A SENSITIVE, PASSIONATE MAN

US, 1977, 96 minutes, Colour.
David Janssen, Angie Dickenson.
Directed by John Newland

A Sensitive Passionate Man is a telemovie about alcoholism. David Janssen gives a strong performance as an alcoholic husband. Angie Dickinson is the anguished wife, trying to be supportive of her husband, protecting her two children.

There have been many films about alcoholics including the Oscar-winning Lost Weekend in 1945 as well as Blake Edwards’ Days of Wine and Roses. There are also quite a number of telemovies – bringing the problems right into the home of people who are experiencing this kind of disease as well as the oppression from alcoholics.

A sad additional note to this film is that David Janssen himself was an alcoholic, unable to stop his drinking, this contributing to his untimely death.

1. A serious telemovie? For home audiences? Interest, dramatic entertainment? Reflection of social situations?

2. The title and its tone? The song and its lyrics? The contribution of the stars and their style?

3. A piece of Americana: affluent background, homes, clubs, hospitals? The problem of the middle class and affluent families?

4. The credits and the photo collage - and the contrast with the ending and its tragic tone?

5. The contrast with the happiness, the party, friends, work, love, children?

6. The serious undertone with drink, rewards with alcohol - and the imitation by the kids? Alcohol and the changing of the situation and personality?

7. David Janssen as Michael: in himself, at home, the party, his love for his wife, his skills? The birthday celebration, his anger at the tennis? The truth about his being sacked? The effect of retrenchment? Not having work? The drink, the lounge? His abuse? His becoming erratic? Forgetting, hitting Marj, forgiveness? The inability to get a job? The humiliation of his son at the class that he gave and his inability to give it? Falling, wandering? The lawyers? His leaving? The ambulance? The doctor coming and his refusal to go? His illness? The odd friends in the bar and the household? His dying? The comments on his having a death wish and his being a perfectionist?

8. The ability for people to help this kind of person in crisis? Could he have been saved?

9. Angie Dickinson as Marji: housewife, ordinary way of life, having to cope, loving her husband, discovering about his being retrenched, being hurt? Not knowing? The confrontation, his hitting her into the pool, forgiveness? Her going to work? The ambulance, the humiliation of the class? Relationship with the children? Leaving, the lawyers, the return? Anger? Her reaction to Michael's death?

10. The children and watching the clash between their parents? Happy sequences? The beginnings of tragedy? Meals, Michael telling stories? Their being alert to the situation, having to cope, wetting the bed etc.? The humiliation of Michael's class to the children?

11. The relationship with friends, their ability to help or not? Parties, the class, the reaction to Marj working in the supermarket?

12. Work, secretary, covering up? Michael redundant? The reality of unemployment issues? His wanting to take work beneath his skills? Mari and her ability to get work that suited? Her being humiliated by friends?

13. The realism of the film? Its atmosphere of depression? Compassion, insight? Popular stars dramatising a social situation for a wide audience - how effective?