FOR THE BOYS
US, 1991, 138 minutes, Colour.
Bette Midler, James Caan, George Segal, Patrick O' Neal, Christopher Rydell, Arye Gross, Norman Fell, Rosemary Murphy, Arliss Howard, Bud Yorkin, Dori Brenner, Jack Sheldon.
Directed by Mark Rydell.
Word-of-mouth from overseas suggested that For The Boys was a big-budget piece of Americana, something of a flop. Word-of-mouth often means instant success and many millions at the US box office. However, this is a very interesting and entertaining film which developed a strong favourable reputation.
The title comes from those concerts for the boys, the American troops, during the wars of the 20th century. James Caan plays one of the top entertainers during World War II. Into his company swirls the show-stopping Bette Midler. So begins a show business partnership that has more than its share of love and hate.
But the film belongs to Bette Midler. It was produced by her own company. And fans really won’t want to miss her. The part is tailor-made. She sings, she dances, she clowns – and does some serious and sentimental acting as well, no disappointments with her.
To highlight the entertainment does not do justice to the film. It has a look at changing American attitudes, especially towards war, the film continues interesting .World War II looks like the old movies. But Korea looks a bewildering war in an alien landscape with unnecessary suffering.
The Vietnam sequences make the most impact. They are brief. But the obvious change in a quarter of a century in ‘the boys’ looks quite frightening. Audiences will find the mixture of song, comedy, brutality and death quite powerful. Bette Midler’s singing of the Beatles song, In This Life, is a very moving sequence.
But it’s all big and brassy: old-fashioned flashbacks, the old live TV shows, the grand finale. Yet, the serious undertones are never too far below the surface, including Mc Carthyism and the blacklist.
The film’s director is Mark Rydell who directed Bette Midler and her first major performance, her Oscar-nominated The Rose. His son, Christopher, appears as Bette’s son, moving in the Vietnam section.
(One criticism is that the make up for the characters in their old age looks like make up rather than reality, making them rather grotesque.)
1. An interesting and entertaining film? From the 1990s, a perspective on the United States, the wars, changes?
2. A Bette Midler vehicle, a screen presence, bold and brassy, her songs, performances?
3. A piece of Americana, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War? Showbiz and the troops? The development of television? The blacklisting? The recognition in the 1990s?
4. The title, the troops, the different responses? The changes in manner and brashness from the 40s to the 60s?
5. The framework, Dixie old, tough, not wanting to go to the celebration, telling her story to the assistant, her change of heart, going to the gala?
6. The assistant, his type, sympathetic, pressure from the producers, listening to Dixie? The film returning to the two, different chapters for the film?
7. Bette Midler as Dixie, initially singing, the girls group, the similarity to the Andrews Sisters? Her husband at war, with her boy? The uncle, his writing the material for Eddie Sparks? The message, thinking it was her husband’s death? The invitation to come to England? The initial encounter with Eddie, the nervousness, getting dressed, the cue? Eddie as the song and dance man, comedian? His relationship with Art? The manager? The band, the band leader? The repartee, Dixie responding with sex jokes? Eddie’s anger, wanting to get ride of Dixie, Art and his plea? The issue of the apology, Eddie eventually apologising and singing to Dixie? The promoters and their predicting Eddie and Dixie to be a famous couple? Going to the war, entertaining in Africa? The young woman, her dancing and gymnastics? Eddie organising for Mike to come, his arrival, filming? Dixie and her response, together on stage? The transition to his funeral, the presentation of the flag?
8. After the war, the television show, the sponsors, the censor present, the audience and their eagerness? Dixie and her being bossy, Eddie fostering his career? The alienation from his wife, his daughter’s coming to the set? Daniel and his growing up, with the girls, responding to Eddie? Dixie and her off-colour jokes, having her own way, the audience responding? The announcement on air that they would go to entertain the troops in Korea? Dixie announcing the trip to Tokyo? In Korea, the snow, the injured man, the effect on Dixie? in Tokyo, the sexual encounter, the aftermath? Danny, his devotion to Eddie, Dixie’s anger and challenging her son?
9. The blacklist, the journalist and gossip columnist in Tokyo, the anti-Communism? The feeling about the blacklist, Art and his being targeted, his offhand remarks about communism, dressing as Santa Claus, giving his typewriter to Eddie, Dixie and her anger?
10. The Vietnam war, Daniel growing up, the military graduation, his response to his mother, to Eddie? The different jobs, establishing the bistro, the clientele, her enjoying it? Art and his visit, pleading for Eddie, Eddie coming in, persuading her to do the tour? In Vietnam, the locations, the troops, the Vietnamese children? Meeting Daniel, talking with him? The performance, the dancer and her being mobbed? Dixie coming on stage, telling them to shut up, commenting on their manners? Her singing In This Life, the quiet, the emotion, the minuet dance? The suddenness of the attack, Daniel on point duty, the deaths, the dancer and her being shot? Daniel rushing, to warn, Dixie watching him die?
11. The pathos with Dixie telling the story, the young assistant listening? His agreeing that she should not go, his going to make the phone call, coming back, her absence, his thinking she had done something rash, her boisterous appearance, the pink dress, her decision to go, the 50 million viewers?
12. Her arrival, the relief of the producers, the patriotic dancing and the flag on stage? Going to see Eddie, his being 91, their talk, her anger with him, the sadness about Daniel and his death, her questioning patriotism, the futility of war?
13. Eddie on stage, his performance, the award, lost for a word, talking about Daniel, his emotion, Dixie hearing and watching, her coming on stage, the reconciliation? Her off-colour jokes? The dance steps? Their walking offstage, as life and achievement?
