SEE YOU IN THE MORNING
US, 1989, 119 minutes, Colour.
Jeff Bridges, Farrah Fawcett, Alice Krige, Drew Barrymore, Lukas Haas, Linda Lavin, David Dukes, Macauley Culkin, Frances Sternhagen, Theodore Bikel.
Directed by Alan J. Pakula.
See you in the morning is a film about contemporary American families. It was written and directed (perhaps with an autobiographical touch) by Alan J. Pakula. From the mid-'50s to the late '60s, Pakula produced many of Robert Mulligan's fine American dramas. He began directing himself with The Sterile Cuckoo and Klute and made a number of significant films including All the President's Men and Sophie's Choice.
Jeff Bridges is effective in the central role as the husband and father who has to cope with a breaking marriage and the building of a new marriage. Farrah Fawcett is the glamour model, his first wife. English actress Alice Krige (Chariots of Fire, King David) is very good as his second wife. Drew Barrymore (E.T., Firestarter) and Lukas Haas (Witness, Solar Babies, Lady in White) are effective as the children.
The film is in the tradition of Ordinary People, Terms of Endearment - dramas blending human situations with sentiment. This kind of film is often criticised as being unreal - but it is contrived drama for the sake of communicating characters and message. It borders on the soap opera - but has greater strength.
1. The impact of this film and its observations about marriage and family? in America? Universal appeal?
2. New York City, the New England countryside? Authentic, real or not? The musical score and the use of songs: Nat 'King' Cole and 'When I Fall in Love,' 'Our Love is Here to Stay?'
3. The title, Larry's use of the song? Application to the Livingston family, to the Goodwins?
4. The structure of the film: the initial introduction to the two families, the portrait of the marriage, the insertion of the flashbacks? The development of the crises and Larry's having to cope?
5. The initial portrait of the Livingstons: at the waterfall, the bottles, playing together, grandmother and her strength, the bond within the family, the social, Jo wanting to break the marriage?
6. The Goodwins: Peter and his accomplishment as a pianist, the paralysis, his stopping in mid-performance, the children, Beth and her love and support, the walk-off? The off-screen suicide and its consequences?
7. The meeting between Larry and Beth? Sidney being the intermediary? The party, taking photographs? The mutual embarrassment? The pair both having migraines? Walking home? Meeting one year later, the hospital cafe, the rain? The growing bond between the two?
8. Sidney and Martin as intermediaries? The initial party, married for 20 years, the glow in Sidney's life, her children and their multicultural backgrounds? Sidney and Beth and their friendship? Sidney telling Beth the truth at the concert about the marriage, Martin's failure, the inability to have children, affair, reconciliation?
9. Larry and his self-assessment, the break-up of the marriage, Jo walking out and back to her career? The special bond with his mother-in-law and their easy talking together? His work and his skill as a psychiatrist? His telling jokes? Meeting Beth, the migraine, walking home? Meeting her one year later? Falling in love? Her rejection, his dressing up as Cupid and the proposal? her overhearing him with the patient on the phone? The bond between the two and the preparation for marriage?
10. Beth her sense of responsibility. sense of guilt, relying on Cathy, love for her children, the memories? Going to Larry's psychologist friend for some help to understand?
