SWITCHING CHANNELS
US, 1988, 105 minutes, Colour.
Burt Reynolds, Kathleen Turner, Christopher Reeve, Ned Beatty, Henry Gibson.
Directed by Ted Kotcheff.
Switching Channels is another remake of Ben Hecht's and Charles MacArthur's famous play of the early '30s, The Front Page. It was filmed in 1931 with Pat O'Brien, in 1941 by Howard Hawks as His Girl Friday with the roles reversed (Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell). A colourful remake by Billy Wilder in 1975 featured Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.
The scene has been adapted to cable television news and it is a film of the late '80s. Once again the roles are reversed. Burt Reynolds has the role of the editor while Kathleen Turner has the role of the reporter. The boob young man fiance (Ralph Bellamy in 1941) is now Christopher Reeve playing a variation on his Clark Kent, Superman role). There is a strong supporting cast with Ned Beatty as a corrupt District Attorney and Henry Gibson as the victimised prisoner.
While the film is fast and furious, it is played for laughs with a touch of farce and frantic mood. Direction is by Ted Kotcheff (Wake in Fright, The Great Chefs of Europe, First Blood).
1. Entertaining film about media, television, the American attitudes towards media and law and order? Zany farce?
2. The original Front Page and its various adaptations? To the'80s and television?
3. The contribution of the stars and their style?
4. The style of the film: farce, heightened humour, spoof, irony?
5. The world of television, cable, news-gathering and presentation, the work of the staff, the owner and his pressures, policies? TV news devouring all the information? The frantic pace? Burt Reynolds as Sullivan: his relationship with Christie, the divorce, the jealousy, his devotion to his work, the clashes between the two, his success? The breaking of the story about Ike? Ridnitz and his corruption? Christie and Blaine and Sullivan's attitudes? Persuading Christie to do the interview, his promises, holding her, buying all the plane tickets? The story of the pardon and the pressures?
6. Kathleen Turner as Christie: career woman, the divorce from Sullivan, the antagonistic relationship? Falling in love with Blaine? The contrast of type? The farewells, sparring with Sullivan? The romance, idyllic, the boat? The opportunities for the interview? Her style, bigger, questions of Ike, the pen? The carrying out of her obligations to Sullivan? Going to get the plane, the tickets gone, the train? Going to the station, seeing Ike and following him? Her pursuit, hiding him in the copier? Consulting Sully, the lawyer who defended Ike? Ridnitz and his siege, the shooting, telling the truth on the television camera? The governor? Blaine and the putting off of the wedding in the end and his separation? Her future with Sully? The honeymoon dash and the volcano?
7. Sullivan and the scoop, trying to buy the copier, the confrontation with Ridnitz, the guns, getting him to talk the truth on television, Blaine's leaving, his wisecracks, remarriage?
8. Blaine and his background, wealth, the boat, the variation on the Clark Kent style by Christopher Reeve, his suffering from vertigo and the send-up, the discussions about the copier, his relationship with Christie, getting her to the plane, to the train? His long-suffering? The final separation and his declaration about her unsuitability?
9. Ike as the victim, the background, the interview, the little man persecuted, the build-up to his execution, the death sequence, the chair, the explosion and his escape, pursued by Christie, being hid in the copier, the difficulties about his injuries in the copier, the lawyer and her devotion to him, his final concern about the warden? The lawyer and her support, hurtling herself over the balcony? Being interviewed by the media?
10. Ridnitz and his bullying, corruption, wanting to be governor, his campaign, using the media, using the warden? The question of the pardon? The advancing of the time? The television crews at the execution, his pulling the switch? Leading the charge to find Ike, the farcical nature of the investigation, his interviews, the shooting at the photocopier? Telling everything on TV? His downfall?
11. The warden and the pressures by Ridnitz? The end and his confession? The governor and his arrival, pardoning everyone except Ridnitz?
12. The world of the reporters, the City Desk room, the interviews, their fighting, as vultures at the execution, everything timed for television? Exhausting the power supply? Chasing Ike, the interview with the lawyer, the criticisms of the media?
13. The film successful as comedy, human drama, spoof of the media? Focusing on issues?
