THE PERFECTIONIST
Australia, 1985, 93 minutes, Colour.
Jacki Weaver, John Waters, Noel Ferrier, Steven Vidler, Kate Fitzpatrick, Jennifer Claire, Linda Cropper, Maggie Dence.
Directed by Chris Thomson.
The Perfectionist is based on a play by David Williamson who has adapted it for the screen. Beginning with Stork in 1971, Williamson has contributed a great deal to the Australian film industry with film versions of such plays as The Removalists and Emerald City. He also wrote screenplays directly for the screen including the adaptation of Christopher Koch’s The Year of Living Dangerously.
This is a domestic drama, a focus on a couple and their children. The husband, played by John Waters, is an academic who has been working on his thesis for nine years, encouraged by his arrogant judge father, Noel Ferrier. Jacki Weaver plays his wife, concerned with the running of the household and bringing up the children. However, she wants to do a term’s course – there is a reaction from the husband until he finds that an American academic has been working on the same material as himself and has disproved the theory. Suddenly the husband goes through a conversion, wants to be a house father, goes to parenting groups, leaves his wife free to do her studies. She has previously employed a Danish migrant, played by Steven Vidler, to look after the children and her relates to them very well. She encounters him again and begins an affair, moving out of the house.
The film focuses on the characters, the effect on the children, the husband bringing his perfectionism from study to the running of the household, the pressures that this made on his wife, his plea for her to come back, and a happy sequence with the family around the table when she returns.
The film was directed by Chris Thomson who directed such films as the adaptation of Peter Corris’s The Empty Beach as well as the Kylie Minogue vehicle, The Delinquents.
1.The work of David Williamson? In theatre? For the screen? For television? His themes, family life, relationships, the academic world and its repercussions on home life?
2.The Sydney settings, the home, the more affluent home of his parents, the academic world? The location sequences around Sydney, using the beauty of Sydney, the musical score?
3.The title, its focus on Stuart, his perfectionism with his thesis, taking so long? Wanting ideal conditions in the house? His change of his perfectionism to the family, the rules, the meetings, the votes, going to the parents’ groups? The oppressive nature of his perfectionism, especially for Barbara? Her finally not being able to support it? The children and their response, collaborating with their father?
4.The character of Stuart, his academic work, his self-importance? His attitude towards Barbara’s studying, his contempt, his thinking that he was intellectually superior? The encounters with Erik? In the house, with the children? Erik and his telling Stuart the truth, Stuart’s arrogant response? Getting rid of Erik? The visit to his parents, his father’s support? His finally telling the truth, that his mother was an alcoholic, that his father was arrogant? That he didn’t want to bring his children up in the way that he had been brought up? The news about the thesis, his father’s reaction, urging him to go on to something more? His feeling nine years of his life was wasted? His change, with the children, the discipline, the meetings and the votes? Barbara and her reaction? The studies, his trying to support her? His not understanding her? Her decision to leave? The relationship with Erik? Stuart’s own affairs at the beginning of their marriage? Barbara forgiving him? His trying to carry on without Barbara, the growing exasperation, the chores, the cooking, the meals? The humour of the meals with the children asking all the riddles and his finally laughing? His going to Barbara, his appealing to her to come back? His offering to change?
5.Barbara, the Jacki Weaver character? Looking after the children, the household? Finding Stuart wearing? Supporting him for the nine years? Her wanting to do a course, social work? Her going to the course, taking the baby, its playing around, the reaction of the lecturer, her asking him for extensions for essays? Her meeting with Erik, employing him? Admiring his work with the children, the relationship? Her sexual approach to him? His going away? Stuart and the end of his thesis? At home, her being able to go out, her becoming more businesslike, the student? Her friendship with Su, the lifts, the discussions? Her finding Stuart exasperating? Erik’s return, the beginning of the affair, her wanting to move out, her needing time and space for herself, to think? Stuart coming to her, his appeal? The children? Her decision to return home?
6.Erik, from Denmark, his attitudes to life, not studying because he couldn’t get a job, relating well with the children, their liking him? Stuart and his dislike? Suspicions? Barbara and her warming to him? The sexual advance? His rejecting it, his reasons? His return, the relationship, the household sequences?
7.Shirley Gunn, her alcohol problem, relating to her husband, Stuart telling the truth, her admitting it?
8.Maggie Bridges, the people at the parent group, Rosie and her running the group, the questions, the issues? Stuart and his answers? Talking with Maggie – and the discussion about music, the opera? His describing her to Barbara, inviting Barbara to the opera, their going? Meeting Maggie, Barbara’s suspicions?
9.The portrait of family, the 1980s, tensions in the family – and the possibilities of reconciliation rather than an easy way out? The final sequence with the family happily around the table?
