CHILDREN OF DIVORCE
US, 1980, 96 minutes, Colour.
Barbara Feldon, Lance Kerwin, Billy Dee Williams.
Directed by Joanna Lee.
Children of Divorce is an interesting telemovie, highlighting the break-up of marriages and the effect on children. There are three stories woven into the one film: affluent children who are forced to go to an are high school, a black child who is destined to be a gymnastics champion, a young boy who hopes to be a musician. The film highlights the family background, the clashes of the parents, their vying for the affections and support of their children. The film also focuses on the children, dramatising a number of problems associated with broken homes. There is a sympathetic group for children of divorced at the high school which gives a model for interaction and help. The film was written and directed by its executive producer, Joanna Lee.
1. Impact of the telemovie? For home audiences? For audiences sharing the experiences of the characters? Understanding, support?
2. Audience response to the issues of marriage break-up, Vying for children's affections, legal issues, the experience of the children, their emotional confusion, blame, hopes for reconciliation, wayward behaviour?
3. The Californian settings, affluent households, affluent schools, regional schools? The courts? The musical score?
4. Audience presuppositions about marriage, commitment, marriage break-up and divorce? The effect on each parent? On the children?
5. The combination of the three stories? The values? American experience? Universal? The blend of the realistic and the contrived?
6. Andy and Joshua, their parents clash, their father walking out, their mother used to wealth, her not managing well? Andy and her love for her father? Josh and his antagonism, being fat, sarcastic? Andy blaming her mother, the clashes? Irene and the shock, the news, lack of explanation? The solicitors and the desperate financial situation? Her looking for jobs, lack of qualifications, refusals? Trying to make ends meet, angry with Josh at eating the food? Yet her love, the reconciliation? Her hopes? The clashes with Andy? Joe's reappearance and her standing up for herself, ordering him out? Andy, the humiliation at school, seeing Mrs Goldsmith, the possibility of the group? Changing her clothes and style, wanting to be one of the girls? Her rudeness
7. Tony, in class? The encounter with Tony, his support for her? Rude to him in class? The friendship, wanting to be best friends, talking together? Her participation in the group? The sexual encounter with Tony and its consequences? His decision to go to New York? Her facing it, crying, support of her mother? Her explanation to the group of her selfishness? Her admiration for her mother? Josh, friendly with Denise, unable to help her? The clashes With his father? Support for his mother and his efforts? quarrelling parents, wanting them to stop? His musical skills? At school, helping Andy, friendship, his refuge, playing the music, best friends, in love, the sexual encounter and responsibility? His parents getting together again? The suddenness and his outburst? His hopes for the scholarship, his parents not listening to him. making them the go-between for their messages? His reluctance, explaining this in the group? Their support for him and the
scholarship? A future?
8. Denise, her gymnastics, the hours of practice? Friendship with Josh? Her parents, their affluence and status? Her mother and the faculty party? Her father and each side trying to prepare for the courts? Her trying the drinks, drunk during the presentation? The responsibility of the parents?
9. The classes, the teachers, the reaction of the kids?
10. The parents, Tony's parents and their clash, the reasons, the mother setting up the hairdressing salon? Denise's parents and their continued clash?
11. The group, each of the characters, their understanding of their parents, the pressures? Relationships? Bitterness? The support of the group? Mrs Goldsmith and her understanding?
12. An overview of contemporary problems in western society?
