SIX WEEKS

US, 1982, 107 minutes, Colour.
Dudley Moore, Mary Tyler Moore.
Directed by Tony Bill.

Six Weeks is a romantic film about illness and death. It features Mary Tyler Moore as a cosmetics tycoon whose young daughter is dying of leukaemia. Dudley Moore portrays a politician who befriends them. The gist of the film is a visit to New York where the young girl has all her hopes and dreams fulfilled including skating in the Rockefeller Centre and leading in the Nutcracker Suite.

Mary Tyler Moore had had a successful career in television and had appeared just prior to this in Ordinary People. Dudley Moore had been a stand-up comedian, especially with Peter Cook, but moved to the United States and appeared in quite a number of films at this time including Foul Play and 10.

The film was directed by actor Tony Bill who also wrote the film, Table for Five, which again was a film of great sentiment. He directed a number of other films including My Bodyguard as well as the portrait of Lafayette Escadrille in The Flyboys (2006).

1. An entertaining tearjerker? The elements of soap opera and love story, death? The perennial appeal of the ingredients? The quality of the film? It was almost universally critically condemned when released ?with justice?

2. The pairing of the stars and their particular styles? Comedy background? Katherine Healy and her strength of character as Nicole? The background of affluent California, Los Angeles, Sacramento, politics, society, the perfume industry, the arts, ballet? The New York sequences, ballet, the city itself, the subway? An authentic atmosphere? The contribution for mood and sentiment of Dudley Moore's score?

3. The elements of soap opera, melodrama? The blend of laughs and tears? Sentiment or cuteness and sentimentality? How predictable was the plot? The depth of characters? Pleasant, emotional manipulation? The intentions of the film as popular entertainment, how well did they work?

4. The significance of the title, the reference to the life of the butterfly, Nicole as the butterfly? The focus on life, fullness of life and experience? What was experienced or not? Values and what was worthwhile? Brevity? Not shirking the reality of death, being ready? Her six weeks compared with subjecting herself to hospital and medical treatment?

5. The focus on Nicole: young girl, precocious, talented? Spoilt? The possibility of having what she wanted ? why? Why not? The introduction to heron the road, the neighbour against her coming in to the party? Her presence at the party, devotion to Patrick, listening to causes? Charlotte and the bargain with Patrick? Her training for the ballet, her straight talk to Patrick about his marriage, about extra-marital affairs, about death? Helping him in his campaign? The joy for Charlotte? The political socials? Her outspokenness? Her hints to her mother and Patrick about an affair? The encounter with Peg and Patrick's son at the party? Listening in to the discussion on the phone? The trip to New York. her joy, the dancing., the mock marriage, the carriage ride, the subway and the suddenness of her death? Her testament? The sadness of the ending and the upbeat tone of her attitude towards death?

6. Patrick and Charlotte meeting through her? Initial antagonism? Drawn to each other, falling in love, concern about hurt, responsibilities, sharing? Common sense? The grief at the ending? In view of the staged marriage ceremony? The effect of Charlotte getting the telegram about Patrick's political success?

7. Dudley Moore as Patrick: the television talk show behind the credits, television personality, style, focus on issues, English background, living in California. reputation of a buffoon? Dudley Moore credible as a would-be politician? Insight, quip style? As a politician: platitudes or honesty? His aides, the parties, the speeches? His integrity, advertisements, wanting to win? Getting to know him as a person in his encounter with Nicole? The audience sharing this experience? The host and Charlotte and Nicole coming to the party? The summons by Charlotte, discovering the truth about Nicole,' watching her at the ballet? Talking honestly with her, her help., sharing? The summons by Charlotte and his not wanting to be part of the bargain? The breaking down of the barriers between them? Sharing the experience. staying over, the meals? Staying the night? The phone call breaking off the encounter, especially in the light of Peg and his son coming to the party? His relationship with his wife - fondness, tensions? Her reaction to his absences? The son's injury? School nights etc.? The pressures on the politician in commuting? His decision to go to New York? The exhilaration, the marriage, the carriage ride, his pulling strings with the ballet, Nicole's success? Her death? His decision to move away from Charlotte? His winning of the election? The final telegram? The skills in Dudley Moore's performance: serious, comic?

8. Mary Tyler Moore as Charlotte? Wealthy, no mention of her husband, devotion to Nicole? Patrick's not knowing who she was? The initial disdain? The summons, the discussion, her breaking down? Her pleading and Patrick's allowing Nicole to work? Her joy, continued presence, attraction towards Patrick, falling in love? Sharing experiences together? The encounter with Peg and the son at the party? The importance of the phone call breaking off the friendship? Her joy in Patrick's going to New York, the marriage, sharing the experience of the ballet, the impact of Nicole's death? Her going off by herself?

9. The sketch of Peg and the politician's wife, getting older, tension, their warmth together, concern about her son, going to the party and the tension? The future? An importance balance to Charlotte and Nicole?

10. The background of politics, the aides, the wheeler-dealing, parties, campaigns, television interviews, the pressure of politics?

11. The contrast with Charlotte's involvement in her perfume industry, the laboratories, Charlotte's involvement in the production? The picture of the American businesswoman?

12. The sketch of the neighbour and his hostility towards Nicole? Allowing Charlotte and Nicole to the party?

13. The New York holiday sequence - the pressure of the getting of the tickets, the flight, the carriage ride in New York with its sentiment, the pulling of strings at the ballet, the rehearsals, The Nutcracker Suite performance and the children? Nicole and her skill in dancing? The attractiveness of the insertion of ballet at this point of the film? The suddenness of Nicole's death?

14. The satisfactory resolution of the film?

15. Satisfying entertainment? Stylish soap opera? How moving a portrait of human beings and problems?