STRANGERS: THE STORY OF A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER

US, 1979, 120 minutes, Colour.
Bette Davis, Gena Rowlands, Ford Rainey, Donald Moffat.
Directed by Milton Katselas.

Strangers is an excellent telemovie. A fine screenplay, written by Michael de Guzman, offers a mother being confronted by the return of her daughter, absent from home for 21 years. Hurt, relenting, some kind of reconciliation seem possible and are finally achieved. The relationship is presented sensitively and credibly. The direction is by Milton Katselas (Butterflies Are Free, Forty Carats, When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder).

However, the film is a tour de force for the two actresses: Bette Davis and Gena Rowlands. After acting for decades in films with great success, Bette Davis moved to telemovies and mini-series, again with great success. In a role designed for her, she gives her Emmy Award-winning performance. However, she is equally matched by Gena Rowlands who has received Oscar nominations for such films as A Woman Under The Influence and Gloria.

The story is simple, but is handled with great insight and flair to make it a moving experience.

1. The significance and tone of the titles, the sub-titles? Audience expectations for the family confrontation, reconciliation? Audiences able to identify with the characters and situation? The success of the film as a telemovie, the adaptation of treatment of themes for the home audience?

2. The quality of the stars, audience expectations of their performances? Success? The film's awards?

3. The establishing of the atmosphere of the small town, the middle class way of life, the details of daily life, attitudes and behaviour? Audiences recognising this background and identifying with it?

4. The feminine focus of the film, feminine sensibility? The range of generations? The perspective on the old woman, on the younger woman? The sensibility of the two women, the role of mother, daughter, wife, their places in their family? Feminine relationships and style? The quality of insight and feeling?

5. The introduction to Lucy: her living alone, her age, her house, the kids annoying her and ringing the doorbell, her antagonism, her doing jigsaw puzzles, her loneliness and the passing of time, her crabby attitudes? The contrast with Abby's arrival, wandering the town, greeting people? The confrontation at the door - the long silences, the hostile looks, Abby's pleading, Lucy with the stick against the children (and its symbolism against Abby)? The door left ajar, Abby talking and trying to settle in, her mother's silence? The establishing of the situation for the emotional conflict to develop?

6. How well did the film develop the interaction: the momentary thawing on the part of Lucy, her possibility of giving, of being able to relate, pardoning Abby, their growing together, their working together, joy? The clash as regards Abby's illness and the new hurt, the vicious response of Lucy, her relenting, gestures of help, movement to greater sharing? The possibility of understanding, forgiveness, declarations of love? How well did the film highlight the progress of the relationship through the incidents and the talk? The audience being invited to feel the situation and be persuaded by the incidents?

7. The effect on Lucy: Abby opening up the curtains, letting light in, clearing the garden, the outings in the town, meeting the neighbours, the visitors? Lucy's memories of her being hurt? The healing talk? The photograph, the gift of the jigsaws?

8. Abby and her genial attitude towards her mother, talking to her, cleaning the house, growing the vegetables? Her being hurt by her mother, wandering the town? Her reminiscences and the possibility of healing talk?

9. The dramatic impact of Lucy's learning of Abby's terminal illness - the audience guessing beforehand? Abby as sick, the fact of her dying, her asking to stay? The virulence and violence of Lucy's tirade against her daughter, not wanting to be hurt, questions of justice? Her relenting and gradual acceptance of her daughter's death and return? Her gestures of relenting - the sequence in the garden? The birthday party and all the joy that it meant? Carrying the mattress down the stairs?

10. The truth about Lucy's marriage - the courtship, falling in love and marrying, tensions, resentment, Abigail's leaving, her unwillingness to pursue her daughter, the breaking of the bonds with her husband?

11. The truth about Abigail - her leaving home, her age, marriage, the visits of her father, her promiscuity, professional work, her being ill and discovering it too late?

12. The themes of love, hurt, pride, the passing of so many decades, the possibility of sharing and growing in love? Redeeming the time?

13. The quality of the film's detail: the sequences in the garden, sharing cups of tea, talking to the neighbours - especially the absent-minded old lady? Shopping, the birthday meal and the cake, the fishing, carrying the mattress?

14. The quality of the screenplay in its speeches, authentic, harsh realism, tenderness? The dramatic interaction and feeling? The final words?

15. How valuable an experience of the human condition? Insight? The possibility of love and change, forgiveness?