THE DELIVERY OF ELAINE
US, 1996, 95 minutes, Colour.
Mare Winningham, Chris Cooper, Lloyd Bridges.
Directed by Elodie Keane.
The Delivery of Elaine is a television drama which begins as a domestic story, a middle-aged woman looking after her aged doctor father who had lost his legs in a shooting incident many years earlier. She begins a correspondence with a prisoner as part of her church work. When the prisoner is released, the film moves more towards melodrama as family secrets are revealed. Things are complicated for the woman herself, a relationship with a married police chief, finding out more and more truth about her father, her discovering that she was pregnant.
Mare Winningham is convincing as the woman embroiled in crises she never imagined. Chris Cooper (Oscar winner for Adaptation, in such films as American Beauty, October Sky) is the prisoner. Lloyd Bridges, in one of his final roles, is the father.
On reflection, the plot and its development seem more and more implausible, but, while on the screen, it is an interesting drama/melodrama.
1. An interesting film? Characters? Situations? Drama becoming melodrama as family secrets are revealed?
2. Small-town America, ordinary life in the town, homes, teaching, the police, diners? The contrast with the prison? An authentic atmosphere? The musical score?
3. The title, the focus on Elaine, her being imprisoned by looking after her father, her emotional imprisonment, his not telling the truth and that imprisoning her? The correspondence with Charlie, emotional, his ability to reveal the truth? Her relationship with the police chief, her pregnancy? The death of her father, her leaving the town? Her future life?
4. The portrait of Elaine, her age, her mother's death, her father's losing his legs? Her spending her years at work, teaching, looking after him, his whims? His crustiness? His refusal to answer her questions about what happened? The woman at the church urging her to write to Charlie, the voice-over with the range of letters? Her shock when he was released and returned to the town? Her asking the police chief for help? The confrontation with Charlie and the puzzle about his presence? The phone calls from the police chief, her time with him, her pregnancy, his not leaving his family? Her friendship with the deputy? Bob, the disabled boy? Hector, the old man? Charlie and his raising issues, giving her the photo, the confrontations with her father? Her gradual discovery of the truth, the documents? Chris's mother? Asking her father, his offhand way of dealing with it? The booking for his going back into his office, his being murdered? Elaine and her killing her father? The investigation, her reaction to Chris's arrest? The deputy working things out, the chief of police letting her go? The farewell to Charlie? The letter, with her baby, with her sense of what she had done - and hoping that God would forgive her? The delivery?
5. Charlie, his background, in prison, cooking, learning a skill, the parole board, his leaving? The correspondence with Elaine? Managing the fire in the diner and getting the job? Seeing Elaine, the threats by the police chief? The revelation of the truth, his mother, the truth about his mother and the doctor? His being accused of the murder, arrested? His being let go? The farewell to Elaine? His getting a job, becoming a chef, the success of the restaurant?
6. The father, the true story, his callousness, his having his daughter as a slave? His moods? Refusal to answer her questions? His wanting to go back to work, going to the office, his being killed?
7. The supporting characters, the complexity with the police chief, his work, his relationship with Elaine? The deputy, his love of food, admiring Charlie's cooking, investigating, finding the murder weapon, knowing the truth? Bob, the simple-minded young man, his friendship with Elaine? Hector, the old man and his admiration for the doctor?
8. The plausibility of such a scenario, the crime, no charges made, the years passing, Charlie and his knowledge, coming out of prison, engineering Elaine's delivery and knowing the truth? The murder and her being able to go free?
