THURSDAY'S GAME

US, 1974, 100 minutes, Colour.
Gene Wilder, Bob Newhart, Ellen Burstyn, Cloris Leachman, Martha Scott, Nancy Walker, Valerie Harper, Rob Reiner, Norman Fell.
Directed by Robert Moore.

An interesting and entertaining telemovie with quite some point. It portrays two businessmen played by comedians Gene Wilder and Bob Newhart. One represents the average decent man who tries to get on but fails and succumbs to pressures. The other is the surface type, potentially phoney who moves away from the status quo and branches out in middle age. Both actors give very good performances and are supported well by Oscar-winning actresses Ellen Burstyn and Cloris Leachman as their respective wives. Chris Sarandon makes a brief appearance as the tutor at the boys' camp. Nancy Walker is very effective in the seemingly unlikely role of the woman at the employment agency.

The cast contribute a great deal to the film and it is under the direction of Robert Moore who was later to film the Neil Simon comedy Murder By Death and The Cheap Detective. Within its short space of time, Thursday's Game mirrors what must be the lives of many men in contemporary America and makes valid points about this way of life.

1. An entertaining and interesting telemovie?

2. The contribution of the stars and their style, the humorous and serious style of the film, its urban American atmosphere? The contribution of the score, the song and its lyrics?

3. The focus of the title, its use as a symbol? The reality of Thursday's Game, its unreality and indicating the themes of men caught up in the 20th century rat race and its disillusionment?

4. The film's reflection of the American way of life, its pressures, the world of business, employment and unemployment, success? Themes of American marriage, affairs? Competitiveness amongst men, breakdown? The communication of the themes by the comedy routines, humorous dialogue, ironies? The communication with the serious sequences and their juxtaposition with the humorous?

5. The creation of a man's world? The Thursday's games, cards, the atmosphere of card playing, the gambling mentality, friendships? The fickleness of friendships and competitiveness? The theme of saving face? unemployment, dependence, a growing sense of hopelessness for those who are not succeeding? The interaction of men within this kind of group, professional men? The effect of each on the other and his view of himself and outlook on life and success?

6. The focus on Harvey and Gene Wilder's performance? The TV world, seeing him at work, his programme, his disappointment with the ratings? The interview with his boss and his going? His going to the agency and his numerous discussions with the woman there? Her sympathy for him? her working on his credentials and yet failing? The pressure on him to pretend? to what purpose? his pretending with his wife? with Marvin? The possibilities of an alternative job with Marvin and his refusal? his carrying on as if everything was successful and yet the wastefulness of his day to day life? The patterns of failure moving into his life? His love for his wife, her support for him? his visit to his son and seeing him, the discussion on the way home? his continued wandering and lying? The confrontation with Marvin and the final decision? The possibility of change, the possibility of a future? A comic-serious performance? Satire on the type of man being portrayed, sympathetic observation of this kind of man? Particularly American, universal picture of this kind of man in the seventies?

7. The contrast of Marvin and his presence at the game, his success and his loud clothes and the suggestions taken from Harvey? His phoney style? his sympathy towards Harvey and wanting to give him work? Their going the rounds together and their discussions? His support, his advice? His clashes with his wife and his wanting to leave her? Her emotional hold on him and his inability to break out? The pros and cons of his breaking his marriage? His wanting to have an affair? His inability to handle the crisis and the effect of the sequence with Lois in the restaurant? What moved him finally to decide to go away? his urging Harvey to do the same? The contrast of these two men as representing the average American businessman9

8. Lynne and Ellen Burstyn's style? Her portrayal of the ordinary wife, sympathetic, unable to break through to the truth? Her behaviour at home and her breaking? Her worry, hurt? The visit to their son? her being slow but sympathetic?

9. The contrast with Lois and the audience only hearing about her and her hysteria? The audience finally seeing her and the tantrum in the restaurant? The ambiguities of humour and seriousness in this sequence? Her being hurt? What would her future be?

10. The lady in the employment bureau and her work, sympathy, devices? her weeping for Harvey? Her helplessness?

11. The sequence with the visiting of the boy at the camp and the attitudes of the tutor, the jargon of the times, the new generation America and the way it is being trained?

12. How satisfying was the resolution? The moral stances behind the decisions taken? The confrontation of success and failure? The need for responsibility? The alternatives in the choices to be made? Personal integrity versus professional success and reputation?