FILTH: THE MARY WHITEHOUSE STORY

UK, 2008, 90 minutes, Colour.
Julie Walters, Hugh Bonneville, Alun Armstrong, Ron Cook, Georgie Glen.
Directed by Andy De Emmony.

A BBC film shown on television but an interesting look back at the discussions about media and the need to clean up television in the last decades of the 20th century. Mary Whitehouse became a household name in the 1960s and she continued to be a figure of controversy (and mockery) until her death in 2001.

Since one of the main targets of her campaigns was the BBC itself, especially its director general 1960-1060, Sir Hugh Carleton Greene, it is surprising that the BBC produced the film and that it attempts a more even-handed approach to its portrait of Mary Whitehouse. In fact, if anyone wanted to sue it would be Hugh Greene who does not come out of the film too well at all. The screenplay was written by Amanda Coe.

The principal strength of the film is Julie Walters’ performance as Mrs Whitehouse. It is a familiar enough kind of character for Julie Walters but she invests Mary Whitehouse with some humanity, a sense of ordinariness at home with her husband, Ernest, as well as showing her convictions in her campaigns and her singlemindedness and the effect that so much limelight had on her. The suggestion is that she started to believe a bit in her own publicity and celebrity status. She was accused of being a ‘self-appointed’ guardian of morals.

Julie Walter’s portrayal is well worth seeing. Alun Armstrong is also humane as Ernest, always supportive of his wife and very much affected by the tragic accident he was involved in when a man lay in a bag on the road to commit suicide and it was Ernest Whitehouse who ran into him.

On the other hand, Hugh Bonneville, who is very good, has to make Hugh Greene an impersonal bureaucrat who refused to meet Mary Whitehouse and insulted her grossly behind her back while being a roving eye boss. He felt he had a mission to transform the BBC into a modern era company with programs which reflected the frankness of the times, something that Mrs Whitehouse could not agree with, especially programs that were available at times of children’s viewing. Hugh Greene might have done better in confrontations with Mrs Whitehouse where opinions could be expressed and argued instead of a stand-off with snide remarks on his side and narrow/sheltered views on hers with examples that sometimes led to ridicule rather than reasoned discussion.

The clash was between freedom of expression and community standards and the protection of children. Obviously many of the issues Mary Whitehouse raised are still important. Each generation has to face the same issues in its own way. While personalities can highlight these issues in the public mind for good or for ill, when personalities become the subject of discussion, the issue can be lost in slanging matches.

Filth shows the campaigns, the thousands of people who were concerned about media standards, the rallies, the debates, the opposition, the television mockery of Mary Whitehouse in programs like Swizzlewick. It is a film that can foster discussion of contemporary media problems of content and programming.

1.An effective telemovie? The fact that the BBC made it and the history of Mrs Whitehouse and her attacks on the BBC?

2.The style, narrative, conflict? The Whitehouses, Hugh Greene and the BBC? The campaigns, their growth, Birmingham meeting? The television programs and clips, especially Swivelwick?

3.Julie Walters, her screen presence, performance? Contrasting with Hugh Bonneville – and the seeming caricature of Sir Hugh Greene? Alun Armstrong as Ernest Whitehouse?

4.How even-handed was the screenplay? The perspective on the issues? On Mary Whitehouse and her campaign, on the perspectives of the BBC and opening up entertainment? The perspective from changes in society in Britain in the ensuing decades?

5.The situation of the 60s, changes? Religion and the Honest to God debate? Television and Hugh Greene and changes, programs, frankness in expression, programs on premarital sex, children watching, their being screened at mealtime? The clash between fears of corruption of society and freedom of speech? Issues of taste, refinement?

6.Mary Whitehouse and her sheltered background, middle-class, comfortable, her middle-class reactions? Her ignorance about sexuality? Sexual behaviour? Her attitude towards language?

7.Mary Whitehouse and her age, her relationship with Ernest and love for him? Her teaching art, her sons at home, her relationship with her students, encouraging them? Home style, the housewife life, prayer, friends with the vicar, her own friends? Her reaction to the television, turning off programs? Her motivation? The campaign, her initiative, support from friends? Was it true that she was self-appointed? Complaints to the BBC and reactions to these?

8.The film showing the campaign, the meetings, interactions, interviews with the media, the build-up to the Birmingham meeting and her decision to have it in the big hall, her nervousness, Ernest encouraging her, the crowds turning up, her speech, the hecklers? David Turner, the author of Trevor? His wanting equal time and her condemning him? The media response? The support of the people? Ernest and his throwing out the hecklers? David Turner and his writing of Swivelwick, insulting her, insulting Ernest – and her anger at this program?

9.The episodes with the sons, the women set up to provoke them? Their not responding?

10.The meeting and Ernest going to pick up Mary, the suicide man on the road, Ernest running over him, the shattering experience, the police, the man wanting to die? The effect on the family, the TV and the mockery of Ernest, the headlines?

11.Mary at home, the huge piles of letters, Ernest and the friends helping her, the growth of the Clean Up TV? The visit to London, the interview with Lord Hill, his courteous treatment of her, the later interactions and Lord Hill’s severe behaviour towards Hugh Greene?

12.Hugh Greene, the BBC, the role of the government, the postmaster-general? The board? The director? Hugh Greene’s character, the touch of the caricature, his refusal to meet Mary Whitehouse, verbally insulting her? At home, the formal family dinner, his leering approach to his secretaries? The Picasso-like painting and his throwing darts at it? The authorities, his sneering? His interaction with writers, rejecting them?

13.David Turner, Trevor, the text of Swivelwick, the rejected author finding it, sending it to Mary Whitehouse? Her getting the parcel ready, sending it to the postmaster, the program being banned?

14.Lord Hill, Greene’s contempt of him, their arguments, the different backgrounds? Greene and his deciding to go? His final walk down the street?

15.The build-up of the campaign, Mary’s friends, going to the BBC for the discussion, the program, her being insulted, driving back afterwards? Her rejoicing at Hugh Greene’s departure?

16.The change in Mary Whitehouse? How much was she affected by the campaign? The limelight, the scene where she wanted the lights differently on her face? Her believing her own propaganda? Yet the effectiveness of what she did? The opposition?

17.Mary Whitehouse’s enemies, her friends? How fair was the film in its presentation of her and her campaign?