WILLA

US, 1979, 95 minutes, Colour.
Cloris Leachman, Deborah Raffin, Clu Gulager, John Amos, Diane Ladd.
Directed by Claudio Guzman, Joan Darling.

Willa focuses on a young separated woman, her children, friendships, her wanting to be a truck-driver. Deborah Raffin brings charm to this central role.

The film is a telemovie, a piece of Americana designed for an American audience. Supporting characters help the film, especially Cloris Leachman a buxom, wisecracking truck-driver and John Amos as the manager of the firm. There is a sub-plot about Willa's children, her alcoholic mother (played by Diane Ladd) and her inability to look after her children.

1. Interesting and entertaining telemovie? Piece of Americana? Characters?

2. Location photography, the small town, the diner, the trucks, the open road, homes, welfare officers? The range of songs used throughout the film, popular songs, truck songs?

3. The title and its focus on Willa? A character, her hopes? Relationships? Strengths and weaknesses?

4. Willa at work, her ambitions to drive a truck, clashes with the truck-drivers? Her husband leaving her and her not knowing where he was? Her children and her care for them, welfare questions, the discussions with the woman at the welfare office, her wanting to leave them with her mother, their being fostered out, her being hurt when she saw them so happy with the foster parents, getting her children again? Joe and his loving support, relationship with pregnancy, driving with the baby, the birth of the baby, the beginning of a new life? Her wanting to drive a truck, Virgil, trying the driving, carrying the vegetables? The lessons? The clashes with the men? Her encounter with the tough lady truck-driver? Their driving, across America, the experience? The friendship? The group of women truck-drivers? Her return home, her having to get her life in order? Her future?

5. The portrait of the children, their love for their mother, the absent father, the alcoholic, Welfare, their going to the foster parents and their being well looked after? Clashes with their mother? Reconciliation? Joe and his presence, love for Willa, support, relationship with her, the baby? The future?

7. Willa's mother and her drinking, saying that she was better, not being able to look after the children, the scenes of her desperation?

8. Cloris Leachman as the buxom truck-driver, friendship, skills, example? Support?

9. Virgil and his interest, wariness, helping Willa, her training, his support of her?

10. Willa at work, at the welfare office, regulations, the law, the discussions with Willa, trying to make her understand, the taking of the children, Willa's attacking her?

11. Themes for the popular audience? work, family, welfare, relationships between sexes?