SATISFACTION
US, 1988, 92 minutes, Colour.
Justine Bateman, Liam Neeson, Julia Roberts, Trini Alvaredo, Deborah Harry.
Directed by Joan Freeman.
Satisfaction is one of those youth and young adult films so popular in the latter part of the '80s. This one focuses on a graduating group, a girls' band working at a summer resort. during the holidays.
Justine Bateman (from Family Ties) has a good role as the leader of the band. Irish actor Liam Neeson (Lamb, The Mission, Suspect, Good Mother, Dead Pool) brings some strength as a burnt-out composer who hires the band.
The members of the band have the usual troubles of drugs, relationships, violence, self-identity. They fight within themselves, have success in their work, encounter the upper class in the holiday resort and are disillusioned. They come to some kind of resolution of their problems at the end of the holiday.
There is a rock and roll score, some ballads including one allegedly composed during the action 'Talk to me'.
1. Enjoyable drama about young adults? Music? Relationships?
2. New York City locations, the streets, the Bronx? The seaside resort, the club, the home, the sea and the beach, the rich houses?
3. The musical score, the insertion of the songs? 'Talk to Me?' The song 'Satisfaction' - and the title of the film and its focus?
4. The portrait of Jenny: her graduation speech, her relationship with the rest of the group, ambitions, rehearsals? One girl pulling out and the recruitment of Nicky for keyboard? The transport question? Her keeping the band-members in order? Travelling, arriving early, the initial encounter with Martin and the clash? The audition, their success? His putting them up? The clashes amongst themselves? Jenny having to be responsible? Jenny's getting to know Martin, infatuated by him, out fishing, the ups and downs of the relationship? Falling in love, the relationship? Her wanting him to write again? His reviving? The meeting with Tina? The troubles with the group, Jenny wanting to give up? The offer of the trip to Europe? Her decision whether to go back home, to stay? The pressure of college and her older brother? Martin and his talking the truth to her, going back to the band? Returning home?
5. Martin as the burnt-out composer, living in isolation, managing the club, going fishing? The story of his wife's death, his success as a composer and musician, his collapse? Interest in the group, suspicion of them at first? Their success, infatuation with Jenny, his prudence, the relationship? Ups and downs? Giving her advice? The European tour? Tina's arrival? His having to talk plainly to Jenny and urge her to go home?
6. The members of the group: Mooch, the clashes in the Bronx with the tough thieves, the van going into the water, stealing the van and its consequences when the gang found out where they were? Her tough style, Nicky and his attention, her reserve but change of style and opening up? Daryl and her glamour, relationship with Frankie, in the band, infatuated by the rich group, going to the party, its failure? (Her quote: when told that she was different, she said that she would try to be the same.) Billie and her friendship with Mooch, daring, cranky with Nicky, drugs? The final confrontation with her and their trying to get her free from the drugs? Nicky and his recruitment, the man with the group of girls, their mixed attitudes towards him, his friendship, attraction to Mooch, contribution to the group?
7. The background of the club, the patrons, the music, the other groups? The style of the resort club?
8. The gangs in New York, tough, violence? The contrast with the college and university types, their wealth, moral stances, enjoyment of the holidays? The group's disillusionment?
9. Conventional material about characters and conflicts - with the touch of the girl band in the summer holidays?
