STARTING OVER

US, 1979, 105 minutes, Colour.
Burt Reynolds, Jill Clayburgh, Candice Bergen, Charles Durning, Frances Sternhagen, Austin Pendleton, Mary Kay Place.
Directed by Alan J. Pakula.

Starting Over is a more romantic minded, and often comic, masculine parallel to Paul Mazursky's An Unmarried Woman. Jill Clayburgh stars in both (expertly but differently vulnerable in each). However, this is a Burt Reynolds vehicle. He deliberately goes against his macho image, portraying a rather reserved, sensitive middle aged man whose marriage breaks, who goes to the divorcees' group, who dates but yearns for his ex-wife and faces separation traumas. He is good (if suggesting some self-consciousness). Candice Bergen as his ex-wife has to look glamorous and sing songs in a loud off-key manner. She is excellent in an unsympathetic role.

Pleasing for those in the 'starting over' age group. Reynolds alternates his action films like Smokey and the Bandit and Hooper with serious films like this such as Semi-Tough and The End. Direction is by Alan Pakula who made such films as The Sterile Cuckoo, Klute, All the President's Men.

1. An entertaining film? For what audience? Masculine response, feminine response? The appeal to the middle-age group?

2. The American style, setting? Boston? The presentation of people in the city, homes, apartments, stores? Easy identification with the characters - or not? Themes of marriage.. divorce., age? Dating, careers.. discussion groups, psychology?

3. The psychological background of the film - American trends in the '70s? Serious, comic? Satire, gentle mocking? The value of psychology? Group work? The focus on the discussion group - the individuals.. divorce, the serious problems and the way they discussed and shared them? The humour of the ladies' group taking over on the dot of nine? Mickey and his professional skill.. planning, therapy in the department store? Marva and her eager psychologising?

4. The importance of music - the background, the songs e.g. The Way We Were? The title song and its use at the end? Jessica and her composing, the lyrics? (Her singing of them?)

5. The serious and comic tones of the film? The many funny sequences, touches, dialogue? Satire? The blend of the styles of comedy? The audience laughing at the situations, feeling and identifying with the characters?

6. The opening break-up setting the tone - the talk behind the credits? Phil and Jessie and their age, the years of marriage. experience? Jessie and her walking out? Phil and his feelings.. not wanting the marriage to break? Iris comment that he was glad of their marriage - and Jessie's later use of it, Phil's taking it back? Phil and the trauma of separation, Jessie and her immediate song composition, his finding an apartment and its loneliness? His yearning for companionship. for Jessie? Mickey and Marva and their initial help, his phoning them in the middle of the night? Jessie and her turning up later. her visit. the seduction sequence and her singing? Phil driving her in the car and punching her? The song in the motel and the ludicrous aspects of it. Phil's leaving? What motivated his decision to return to her, the build-up to their lovemaking, her comment about orgasm? Their trying to build a life again together, the shopping sequence and the clash? Jessie's letting him go?

7. The group therapy and the help given by the group? The parallels of people in divorce and separation situations? Paul and his remarriages? His driving Phil and giving him advice? His presence at the final proposal to Marilyn?

8. Mickey and Marva - fraternal relationships, Mickey challenging Phil on his visit, their setting up the meting with Marilyn and the comedy routines about her being accosted? Their presence at Thanksgiving dinner with their son and moving out? The giggling behind the door when Marilyn and Phil left their how? Arranging the date for Marilyn at the end? Mickey's performance in the department store and the people's applause? Humorous presentation of do-gooders - with the psychological touch?

9. Burt Reynolds and his change of image as Phil? His portrayal of a shy and sensitive man? The experience of the break-up, sadness and loneliness? His being in the apartment by himself, phoning, buying furniture? The following of Marilyn and her attack on him? The humour of his repeating her words at the dinner? Her refusal of a date and his trying to push this? The interim date and his visit to her house, the encounter with the children, telling stories at the restaurant, his exasperation and longing for Marilyn? His decision to go to the group, his presence there, friendliness? The effect of the group's advice? His decision to teach - and his awkwardness, the humour of the short lesson? (Our seeing him go there again but not knowing how he succeeded?) Marilyn and his awkwardness, visiting her home, the date, the sexual relationship? His growing in love with her, her dependence on him? His decision that she should move in and the humour of his dunking her at the school carnival? Jessie’s visit and the coincidence, the possibility of his being seduced by Jessie, his return? The break-up and Marilyn's demand of a promise from him? The effect of his return to Jessie, breakdown? Marilyn, his ringing her, visiting her, breaking his promise, following her as Santa Claus, striding across the basketball court with Paul? Sweeping her off her feet? The possibility of marriage, family, a happy future with her alone? How sensitive a portrayal of a contemporary American middle aged man? Audience identification with him? Funny, sentimental, strengths and weaknesses, failures, faults?

10. Jill Clayburgh's portrayal of Marilyn - her age, appearance, vulnerability? The humour with her being accosted and her reaction, her embarrassment at the dinner? Her reasons for refusing a date? Phil's visiting her at hone, outing, sharing experiences and talking? Visiting her at the school, her help with the teaching, the sexual relationship? The morning after and her attacking him in the snow? His dunking her and her humiliation and laughing? Her moving in and the encounter with Jessie? Her hurt and moving out, demanding the promise, her pain? Her laughter at the date with the basket-ball player and his height? The proposal and her being swept off her feet, the buying of the sofa? A credible single middle aged American woman?

11. Candice Bergen and her self-deprecating performance as Jessica? Her glamour, her career, her adultery? Her unreality compared with Phil and Marilyn? Her music composition and success? The initial song and its reflection on her experience, being so out of key and loud? And the humour of Phil's date singing Jessie’s song? Her arrival at the apartment, her clothes, seduction? Her being hit in the car? The motel and her suddenly turning on the music and the long tracking take with her singing the raucous song about reconciliation? The return and the lovemaking sequence, her bland comments? The fight in the supermarket? Her letting Phil go - and her ringing him up after the motel incident about her making a fool of herself? The satirical touch through her character?

12. The dating sequence when Phil took out the mother of the children, his encounter with them, her continued chatter, singing Jessie's song, the restaurant sequence? The futility of dating?

13. The importance of the comic dialogue for making the audience laugh, for the arousing set pieces e.g. Phil's buying the furniture, dunking Marilyn at the carnival, his having the fit in the store and Mickey's helping him, the people with the valium? The seduction sequence in the motel with the song? The bedroom sequence with Jessie? Phil's direct proposals? His lecture and its taking only four minutes?

14. Themes of marriage, commitment? Breakdown and building up? The true nature of love? Lingering memories and their needing to be coped with? Themes of middle age, fears, expectations of society? The realities of starting over?