Saturday, 18 September 2021 18:47

Jealousy






JEALOUSY

US, 1984, 95 minutes, Colour.
Angie Dickinson, Paul Michael Glaser, Richard Mulligan, David Carradine, Bo Svenson.
Directed by Jeffrey Bloom.

Jealousy is a telemovie written and directed by Jeffrey Bloom. It is a star vehicle for Angie Dickinson, offering her the opportunity to portray different characters in each of the three stories. In the first she is an intensely jealous woman, jealous of her daughter. In the second there is the comic touch with Richard Mulligan. In the third she is a country and western singer experiencing pressure from a man who wants to marry her, David Carradine.

The film is interesting as a star vehicle for Dickinson. The stories are routine enough - the unexpected ironic touch with the second, the melodrama of the third.

1. Entertaining telemovie? Three stories? Star vehicle for Angie Dickinson?

2. The different locales, American settings? The contrasts?

3. The title, aspects of jealousy explored? The overall effect of the three pictures of jealousy?

4. The first story: the portrait of Georgia, mother, intense, her relationship with Daniel, sensual, real or imagined? Her relationship with Heather? Her dominance of her daughter? Treating her as a child, in the home, shopping? The relationship between Daniel and Heather? The interfering mother and the ugly face of obsession and jealousy?

5. The second story: the newlyweds, Richard Mulligan as Meredith, genial, devoted to his wife, the boat, talking things over with her, talking about family, jealousies, death? Laura and her love for Meredith, the puzzle? Feeling ousted? The humorous touch when Meredith was desperate, asking her bewildered permission - and producing the monkey?

6. The third story: Ginny, country and western singing, rooming with Dixie? Their friendship, advice? The pressures of responding to Bobby, the break-up? Coming into the bar, drinking, the telephone calls? Her growing desperation? Dixie's advice to leave? The stranger from Tennessee in the bar, his attentions to Ginny, her response? Bobby's jealousy, growing desperation? Her leaving, Bobby's pursuit, the gun? His death? The portrait of Ginny, her desperation? Dixie and her friendship? The stranger, the clashes with Bobby? Bobby, age, infatuation with Ginny, the obsession, the phone calls? Continually pleading? In the diner, causing disturbances? The final violence and the gun?

7. How well did the three stories work together? For Angie Dickinson? For insights into jealousy?