BERNARD AND DORIS
US, 2006, 100 minutes, Colour.
Susan Sarandon, Ralph Fiennes, James Rebhorn.
Directed by Bob Balaban.
The Doris of the title of this film is Doris Duke, heiress to a tobacco fortune, associated with Duke University. Bernard is Bernard Lafferty, a rather illiterate Irishman, alcoholic, gay man, who was sent to Doris Duke’s house as a temporary butler and who became her confidante and received the bulk her will when she died.
There had been a miniseries with Lauren Bacall as Doris Duke and Richard Chamberlain as Bernard Lafferty (1999). Some commentators make the point that Susan Sarandon and Ralph Fiennes are much more sympathetic in the film than the characters were in real life.
Susan Sarandon has shown versatility in performance for almost 50 years and brings Doris Duke to complex life, in her personality, in her inheritance and rich lifestyle, in her sexual liaisons, in her dependence on Bernard and yet her dominating board meetings. Ralph Fiennes is quite charming, even though alcoholic and deferring to Doris while actually in control of her.
The film is directed by actor Bob Balaban (ranging from Close Encounters to Seinfeld) who has also directed quite an amount of television and series.
This is a portrait of 20th century American capitalism and eccentricity.
1. An American portrait? The world of the wealthy? 20th century?
2. Audience knowledge of Doris Duke, Bernard Lafferty?
3. The period, 20th century, the 1920s, the death of the millionaire, tobacco background, the headlines device the past years, and Doris’s inheritance, her marriage to Cromwell, common Porfirio Bourassa, divorce, international connections, will, in the Marcos, her business success? Philanthropy?
4. The 1980s, Doris and her age, her care of herself, her facelift? Success, business, philanthropy, Board meetings, the handling of the members (and Bernard praising her for this)?
5. At home, the mansion, the only other properties around the world? Her attitude towards her servants, firing? Her meals, room, the blades, the men in her life? Who work in her garden and cried in her gardens and pots?
6. Wanting a new servant, Bernard arriving, waiting, haughty manner, giving the job, in himself, Northern Irish, working for is Taylor, the different jobs, his being in rehab? Her taking him for granted? His sitting in, the work, the development of the report report, Doris relying on him, and is insinuating himself into her confidence? His dislike of the board member, the interview and the offer of the payoff and his refusal?
7. Doris Alder, socials, the talk was Bernard, the self-revelation about her father, mother,? But that in his background, his parents, his homosexuality, his getting permission to go out on a date?
8. Bernard strict with the servants but stealing the wine and liquor? Discovered after his collapse?
9. Doris, her frailty, collapse, page, the discussions with record, becoming very ill, a quiet birthday, was Bernard, the injection? The degree that there be no funeral – and the president promotion, scattering the ashes over water?
10. Her will, the variety of requests? The was Bernard, that he be on the Board? His administration? Did three years?
11. A portrait of characters, the Porter American society, capitalist society, and human interest?
