TIGER WARSAW
US, 1988, 93 minutes, Colour.
Patrick Swayze, Piper Laurie, Lee Richardson, Mary Mc Donnell, Bobby di Cicco.
Directed by Amin Q. Chaudhri.
Tiger Warsaw is a family drama, a variation on the prodigal son story. Patrick Swayze portrays a middle-aged man who, 15 years earlier in anger, had held up his father and actually wounded him with a gun. On drugs, he had disappeared out of the lives of his family but now wants to return. They, and people in the town, are unwilling. Again there are crises - but the film has a very positive (touching on sentimental) ending.
Piper Laurie and Lee Richardson have particularly good roles as Swayze's parents. Mary Mc Donnell (Dances With Wolves, Passion Fish) is his sister.
The film is the material of telemovies - but with Swayze's stardom in the late '80s, it was budgeted as a cinema feature. It highlights family relationships, tensions, friendships and loyalties, reconciliation.
1.Interesting and entertaining family story? The prodigal, forgiveness and reconciliation, the return? A film ultimately with hope?
2.The small American town, its way of life, homes, shops, schools? Authentic atmosphere? Musical score?
3.The title, the focus on the Warsaw family and their Polish background? Chuck and the family nickname of Tiger? The symbolism of Tiger in Chuck?
4.Patrick Swayze's portrait of Chuck: his return, the motel, outside his home, looking at his mother? The drug rehabilitation and the lost years? The story of his marriage and his son and signing the son away? The encounter with Karen, friendship, going back, living with her, the relationship, with her children? His going to see Tony, friendship, lack of forgiveness, clash? Tony and his warning Chuck? Chuck going to see his mother, in the rain in the yard, the glimpse? Going to the police, looking up his file, his sister putting the restraining order against his going near the home? The decision to go to the high school reunion? Hopes, the clashes, Val being pushed, tension? People talking about him? His getting work and making a living? The growing desperation, the decision to go to find his son? Finding him, seeing him with the parents, leaving him be? The growing desperation, the visit to his mother? His having to get out of the house? Buying the pills, the temptation to suicide? The ultimate clash in the home, the father taking the rifle to him? The flashbacks and the memories of the incident, the tension, the shooting of his father, watching his sister? His sister blaming him and their confrontation at the mansion? The impact of his father's arrival, the forgiveness, the reconciliation? To the wedding, in the family seat with Karen and the children? Cleaned up, hopeful for the future?
5.Frances and Mitchell? Their devotion, Frances and the details of home, Mitchell and his retirement, not always with it? The meals and Thelma chatting on, his making up stories for Paula? Love for his wife, his daughter? Not remembering his son? The preparations for the wedding? His going to the basketball, hearing the talk? Buying the rifle, going home, the confrontation, shooting above Chuck's head? Considering him dead? The dinner before the marriage, the toasts, his silence? Frances's speech, her love for her son, looking at the photos, the clippings? The meeting with him in the yard, his coming to the home? Paula's arrival and her getting him away? Her speech and her toasting her son? The impact on Mitchell, his getting the plane ticket, finding his son, the reconciliation? The finale at the wedding?
6.Paula, the successful businesswoman, her secretary, jobs, showing people houses? Engaged to Roger? His age, unmarried, love for Paula? Together, shopping? The meeting with the uncle and aunt? At the airport? Her clash with Chuck at the mansion, at the school reunion? The restraining order? Her not wanting to listen to him? Her talking to her mother, her mother blaming her? The final forgiveness? Roger and Paula and their wedding?
7.Tony, past friendship, turning against chuck? Seeing him in the shop, together, Chuck's moods? Val and her pregnancy, warning Tony away from Chuck? At the dance, the fight, Val's fall? Tony seeking him out, the basketball, the final clash? Tony and Val at the dinner? At the wedding?
8.Karen, her reputation in the past, seeing Chuck at the railway crossing? The invitation, her divorce, her devotion to her children? With him, smoking the pot, his staying the night? Moving in? Her love for him? Not wanting to go to the reunion, going because of him? The insults to her? Her concern, Chuck's going away, the phone calls? The final affirmation?
9.The uncle and the aunt coming for the wedding, hiring the bikies to intimidate Chuck? Boastful, the aunt and her support of her husband?
10.Scenes from American life, the family, the disruptions of the '70s, drugs, rehabilitation, tension, forgiveness?
