MY FATHER'S HOUSE
US, 1975, 95 minutes, Colour.
Cliff Robertson, Robert Preston, Eileen Brennan, Rosemary Forsyth.
Directed by Alex Segal.
My Father’s House is a strong, sometimes grim, portrait of a busy man suffering stress, illness and given the time to reflect on the simpler times of his growing up. Cliff Robertson portrays the executive who reflects on his life. Robertson had won an Oscar in 1968 for his portrayal of Charlie. Robert Preston portrays his father in the flashbacks. Eileen Brennan portrays his mother in the flashbacks while Rosemary Forsyth is his wife in the present.
The film is directed with some sensitivity by Alex Segal who had a long career in television, making a number of features for cinema including Ransom in 1955, Harlow in 1964. This was his second-last film as he died in 1977.
A helpful film for those wanting to explore ageing, illness, relationship with parents. Another film of this period which highlights the same themes is I Never Sang for My Father with Gene Hackman and Melvyn Douglas.
1. The impact of this telemovie? Quality, style? A difficult structure with the blendings of time levels? A serious approach to family? However, optimism?
2. Colour, music, the aura of the past, the contrast with the present? The importance of the editing for the time shifts and the shifts in emotional response, understanding of the present in the light of the past and vice versa? Comment on the different camera styles for the differentiation of past and present, more straightforward photography for the thirties? More stylish angles and pace for the present? How did this affect audience response?
3. How important was the structure: starting with the heart attack, involvement in the present, a sudden immersion into the past with the memory of father's heart attack? The shift then to the immediate past with the memories and the build-up to the heart attack? The structure of the film with Tom and focus as well as the commentator? The importance of his personal narrative and the explanations and emotional tone? The memories and the particular purpose of memories at particular times in his life, associations of people, events, themes? The interplay of past and present in his mind and memory? The connection with death and the review of life? How well did the film make verbal and visual connections, illustrate meaning in life by their juxtapositions? The focus on Tom and structures of death, love, hate? Families and the contract of the past and the present? The optimism about the past, the grimness of the present? The importance of the seasons? How successful at the various time levels?
4. How ordinary a person was Tom? The typical modern man? His way of life, his involvement with his work and the strains of busyness? (The collage of busyness with him preparing the magazine?), the picture of his family, love for his wife, daughter, alienation from his son? His age? His capacity for love and his memories of love, whatever the gaps? The importance of his son not wanting to make up and be like his father? The world of strain, work, competition? The build-up to pain from strain? The scenes of pain in the office, on the way home, at home, the vigorous pain in the shower, the attack itself, the grim drive by Judith to the hospital, the pace of the medical staff at the hospital? The leisure of recuperation and the effect on Tom? An insight into modern man with his strains and the possibility of death?
5. Why such strong memories of hie father? Romanticising the past? The areas of influence of his father? The harking back to the simple life? The vitality of life, the moaning of his father's life, its joy, its pain in later years? Tom's presence at his father's last illness and death? The important events that Tom remembered and their interplay with his own experience? The picture of home and the very house itself? The importance of the outings, the surprise days, the long vacation where they vent unexpectedly, the swims, singing by the pool? The searching out of the Christmas tree and father's parable about the choice of the tree? The digging of the grave and annoying? The relationship with Anna? With Noble? The mischievous tricks at the table, the sacking of Anna and Noble? Going for a run with his father? The shooting of the injured animal and his hatred of his father? The crash and his fear, the ominous finding of the pilot? Seeing his parents in their good days, in the depression, in death? How good a portrait of Tom's father?
6. What kind of a person was he? How did he emerge from his son's memory? Reality? Robert Preston's vigorous style, in his joyful heyday, in his words of window, expectations of behaviour, bonds with his wife and children? The decline of business, drinking, depression, aging and death?
6. The contrast of Tom with his father? Who was the better man? Tom and his relationship with his wits? With his children? As communicating the contents of his memories?
7. Tho bonds between himself as a child and with Jane and Brad? The characterization of his brother and sister? Bonds in the family? What they shared together?
8. Why wasn't the portrait of his mother so strong? Her presence, support? Her wanting them spanked when they terrified their sister? Her constant strength and love for her husband? Her lack of direct influence on her son? The importance of the memory of her getting material for stories and the writing of the stories?
9. The character of Steve, his anxiety, inability to talk to his father, the time that he arrived at the office? His staying at the hospital? His wanting to leave? His not wanting to be like his father? The bond between them at the end in the attic looking at the photos?
10. The portrait of Judith, her support, her bonds in the family, helping her son, helping her husband?
11. The impact of the attack, the impact of illness, death, the man in the next bed dying, recuperation and the strain that it puts on people? The values of life when it can be interrupted by illness and death?
12. A portrait of American people, the universal message about human nature? Family, generations, optimism about life?
