20th CENTURY WOMEN
US, 2016, 119 minutes, Colour.
Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, Lucas Jade Zumann, Alison Elliott.
Directed by Mike Mills.
Or more precisely, some 20th-century American women. While the stories of the three women at the centre of this film can resonate in different parts of the world, the tone and style, the atmosphere and correct many of the issues are particularly American. They may not resonate at all in a vast number of societies around the world.
The setting is 1979, the place Santa Barbara, California. It is a comfortable city, comfortable homes, the beaches, the wonderful California coast, sun is shining. While the film is anchored in this year and place, it does take us back into the past, with black-and-white inserts of the Depression period, the 1940s and 50s, and memories of the Vietnam war, just over. And it does go forward at the end, giving us glimpses of what will happen to the various characters of 1979.
The writer-director is Mike Mills, director of such films as Thumbsucker and Beginners. The film is partly autobiographical, the teenager of the film born in 1964, the director in 1966, sharing a lot of the atmosphere of the times and the influence on their growing up and their teenage years.
However, the central character is Dorothea, played with quite some intensity by Annette Bening, who is now divorced, mother of Jamie, giving birth to him at age 40. She has brought him up. They don’t quite live alone because they have two boarders, Abby (Greta Gerwig), born in 1955, discovering she has cervical cancer, eccentric in her manner but wanting to please. The other boarder is William, Billy Crudup, once a hippy, skilled at mechanics, and a love of making pottery. He is in process of re-doing up the house.
And, while the focus of the film is on Dorothea, it is also on Jamie, played by Lucas Jade Zumann, rather short for his age, sometimes precocious, sometimes not at all, understanding his mother and, more and more, challenging her – Dorothea ever telling him that he has no right to judge her or speak to her like this. He gets on well with Abby and William, accompanying Abby to get her doctor’s report, working with William around the house but not experiencing him as a father-figure.
The other significant figure in all their lives is Julie (Elle Fanning), just a bit older than Jamie, daughter of a psychologist up the street (who insists that her daughter sit in on all the group sessions), who has been quite permissive in her sexual behaviour but does not see Jamie at all in this light, even when he sometimes does, and much prefers to be his friend.
Jamie often remarks that his mother grew up during the Depression and that this explains her. Dorothea reminisces about the events from 1964 to 1979 in the US which were influential on her son’s early years, including the war in Vietnam, the political experiences of the Nixon era. There is a significant scene where the group and some of their friends sit listening to Jimmy Carter deliver a speech about values, identity, anti-consumerism – which Dorothea applauds but which some of the others say signals the end of Carter’s presidency.
Which means then that there is a lot to observe in the life of these characters even if it is Southern Californian, extroverted in its way, reminiscing about pretty music like As Time Goes By yet acknowledging the beat and the raucousness of the about-to-be changes in rock music, lyrics and sound.
There is also a lot to think about, the characters with whom we identify, the characters with whom we don’t identify, the characters, their values, their striving to find meaning in life, the mistakes they make, the values in relationships – and finishing the film by watching glimpses of what their lives were to be after 1979.
1. The title? American women? The women of the 20th century around the world?
2. The US and the 20th century, the second half, 1979? Look, sounds? Santa Barbara, homes, streets, school, clubs, hospitals, ordinary? The beach and the coast? The musical score and range of songs?
3. The director, same age as the protagonist, his experiences, growing up, family, relationship with his mother?
4. The portrait of Dorothea, Annette Bening, at 55, her look, the background of her marriage, divorce? Memories? Love or not? Giving birth at age 40? Touching Jamie in the crib? The mother with the son, her bringing him up? Communication, discipline, boundaries? His age and change, as a teenager? Her being born during the Depression, the footage of the depression period? Her work? The supermarket, the car on fire and the fireman? Her boarders, the re-fitting of the house, relying on William? His memories, going out and dancing, his work with machines, explaining his pottery to her? Abby, her age, illness, music and dancing, to hospital and surgery? Julie, the neighbour, young? Dorothea asking each of them to help bring up Jamie? Her memories, her living in the past, manners and morals, propriety? Music, Casablanca, As Time Goes By? Reaction to the new music, trying to understand, not understanding? Going out to the clubs? Her discussions with Jamie, his not understanding? Her saying he had no right to talk to her as he did? Inviting friends to dinner, even the fireman after the fire in the car? The scene at the table, the discussion about menstruation? The group listening to Jimmy Carter’s speech, his morale-boosting, her response with the others not understanding? Jamie driving away with Julie, the phone call, going to find him with William? A woman in her mid-50s in 1979?
5. Jamie, his life, 1964-1979, the background of the war in Vietnam, the Nixon years, seeing Ford fall, the Jimmy Carter era and his moral tone? School, his degree of sophistication, lack of sophistication? Excusing his mother? Issues of obedience, upsetting her, discipline? Julie coming to the house and staying with him, talk, not sexual encounter, simply lying amicably together? Going to the hospital with Abby? Going to the club with her and his drinking and dancing? The decision to go away, with Julie, the motel, Julie refusing the sexual encounter? The effect on him?
6. Abby, born in 1955, the background story, Santa Barbara, New York and the arts, the skill at photography? The photos of one day in her life? The interview with the doctor, cervical cancer, later going to the hospital, accompanied by Jamie? Her role in the house, helping, more modern music, dancing, the club and providing words for Jamie? The sexual encounter and her provocation with William? Her initiating the discussion at table about menstruation?
7. Julie, age 17, her family, her mother as a therapist, Julie having to sit in with all the group sessions, listening to the variety of problems? Her sexual promiscuity, approving 50%, disapproving 50%? The stories? Her talking, frankness? Jamie as a friend, the decision to go away, refusing a sexual encounter? Phoning Dorothea?
8. William, in himself, the hippie in the past, successful and unsuccessful relationships? Skill at engines, love of pottery? Re-fitting the house? The bond with Dorothea, Abby and her sexual initiative and his following through? Discussions, taking Dorothea out, the dancing? His reaction to Jimmy Carter speech? Helping with finding Jamie?
9. The group in the house as a unit, the bonds, relationships, problems, flaws and qualities?
10. The US and the 20th century, becoming freer in talking, attitudes, more materialistic, individualistic?
11. The range of songs illustrating the characters and their age in sensibilities?
12. The final information about what happened to each character later?
