TO ALL MY FRIENDS ON SHORE

US, 1972, 70 minutes, Colour.
Bill Cosby, Gloria Foster, Denis Hines.
Directed by Gilbert Cates.

To All My Friends On Shore is based on an idea by Bill Cosby who stars, produced and composes the music for this brief telemovie. It is a transition by Cosby from comedy and variety to some more serious film-making.

The film focuses on a family stuck in the ghetto of the early 1970s, struggling hard at jobs, his wife working hard, their clashes. Their son, in the meantime, gets very sick and challenges them and what they are to do as well as how they are to use the money for his cure.

The film predates, in some ways, the alleged “illness of the week’ movies. However, these movies performed a good function in terms of bringing awareness of illness and consequences for families to home audiences, busy during the day and who just wanted to relax at night but would watch this kind of humane and emotional story.

The film was directed by Gilbert Cates. At the beginning of the 70s he directed several moving films including I Never Sang For My Father and Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams. However, his career was to be in television. From 1990 he produced twelve Oscar awards ceremonies.

1. Was it evident that this was a telemovie? The characteristics, pauses for commercial breaks? Use of close-ups, long shots? presuppositions for TV audience entertainment?

2. How strong was the film on valuer? adapted to the television audiences? Which incidents illustrated this best?

3. The use of the title, its occurrence in the film? Its use at the end, with the overtones of family life and imminent death?

4. How well did the film use the black American backgrounds and the black family? Did it matter whether the family was black or white? Why?

5. Why do films concerning families have such interest for audiences? For family audiences at home watching television? What family values were explored well?

6. How attractive was Randy the boy? In his relationship with his mother and father, at home, the love in the family, his outings and not being allowed to go out, distance from his father, being used by his father, for friendship, his growing hatred for his father, the bonds that could grow between them, the reality of his illness, his facing of the truth, what he learnt from his father, his relationship with his mother, the possibility of happiness and peace before his death? did the film portray a real boy in such situations?

7. What was the effect of Randy's death on his father and mother? The background of Blue's work, his emphasis on gaining money for his dream, distance from his son? Blue's relationship with his wife? Her trying to keep the home going, supporting her husband, loving and cherishing her son, trying to make bonds between them both? the effect of the death on each of them? How did they change? The importance for the change in Blue? His telling his son the truth, seeking wisdom in living day by day?

8. How well did the film use the city background, the background of work, Blue's scavenging his friends, fake life and style, the dream of buying the home, the strike background, the need for work etc? The buying of the boat? How did Blue and his family contrast with the other families presented?

9. What insight Into joy and sorrow did the film give?

10. Was the film sentimental? Did it use human sentiment and feeling well? What was the ultimate and effect of this film?