THE LAST MARRIED COUPLE

US, 1980, 102 minutes, Colour.
Natalie wood, George Segal, Richard Benjamin, Dom De Luise.
Directed by Gilbert Cates.

The Last Married Couple is one of several Hollywood films of the late '70s which acknowledge the growing permissiveness, but ultimately yearn for a renewed traditional morality. Like Ten, it is set in Southern California, the reputed haven for what is prevalent the world over. However, this comedy concerns the middle class, has some funny lines and situations, enjoys its touches of vulgarity and broadmindedness. George Segal is always a pleasant lead and Natalie wood shows some flair for comedy. The others in the cast (including Richard Benjamin and Dom DeLuise) are rather strident. Under the facade of jokiness (and some serious speeches by the leads) there is probably (unfortunately) a great deal of truth.

1. An entertaining comedy? The marriage and sex comedy over the decades? Styles, manner, themes? Risque? The style of the '70s?

2. The title - the full title The Last Married Couple in America and its tone? Its use throughout the film? Its focus on the couple themselves? Their stresses, temptations, the ending? The contribution of the stars? Colour photography, Southern Californian setting - and the overtones of Los Angeles and Southern Californian way-out attitudes? Musical score, song and lyrics?

3. The credits and the football game - its use throughout the film with the disappearing couples~:1 The game, togetherness? Appearances of happy couples playing - and the reality?

4. The focus on the various couples, their compatibility, the news of their break-ups? The effect on Mari? The puzzling about the central couple and their fidelity? How well drawn were the particular couples - the women and their relationships with their husbands,' the husbands and their work, attitudes and separations? Further liaisons and affairs during the film?

5. George Segal and Natalie Wood as the typical American couple? As American types? In themselves. their work. relationship, love together? The domestic sequences? Their children, football matches etc.? Work for the schools? The birthday outing to the hamburger shop? The humour of the lovemaking and the policewoman? Shared interests? Stress - Jeff coming home after Barbara's visit and finding Mari at home and grumpy? Their consoling each other? The effect of the stresses and the break-up of so many families, trying to support the couple next door, for instance? The tensions in themselves? The feeling that something must be wrong? Their break-up after Jeff's interlude with Barbara? The farcical confrontation? The effect of the separation.. the liaisons? The party and the swinging couple bringing them together?

6. Marv and Sally? An ideal couple, Marv and the break-up, his feeling sorry for himself, his story about hypocrisy, lies? His drinking, going into therapy? His hounding of Jeff? The outing at the Japanese restaurant with the girls? The presence at the party? His relationship with his wife after the separation and the memory of so many years married?

7. The humour in Howard and his role as an independent lawyer - at the opening, his flirting, the seduction of the wives, his attempt with Mari and her rejection? The satire on this kind of lawyer?

8. Barbara and the break-up of her marriage. her friendship with Mari, their outing together, the young men trying to pick them up and its effect on Mari and her explaining it to Jeff? Barbara's visit to the office, her throwing herself at Jeff? The incident at the motel and its after effects?

9. The effect of the separation. Jeff and his dating Helena and the bedroom sequence and their discussion about their not wanting to be there? Mari and Rick and the tennis coach., his being the host in the house? Opening the door at the party? The irony of his going off with Rebecca at the end?

10. The humour in the portrayal of Walter - middle age, marriages, divorces, work, acting, pornography? His marrying Oriana? The arrangements about the party?

11. The swinging couple and their demonstration, freedom of speech, stripping, the effect on Mari and Jeff and their own break-up? Bringing the couple together?

12. The screenplay and its serious speeches about marriage and fidelity? The serious tone underlying the permissive and frank expressions and humour of the
1970s?

13. The sentiment at the ending and the whole family going out? What did the film have to say about traditional marriage values?

14. The point of the film - and the success of the communication of the point? A humorous analysis of marriage in America in the '70s? Humour as a vehicle for this kind of analysis?