ECHOES OF A SUMMER
US, 1975, 98 minutes, Colour.
Richard Harris, Lois Nettleton, Jodie Foster, Geraldine Fitzgerald, William Windom, Brad Savage.
Directed by Don Taylor.
Echoes of a Summer is an earlier Jodie Foster film about an eleven-year-old girl facing death resolutely, with a blend of romanticism and cynicism and trying to help a writer-father who copes by creating fairytale happiness and a mother who is obsessed with finding newer doctors. There is also a most precocious nine-year-old neighbour, Brad Savage, who has been given extraordinarily contrived dialogue. Richard Harris huskily brogues his role (and whisper-sings his own credits song). Actually, there are many good and wise things about death and ways of facing it honestly and helpfully and Jodie Foster is a strong actress. But there is also a lot of coyness.
1. The atmosphere of the title, tone, as explained through the film? Indications of theme and the focus on Deirdre?
2. The importance of atmosphere, especially with location photography, colour, the reflections of the seasons, the house, the water? The home as a haven? The contribution of the musical score, the song at the beginning and end, sung by Richard Harris, the lyrics?
3. The appeal to audiences in a film about life and death? A child's death? The response to the arbitrary selection of people with terminal illnesses, suffering, the nature of illness, constant examination and testing, dealing with doctors and their response, hope and hopelessness, coping and not coping? The particular emphases with Deirdre's comments about not living to 25 and so on? How honest was the presentation of terminal illness and suffering, coping and not coping? How realistic the presentation of characters? How helpful the visualizing of their interactions?
4. The drawing of the character of Deirdre by Jodie Foster, her strong style? Child, adolescent, seeming adult? The strengths and weaknesses of her character? Was her part written credibly? For the crisis in which she was living and dying? Her responses as a young girl, her wisdom? How well did she know herself? Her longings and her facing up to the fact that she would never live to adult age and have adult experiences? Her response to her father and his love, the fairytale world in which he immersed her and in which she happily played? Her response to her mother and resenting her mother's continued hope, two years of going to specialists? Her response to Sarah and confiding in her and yet resenting her? Going through the motions of learning? The importance of her friendship with Phillip, the truth that was spoken between them, the irony of their aping adult behaviour? Their trying to confront the mystery of death, memory and Philip's theme of reputation? Her response to the doctors, especially to the specialist who visited her? Her capacity for facing reality, for knowing dreams? The visualizing of her dreams as especially that of dancing? The importance of stories in her life, the castle, the celebrations for her birthday? Her satisfied response to her parents' reconciliation, their ability to face the truth that she was to die? Audience response to this kind of child?
5. The strain on Deirdre in helping her parents to face her terminal illness: the fact that she could talk honestly with Sarah (and her father overhear?) The truth of so much of her dialogue with Philip? The bluntness of children and their talk and thinking? How real does death seem to children?
6. The portrayal of her father as a writer, his style, his wanting to share every moment of her life, the importance of creating imaginative stories and make-believe? The bad side of this and living in a world of make-believe? His forcing himself and deceiving himself? The detailed portrayal of the difference of opinion with his wife? His clashes with her, attempts at reaching out? The confrontations, the incident with the pagoda and their reconciliation through the play? His encounters with Philip and their discussions, his realization of so much of the truth through Philip?
7. Deirdre's mother and her desperate wanting Deirdre to live, two years of world tours, specialists, never believing the doctors? Going out to find new doctors, inviting them in? Her lack of communication with Deirdre? Her difficulty in coping, her despair? Her feeling abandoned by her husband? Her gradual facing of reality after confrontation? The experience of the birthday and the play?
8. The detailed portrayal of the clashes, the memories of their married life, the healing of the rift between the two? The possibility of living happily after Deirdre's death?
9. The contribution of Sarah, her place in the household, teaching, her observations about the parents, the fact that Deirdre could confide in her? Why did she ultimately fall? Did she see Deirdre more as a case than as a person?
10. Why was the character of Philip so important? The credibility of his dialogue: realistic or contrived? Adult talk about death, friendship, running away, observation on his own home life, sex? His theme of reputation? How credible as a character in the drama? How important is the content of his dialogue?
11. The choice of one doctor to portray Deirdre's experience with doctors? His straight talk and his reaction to her? The prescription and the chemist's revelation of the truth to her father?
12. The film dwelt on many details and incidents of life, talk, study, meals, pain, pretence. How effective were these?
13. The build-up to the party, the failure of the pagoda, the success of the play? What had Deirdre had during her life? What had she achieved?
14. Sentiment in the film? Did it veer into sentimentality? How important is this kind of fictional experience for people to learn something of the realities of death and how people cope?
