SECOND WIND

Canada, 1976, 99 minutes, Colour.
James Naughton, Lindsay Wagner, Ken Pogue.
Directed by Donald Shebib.

Second Wind is about a very busy executive who takes up jogging. Dissatisfied with his work, his home life, himself, he begins to indulge in the jogging, becoming a strong runner. This demands more and more of his time and he faces crises in relationships with his wife, with other women, with his family, and has to make decisions about his future. This is a variation on the midlife crisis and the tedium of suburban life as well as the dissatisfaction with striving for accomplishment in business. James Naughton is good in the central role and is supported by Lindsay Wagner who was popular on television as the Bionic Woman.

The film was directed by Canadian Donald Shebib who made a number of small-budget films in his native country including Going Down the Road, Fish Hawk. He also directed another film about running, The Athletic Indian played by Robbie Benson, Running Brave.

1. The meaning of the title, themes?

2, The quality of this film as Canadian, as made in the atmosphere of the 1976 Olympics? Its impact in that situation, now?

3. The qualities of the production, locations, colour and music, the special sequences for the running, the race? How did this engage audience attention?

4. The film's identification with Roger and his ambitions? How did it help the audience to identify with him? Its placing him centrally in focus, his ambitions, difficulties, his exhilaration?

5. How was Roger a typical modern man of the cities, of big business, of his job, of the pressures of time, of the directions of achievement, of capacity and incapacity for relationships? How much insight in theme came from Roger's character?

6. The impact of the opening and the entry into the world of stocks and shares, noise, big business, deals? The attention to detail in this opening? The portrayal of the men in the Stock Exchange, the various types and their attitude towards work? Frank and his lack of ambition, his emphasis on sex? The bosses and their capacity for administration, seeing talent, helping those on the way up? Simon and his help and his subservience? Roger situated in this world? How well did we understand him through this world? His ambitions?

7. Roger and the portrayal of his skills, the impact on his promotion, the fact that this dissatisfied him? His explanation that things had come too easy? What more did he need?

8. The portrayal of home life, the home itself, Linda and her style? the atmosphere of family, recreation, work? Friendship with neighbours, working on the television, racing to see the race? Meals, lovemaking? How genuine did this family life seem?

9. Why did the television interview about the runner make such an impact on Roger? Why did he begin to run? The film's portrayal of the physical and psychological struggle? The energy and effort that Roger made? Seeing this in the light of the quotation from Thomas Merton at the beginning of the film?

10. How impulsive was Roger? How did he control himself in training, how did the running become an obsessive, a skill? The influence of Pete and his way of training Roger? His promise to bring the experts? Roger striving towards goals?

11. How well delineated was the character of Linda? The fact that she did not understand Roger and his running? The scenes of her shopping with her friend and trying to talk with her friend? Her attempts to share Roger's life, the track suit and the running? Her decision in the light of what she considered his deceit? Was she right to leave home? Her surprise at Roger's reality of running? The fact that she came the race at the end?

12. The contrast of Linda with the girl in the car? Her obvious chasing of Roger? Her capacity for listening and helping Roger to understand himself? How well delineated was the character of this girl?

13. The importance of the decisions facing Roger? To give up, to achieve something inside him? His talking to the coach? His going away to train for a week?

14. What were the terms of the trials and the need for decision for Roger? The reasons for and against his decision to run? How much insight into the nature of this for the man aged 30?

15. The dramatic presentation of the race? How enjoyable and involving? Why? Linda and Kevin oozing? The sense of achievement for Roger? What had he achieved?

16. How telling a parable was this about modern man and his ambitions and achievement? The validity of sport as a symbol for exploring modern man?