THE SOLITARY MAN
US, 1979, 96 minutes, Colour.
Earl Holliman, Carrie Snodgress.
Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey.
The Solitary Man is one of many telemovies taking on contemporary social themes. It dates from the end of the '70s. It focuses on a marriage, the husband who thinks that all is well, the wife who has been unable to communicate with her husband and wants to move away from the marriage and establish herself. The film has sympathy for all characters, but focuses principally on the husband. He is very well played by Earl Holliman, veteran of many films and television series including Policewoman. Carrie Snodgress is the wife.
The film presents families in detail, pressures at work, at school, with neighbours. It highlights the plight of the separated and the divorced, loneliness, need for relationships, coping with breaks in life.
Direction is by John Llewellyn Moxey, English director of many telemovies.
1. The impact of this film? Portrait of a husband? A broken family? Audiences identifying with characters? Situations?
2. The film as a piece of Americana? American family life, suburbia? Homes, workplace, schools? Authentic? Universal interest and appeal?
3. The title and its focus on Dave? The audiences invited to share his experience, understand him, watch him cope? Identify with him? Audience response to Sharon and understanding her moving out of the marriage? The children?
4. The portrait of the marriage: Dave and Sharon and 18 years of marriage? The bonds between the two? Love? Shared relationships? Their children? Work, home? The lessening of communication? Breakdown? Sharon and her stances? Dave and his bewilderment? His moving out? Sharon's demands? The effect on their children?
5. Dave and his background, sports-champion? His work and its tedious~ ness? Possibilities for promotion? His relationship with his wife? Not understanding her at all? Love for Davy and Amy? The trauma of Sharon's announcement? His going out, trying to cope and understand? Moving out?, The solitariness of his apartment? His friend trying to help him, build him up with women? The encounter with Lisa and her being a close friend of the family? Tricia as the sexy young woman half his age? His breaking off, fidelity to Sharon? Seeing the children, outings? Discussions? Attempts at reconciliation? The meal - and Sharon moving further away from him? His encounter with Jason and Davy, the basketball training? The coach turning up and offering him a new job? The friendship with Jason and his mother? Outings? The possibility of a new marriage, a new job, a new life?
6. Sharon and her background, the quality of the marriage, her liking for Dave, her not communicating, the frustration, her announcement, its timing, feeling? The effect on Dave? On the children? The possibility of reconciliation? her dating and her children's antagonism? Their going to their father? The final break?
7. The sketch of the children, at home, their love for each parent, the effect of the break-up emotionally, their looking towards their father, supporting their mother? Where were the preferences? Davy and his basketball, friendship with Jason?
8. Lisa and her friendship with Sharon, divorce, a device, making a play for Dave? Tricia and her discussion with Dave - too young, too forward?
9. Jake and his style of living, listening to Dave, trying to swing, advise Dave? Dave's failure at his attempts? Jake's confession that he was a brittle character?
10. The coach and his visit to the basketball, Dave and the vitality of working with the kids and training them? His future?
11. His work, friends, promotions, the boss, talking freely, leaving and being free?
12. Contemporary themes? Audiences understanding through identification and sympathy?
