CALIFORNIA SUITE

US, 1978, 103 Minutes, Colour.
Alan Alda, Michael Caine, Bill Cosby, Jane Fonda, Walter Matthau, Maggie Smith, Elaine May, Richard Pryor, James Coburn.
Directed by Herbert Ross.

California Suite is mixed value Neil Simon: four one-act plays pleasantly "opened out" and cunningly interwoven. Best (for me the Jane Fonda (excellent again) - Alan Alda story mixing brittle repartee with some authentic drama and feeling. The Maggie Smith (Oscar-winner) - Michael Caine episode is theatrical "brittle-bitchy" until its end when, again, masks are off. Farce is the emphasis of the other two stories - very broad but mis-timed humour with Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor; some funny, tense moments with Walter Matthau trying to prevent wife Elaine May discovering a girl in his room. Good Simon - he has done better - and the Fonda story suggests what he could do with "serious" comedy.

1. The skills of Neil Simon in presenting human nature, commenting on human behaviour? Verbal and visual wit? Audience expectations of his style, fulfilment?

2. The device of having four plays in one? The stage origins of the film? The separate stories, settings dialogue? How well did the film open out the stories - airports, planes, outside locations? The interweaving of the four stories and their relationship? The parallels of human relationships, sexuality, love? Insights into persons, love, how did the film comment on each other?

3. The importance of the California setting - locations, the hotel? The Californian way of life and its contrast with that of New York, Chicago, the East, England? What was Simon saying that was characteristic of the California life-style - its good points, bad? The comparison with the rest of America? Freedom, informality, fine weather, relaxed, the ballyhoo of California? The critique of its style, yet a critique with affection? The comparison with the comments on New York?

4. Neil Simon's verbal skill, the one-liners, his wit? How enjoyable, how smart, how serious and telling?

5. The impact of the story of Hannah and Bill? Audience interest in and involvement in their story? The qualities that Jane Fonda and Alan Alda brought to their personalities? The nine years' separation, Jenny and the issue of children of divorced parents? The serious undertones of the story and the human emotions? The surface brittleness and banter? How funny the story? How much feeling? How good a portrait of two persons? How much seriousness, how much sentiment? A satisfying story?

6. Jane Fonda's portrayal of Hannah - forty, divorced, New York background, anti-California, her banter, wisecracks, yet her fears, love for her daughter, regard for her ex-husband? Her image of herself, her fear of losing her daughter, the taunts for her ex-husband? Her confessing some truth to him? Drinking, smoking, lover? Direct talk and contrast with Bill and his Californian style? Her being in the hotel, the drinks, her behaviour in the car, during the swim, during the dressing? The background to her decision? What was her real attitude towards Bill? Her reaction to the final decision and her daughter?

7. How was the decision made? Did she have a choice, the effect on her, on Bill, on her daughter? Watching her from the distance going off with her father? The character of Bill and the change in his life in California -more relaxed, clothing, boyish looks, the name Billy? His valuing this, his health and exercise? His regard for his daughter? His work? His unwillingness to fight with Hannah? Was the screenplay wise in bringing Jenny to the airport at the end? Sentiment, Jenny's love for her mother, Hannah's brittle comments as she left?

8. The contrast with the story of Diana and Steven? The portrayal of the film 'No Left Turns 1 - James Coburn's presence, the humour and far-fetched nature of the film? The two watching it in the plane and their comments, the people's comments? The farcical nature of the story? The background of the Academy Awards? The English star and her affectation, the producer and his lavishing attention on his star, the ballyhoo at the airport, the publicity? The nature of the dialogue - English overtones, comments on the English way of life, eg. about clothes, free trips? The background of drinking? Winning and losing?

9. The portrait of Steven - as a dealer, ex-actor, presence with his wife, guiding her? His love for her? The gradual revelation of the bi-sexuality? His patience with her? Supporting her as a loser? The liaison with the young man? The significance of their fight after the Oscars? The harshness of their words to each other? The wearing of the masks, the dropping of them? Diana's return from the kitchen, the discussion about their truer feelings? The love they had for each other? Her request that he love her for herself? Beneath the surface of the dialogue and the characterization, how much truth and insight?

10. The contrast with the farce in the story of the 'Out-of-Towners'? The choice of black players for the story? The similarities of black and white in their predicaments in California? The portrayal of the accidents with the rented car, the highway, the lack of room at the hotel, their expectations of enjoyment, the flooded room, the tennis match? How did the film ridicule the hotel situations? The characters themselves, money, fights, their profession professional background? Wanting to hurt each other? The final apologies and the plans for the following year? The humour of their appearing at the airport all bandaged? How much insight into character, the timing of the farce, the humour at the expense of modern rush?

11. The difference of the story of Marvin and his arriving for the Bar Mitzvah? Walter Matthau's presence and style? The two brothers meeting, talk about sex, the night on the town - typical material? The brother and the hiring of the girl for the night, Marvin succumbing to her? How humorous the farcical situation of getting her out of the room when she was stone drunk? The audience sharing his predicament and wondering what he would do, how he would hide? Audience sympathies for Marvin? His wife's arrival and the ambiguous situation, her talking, Marvin's poise and tactics? The discussion about the worst things? Her anger, reaction, pride, using the situation against him, buying things? The irony of her forgiving and forgetting? The importance of the final taxi ride with the familiar girl? The couple being touched by sin and mistakes and having to face this?

12. Themes of the battle of the sexes with the light touch? Truth told about human nature? The blend of humour and seriousness?