A SONG FOR JENNY
UK, 2015, 77 minutes, Colour.
Emily Watson, Steven Mackintosh, Nicola Wren, Gwylim Lee, Anne Stalleybrass, John Woodvine.
Directed by Brian Percival.
A Song for Jenny is a television film based on a memoir by Julie Nicholson, an Anglican vicar, whose daughter died in the terrorist bombings in the London Underground in 2005.
The film introduces Julie Nicholson, powerfully played by Emily Watson, in her work as a vicar, on holidays with her family, alerted to the news on television, her being consumed by concern and the search for her daughter, then by grief and an internal rage.
The film recreates the atmosphere of London in July 2005, the scenes of the disaster, the centres for searching for survivors and the dead, the officers communicating information. It also shows the anguish of the waiting.
The film creates sympathy for the family with flashbacks to Jenny, the daughter who died in the bombings, because of a glitch on the Piccadilly line and her having to take an alternate route to work.
Ultimately, the experience is a test of Julie Nicholson’s faith, questions about God which she shares with her daughter, the ritual of her daughter’s funeral, and not wanting to be consumed by hate because her daughter was so loving.
Steven Mackintosh is Julie’s husband, a sympathetic man but pushed aside and apart by his wife’s consuming anguish – with information that Julie Nicholson gave up her work as a priest and divorced her husband. While the audience understands her grief, it is very hard to understand her pushing her husband away and not having any feeling for his grief.
1. A film about death, grief? Terrorism? London 2005? Universal reference?
2. The memoir Julie Nicholson? The experience of writing? The impact of the film in 2015? The title, for her daughter?
3. The background, Julie as vicar, quoting scripture, the funeral, the man on the phone? Comments at home, her family? Her faith being tested? Not wanting to be conquered by hate, but overcoming hate with love? Grief, relationships?
4. The picture of the family, Jenny and her exuberance, the son and the younger daughter, the bonds between them? The husband – and his playing a lower key role? Julie’s parents and the visit, the uncle and the aunt? The bond with Tom and his marrying Jenny?
5. The portrait of Jenny, her age, scenes of her as a girl, pictures with the family, her work, love for her husband, vivacious? The flashbacks, going to work, the Underground, reading C. S. Lewis, her death? Her body being found, and the DNA checks, the relics and mementos given to Julie?
6. Television news, Julie’s sister ringing, the bombings, the Underground, the bus? The sadness because of the Piccadilly Line glitch and Jennie taking alternate routes? The sadness and joy in Julie’s finding Jenny’s last email about the buying of the C. S. Lewis book?
7. The impact of the tragedy on Julie, on holiday with her family, lying in, the breakfast, the phone call, watching the television, trying to phone Julie, her husband, James? The family coming to be with her? Support or not? Her father asking what was the matter, the husband and his concern about the dog and her ferocious outburst? Sidelining her husband, the children support of him, his bewilderment and his own grief? Her into grief and rage?
8. James, at home with Jenny, at work, the news, his grief, his sharing with the family? At Edgeware Rd Station? The funeral?
9. The decision to go to London, support of her sister, going for information, the variety of lists? The communicators and their talking with her? The DNA swabs? The days passing? The information on television about the terrorists and what they had done?
10. Her grief, the taxi, the chatter of the driver, her telling the truth, his compassion, driving her to Reading?
11. The wait, tension, the preparation for the funeral, Liz and her design for the coffin, the discussion about God and faith, the children and their fears about what was happening to Julie? The young nephew, his questions, his childish re-enactment of the events, his mother’s reaction? Julie accepting it?
12. The funeral, the choir, the ritual, carrying the coffin? Julie’s previous viewing of the body, holding her daughter’s hand?
13. The local communicators, bringing back the relics? Julie’s decision to go to Edgeware Road Station, the officials, the guard, her questions, looking at the station, the tunnel, the re-creation of the events and their being visualised? James and his disbelief about the Piccadilly Line glitch?
14. The end, the mystery of suffering, the discussions about God and permitting evil? Faith, the other world? Julie not wanting hate to destroy her memories, drawing on Jenny’s love?
15. Her resignation from her priesthood, her divorce from her husband?
