THE BURNING BED

US, 1984, 100 minutes, Colour.
Farrah Fawcett, Paul LeMat?, Richard Masur, Grace Zabriskie, Penelope Milford.
Directed by Robert Greenwald.

The Burning Bed was one of the striking telemovies of the 1980s. It focused on abuse within the family, with settings in the 1960s and 70s. It is based on a true story, the story of a young woman who fell in love with a charming man only to discover his temper and his brutal outbursts, especially when drinking. They married, had four children. The woman moved away from her husband as best she could over the years, eventually getting legal advice, social support, a separation and a divorce. However, he persisted in returning, persuading her sometimes to return, often forcing her. Ultimately, it was too much and on a day where he was particularly brutal and raped her, she set his bed alight, burning the house down, killing him and fleeing with the children. She was arrested, charged with murder. As she told her story, some of the realities of wife-bashing emerged in the courts and in the media. She was found not guilty of premeditated murder and the cause was temporary insanity.

In the background are the parents of the husband, hugely protective of him, spoiling him, excusing him. The mother is played very effectively by Grace Zabriskie. On the other hand, the woman’s mother, while taking her in at times, is overwhelmed and generally ineffectual in helping her daughter.

Farrah Fawcett stood out as the battered woman. It is a persuasive performance – at the same time that Farrah Fawcett had played the victim of sexual abuse in Extremeties. Paul LeMat? is also believable as the angry and brutal husband. Richard Masur is the defence counsel who listens to the woman’s story.

The film was directed by Robert Greenwald, maker of several social telemovies with a range of concerns including In the Custody of Strangers, Shattered Spirits about alcoholism. He also directed Olivia Newton-John? and Gene Kelly in Xanadu. From 2000 he was totally involved with directing documentaries.

1. The film based on a true story? Realism? The attitudes towards marriage, women staying with their husbands, no matter what? The advice of parents? Changing attitudes towards domestic violence? The defence of temporary insanity?

2. The settings of the 60s and 70s, in the American South, a perspective from the 1980s? Subsequent decades?

3. Issues of domestic violence, the facts, the men taking this behaviour for granted, women and their suffering, their mothers and their advice that they should stay by their husbands, please them, staying with the choices they had made? Supporting their husbands?

4. The police, the possibilities of intervention, or not? Legal difficulties for non-intervention? Government officials, Francine and her interviews, the help, the lack of help? The possibilities? The concerned social officer who paid for the documentation for her?

5. The setting of the South, the 1960s, music and style, the 1970s and things grimmer? Homes, poverty?

6. The opening, the burning house, Francine escaping with her children, the arrest, her traumatic state, the interviews by Greydanus? Her gradually opening up and telling her story?

7. Francine’s story, the familiar story? The girls, the early 1960s, dancing, flirting, Francine as a virgin? The attraction to Mickey? The dancing, the talk? His forcing Francine and her resisting? The wedding? His parents and their protectiveness? His brother and family? Francine’s mother? Life at home, the pregnancies? Mickey and the eruptions of violence, slapping Francine, in public? His temper, drinking? The increasing violence? Francine and the bruises on her face? Her leaving the house, with the children? Accepting Mickey, loving him? Yet the effect of the physical and psychological bashing? The effect on the children? His continued apologies, wanting to come back? Francine and her mother, support – but ultimately not able to live with all the pressure? The advice, the documents, the separation? Mickey’s parents, trying to persuade Francine to come back, visiting her in the hospital, smooth talk? Her going back, wanting an education, going to school, her pregnancy? Mickey and his arrival at Francine’s mother’s, taking the kids? The later visits, always promising that he would change?

8. The lawyer, the visits in prison, the questions to Francine? Building up the story? In the court, the interview of the witnesses? His interviewing Mickey’s mother, her lying? Mickey’s father and the mother’s domination?

9. The parent, their characters, their relationship, indulging their son, the other brother and his knowing the truth? In denial, the visits, looking after the children, smooth talk? The husband walking out and the mother taking to her bed? In the court, lying?

10. Francine’s friend, her own marriage, continued help, advice?

11. Francine going to school, the possibilities for education and a new life?

12. The sympathetic social worker, giving her the documents, paying for the fee?

13. The flashback to the fatal day, at school, Mickey and his violence, the kids, throwing the food on the floor? The rape?

14. Francine, setting the fire, leaving with the children?

15. The court’s judgment, not premeditated, temporary insanity?

16. Issues of law, justice, and the realities of domestic violence?