BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE
US, 1972, 107 minutes, Colour.
Goldie Hawn, Edward Albert, Eileen Heckhart.
Directed by Milton Katselas.
Butterflies are Free was adapted by Leonard Gershe from his successful stage play. Although keeping close to the structure of the play, the film does not seem confined at all and, in fact, is an excellent piece of screen entertainment. It is full of sentiment, humour and good sense. Well worth seeing by possessive mothers and children harassed by possessive mothers!
Goldie Hawn gives the best performance of her career to date. Her giddiness can be used for humour or pathos, but when she is required to act with feeling and depth, she can rise excellently to the occasion. Edward Albert makes an impressive adult debut in films as the blind son. He is sympathetic and intelligent and convincing in his role. Eileen Heckhart has played domineering mothers before (most notably as George Segal's overbearing Jewish mom in No Way to Treat a Lady). Here she has excellent lines, a mixture of humour, irony and genuine feeling and gives a most impressive performance. Oscar-winner for Best Supporting Actress, 1972.
A fine film for enjoyment and discussion between parents and teenage children.
1. What was the significance of the title? In its original quotation from Dickens? In its use in the song and throughout the film?
2. The film was based on a stage play. Was this obvious in the structure of the film? In the dialogue? Did it detract from the film?
3. Since the film was principally the interaction between three characters, each could be considered and the themes of the film seen in their regard.
Don - how balanced was he? Did you agree with his choice of leaving home? Was he coping well? Did you realise he was blind? What was your reaction when you discovered this? Had he accepted his blindness well? He told Jill not to put herself down. Did he put himself down much? How? How negative was he about himself and his mother? Was he a happy person? Or, as Jill said, "a beautiful person, inside and out?" Why did he enjoy the shopping, the meal? How emotionally involved with Jill did he become? (With Linda Fletcher?) How did he cope with his mother's intrusion? Why did he resent her? How much did he love her? Why did he break down and want to go home? How did the crisis change his attitude to his mother? Why did he go to pieces when Jill left? Would he have been able to get over her, had she not come back?
Jill- Was Goldie Hawn's "scatterbrained" performance convincing? What kind of girl was she - her mother, her marriage, her separation, her involvement with Don, her fear of hurting anyone, her unwillingness to become involved or committed? How did she help Don? After her reaction to his blindness? Did she pity him? Love him? How convincing was her clash with Mrs. Baker? Why? Why did she decide to go off and leave Don? Don pressed her on this to make her admit that she did love him. Did she? Was her return convincing?
Mrs Baker - Were your first impressions of like or dislike? Why? Was she too possessive? Catty? Did she put down Donny too much? In her exchange! with Jill, did she emerge as a concerned mother? What points that Jill made really struck her? Why did she change? Did she understand herself and Don better? Was her leave-taking of him the right way? Why?
4. Obviously, physical blindness and sight are used as images of deeper blindness and sight. How were they used in this film? How blind was Don? Jill (note the final words of the film)? Mrs. Baker? Who saw properly at the end?
5. How well was the theme of maternal possession treated? How perceptive is the distinction that was made between giving a person help and giving a person confidence?
6. How well was the nature of love and temporary and permanent commitment explored?
7. Was the film sentimental? How well did it communicate genuine feeling? How did it do this? How did it keep its audience smiling and laughing? Was the mixture of sentiment and humour effective?
