SARA T. - PORTRAIT OF AN ALCOHOLIC

US, 1975, 100 minutes, Colour.
Linda Blair, Verna Bloom, William Daniels, Larry Hagman, Michael Lerner, Mark Hamill.
Directed by Richard Donner.

A very effective and strong telemovie. Taking very real problems of adolescent alcoholism, the film shows us the effect on the adolescents themselves, on the parents, on the tragic consequences of violence, rejection and so on.

Directed effectively by Richard Donner (he was then to make The Omen and Superman) it stars Linda Blair who is much more effective than in many of her film roles. It is interesting to note that her sympathetic boyfriend is played by Mark Hamill who was to go on to Star Wars. Verna Bloom is very effective as Sarah's harsh mother. There are many good sequences and the film could be and should be effective disturbing television watching.

1. The use of television for presenting such themes and issues? The story impact, the visual impact of a teenage alcoholic girl? What is the effect on the home audience? The moralising effect and didactic effect?

2. The telemovie's qualities for communicating these themes in the home itselft the use of the stars, the middle-class and glossy setting, the staging of particular sequences with which audiences could identify?

3. How credible were the characters, the plot and the issues? As representing the seventies? The social situations and problems? What critique did the film make? What solution did it offer?

4. The tone of the credits with the cross between the commercials and the monochrome grim scenes and statistics? How did this lead into audience awareness of Sarah, the topic itself?

5. What made Sarah drink at such an age? The home environment, her parents, her relationship with friends and peers, her understanding of herself and dissatisfaction? Her self-image and a pessimistic outlook? How were each of these aspects illustrated? Fairly? The blending of all these
factors?

6. The importance of Sarah's age? Her father leaving? The divorce, her mother having custody, her stepfather? Her relationship with her sister? The need for parental love and care? The atmosphere of wealth, her family's parties and the people there, for example Mr Peterson? Her mother and Mr Peterson arranging dates? Nancy and her reaction to her parents, especially her absent father? Ken and his offhandedness but growing to like her? School, failure to get into the Glee Club? The fights at home? Her mother accusing her of embarrassing her so often? The punishments meted out by Matt?

7. Comment on Sarah's good qualities and strengths as presented: her brightness, intellect, her capacity for singing especially at the party, relationship to Ken, the horse-riding etc.

8. The character of Sarah's father with his dreams? Her anxious ringing him so often and hoping that the phone would ring and that he had to be there? What impact did his presence make? Wandering and talking the city? Giving her so much money? His absence and hopes for jobs? Drinking? His agree
ment to participate in the therapy and his angers, especially with his wife? His walking out and seeming refusal to have Sarah! The ending and his asking her to forget everything and come with him? What help did he offer his daughtr? What could he have done?

9. The contrast with Joanne, her attitude towards her daughter and Sarah not thinking that her mother loved her? Her remarriage? Relationship with Matt? The stress of Sarah embarrassing her? Her whole set of values in terms of time, wealth, prestige and position, jobs? Expectations of her daughter? Pushing her especially into the date with Ken and then the violent reaction when she came home drunk? Her own drinking habits? Her attitude towards the maid and dismissing her?

10. The character of Matt, his presence in the house, relationship with Joanne, reinforcing her values, his attitude towards Sarah, her punishment? His not participating in the therapy? Joanne's anxiety and the therapist?

11. The role of Nancy and the elder sister and not being a support and telling her parents about Barah?

12. Ken as a character, nice boy, the group with which he moved, his horseriding? The bonds between them, tentative at school, sexuality? The study ng night and their clash? His asking her to go to Alcoholics Anonymous for his sake? His love for Daisy and the impact of the death of the horse? His turning away from Sarah? would he forgive her?

13. The atmosphere of the party and Sarah taking drinks? The drinking in the closet, pretending her mother was in the shower and getting the drink from the cellars? The maid? The repercussions of her drinking and hurting others? At school? The school councillor and her reaction?

14. The wisdom of what the school counsellor said and Joanne's reaction and violence? The doctor and both Sarah's and her mother's resistance to him? His telling her the truth, his handling of the situation and his method of therapy? The importance of confrontation? The importance of the sequence where the family therapy went on and the violent anger of the reactions? The husband and wife getting out their hostilities? The, truth told? The impact on Sarah herself and her trying to express her feelings and hopes about each of them? The nature of her resistance to saying that she was an alcoholic?

15. The A.A. meeting and the people there, their friendliness, the testimonies? The eleven year old boy and his story? The girl trying to help Sarah and parallel her own situation? Sarah's brazenness in taking the drink, the effect of the boy's talk and her running away? Her choice at the end with their presence in the hospital?

16. What convinced Sarah at the end that she was able to say she was an alcoholic? Her parents trying to play it down? The doctor and his response? Her angry sequence when she smashed everything and talked about the people that she hurt, specially Ken and the horse? (The importance for the audience of the death of the horse and the emotive response to understanding what was happening to her?) The values that the film stood by and their impact for a modern audience? at home?