironweed is based on William Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, one of his Albany series. The film. is set in Albany, New York, 1938. it focuses on drifters, especially Frank Phelan and Helen Archer. They are played superbly by Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. In fact, Meryl Streep's performance, appearance, croaky rendition of the song 'He's My Pal', show her superb range and capacity for portraying any character. Carroll Baker has a good supporting role as Frank's wife.

However, while the film is stylised, it is rather long and often lugubrious. To this extent, it also seems artificial - we are conscious of clever actors giving performances rather than necessarily being the characters they portray.

The film is directed by Hector Babenco, director of Pixote and The Kiss of the Spider Woman. (It might be compared to its contemporary, Barbet Schroeder's Barfly with Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway as alcoholics.

1. The impact of the film? Americana? The skill of the director and the stars? Oscar nominations?

2. The prestige and reputation of the novelist? His realistic and surrealistic writing? Adaptation to the screen?

3. The title: the train, the surviving of the weeds on the rail tracks, the ending? The opening of the train, the camera lifted towards the heavens (the realm of ghosts) and down to Albany? The explanation of the title?

4. Albany in 1938; the city streets, the drifters' shelter, homes, church, the bars? Shops? The realism in Albany? The stylising arid the fantasy when Frank was seeing the dead people and they entered into his life? The musical score?

5. The focus on Francis Phelan, Jack Nicholson's presence arid skill? Waking at the beginning, going to the refuge, the friends in the street, the cold, the fire? His friendship with Rudy and talking with him, audiences learning about him from his conversation with Rudy? To the soup kitchen? Chester and his prayer, hope for converts? Chester offering him work? Going to the cemetery? his visit to Gerald's grave, his talking to his dead son, the revelation of his family, absence, guilt? The effect on this visit? Away for 22 years? His memory of the bus of the strike, the stoning of the tram driver who died? The ghostly passenger and its effect? The challenge to him from the dead man? His angry answer? Going to the bar, searching for Helen? Her arrival, Rudy and the friends, the jokes? Their meeting Oscar at the bar and the memories of getting him drunk in New York? Helen's singing and its effect oil him? Sandra out in the cold, Her dying? Chester and the next job? His going, bargaining with the rag collector? The memories of the train, the man with the boots and the fight and his death? Going past his house and the story of Katrina, her elegance, walking out naked, the sexual encounter? His decision to get off, arguing with the rag collector? Going home; getting the turkey, going, into the house, the first encounter with Anna? Their talking, seeing the choir of dead people in the backyard? His grandson and the baseball, the warmth? His previous contacts with Bill? Peggy and her bitterness, his reading her letter? Her change of heart? Going, through his old things, getting his suit? The dessert, the reconciliation? Meeting Rudy, going to the train and imagining Anna there? The attack of the American Legion, the violence? Rudy dying, his taking him to the hospital? His going to the hotel, finding 111elen dead? His grief?, Portrait of a drifter, alcoholic? Responsibility? Guilt, reasons?

6. Helen and Meryl Streep's presence and performance? Arriving at the bar, her look, clothes? Living with Francis for 9 years? Her life, radio singer, her decline, gravelly talk, love of music? Sandra and her death? Its effect on Helen? The bar, Oscar, Rudy? Her wanting, to sing, the bravura performance of 'He's My Pal? Imagining the crowd in the bar responding? The reality? Her wandering, the men in the car, the masturbation? Her going to church, kneeling before the statue of St. Joseph, her praying, her integrity, never betraying anyone? Finding the $10 and thanking St. Joseph? Her illness, trying to eat the toast, giving it to the woman drifter? Going to the library and reading, falling asleep? The sympathy of the librarian? Meeting the school friend and jogging of memories? The shop and playing the piano? Back to the hotel, getting her things, the room, putting on the music, her illness, looking in the mirror, the shower, the dressing gown - and her collapse and death? The impact of her lying dead with Francis speaking to her? The reasons for her condition?

7. Rudy, the drifter, cheerful, jokes, his news about the cancer, drinking, working at the cemetery, puzzle about Frank and, the dead boy, the going to the bar, the shelter, meeting Francis at the end, the attack and the train, the bashing, his illness - and his death?

8. The range of the drifters in the Albany streets, the shelter in the street, the soup kitchen, singing the by-lines, the bars, the final raid? Oscar and his reform and working in the bar?

9. The family: Anna and the past, the 22 years, her not telling the truth about Francis' dropping the baby, her bitterness, mellowing, the visit, the reminiscences, the turkey and her cooking it? The children - Billy and his reaction, wanting a reconciliation? Peggy and her bitterness, the family talking to her, buying the dessert, the letter being read, her tears? The grandson and the baseball? Francis leaving them? Future contact?

10. The sequences of the strike, the car, the guard, the stones, the violence and the shooting? Francis throwing the stone? The vagrants during the depression, their being pursued, shootings, on the train, the fight for boots? The people's reappearance in Francis' fantasy?

11. Katrina and her elegance, sexuality, nudity, the encounter with Francis?

12. The ragman and his personality, his story, his style, boasting, age? Clash with Francis?

13. The early decades of the 20th. century? The atmosphere of depression?