HOW TO BEAT THE HIGH COST OF LIVING

US, 1980, 111 minutes, Colour.
Susan Saint James, Jane Curtin, Jessica Lange, Richard Benjamin, Fred Willard, Eddie Albert.
Directed by Robert Scheerer.

How To Beat The High Cost Of Living is a recession comedy. It echoes the economic situations in the United States of the late '70s and early '80s. It seems even more relevant in later years, especially with the recessions at the beginning of the '90s. It is a moderate comedy - tongue in cheek at times, with a touch of trying to be daring. Susan Saint James and Jane Curtin were to appear in the television series Kate and Ally. Jessica Lange had made King Kong and All That Jazz at the time of this movie. She was to emerge as one of the leading American actresses of the '80s. Richard Benjamin is adept at comedy - but was to move to direction during the '80s.

1.Entertaining '70s and '80s comedy - economy and recession, feminist touches, the caper movie?

2.Oregon settings, the city? A piece of Americana? The strength of the cast? Musical score?

3.The title and tone, flip and serious?

4.The introduction to the main characters, their personal troubles, financial troubles? Relationships? Finance, the battle of the sexes, psychological struggles? Typical enough of urban couples?

5.Jane and Bob, Jane's separation and divorce, her children, their meeting in the garage and in the car? The sequence with her husband and his arguing, his work as a coach, remarriage? Jane as slower than her two friends? Naive? A good mother? Her father turning up, the mother and her lesbian friend, the adoption? Her father and his military career, gambling? Her treatment of her children, taking them to the burglary? Max and the card games? Her bonds with her friends? Her being upset, Bob needing the money, robbing his store? The police? Her skills with canoes, the flat tyre on the way to the robbery? Rowing, the canoe overturned, rescuing Louise, the money? The happy ending with Bob?

6.Louise and Albert, their relationship, home, her business, his veterinary work? The investigation by the IRS? His sexual appetites - and the discovery by Louise that he was suing her? The separation? Louise and her friendships, surveillance of the mall? Getting the vacuum cleaner? The robbery? The meeting with Jack? The robbery, the money, her not being able to swim? Recovering the money? Albert and his change of heart (and his outing with the nurse on the hill)? The happy reunion?

7.Elaine, tough stances, her husband leaving her? Her friendship with the women, going to the bar, drinking? Being stopped by Jack, her proposition, blackmailing him? The encounter with the man and her buying petrol? Her sexy talk? The encounters with Jack, his separation, in love with her? Her idea for the robbery, the planning? Going to Bob's shop, the burglary - and being caught by Jack? The affair with Jack? The robbery, the performance, her trying to hold people's attention, the striptease? The encounter with Jack - putting him off, getting him to phone - agreeing to go out with him? Her difficulties with money, banks, credit cards? Her treatment by her husband?

8.Max and his story, the marines, his wife leaving him, turning up with his daughter, the kids and the gambling, Jane wanting to get him out of the house?

9.The portrait of men, relationships, strengths and weaknesses?

10.Women, the sisterhood, self-assertion?

11.Audiences identifying with the situation, the caper - and the irony of the accident with the bowl and the money and their being able to get away scot-free?