CRAZY MOON

Canada, 1987, 90 minutes, Colour.
Keifer Sutherland, Vanessa Vaughan.
Directed by Allan Eastman.

Crazy Moon is a slight, oddball Canadian romantic comedy. An early film of Kiefer Sutherland, he is a rich young man, socially inept. By chance, he encounters a charming window-dresser when he decides to steal the manakin. He discovers, however, that she is deaf. Nevertheless, a friendship blossoms, she helps him to come out of himself, he helps her to begin to speak. There are complications at home with his drug-taking, happy-go-lucky brother, his dominating father and his latest girlfriend. There is also friendship with the girl's parents and other hearing-handicapped friends.

There is a touch of the screwball comedy, certainly eccentric style comedy. However, the charm of the two leads, especially Vanessa Vaughan as Anne, mean that there is a nice portrait of friendship, people helping each other, making decisions and maturing.

1.Pleasant romantic comedy? Canadian settings? Realism/fantasy?

2.The title, sanity and madness? Sense and sensibility?

3.The city settings, wealth, the shops, ordinary homes? The swimming pool? Audiences being able to identify with the world of the characters?

3.Brooks and his personality, idiosyncratic manners, bow-tie and suits, boxing headgear? His birthday, the family, the cake and his reaction? His stilted manner and interests? His listening to the music of the past? His relationship with Cleveland, discussing their father, their absent mother? His brother's drug-taking - and using it against him? The gift of the car, his decision to buy the bike? Riding with Cleveland? Cleveland and the shoplifting? His seeing the manakin, taking it away? Attracted by Anne, following her, the all-night vigil? His shyness? Meeting her, discovering she was deaf? The outings, his being attacked and her defence of him with the mustard? The friendship, going to the swimming pool, his being scared of swimming? Helping her to speak? Going to see her parents? Cleveland and the planting of the drugs, blaming him? His father's demands? Going to the psychiatrist - and the oddball answers? The father's girlfriend and encountering Anne, her reaction to her being deaf? Their turning on him? His visiting Anne's family, Anne speaking? His desperation - Anne going overseas? Pleading with her, following her to the airport, in the bike at the end? A future relationship? His being transformed?

4.Anne, her work in the shop window, audience attracted by her with Brooks? His following her? The audience knowing she was deaf? Her friends in the house? The outing, defending Brooks with the mustard, continuing outings, asking what was music, moving with the rhythms and vibrations, the dancing? Her decision to improve her speaking skills? The lessons? With her friends? Talking and her parents' response? The decision to go overseas, standing on her own feet? Helping Brooks out of himself, the swimming, changing his clothes, brighter personality? Her enjoyment of his following her to the airport?

5.Cleveland, wastrel, eccentric? Imposing on Brooks? The shoplifting? Making him stand in the queue all day for the rock and roll tickets, letting him be drenched, the excuses? The drug-taking? The irony of Brooks taking and rock and roll tickets and taking Anne to the concert? Cleveland and his revenge, pretending about the drugs?

6.Their father, strong personality, dominance, the party, ordering Brooks about, sending him to the psychiatrist? The girlfriend - and his getting sick and tired of his wives?

7.The psychiatrist and his eccentric manner?

8.The hearing-handicapped, friendship, skills, lessons, the teacher? Anne's parents and their delight?

9.A slice of life - with the eccentric touch? The world of a crazy moon? People helping each other to be their better selves?