BETWEEN TWO WOMEN
US, 1986, 100 minutes, Colour.
Farrah Fawcett, Colleen Dewhurst, Steven Hill, Michael Nouri, Terry O’ Quinn.
Directed by Jon Avnet.
Between Two Women is a fine American telemovie, focusing on the sensibilities of women. Farrah Fawcett is Val and Colleen Dewhurst is Barbara, her mother-in-law. The film shows the love-hate relationship between the two. The film is in flashback form so that Val's concern for Barbara in the present is seen in the perspective of the changing relationship between the two over a period of 14 years. Farrah Fawcett, who emerged in the '80s as an actress with dramatic power (Extremities, The Burning Bed), is excellent as Val. Colleen Dewhurst is excellent in most of her roles and this is no exception. Michael Nouri has the supporting role of the husband and son.
There is a lot of feeling in the film, and attention to characters, not glamorising them, but putting them before us as people with strengths and weaknesses, lovable and unlovable.
1. An interesting and entertaining telemovie? Its impact? Wide television audience? male audience? Female audience?
2. A piece of Americana: affluent families, homes, the art world?
3. The structure of the film: Val's initial death run, the flashbacks and her writing a letter to Barbara, the present situation seen in the light of the developing past? The complexities of the love-hate relationship?
4. The title and its focus on the women, feminine sensibility, love, friendship?
5. Audiences identifying with the characters, their experiences, feelings? The drawing together of the themes? Insight through emotion?
6. Farrah Fawcett as Val: the initial run, the voiceover of the writing of the letter, indications of her relationship with Barbara, at 22 and awkward, wanting to please Harry and his parents, the awkward meeting, her being criticised by Barbara? The wedding, in the wedding photos with Barbara? The honeymoon, his art, her posing? The rain and Barbara's arrival, anger, not being able to tell her to go? The art exhibition and Barbara's arrival, Val's growing poise, the clash with Barbara, the scene with the art critic? Her friendship with Teddy and liking him, his being fair to her? His explanation of Barbara's reaction and her not wanting to seem lovable? Teddy's death and Barbara's reaction? Val's comforting her, the phone call in the night, the question of the coat, Barbara confiding she didn't want to live alone? The plea about her chin hair? The birthday party, her arrival, the fussiness at the table, the tantrum and the stroke? Val caring for her, touching her gently, healing, taking the hairs from her chin, reading to her? The clashes with the music and its reconciliation? Listening to Barbara sing? Val being affirmed by her, Barbara as a substitute mother, love-hate, Barbara's death and Val's unwillingness to accept it? Her relationship with Harry, love, his art, the bridge between the two, the blame for Barbara, the blame for Harry? Separation, coming together, the birthday, the night out, caring for Barbara? Her children and her bringing them tip? Barbara's admiration for her being able to do this?
7. Colleen Dewhurst as Barbara: the former opera star, the loss of her voice, its effect on her, her love for Teddy, their wealth, home? Her reaction to Val? Not liking her? Taunting her? Her own personal fussiness and tidiness, calling Harry Rudy and not by his name (until the end)? The wedding, her disdain in the wedding photos, intruding on the honeymoon, making the scene at the art exhibition, her antagonism towards the critic, her reaction to her husband's death, confiding secrets to Val, the bond between the two while Barbara didn't want to admit it, not wanting to live alone, her bad behaviour at the birthday party, experiencing the stroke, her silence, toughness, Val and her being coaxed back to health? Reading, the music? The bond between the two women, her affirming Val? Her becoming cold, her dying?
8. The sketch of Harry: his love for Val, relationship to his mother, Val as his art model, the posing, his art exhibition, his being less forward than Val and Barbara, the bridge between the two, his love for his children, facing his own problems, his response to his mother and reconciling with her, the exhibition, reconciliation with Val?
9. The sketch of the children, their relationship with their parents, the separation, with their grandmother and her gifts, the little girl telling her story and being interrupted?
10. Teddy and his love for Barbara, love for Harry, care for Val, his wisdom, his understanding of his wife and explanation of her attitudes towards being loved?
11. The art scene, the social background?
12. Themes of marriage, family, love, love-hate, the generation gap? The distinctive feminine perspective?
