TIM

Australia, 1979, 100 minutes, Colour.
Piper Laurie, Mel Gibson, Alwyn Kurts, Pat Evison, Deborah Kennedy.
Directed by Michael Pate.

Michael Pate's screenplay of Colleen Mc Cullough's novel concerning the tender relationship between a pleasant but retarded young man and an attractive, lonely businesswoman is unsensational and nice. So is his direction with its picture of Sydney, rather romantically presented. He is served by good performances from Piper Laurie and Mel Gibson in the central roles and by superb ones from Alwyn Kurts and Pat Evison as inner city suburban parents. Their sequences, especially those dealing with death, are excellent vignettes of an 'ocker romantic' way of life. Limited by sketchy episodes but attractive for those who relish love and tears.

1. Pleasing popular entertainment? For what audience was it made? The straightforward presentation of plot, old-fashioned presentation of values? Sentiment? Laughter, tears?

2. The reputation of Colleen Mc Cullough and her work? Expectations from this? The work of Michael Pate? His adaptation of the novel and his contribution in production and direction? The film as an adaptation of a novel? How much was omitted? was enough presented especially for motivation and characters? The loose ends in the development of the plot?

3. The strengths and weaknesses of the screenplay? The focus on Tim, on Mary? The establishment of Tim as retarded yet engaging? Mary and her age, career, loneliness? The portrait of Ron and Em as ordinary suburbanite couple? The sharp observation of city life? The sentimentality? The contrivance of so many of the situations and the dialogue? How well did this mesh together for satisfying entertainment?

4. Colour photography especially of the city of Sydney, its authentic atmosphere, suburbs, suburban life, the beaches? The romantic score and the use of the piano? How much did this affect moods, sentiment?

5. The focus on Tim and Mel Gibson's performance? An attractive man, audiences identifying with him? His simplicity, charm? How well did the film establish his retardation? Was this credible? Sympathy? Seeing him at work, getting the jobs of finishing off, his way of speaking, his reliance on his parents, acting like a very honourable child? The encounter with Mary and his enjoying her company, working with her, experiencing her affection? The bonds with his father and his devotion to him, love? The sequences in the hotel, meals at home? His mother? What love had he received from his parents especially with his retarded condition? The relationship with each member of the family, with Dawn? The quality of the bonds, the quality of love? A picture of family life – as it ought to be?

6. The establishing of Mary's character and background? Her arrival, getting the mail, chatting to her neighbour? Her loneliness in the big house? Getting Tim to work and enjoying his company? Piper Laurie's performance and presence and style? The American background? Her enjoyment of working with Tim and not thinking of scandal (and Dawn's outburst later in the film)? Sharing things especially work, holidays, learning reading, swimming etc.? The nature of the bonds and their quality? A man-woman relationship, mother-child relationship, old-young relationship?

7. How well and credibly did the film establish the relationship between Tim and Mary – from chance encounter through employment, friendship, dependence, affection, love to marriage? At work, the mutual respect? The reading sequences? The going to the beach and the running, the swims? The afternoon tea and the eating of cake, sugar in the tea etc.? Tim's childlike qualities and Mary's maternal instinct?

8. How did each affect the other? The balance of the office sequences and Mary's boss and his comments on the relationship? His attitude at the end? Ron and Em and their reliance on Mary?

9. The build-up to Dawn's engagement – Mary dropping Tim home, Dawn and Michael talking in the car? Dawn and her not listening to Tim's reading and her jealousy? Her father commenting on this? The announcement of the engagement and the family joy? The meeting at the hotel and the discussion about the engagement? The marriage and Tim's presence but not going to the reception and the reliance on Mary? The same with the funeral?

10. How dependent was Tim on people? His jealousy of Dawn going away and his moroseness and Mary's drawing this out of him? His reaction to his mother's death and the innate jealousy of Mary's comforting his father? The kiss and embrace sequence – its presentation, timing, length? The audience waiting for this culmination? The leading in to the marriage and the credibility of marriage?

11. The background of Dawn and Michael? Dawn as an ordinary suburban young woman, place in the family, dating, engagement, her attitudes at the meeting of the two parents and having Tim at the wedding? Her participation in the wedding? Her reaction to her mother's death? The ugliness of the clash with Mary in the kitchen and Michael's backing her up? Her father's reaction? Her scorn at the funeral? How credible was her change after being persuaded by Tim?

12. The portrait of Ron and Em? The skill of the performances, the quality of the dialogue? (Ocker sentiment). The details of their way of life at pub, work, meals at home, beer-drinking, wash-up, television? Em and her doing the shopping and returning home etc.? The quality of the love between the two especially as exemplified in Em's illness and death? Ron's talk about the gap that she made in his life The humorous contrast with the Harringtons and their wealth, society background? The toast to the newlyweds? Ron and his providing the reception for Dawn? The parents and their concern for Tim? The dramatic presentation of Em's illness, her being at home by herself and the full force of the heart attack, hospitalisation, death? The sadness of the funeral? The aftermath and Ron's coping with her death, announcing it to the family, the arrangements with Mary, the holiday by the seaside and his talk with Mary and arranging for Tim's care? His joy for Tim's marriage? His own death? The strong emphasis in the portrait of this couple of love, family life over a long period, fidelity and death?

13. The film's treatment of the theme of death, Mary's explanation of it to Tim? His father's explanation and the remark that they did not have the chance to say 'goodbye'? Tim's reaction to both parents' death?

14. The film's presentation of the Harringtons – and the critique of upper class attitudes? The critique of Michael especially when he backed Dawn against Mary?

15. The niceness and wholesomeness of the film? Especially in the character of Tim whose innocence, naively, his not understanding innuendo e.g. at the talk at the pub, Dawn's outburst, even his kissing Mary?

16. The television programme about retarded children, Mary's visit to the school, the personality of the counselor, his help? The discussion and his advice to Mary?

17. The wedding sequence and its joy, the minister and her comments from Scripture about love? The first night and the way this was presented – delicacy, the fullness of love, Tim's commenting about laughing and crying in joy?

18. The finale of the film with Ron's death, Mary's coping with it, the clash at the cemetery and the reconciliation? Hopes for the future?

19. The quality of observation of life at a popular level? How telling for the average audience especially identifying in incident, manner, values?

20. The film's sentiment and sentimentality? The danger of the ludicrous? How authentic? The wholesome atmosphere of family life, work, suburban decency, love and marriage, death?