THE WATERDANCE
US, 1992, 106 minutes, Colour.
Eric Stoltz, Helen Hunt, Wesley Snipes, William Forsythe, Grace Zabriskie, Elizabeth Pena.
Directed by Neal Jimenez and Michael Stirnberg.
Writer-director, Neal Jimenez became a paraplegic in a climbing accident. Affecting drama is based on his experience of hospitalization and reshaping his life. The bitterness, the neediness, the physical and mental strength required for coping, the camaraderie amongst patients how well portrayed. Waterdance avoids sentimentality with some raucous sequences and an earthy realism about the characters and their behaviour.
Eric Stoltz makes the central character credible. Helen Hunt is his girlfriend, with whom the audience identifies in trying to learn how to handle situations, and William Forsythe and Wesley Snipes portray paraplegics who are victims of life as well as of their physical disabilities. The Jimenez has channeled his experience in to a moving/realistic film. Sympathetic and tough portrait of paraplegics.
1. A moving film? For empathizing with the disabled? Complexities of what happened to them by accident and their having to cope?
2. An autobiographical film, the experience of the writer-director?
3. The title, dancing and love for water, joel’s dream, not going beneath the water?
4. The focus on physical disabilities, the results of accidents, crime victims, the effect, quadriplegia, paraplegia, Damage to spying, brain? The audience experiencing the disabilities with the cast?
5. The mental repercussions, having to cope, depression, anger, frustration, loss of quality of life, livelihood, difficulties in mobility? The response of people, through their regard, PT, reaching out to help?
6. The institution, the location for the action, its appearance, inside and outside, the focus on the ward, corridors? The staff within this context, uniforms, care, medical, putting the patients at ease? Les and his concern? Rose of? The doctors and their examinations?
7. Joel was the focus, the initial scenes with his wounded face, lying prostrate, meeting the mirror? His being confined? The pace of his gradual healing, improvement? His getting the dark glasses, separating himself from the others? Attempted disdain? His writing career, assumptions that he was superior? His relationship with Anna? Working with her with his books? Her being married? The affair? Her coming to visit, his mixed attitudes towards her, rude behavior, and loving? The sexual encounters, being court? The importance of facing sexual questions, potency in the pit and sea? Her reading to him? The outings? The buildup of the relationship, her telling him that she had told her husband, separation? His advising her to stay with her husband? Her dismay? The right decision? Joel’s motivations, his not wanting her to have to look after him all his life?
8. Joel, wit each of the patients? The bond with ray, the discussions, issues, as being jovial? Boss and his antagonism, the biker background, his mother, is antagonism? Vern and his continually calling for Rosa? Joel seeing his wife, helping him with the television, his being a constant presence? The Hispanic man, his family, the birth of the child and celebrations? The young Korean man, his being wounded by the robber? His family?
9. Ray, as a character, his talk, his boasting of being a ladies’ man, his wife, daughter, the visit and the talk about divorce, unwillingness? His leaving and living in an institution? His drinking? The bet with the boss about Annabel lee? Bosses visit to the home, denial about Annabel lee? His talking about suicide, going under a bus, the phone call, his drinking, the group are going out to find him? The rescue? His not remembering? A portrait of a man and his trying to deal with disability?
10. The loss, the biking background, the accident, visiting the site again, his mother’s visits, her liking the people in the ward, talking with him, correcting him? An anchorman, his racist and bursts, with the people who came in to do the square dancing? His bed with ray, the antagonism towards ray? Talk to Joel and his criticism of Hispanics? His going away, returning, the outing, going into see Ray, the bet?
11. The young Korean man, as family, is going on the outing, the excitement in the van, with the girls?
12. Vern, the forests, his brain damage, his wife visiting? Joel helping with the television?
13. Lawson the decision to go out, Joel driving, taking the view, some reckless moments, and raise house, going to the club, drinking, the strippers, a blend them, the money, seem less, borrowing? Annabel lee and her talking to the men, her memories of ray?
14. Hospital as the phrase in the life of the patients, their adapting to change, for the future? A film with some hope and relying on human kindness and values?
