THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN PART II

US, 1978, 100 minutes, Colour.
Marilyn Hassett, Timothy Bottoms, Nan Martin, Belinda Montgomery, Gretchen Corbett.
Directed by Larry Peerce.

The Other Side of the Mountain Part Two follows on from the original film of 1975 (also directed by Larry Peerce).

The films are the story of Jill Kinmont who was incapacitated by a skiing accident after being a ski champion. The first film focused on her having to cope with her disability. The support she received from her fiancé and father are to the fore. In this film, several years after the death of the fiancé and also of her father, she and her mother go on holiday to a skiing resort. She meets a young man there (played by Timothy Bottoms) and falls in love. However, she is very cautious and resistant because of her condition.

While the first film focused in many ways on the sports, the second film focuses on relationships, the effect of an accident and incapacity on a person.

Marilyn Hassett (who for some time was to be the wife of Larry Peerce) appears in both films as Jill Kinmont. She won a Golden Globe for the first film as the best debut performance by an actress.

The films are very much heart-on-sleeve, present a somewhat edifying picture of the various characters – more, perhaps, than could be in real life.

1. How enjoyable and interesting a film in itself? As a sequel? Its relation to the original - the caption of the true story continued, the number of flashbacks? The life of Jill Kenmont?

2. The significance of the title and its relationship to her accident? Her after-life? Climbing a mountain and then the task of the descent? Indication of themes?

3. The atmosphere of the 1970's love story? The quality of the dialogue, romantic attitudes? The bitter-sweet tones of the romance? Colour, Californian locations? A glossy Readers’ Digest type presentation of a life and love story? The kind of audience response asked for? Interest, curiosity, admiration?

4. How attractive was Jill as the heroine of the film? The sketching in of her personality, the background of her skills, the accident? Her ability to cope, her loneliness and inability? Comparison with her friends - one with polio and coping, the other the champion because of Jill's accident? Her enjoyment of her work and her skill as a teacher? The bonds with her mother and her dependence on her in all ways? The build-up to the holiday with the interview with the doctor and his explanation about treason and the fragility of her health?

5. Themes of loneliness, of feeling alone? Audience sharing in her feelings and understanding her withdrawing? Her inability to relate immediately to people? Jill's capacity for being hurt? The importance of the incident with the truck in the water the introduction to Johnny? The importance of the holiday for her? The revelation that she feared the men in her life dying and her memories of the past, the effect of the flashbacks? The special holiday with Johnny, sexual fulfilment, fighting with him? The importance of her fears, especially on the beach, on hearing that a truck driver had been killed? Her running away? Why was she so turned in on herself and found it so difficult to move out? Not being sensitive to the hurt to Johnny himself? His final pursuit of her and the scene on the roadside and the possibility of her loving him? How credible this portrait of a crippled girl?

6. The portrait of Johnny: personality, the humour of his pushing the jeep out of the water and falling into it? Jill hearing him go out for a date, his taking her out, the bonds between the two, their ability to talk? His taking her for the truck drive so that she could experience his work? The kiss and the awakening? The importance of his previous marriage and his inability to talk about it, his fears and loneliness? His taking Jill to meet his parents and their response to her? His encounter with Jill's mother and the discussion about dependence? The significance of his taking her away for the holiday, the shared happiness, his response to her fear on the beach? The importance of the truck driving and his not letting her know that he was safe? His response to her blaming him for this? His grief when she went away, the importance of following her, his pleading?

7. The portrait of Jill's mother, her devotion, her help of her daughter, the mutual dependence and her having to break with this?

8. The portrait of Jill's friends, Johnny's friends and what they revealed about the main characters?

9. The end of summer? Jill running away, the importance of Johnny's pursuit and the roadside pleading? The importance of the epilogue and their happiness?

10. How valuable a glimpse of people, problems, the analysis and presentation of these at a popular level?