BECAUSE HE'S MY FRIEND

Australia, 95 minutes, Colour.
Keir Dullea, Karen Black, Jack Thompson, Tom Oliver, Don Reid, June Salter, Barbara Stephens, Warwick Peters.
Directed by Ralph Nelson.

Because He's My Friend is a very good telemovie, a collaboration between American and Australian production teams. Director Ralph Nelson, who made such films as Lilies of the Field, Soldier Blue, came to direct the film on location in Sydney. Karen Black and, especially, Keir Dullea give very good performances in the central roles. However, Warwick Peters as the young retarded boy gives an exceptional performance. There is strong support from Jack Thompson as the headmaster of the school for the mentally handicapped and Tom Oliver and Barbara Stephens as neighbours.

Many of the affected children of the school appear in the film to great effect. The film fits into the genre of the 70s telemovie which takes up social and family themes and brings it into the living room. This time the question of how parents ought to cope with a handicapped child is very effectively brought to our attention. Perhaps in some ways it is idealized. There is quite a deal of sentiment. Nevertheless the reality of the child and the right to life and education are well handled. The problems of the parents trying to help their child, cope with their own feelings and sense of responsibility and success and failure are also present. As a telemovie, it is well worth seeing and discussing.

1. The acclaim given to this telemovie? How satisfying and entertaining? A film of human characters and their interaction? Serious, comic? Sentiment and audience feeling? The title and its use by Charles in reference to Pete?

2. An American-Australian? co-production - designed for both audiences? The promotion of Australia for home audience, the impact for Americans? The American stars? The contribution of the Australian cast? The universal appeal of the themes and the treatment?

3. How well used were the Sydney locations, the harbour, homes, school, submarine training? A cross-section of Australian people? The care for the handicapped in Australia? The Australian tone of the film?

4. The submarine backing of the story - the opening, the detail of work in submarines, audience interest in the professional training for warfare? This naval background giving substantial backing to the story of the family and of Pete? The use of the submarine sub-plot for illustrating Eric's character, his tension and stress, the need for success and achievement? The importance of strategy and the Perisher test? Eric seen and understood within this context, succeeding for others, failing for himself? His skill, intuition, wits, stress - and the relevance for his career? The comparison of this kind of stress for Ann and Pete? The interweaving of the naval sub-plot with the story of the family?

5. The film's focus on Ann - Eric's waiting for her, her arrival at the airport, her love for Eric and its intensity, adapting to the new home, meeting Meg and Ian? The shock for Meg and for the audience at seeing Pete? Ann's reaction? Her love for Eric, supporting him? Her declarations of her being in love? Seeing her as mother and her continued care for Pete, sharing his joys, the continued interruptions, the many night interruptions? Her exasperation about the radio? Living with him and this tension each day? Audience sympathy for her care for her son and for the stress for herself?

6. The gradual introduction to Peter and audience awareness of his being retarded His being asleep at the airport, hearing him talk, his wanting the bear, his crying and his tantrums? His interrupting during the night - the story, wetting the bed, turning on the radio and dancing? His love for the bear, imitating the kookaburra etc?

7. The film showing each parent reacting to Peter? Ann and her care and having to cope, her later saying that she was covering up the difficulties? Eric as loving father, spoiling his son, his unspoken presuppositions that Peter was normal? The building up and preparation for clash and tension?

8. The introduction of Ian and Meg as some kind of balance for the main plot, comment on Eric and Ann? Ian and his work in the Perisher course, his friendship with Eric, his comments on his success? Meg and her friendship?

9. Ann taking Peter to school - the encounter with Geoff Morgan and his style, informality? His explaining the situation in the school and types of training to Ann, his way of coping with the radio? His attempts to tell the truth to Ann about Peter, his education, his strength and the inability of Ann to cope with him physically, his about to go through puberty? His comments on Ann's marriage and the possibility of good marriages breaking? Ann and her resentment and yet her listening to his advice? Her going home and refusing to let Pete turn on the radio, putting him in his room? Eric and his return and his overriding Ann's decision? Geoff Morgan's arrival and the clash with Eric? The possibility of further tension?

10. Peter at home at school, the various activities and his enjoying them, his friendship with the children especially Charles - and Charles' introduction of himself? The more evidently retarded children and the less evidently retarded children? Their working in common, their coping? The assistant and her sympathy towards Ann, her helping Geoff Morgan? The various outings, the walking, the ferry ride and the magician? Pete at home within this context?

11. Eric and his clash with Morgan, his going to the school, his walking out and being unwilling to face the truth about his son? His awareness of this later and the audience understanding it in hearing his reactions about himself, his marriage and his son to the psychiatrist? At the crisis during the Perisher test?

12. Ann and the stress and her wanting to cope, sharing the joy, the discussion with Geoff on the ferry and her still rejecting him? Her return home, the physical fight with Peter about the radio, his continued screaming for hours? Eric and his return from Perisher, Ann's not asking him the results, his own tension, the clash with Ann and his wanting to bring Pete out? The response when Peter came out and turned off the radio by himself?

13. The build-up to the sports afternoon - Eric training Peter and having him run along the beach, at the race track? The build-up to the race itself, Pete's success, Charles' falling and the decision for Peter to go back and pick him up? The supportive reaction of all, especially Ian and Meg, of Ann? It dawning on Eric that his son needed this kind of friendship mare than his own training? His capitulation - his taking them all to buy ice cream?

14. Peter and his characterisation - as retarded, his age, his strong will, his abilities e. g. in dealing with the puzzle? His capacity for friendship, for learning? Geoff Morgan's advice as being sound advice for his training and growing up?

15. The marriage of Eric and Ann and their coping better having faced the truth about themselves and the tensions with Peter? Eric not having to prove himself, his giving away his future with submarines? The future of the family?

16. An entertaining film, a film from which audiences could learn, home viewing and the home response? A film of compassion?