MRS R's DAUGHTER

US, 1979, 100 minutes, Colour.
Cloris Leachman, Season Hubley, Donald Moffat, John Mc Intyre, Steven Elliott, Ron Rifkin.
Directed by Dan Curtis.

Mrs R's Daughter is one of many films, especially telemovies, of the '70s, focusing on the rape situation in the United States and subsequent court proceedings. The film is a strong criticism, allegedly based on fact, of delays and injustices in judicial processes. Other films of the '70s include A Case of Rape, Cry Rape and Lamont Johnson's vigorous Lipstick with Margaux Hemingway, Chris Sarandon and Anne Bancroft. This film focuses on a determined mother trying to get justice for her daughter.

Cloris Leachman is strong and passionate in the role. Season Hubley is more quietly effective as the victim daughter. Direction is by Dan Curtis, producer and director of many 1970s adaptations of horror classics including Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula. He directed the autobiographical When Every Day Was The Fourth Of July and moved into miniseries with The Winds of War. The film is quite powerful, though familiar television social movie material.

1. A satisfying telemovie? Its emotional impact? Its helping the home audience to understand the rape situation? Judicial systems? A sense of frustration at the experience of the central characters?

2. The adaptation of the story for the television audience? Strong material? Serious communication of a serious theme? Credibility? Emotional validity? The viewpoint of the screenplay?

3. The film as a piece of Americana? An American experience, police, justice, violence? Its relevance to other countries?

4. The situation as the audience saw it? Ellie and her condition at the opening of the film? Reaction to Carl? To Andy? Emotional outrage at her condition? The introduction to Ruth and her husband? Their social background? The set-up for an emotional response to the characters and their treatment?

5. The hospital, Ellie's treatment, concern, damage? Her parents' reaction?

6. The police and their work, questions, arresting Carl, charging him? The revelation of Carl's record? The loophole with the possibility of his being bailed by his mother? The probation officer and the seeming frustration ? yet his waiting for Carl? The prosecution and defence and their roles? The changes in the personnel for prosecution? The growing delays, holidays and the reprogramming of trials, Carl's not coming to the court? The taking of evidence? Ruth's interrogation of the other victims and persuading them to testify ? with mixed success? New cross examinations? The nature of the ordeal for Ellie, for Ruth? The final discussions with the District Attorney? The new trial? The time taken for the trials? Emotional draining? Blame? Ellie and her responsibility, the questioning of her motives? Ruth's desire for Carl to get the full punishment? The overreaction of Ruth and Ellie's asking her 'Who was raped?' The final sentence, but the prospect of Carl's being free eleven years later and possibly pursuing the family?

7. Ellie: family background, mother's divorce and remarriage, the bond between them, her going away, feeling her mother smothered her, working in the record shop? The relationship with Andy? The encounter with Carl? The ordinary day, the drive, her experience and terror, the gun, the bashing, the burns? Her escaping? Hospitalisation and injuries? Her willingness to be cross examined? The experience in the courts? The confrontation with Carl? The time dragging on?

8. The portrait of Ruth? the competent mother? Remarriage? Devotion to her husband? His constant support during the trial? Her reaction to the police? Visiting the probation officer? Getting evidence? the garage man, going to Andy, Andy's girlfriend? The various people giving her help? Carl's arrest? Her growing fury? The District Attorneys, the change of personnel and her reactions? Their busyness and their not being briefed sufficiently? Her asking for full justice? Pushing Ellie? Ellie turning against her mother because of the smothering experience? The antagonism towards Carl and wanting the full penalty? The final vindication?

9. Carl and the audience's initial reaction to him? His psychotic nature? The psychological analysis and the testimony of the psychologist? The District Attorney's questions about responsibility, madness, drinking? His mother in the court and her hold over him? Carl well-dressed, his behaviour in the court? His final condemnation?

10. The minor characters ? Andy and his friendship, testimony, lack of co-operation? The help of his girlfriend? The garage owner and his collaboration?

11. The portrait of the defence counsel ? his skills, cross examinations, support of Carl? The handling of the case? and his treatment of Ellie? The comparisons with the prosecutors? The judges?

12. Audience interest in trial proceedings with their theatrics, tension in cross-examination, the nature of evidence and the limitations of describing what happened?

13. The film's insight into men's and women's relationships, the reality of rape, the reasons for rape? The attitude of the courts - towards the victim, towards the perpetrator? The value of this kind of telemovie for raising social consciousness in the home audience?