SKYLARK

US, 1993, 98 minutes, Colour.
Glenn Close, Christopher Walken, Lee Richardson, Elizabeth Wilson, Lois Smith.
Directed by Joseph Sargent.

Skylark is a telemovie sequel to the very popular Sarah Plain and Tall, a Glenn Close production in which she starred as a woman from Maine, loving the sea, who goes to the Midwest, to the vast open plains as a mail-order bride and settles there with her husband and his children. With this film the story becomes a cycle: there are troubles and droughts, fires in the Midwest, Sarah goes back to her family to see them and to see the sea - and finally her husband comes to her and they begin their life again. The film is sincere, a humane look at characters in the American tradition.

1. The impact of the film, in itself, as a sequel, a piece of Americana?

2. The Kansas locations, the open plains, the towns, the farms? The contrast with Maine and the ocean? 1910, atmosphere, costumes and decor, sense of period? Music?

3. The title and its symbol?

4. Kansas, the land, crops, dry, the drought, the horses? Fire? The waiting for the weather to turn? The lightning storms? Poverty and hard work?

5. The contrast with Maine, the green countryside, the vast ocean, life on the sea, fishing? The parallels made between the sea and the open plains?

6. Sarah and Glenn Close's screen presence and performance? In herself, her love for the sea and her home, the marriage, making her home in the Midwest? The love for the children and winning them over? Her support for them, their support? Acceptance? The photo? The hard work, life at home, shopping? Her friendship with Maggie and their support? Her love for Jacob, memories, letters? The importance of Hannah's gift? The birthday, the gift of the record? The fire?

7. Jacob, a man of the land, hard work, his kindness, the gift of the record, the fire, seeing his friends leave? Urging Sarah to leave?

8. The portrait of the children, their relationship with Sarah, with their father? The decision finally to go? The sea, the secrets, the loneliness, their father's absence, love? Their being welcomed by Sarah's family?

9. Maggie, her friendship with Sarah, devotion to her husband, the hard life, the regrets of their decision to leave?

10. The family in Maine, the variety of women, their styles? The driver and his friendship?

11. The children and their experience in Maine, learning another way of life, another world?

12. Sarah, her pregnancy, her learning from experience in going home, her readiness to return?

13. A film of human values, the American way of life? Gentle and positive?