PLAYMATES

US, 1972, 74 minutes, Colour.
Alan Alda, Connie Stevens, Barbara Feldon, Doug Mc Clure, Eileen Brennan.
Directed by Theodore Flicker.

Playmates is quite an interesting and effective tele movie, considering two families and their divorces. Two fathers meet when taking their children out. they each fall in love with the others wife. What sounds conventional. is portrayed with some sharpness of observation and some humour. Alan Alda of M.A.S.H. is effective in the lead. The film was directed Theodore Flicker who wrote such interesting comedy parodies as The President's Analyst and Up In The Cellar.

1. The quality and impact of this telemovie? Issues of marriage and divorce and family as presented for home audiences? Television techniques? location, characters, close-ups of characters to indicate themes and problems?

2. The significance of the title, reference to husbands, wives, children? The ironies of the title?

3. How interesting a picture of America, a cross-section of Californian way of life? Differences in wealth, style, class, education? How well were these brought out?

4. What did the film have to say about marriage? The comic touch? Ironies and comedy and the telling of truth?

5. What did the film have to say about divorce and its effect on the respective spouses, children? The light touch? Realistic? The beginning with the fathers meeting an they took their children out, the irony of the film ending this way?

6. The film's evaluation of marriage, of love, the failure of love and marriage, love being tested? Comparisons and remarriage? Comparisons and the irrevocable loss of the marriage?

7. Marsh: type, his work, educational background, wealth? His not wanting to patronize Kermit? His relationship with his son, especially in their outing? The scenes with Lois and their inevitable clashes? His passion for Patty and his deceiving Kermit? The sequences of his trying to educate Patty at concerts and his making a mistake; with books and magazines? The clash between them? His inevitable talking? Her hanging up on him? His not learning? How much did he change throughout the film for example in fighting Kermit?

8. The contract with Kermit: type, manual work, educational background and lack of it? His ignorance his consciousness of lack of class? Being patronized by Lois? Being offhand with Patty? His relationship with his son? The friendship with Marsh and what it gave to him? His response to Lois and the affair? His ignorance for example at the art gallery? His reaction to Lois's own work? The reason for his fighting Marsh? His making up with Patty? The irony of his not telling Marsh? Why did he go back? How much did he change throughout the film?

9. Patty as a woman, wife, mother? Glamour? How ignorant was she? not as ignorant as Marsh was wanting to make her? Her experience of learning? Her telling the truth to Marsh? The happiness of remarrying her husband?

10. The contrast with Lois: as a woman, wife, mother, artist? In comparison with her own mother and Kermit's gallantry towards her? Her sarcasm? Patronizing people? Her initiating the affair, learning to play pool, the art galleries, the weekend and her own paintings? The irony of the audience seeing the painting of Kermit but Marsh not seeing it?

11. The importance of the audience knowing more about the couples than they did?

12. Themes of friendship, affection? American males, females, family?